Interrupting our regularly scheduled program...

Hi guys!  We hope you're enjoying Jackson's story, it's been amazing to go back through the pictures and journals.  I still can't believe we've had him home for 3 1/2 years!  Anyway, we'd like to keep you updated on the insanity and hilarity here as we're gearing up for Trip One.

Did you know that you can't get your fingerprints done here in Massachusetts unless you cry?  Yeah, I found that out the hard way.  And you should know, I'm not a pretty crier.  I'm all snotty and red-nosed and my voice goes up 8 octaves into the ranges only audible by dolphins and whales.

I call CSS today and chat with 'C', and she reminds me that we need to update our FBI fingerprints and our local police clearances.  I knew when she said it there was a reason I blocked it out...  When we needed to get our prints done for the first go round, I called my local police department.  They informed me (rather abruptly) that they didn't do fingerprints unless you were being arrested.  They then went on to say that if they printed every one that asked them, that's all they would do all day long.  Okaaaay, I get it.  Uhh, any suggestions officer?  Call the Sheriff's Department.

Nope, nada, zilch.  Apparently their "machine" is broken.  What machine, dude?  I just need someone to roll my prints.  Not gonna do it.  Once again, any suggestions?  Call the State Police.  They're doing construction at the barracks and can't do any fingerprinting for a few months.  Any suggestions?  Nope, sorry.

So then I start calling local police departments in surrounding towns.  By the third town, I was nearly hysterical and talking way, WAY up in the dolphin range.  The local constabulary agreed to print us if we could be there before he went off shift.  Sweet!  When would that be?  In fifteen minutes.  Did we make it there?  Heck, yeah baby!  With three minutes to spare!

So, let's get back to todays quest for prints...  Once again, I try the local PD.  This guy is more polite, but this time he tells me this HIS "machine" is broken and out for repairs?  WTH?  Has he been talking to the Sheriff's office?  I try the Sheriff's office and the person on the phone has absolutely no idea how you could get printed unless you committed a crime. ~heavy sigh~  I call the State Police again... you never know, right?  They're still doing construction and can't do any fingerprinting for a couple of months.  I whip out my trump card, quavery voice, edging up into hysterics... and SCORE!!  They can do it.  

I need to get the prints off to the FBI for our fifth or sixth clearance since we started with Jack's adoption.  You'd think they know us by name now!  I also need to send off the paperwork for our local clearances.  It's the one thing that MA makes easy.  They send you this lovely typed letter on letterhead, all official looking.  Then once all the clearances come back, it's one final trip to see my friends at the apostille office in Boston.  If everything goes well, the next time I see them it will be to notarize our first post-placement report!

The bank is going to order some shiny, sparkly new money for us, we're also exchanging some of it here, where the rates are a bit better prior to traveling.  I think that's it for the updates, now back to our scheduled program.

UPDATE:  We got our prints done and Fedex'd off this afternoon!  We actually had them do two sets, so we have an emergency back up set if needed.  Now we just have to pray they come back quickly!!