You know you are adopting when. . .
- You’ve been fingerprinted and had more background checks than a hardened criminal. My new rule of thumb, is if you have ever been cleared to adopt, you can bypass the normal "stranger caution."
- You don’t hesitate to spend $42 to get a certified copy of your marriage license shipped ASAP the same day that you do your grocery shopping for the week and only spend $32 because you need the money for adoption expenses.
- Your social worker knows things about you that your parents don’t know (don't ask).
- You find yourself walking into the doctor’s office to get the results of your husband’s blood tests for HIV and syphilis.
- You contemplate which you should pay first: your mortgage or the next payment to your adoption agency.
- You know what the terms dossier, cocooning, I-600, home study, reactive attachment disorder, and sensory processing disorder mean.
- You have your notary on speed-dial and have had her meet you on a Saturday morning (thanks, Jill!).
- You screen your calls while at work but if your adoption agency comes up, you answer it no matter what.
- The following people/entities have had to vouch for your ability to parent: your friends, family, boss, accountant, children’s teachers, coworkers, and preacher; bank, health and life insurance companies, and even the IRS (via past tax returns).
- You try to discover your hidden “talents” that could be used to help you fundraise for your adoption.
- You write large checks, fill out all kinds of forms, and show up at out-of-town appointments for fingerprinting because your agency told you to, even though you aren’t exactly sure what the purpose of it is.
- You are in love with a child you’ve never even seen. . .
