I’m enjoying how, despite the birth parents and I being on the same page when we meet three times a week, the lawyers can’t get their sh*t together to save their lives.  I know they serve a very important purpose (no, I’m being honest), as the whole point of us pursuing this openness is to make it legal and binding – and I can’t do that without a lawyer. In addition, they know the legal system much better than I do, so when they suggest something I usually trust them to a pretty large extent. It’s just that, this isn’t something that’s ever been done before. So when I’m all, can we try this? And I get shot down, only to have another party’s lawyer suggest the same thing days later, I’m slightly annoyed. Add into the mix the time crunch that we’re in the middle of – if we don’t get this settled (agree on all the terms & sign) before next week, we lose our chance and it goes to trial. Which is the last thing I wanted. I would love to give the kids the message, both now and when they’re in that F YOU YOU’RE NOT MY MOM phase of adolescence (and other times, I know), that their birth parents agreed to place them with us. Not only in words, but in legally binding paperwork I can show them.

Besides, the most likely outcome of trial? Is that we’ll be ordered to do this openness order again. FML.

(the fostering version, with no recognizable faces or ANYTHING INTERESTING).