Table For Seven: Go Texas Day!

Several years ago when we were first adopting Mia I met a mom at school who told me she was a lawyer. She specialized in adoptions. Her daughter and Kaylee were in the same class together. She offered at the time to file the papers so that Mia could receive her Texas Birth Certificate. Just in case there is a natural disaster or fire it would be easier for her to get a new birth certificate than to try to get one from China. This mom/lawyer also offered to do it for me "for free" With us only having to pay the court costs. You know I'm all about "free" So we waited until after we brought Ty home to do both of their certificates at the same time.

So three months ago we filed the paperwork and patiently awaited our court date. We were to be at the courthouse in our "business casual" dress ready to go before the judge at 9:00. We got there a little early and waited outside for a while and then in the hall for a while, then in one courtroom for a while, then in a second courtroom for a while, then in a waiting room (which had a TV thank goodness, for a while) Until Finally the 3rd judge we were assigned could question us.

This is all a matter of formality since the kids are both legally adopted AND US Citizens. However, the judge we were assigned was absent that morning. So we were sent upstairs to see a different judge. We were told that we would be the next case, because there were children involved. Well, when we walked into the courtroom it was F U L L. There were lawyers, bailiffs, reporters and CRIMINALS....locked in Shackles around their waists and feet. It was quite a production. Men and women both. Trent wanted to know what all the "robbers" were doing in there. This judge finished arraigning the convict and he asked if we could all go to his chambers where he would meet us and do the paper signing.

But on the way to the chambers the clerk said, "let me just see if Judge so-in-so can see you all. He's new and doesn't have quite as full of a load" So we were escorted to another waiting room, which thankfully had a TV and the kids who had sat Oh-so-patiently-for-the-last-two-hours could now watch Spongebob.

Our lawyer went in ahead of us and then came out to retrieve us when we were called. David and I both had to raise our right hands and swear to tell the truth the whole truth.......
She asked us a couple of questions about our trip to China and then I was ready to take pictures of him signing our paperwork and approving our petition. However, he at that point decided to ask to see a clear background check before approving. Apparently, he had watched an episode of Law&Order that had convicts adopting from oversees because they didn't qualify for domestic adoption. Law&Order? Really? At which point Mrs. Free Lawyer says, "Sure your honor, we'll get that for you right away"

So we left without great scrapbook pics of us with the judge, without pics of him signing our petitions, or sitting behind the bench. But as David always says, "It's not all about the scrapbooks"