Our Surprise Home Study and Why You Shouldn't Freak Out About Yours

Hello, friends and family!!

I'm blogging about this hoping that my story will entertain you, but mostly I'm hoping that anybody who reads this and is currently preparing for their home study will instantly relax when they realize theirs could never be as bad as ours!  HA!

As many of you know, my grandpa used to live with us but we had to move him to a nursing home in August of last year.  I have been avoiding cleaning out his room because it felt wrong to do so while he's still alive, but once we scheduled the home study I knew I couldn't ignore it any longer.  So after I cleaned out my office last week I transitioned to Pop's room.  I was about 3/4s of the way through.  I only had 2 more drawers to get through before a thorough cleaning would finish the task.  Halfway through the last drawer the doorbell rings.  We get so many door-to-door salesmen around here that I decided not to answer.  Then I remembered I was waiting for a delivery from Amazon.com so I better answer it.  So I waded through the ocean of Pop's stuff in the hallway (that I was going to relocate after I finished) and made my way to the door.

When I realized through the glass that the visitor was not the UPS guy I immediately knew it was a door-to-door salesman so I barely cracked open the door.  Here's how the dialogue went.  The names have been changed to protect the innocent:

Alleged door-to-door salesman:  (Obviously wondering why I'm being so strange)  Hi...
Me:  (Obviously wondering why this door-to-door salesman is annoying me)  Hi.
Alleged door-to-door salesman:  I'm John from Children's Connections Inc.
Me:  (Staring blankly trying to process why he's stopping by a day early)  Oh!  Hi!  I'm sorry,  
         the dogs are trying to get out that's why I'm not opening the door.

<<<<AWKWARD SILENCE>>>>

Clearly NOT a door-to-door salesman:  Am I early?

At this moment many visions flashed before my eyes.  First and foremost:  Oh crap, the home study is TODAY not TOMORROW.  Next:  I DON'T HAVE ON A BRA!!!  I was in basketball shorts and a t-shirt with Pop's Brian Westbrook Philadelphia Eagles jersey on over it.  Basically my pajamas.  No makeup.  Hadn't showered.  Hair in a pony tail.  Next I remembered the junk in the hallway blocking the entrance to Pop's room.  Then I thought about how my office had become a staging area for our adoption fundraising garage sale.  Then I remembered I hadn't made our bed that morning!!  Finally, I realized I was standing in the door like a deer in headlights while John, the not door-to-door salesman, is processing exactly how poorly this first impression is going.

Me:  (Much friendlier) Oh my gosh, I have you for tomorrow!!
Home study worker John:  Oh...I have you for today...I can maybe come back tomorrow...
Me:  (Surrendering to the fact that the home study is happening.  Right now.)  No, no, it's fine.  Let me
         close the door and let the dogs out.

So I let the dogs out, run back to the front door, let the door-to-door...I mean home study worker...in, tell him to sit, ask him if he needs anything to drink and tell him I'll be right back.

I rush into my room, run into the closet, find my bra while dialing BJ (because he was still at work), leave a message for BJ, quickly consider and reject the idea that I might have time for a shower and makeup application, and emerge from the bedroom to begin our home study!  John said he could start with my questions and get to BJ when he arrived.  As John begins, I decide to text BJ.  Here is the exact transcript of our conversation:

Me:  Hey!  Major miscommunication.  Need you home now.  Home study today.  Social worker here now!!!!!
BJ:  Ohhhh?
BJ:  Serious?
Me:  Yes I'm serious!!  LOL!
BJ:  Cause that's not nice!
<<<<<Long pause>>>>>
BJ:  On my way

Somewhere between bra fastening and this text conversation with BJ I realized there was absolutely nothing I could at this point but accept the fact that my home study was happening and go with it.  So I did.  John started with questions, BJ arrived home and everything went smoothly after that.  John was super easy to talk to and all in all the home study process was NO BIG DEAL!  I cleared the hallway in front of Pop's room while John asked BJ about his family and I quickly made the bed before the walk thru with John.  So if you are worrying about your home study, don't.  If I can survive a surprise home study you can survive the one you are prepared for.

Onward to the next step!!

Love you all,

BJ and Jenn