{118/365} Adoption Finalization Day

Today was adoption finalization day ~ until today we were just Little Man and Little Princess’ foster parents, today we became their actual parents and I cried in court as the Judge read into the court record their new names because believe it or not I thought this day would never come and as much as I knew it would be eventful I didn’t realize how much or what a large role my children would play in the day!

I have been planning today for over a month! Time to take Aaron to one of my favorite restaurants in a town where I used to work and loved, finalization hearing, and visiting a museum Aaron and I had yet to make it to (since we were being bad host parents and letting the exchange student come to the finalization ~ she wanted to ~ and skip school today).

Paula, one of my best friends, met us for lunch at a restaurant Little Man, Little Princess and I have been to many times and NEVER had an issue. So today the whole family drove there, met Paula and all was well until I went to set Little Princess in her chair. She started screaming and I mean screaming like the chair would bite her. I kept holding her but nothing would work, I was starting to get some stares and so I took her outside and she calmed down. I went back in and no joke it got worse. She is not a quiet screamer and no one could hear or order with her screaming. One table of men got up and moved to another table to get away from us I am sure. The waitress had to stop taking our order as she could not hear anyone. I took her outside again ~ she would not stop screaming. No matter what I did, nothing would work and by this point I am crying. I am convinced she will be like this in an hour when the adoption hearing starts, the judge will see it and we will never be allowed to parent Little Man and Little Princess again (you should know I had this irrational fear that someone, anyone would show up at our door and take them away any day for no reason until the adoption was finalized so this new development with Little Princess was playing into that fear). I am literally melting down in the parking lot, my friend has come out to try to help me and calm me down and I am just getting more worked up! (I tested that friendship today!) A car driving by us stops as I am crying inconsolably, and an older lady who is obviously a mother leans out the window and tells me not to worry EVERY mother has been where I was right at that moment and that no one would take my kids away from me. I started crying harder and my poor friend was trying to stop me and my daughter. I eventually got it under control and so did Little Princess so we went back inside and ate and laughed and ended up having a good time!

After changing everyone’s clothes (I am a retired attorney people we will be dressed appropriately in every courtroom we enter) we head to court. We met with our GAL and for once Little Man and Little Princess didn’t shy away, it was nice! They gave her five, acted like happy little kids and made a great impression! Our attorney, another very good friend of mine, was not there yet but I was not concerned yet. Then she came up and she could tell by the odd look on my face I could not figure out why she was not in one of her amazing suits. She then said she was convinced that the hearing was tomorrow (thank God I was not the only one!) and this is what she could throw together! Makes for a great/funny story! Aaron’s parent’s came and we were all ready!

We went into the courtroom, and the judge came right in! he swore Aaron and I in, I answered all of the questions I was asked. We were given no slack and 20 minutes later we were officially Little Man and Little Princess’ parents, their names were changed  (I will be talking about how this conflicted me on Grown In My Heart this month), we took a few pictures and were out the door for ice cream! Our attorney was teasing me about almost answering questions posed to her a few times (old habits die hard) and about being so nervous I was breathing hard (she said that was her job) as we ate ice cream and joke about her (the attorney’s) love of Duke basketball and well my not so love of it! The kids loved their time with Gram and Pop and their ice cream! But Little Princess melted down again after we had to leave and she could not look at the “pretty pretty pretty” book anymore (it was a book of ice cream cakes with the princess’ on them…)

After stopping at the museum which I will be returning to again without 2.5 year olds, and a quick stop at the local Sonic for Happy Hour (why can we not have one of those in our town) we were on our way home! I made Korean for supper (another thing our town lacks a Korean restaurant or even a good grocery store) and now I am trying to get rid of my sinus infection!

If anyone can help me and tell me how to stop the uncontrollable public meltdowns I would love you forever! Thanks!

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