That was then, this is now

So, around 16 months ago we had our first homestudy, here are the subtle differences between the first homestudy and this second one.

First one: We cleaned for 2 weeks before our Social worker arrived. Vacuuming, dusting, organizing, decorating, cleaned out the fridge, the laundry room, the fireplace, the backyard, the nursery. We were preparing for the queen of england to arrive, clearly.
second one: We picked up the dirty clothes, dishes and agreed we'd make the bed.

We spent hours writing our autobiographies and asking each other questions that the social worker might ask us.
We made sure we'd both be home on time.

I likely had a meltdown about some dust bunnies or dog noseprints on the front windows.
I find comfort in the dust bunnies, they are my friends. And the noseprints... cleaning them beckons them back...

I scoured the internet like my very life depended on it, looking for any ideas on what the home visit with the social worker was like.
I nearly forgot which day it was on.

I worried that any wrong move, any subtle oddities would give way to a rejection of our homestudy.
I worried that I wouldn't be able to stay awake and realized this is just a check in a box.

I panicked, nearly, about the doctor's exams, our physicals couldn't get scheduled for nearly 5 months, I explained the adoption, the exam required, I practically begged, the receptionist ice princess was not swayed... we went with an alternate doctor to get us in sooner.
I scheduled the exam with our new local doctor about 6 months ago.

We ran the dogs ragged for days 1-2 hours each time trying to get the piss and vinegar out of them.
We did nothing, except to feed them just prior to her showing up, perfectly setting the stage for them to puke at her feet.

Every few days prior I quizzed E on what questions he might be asked and he quizzed me. He especially hates intrusions into our private life and was very nervous.
There were no quizzes, other than the making the bed question that is.

We discussed fire routes, smoke detectors and fire extinguishers were moved to more prominant locations.
Fire extinguishers -Check. Smoke detectors -Check. discussions -nope.

We had the chimney inspected and certified, the home visited by the fire department, the health department, ...
Not one visit required in our house in the new state. Bea-u-ti-ful.

Bathroom cabinets, closets, drawers... all cleaned, organized and Martha Stewart certified.
Thank goodness we moved in nearly a year ago... enough time to put things away, not so much that it was already a disaster.

We lit all sorts of lovely smelling candles... cause of course, this makes your homestudy go sooooo much smoother.
Smell, what smell? Something smells? hmmm.

Took 2 home visits, 3 interviews and a total of 3-4 hours in our home.
15 minutes including waiting for us to make tax return copies, keep in mind though, if we hadn't moved, there would be no home visit!

Felt like being raked over the coals while have rectal surgery, and our social worker was terribly nice and sweet.
Was like eating piece of cake.

So, the second round of homestudies, hmmmmf, no biggie. Talk to me on the 3rd round, I may not even remember to show up! Amazing the panic that ensued the first time, as if every one of our future dreams, even our ability to breath depended on it.