our homestudy is right around the corner... it's been moved to sunday for some scheduling reasons on the part of the social worker. sundays are actually a little easier for us b/c of josh's work schedule. we'll hear from the guy sometime this week for the exact time.
the monday afternoon we turned in our application to the agency, the lawyer/director/adoptive mom said "so i guess yall have heard the horror stories about homestudies, right? the dreaded 'white glove' visit?" we had kinda brushed up against such stories....not any first-hand-account nightmares, really...just the tone of voice and facial expressions associated w/the word...
the anxiety is justified, i think.
a stranger comes into your home. he will be in your home for 2-3 hrs. his job is evaluate you and your home, determining the suitability of parenthood. first of all, that's a long time w/a stranger in a non-crowd-setting. all sorts of things swirl around our minds, wonderin what there is to talk about for 3 hrs....wonderin what exactly the "home evaluation" entails. i mean, are we openin up the closets and hopin the clothes and bags stuffed inside don't escape and attack this poor man? are we lookin under the bed and taking a census of dust bunnies? what about the stacks of books we've collected just since movin in a year ago? i meticulously filled our bookshelves with both practical and decorative intentions...so the nursing texts i've bought since then don't fit...nor do any of the other books/magazines we've purchased or been given....so now the bookshelves have neat little stacks of books and magazines serving as fences around the bottom. and we live in the country....in a wonderful, old, rented farm house....emphasis on "old"...which means the windows are drafty, the wall paper in the bathroom is peelin due to the excessive humidity, bugs get in, and at the moment, we have a mousetrap on the kitchen counter. probably we'll get rid of that by sunday. oh, and i am married to a game warden who likes to hunt....so....yes, we have deer mounts in two different rooms of the house. let's hope this guy isn't a member of peta.
and let's really hope no white gloves are actually involved. even if i dust the mornin of his visit, if the wind blows, the plowed fields surrounding our house will completely negate my work.
since he'll be drivin such a long way, maybe i'll invite him to eat lunch w/us. there's somethin awkwardness-relieving when a table and food provide some casual distraction.
so even though we've been told not to worry, i don't know that i can stop entirely. i've already vacuumed the window sills and couches and emptied the crusty bug shells out of the light fixtures. when i realize the potential overreaction i'm exercising, i shrug it off by convincing myself a little late spring cleaning was in order anyway.
and you'll be shocked to know that josh is, at best i can tell, thoroughly un-worried.
7 comments:
Well, perhaps the lime green silly putty will provide some conversation - it at least sticks out!
SORRY!!!
Going through all of those inspections... they would probably say that I wasn't fit to be a parent! I have 2 kids that I love, but a busy, lived in, dusty house that I love to see the stains and messes of my kids. It drives me crazy, but I can't image if I didn't have their little chaotic lives messing up my house. The fact is Lens, that you and Josh are incredible, loving, dedicated, God-fearing people that any child would be blessed to call Mom and Dad. That will shine through more than any cleaning. You are AMAZING and it will be impossible for this stranger to see anything different that what and who you are. I too... unworried because of who you are!
i think you should invite him to eat peanut butter straight from a jar with a dusty lid, whilst sitting on a stack of books padded by newspapers, and watching you smash a few bugs and load the mouse trap on the counter with some of that same peanut butter... ;)
we're with you and for you and praying, friends!
Praying for you guys Lindsey - It's so obvious to me that the Lord has put you here...I pray that this guy comes in and sees the love emanating from both your hearts and that the visit is as laid back as possible!
Just tell josh to properly lock his guns and put them away. Last time we were there, he had both his AR's sitting in the living room floor. I thought it was cool, but that guy visiting might not. Plus, Shasta might appreciate them not laying next to our child when we come and visit. Love you guys. Know we are praying for ya'll.
mendi - i think i'll frame the silly putty just to draw more attention to it :)
amber - i'm laughin. that's about all i can say :)
kyle - yeah...the guns and knives need to find homes behind lock and key. it would probably not go over well to display our armory :)
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