The Adoption Front/Washing Machine Blues (Yellows?)

I just got a message from Carla at About A Child--the initial version of our home study has already been reviewed and sent back to our A New Beginning case worker for revision. This is exciting to me because it shows me that people at both agencies are working hard to help us bring Abby home.

I have several certified copies of our birth certificates and marriage certificates already on hand from previous adoptions. I really don't know why I ordered so many and it bugs me to have spent the $13 or so per copy and then not use them. Well I found out that Abby's country doesn't care when the certificates were issued as long as they can still be apostilled. From my wonderful Reece's Rainbow friends I found out that some states just require the document to have been issued in the last 5 years. One friend mentioned that in her state she was told that the State Registrar at the time the certificate was issued has to be the same as the current State Registrar. I couldn't find specific requirements on the Idaho Secretary of State's website but they did have an email address for the lady who actually does the apostilles. On Saturday I emailed her and was pleasantly surprised to have a reply on Monday. Yes, I can use the documents I already have.

For those readers not familiar with international adoption the apostille is an additional level of certification that proves to a foreign government that the document is indeed official. Dossier documents like our home study, verification of employment, letters from our home study agency, background checks results, etc. have to be notarized. Then I take them to the Secretary of State office in Boise and the lady there checks the document to make sure the notarial wording is correct, the date of signature and date of notarization match and that it is properly signed and stamped by a real notary, etc. If all looks good then she can attach a cover sheet with official stamp, signature, etc on it--that attached page is called the apostille. Government-issued documents like birth and marriage certificates don't have to be notarized; they can just have the apostille attached directly.

Our daughter Scheri keeps asking "When are you going to bring that girl home?" And I keep hoping that we will at least be able to travel for our first trip yet this year.

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Our washing machine is getting a big workout today. We "oopsed" last night and didn't check to see whether Caleb actually put on a pull-up at bedtime. Gracious! He mega-soaked his own bed, went to Steven's bed and got it all wet and then this morning climbed into our bed in his very soggy jammies. It's not every day that one boy can wet three beds. AND the cat peed in James' bed. AND the dog puddled on the floor--but at least that was on the vinyl so the washer only has to deal with wet towels from that incident.