CRB checks

Our social worker, Barbara, came to see us on Monday evening to complete CRB checks with us. I was expecting it to be a brief meeting, but she stayed for ages and chatted. They've had most of our references back from people and she was evidently quite impressed with what people had written. "People have said how much children enjoy coming here," she told us. She was also very encouraging about the experience that we've had with children. And told us to enjoy the course. It was a really affirming meeting.

It was actually the last time we'll see Barbara in her official capacity. We get passed on to someone else for the home study after the course. We asked how long things would be likely to take from here. She says that the assessment will take around 4 months and that quite often children are identified during the assessment process. Were there sibling groups waiting for adoption in Staffordshire? we asked. "Oh yes, lots." she replied.

Oh my goodness. Whilst this process continues to be pretty unpredictable, it sounds as if we could be nearer to meeting our family than we think. While on the surface, I often find myself questioning our sanity at even considering adopting a group of kids, deep inside I'm hugging a quiet sense of joy and excitement.

Saying goodbye

I said goodbye to my grandfather last Sunday. He was 93 and pretty frail. My sister rang me while we were cooking for guests, last Saturday, to say that he had become very ill and had stopped eating and drinking. So Andy and I drove down to Milton Keynes to see him on Sunday.

If I'm honest, I went because it felt like the right thing to do, rather than because I expected either myself or my grandad to get anything out of my being there. Particularly as my sister said we might not recognise him and he might not recognise us. I wasn't even convinced he was necessarily very close to death. Some of my work over the years has been with very old people and there have been plenty of times when people who were apparently about to die, were still there weeks later.

I can honestly say I have never been more glad to see someone than when I saw my grandfather last Sunday. I'm not sure whether he recognised me. He definitely knew we were there some of the time and he smiled at me several times. But I recognised him. And remembered how special he'd been to me. And how fond I was of him, particularly as a child.

A strange and poignant meeting.

Grandad died at ten past seven on Monday morning.

To my deep sadness, his funeral is a week on Monday, which is the first day of our adoption preparation course. So realistically, we won't be able to go. So last Sunday really was goodbye.

Still excited!

It's just three weeks now until our preparation course.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't know why I'm so excited really. It will be great to meet people in our area who are beginning the same journey. Chatting to a friend on Monday who knows a family that adopted a sibling group of 3 about 18 months ago. She says she'll see if she can arrange for us to meet. That would be great. Although I know quite a few people who have known people that have adopted, I don't know anyone first hand. Following blogs is about as close as I've got.

Plenty busy with work and stuff in the meantime.