Up To My Eyeballs

Yes, I'm up to my eyes in the home study process. And I was doing great; fantastic actually, but then...as usual...there was more to do.

You're given a list...you check stuff off...and then something you thought you signed wasn't, yada, yada. It's all a part of the process. 

But can I be honest? Can I bare my heart a bit? There are some things in the process that are completely hypocritical. For instance, I've done a home study before...the whole thing. I've done all the training, etc. But in our state there's an expiration date on that paperwork, so if you're not sure if you're going to adopt again and you let your home study expire, rather than just updating it (which is still a lot of work) you have to do the whole thing over.

Did you know there are some states that don't have expiration dates on home studies? That would make sense to me.

Let me tell you (vent to you) on why I think part of this process is hypocritical. They want me to re-do 10 hours of training, and re-read two very thick books on adoption and attachment on how to be a good parent (which I've already done). So, in order to do this, I have four children that need me for various things, two of which are new to our family, and I have to say, "Not now Johnny, please go play a video game or glue yourself to the t.v. so I can learn how to be a good parent." Hello???? Does that make any sense whatsoever??? If I had never done this, fine. But I did this...I JUST did this. Who makes these rules??? Who makes these laws??? Can someone who has a brain pleeeeeze use common sense and change this?? Here's another one: it usually takes longer than 1 year to complete an international adoption...so why would the home study have a 1 year expiration date??? Ugh!!

Blah. This is all on the list of "If I Were In Charge." Which I'm not, so tomorrow I will yet again ignore my children and be a bad Mom because I'm commanded to by the powers that be, and complete my training on how to be a good Mom. But don't forget...my good Mom status is only good for 1 year, and then apparently I will magically forget how to parent my children and I'll be an incompetent parent once again...at least in my state. 

Sheesh...I need a Tylenol.