Ok, another milestone that we can check off our list this week. Tuesday morning was our first of two home study visits. Anyone who watches television or movies will recall the home study as the intense meeting when the prospective adoptive parents need to prove to a hyper-critical social worker, usually wearing white gloves and her hair in a tight bun, that they are perfect people, thereby worthy of being parents. This experience nearly always includes a painfully nerve-wracking exchange immediately followed by hilarious hijinks.

I am happy to report that the Hollywood version of the home study, like most things "as seen on T.V", is not completely accurate. A social worker did come to our home to see if our house would be able to accommodate children. She did talk to us about our desire to adopt. However, she was not hypercritical, she did not wear white gloves nor a hair bun, and it was not at all a nerve-wracking experience. As far as hijinks, that is to be expected just because of who we are.

That morning, Tadd and I got up and got dressed. I took a bit of time the night before trying to select the perfect "First Home study" outfit. I settled on my new brown wool knitted suit: classy with an equestrian flair while also being warm and friendly. Could it be that I thought too much about this? Possibly, but first impressions are a one-shot deal.

After getting ready for the day, we started to pace around the house. The dogs knew something was up since there was not the usual flurry of commuter activity to get us out the door to our places of employment. The doorbell rang and the Wonder Dogs flew into a barking frenzy of defensive action and exuberant glee. I did my best to hold them both back while trying to look calm and in control as I opened the front door. Tadd, myself, the social worker and an intern all shook hands and exchanged greetings. (For the record, the social worker was also wearing a classy brown skirt and top. See? I was not completely insane after all!) Unfortunately, our youngest fur-baby has trouble with manners. She made quite a spectacle of herself by jumping all over the place. She also managed to find her way up the social worker's skirt. The woman was polite and explained that she had four golden retrievers so she was not upset.  I did make a mental note to get some brochures on pet training from the nearest pet store.

Things went smoother once the pups got some yummy chew toys to work on while the rest of us settled down at the kitchen table. The meeting consisted of all sorts of questions about our families, our childhoods, our interests, the specifics of our home, our neighborhood, and about how we decided to adopt. It was somewhere between an interview and a blind date. The social worker gave us some good info as well like where to find parenting classes and how to get our fingerprints done at the police station. (We are happy to report that we are not sure where our closest police station is. Hey, we are law-abiding citizens. We don't have the po-po coming around here!)

Then came the big house tour. Ok, I know this is silly, but I still enjoy giving tours of our house! I just feel so posh when I get to do it, like we are being featured on an episode of Celebrity Homes or something. Who cares that the rooms are cluttered and the nursery still has Christmas decorations stored in there? Our guests seemed very impressed about our creative pursuits. They enjoyed our uber-fun "art room" which got my mind working about how to rearrange things so our kids can join us with their own creative pursuits. The nursery got a thumbs up for being sunny and bright. If they liked that, then just wait until it gets transformed from an oversized utility closet to a children's oasis.

Next home study is on November 26. In the meantime we have plenty to do. Loans, doctors visits, letters of recommendation, tax returns...the list goes on. And if anyone reading this has a burning desire to release their interior design muse all over our house, please let us know!

On a different (yet slightly related) note, I also am pleased to report that I participated in a preliminary play reading of a new theatre project in Charlotte. However, I was not performing. I was one of the playwrights and tonight was the first time anyone has actually read one of my pieces out loud. And people did not hate it! They actually laughed! Sure, it definitely needs some re-writes, but it is a start. While getting ready for our kids, I am re-evaluating how I am spending my time and making the necessary changes. I enjoy acting, but performing demands a lot of time away from home. Writing can happen anywhere. Please keep your fingers crossed that I can keep this up!