Just when you think the end is near...

...you get an email from your dossier service with a brand new set of things to do. Kate in New York wrote today with the following list of documents that need to be completed and notarized. I've deleted all the explanatory info beneath each item:

1. Written Statement: about why we want to adopt, how we'll be good parents to an Ethiopian child, etc.
2. FBI ClearanceHomestudy Documents
3. Medical Certificates: yay! I get to go back to the doctor!
4. Employment Letters –
5. Homemaker Letter – You can call me Suzy if I can call you Al.
6. Life Insurance
7. Bank Letter
8. Reference Letter: if you are one of the good people who've already done a reference for us, we may be asking you to do yet another, this one notarized...so so sorry.
9. Photos: at least 10, of very specific things, like the baby's future room. Ours is currently being used for our suitcases and the overflow of Ted's closet (that man has some clothes, let me tell ya).
10. Passport size photos
11. Additional Documents: this was my favorite, just to let us know that more could be added along the way...we can cross things off the list just to have it replaced with something else. Yay!

A ways back, I wrote about a meltdown that came as a result of looking at what needs to be done for the foreign dossier, so I knew this was coming. I guess I'm just surprised by how much it feels like we're repeating ourselves with documents, this time having to go the extra step of having things notarized.

Wah, wah, wah, I know, I know. I don't mean to be such a baby about it. All adoptive parents go through this. But boy, it feels excessive. This is what we'll be working on tomorrow.

On a good note, we were visited by Cindy, the friendly Social Worker, today for our home study, and it was a really great experience. She's a laugher and so expressive! It made talking to her and answering her many questions actually enjoyable. "Ooh, what face will she make if I say this?"

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A few good, random things:

--I read through the book Parenting Your Adopted Child by Andrew Adesman, M.D., yesterday and can highly recommend it. What I liked most about his approach was that he tries to empower parents to make the right choices for their child. So much of the literature out there on adoption is one-sided, often polar opposites and/or preachy, telling parents the right or wrong way of doing it. He's also very practical, debunking adoption myths, and giving snappy (yet kind) come-backs to intrusive questions and unsolicited advice. Cool book.

--Our deck now has stairs going down to the yard.

--One of the final episodes of Studio 60 is on tonight, finally. We're fans of the show, and I got to watch a few scenes being filmed earlier this year when I sneaked into the soundstage. We even got a couple of pictures, though we probably weren't supposed to.

--My 13-year-old niece told me today via facebook that she has a boyfriend? What's that about? Gotta do some investigatin'...