Christmas was the usual chaotic riot - lots of family over Christmas day, then driving to see the in laws for Boxing Day in the midlands. And the discovery that guitar hero world tour is just the best PS3 game ever and I can drum away to 'eye of the tiger' with hardly a missed beat (on easy level of course!!) And once all the chaos is finished, and the decorations are packed away, you sit and reflect that next Christmas could be very different indeed.
Suddenly the April panel date is looking scarily close. And I don't even know when the date is! This in itself is causing a minor headache. We have been invited to go away for a week with some friends in early April, but cannot commit as we don't know when panel will be. Due to 2 cancelled home study visits (snow!) I haven't had a chance to discuss with Bonnie, so have emailed to see where the land lies. Flash in particular is not finding it easy to put on hold our normal plans. He is itching to book a summer holiday, but again, this is something that we need to discuss with Bonnie, and I don't think an email conversation is the best way to do it. ANd of course, Flash's brother had to rub it in that they have booked their holiday, near to where we went last year.......
Happy new year everyone. Here's hoping some wishes really do come true this year!
Oh my, if we had to put a date in our diary when we couldn't go away, in April, we wouldn't be able to live. We just have to book our lives and hope it works out, and if not, put things off!
ReplyDeleteMy advice would be not to put your life on hold for this stage of the adoption. Obviously you have an April panel, so try to find out the date of that and then book your holiday AFTER as its a bit of a relief getting approved and I would have loved even a weekend away after ours!
ReplyDeleteBook your summer holiday NOW as planned - if you do get matched between panel and holiday, then everything can still go ahead e.g. intro's etc. but the SW's will have to work around your holiday - otherwise you could be stranded with no holiday for years! We have just come back from our Xmas holiday and whilst we were out there we got emails from our SW's with potential matches, so we didn't really miss anything.
From my own experience and reading the boards that would be my advice anyway.
Good luck and keep us all posted!
for someone who had panel put back and back until it was four months later I would say go on that weekend away. for someone who has been waiting 17 months since panel and is still not matched with children I would say book that holiday. For someone who didnt go back to work in september (i work in education) because a particular match was a 'dead cert' and is still not matched or working I would say dont put your life on hold.
ReplyDeleteyou want so much to be able to fit your life around the adoption because it is such a big thing and so exciting. but its also a very long, emotional and drawn out process and will do you in if you let it take over your life.
i dont want you to end up feeling the way i do because my life had been on hold for nearly two years and i am sick of the whole thing.
well, what doom and gloom! sorry. enjoy the snow and the promise of warmer weather to come. enjoy counting down to your holidays and weekends away. and as ali says, you are always contactable so nothing will get missed when you are away.
mary xxx
Thanks for all the advice - very good it is too! Well, the first little holiday in April is OK - panel is on 22nd. So at least I can get that in my diary! As for the big summer hol. Am taking the cowards way out and letting hubby discuss with our SW at his individual meeting on Weds. I guess if nothing else, under our holiday insurance this could be one of those things where a bit of evidence might get us a bit of a refund..... Now where is that holiday brochure lol!!!
ReplyDeletegood luck for panel will be thinking of you as can't forget date as Gander's birthday is on 23 april.Enjoy your hoilday. We are waiting untill we see la next month to see if and what happens next. but we are going away easter weekend. xxxxxx
ReplyDelete