Social Worker Assigned

FINALLY, we have a social worker (SW) assigned to our family!  She is 4.5 hours away from us.  Silliness, if you ask me!  The agency wanted to have someone "experienced" because we are SEEKING OUT a special needs adoption (the SW told me on the phone that this was a new one for her too...someone choosing special needs -this is going to be a whole other blog topic!!!) .  This really bites because we have to pay her gas mileage to have her come out here. I, personally, think that there is just as qualified people closer by. The plus side is that she is going to keep our visits to four 3-hour long sessions. That seems do-able. Our first session is next Saturday!

It is frustrating because the director from the agency that we have been bunting heads with has now just left on an educational leave.  This leaves us with yet another director that we have to get a "feel" for. Grr.  All we can do is pray.  Nothing is in our hands.  I can't control any of this.  I hate the feeling of being out of control.  I am learning though.  Learning to just let things happen as they do. 

This week we will be moving in my "baby" brother to the basement.  He got a three month position here.  It is a good trial run for him as he has never been out on his own and I think it will help us out too while we have our appointments.  Hee hee hee, he doesn't know what he is getting into yet ;) .  Nah, in all honesty, I think he is FANTASTIC with the kids.  He will be a great dad whenever that day comes.  I'm thinking that I will pull out some crafty things that the kids can do while our SW is here and pop in a movie that they haven't seen yet.  For the most part, they are good through the whole movie and that will kill 1.5 hours of our first visit.  Crafty thing...beads maybe...something easy...playdough???  I don't know yet...something easy, yet something they won't fight about :)

I have a lot of cleaning to do to get ready for our homestudy visit.  I am TERRIFIED about this visit.  I am already dreaming about it and not sleeping well.  The fate of this adoption rests in her hands.  She is the say-all of whether we are a stable family, whether we have a stable marriage, whether we are able to take in a child with special needs!  I have to brush up on the special needs and how this will impact our family.   She wants to know about our support systems, resources available, our expectations, her expectations, whether we researched the special needs of choice -what is the meaning of it and how that will impact our marriage, kids, family. 

Did I mention I am PETRIFIED!?!?!?!  Please keep me in your prayers.  Please keep our family in your prayers and please pray for our SW. 

Thanks for visiting.  Hopefully I will be on top of my writing more :).  Then again, with five kids, a spring tea to bake for, a kickboxing test, my brother moving in, researching, driving the kids to their activities and frantic cleaning...it may be a while before I post again :)