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Well, we are getting closer to adoption finalization day. All the paperwork has reached the courthouse and now the wait on some date options. I "hear" there are about 30 other adoptions on the desk, so who knows how long it will take.
It gives me some time to plan the special day with my three STBAC and my three older bio teen boys.
Anyone have any special ideas they can share? I am planning on having about 15 people with us, a photographer and the children dressed in special Holiday-like clothes (they love to dress up).
Perhaps a favorite song? Quotes? Gift ideas?
Oh gosh, I just can't wait, so excited!
Do you have a favorite restaurant to go for lunch? Maybe arrange to have it decorated with balloons? A cake?
I love the idea of a photographer to capture the memories.
Our court appearance for H was so uneventful-nothing like I expected. Judge signed the paper and dismissed us. Of course, H was a year old, though.
My oldest's adoption decree came in the mail. VERY uneventful. It kind of took away the special-ness of that day.
I think, with older kids, judges are more 'involved' in making it special for them. I hope you get a good judge!
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We did these: [url=http://wrappedhersheys.com/p/classic-hereheis#.VFpefGczz84]Baby Boy Birth Announcements: Classic HEREHEIS Custom HERSHEY'S Personalized Candy Bars | Wrapped HERSHEY'S Candy[/url]
It was great as our information stated:
Weight: 170lbs 4oz
After all, my son was sixteen when adopted! He loved them and we passed them out to EVERYONE including the judge and bailiff!
Have fun with it - it's an important day for you all.
We did these: [url=http://wrappedhersheys.com/p/classic-hereheis#.VFpefGczz84]Baby Boy Birth Announcements: Classic HEREHEIS Custom HERSHEY'S Personalized Candy Bars | Wrapped HERSHEY'S Candy[/url]
It was great as our information stated:
Weight: 170lbs 4oz
After all, my son was sixteen when adopted! He loved them and we passed them out to EVERYONE including the judge and bailiff!
Have fun with it - it's an important day for you all.
Is there something "across state lines" that you can go to after their adoption that would help you all to say, "We're not foster kids anymore!" :) Or, what about "flaunting" one of the other foster care "rules" by getting their hair dyed/cut *without permission.*
I think the kids should be allowed to have a say in what you do. The actual "day of" should probably be fairly laid back and then you can do something bigger on the weekend after everyone is relaxed again (we were so tired after our adoptions). Something like a day at an indoor play area or the zoo (depending on your weather). Or a pizza dinner and game night with friends. Or a BBQ at the part (again, depending on the weather).
For gifts/remembrances- I really like [URL="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/429390145695318594/"]this[/URL] picture frame idea (and it could be a "gallery" idea as well). And, I love [URL="http://attemptingagape.blogspot.com/2013/04/lifelong-commitment.html#.UxvNyfldVUM"]this idea[/URL] (I'd love to bring this into our next adoption).
Congrats (and have fun!)!!
Is there something "across state lines" that you can go to after their adoption that would help you all to say, "We're not foster kids anymore!" :) Or, what about "flaunting" one of the other foster care "rules" by getting their hair dyed/cut *without permission.*
I think the kids should be allowed to have a say in what you do. The actual "day of" should probably be fairly laid back and then you can do something bigger on the weekend after everyone is relaxed again (we were so tired after our adoptions). Something like a day at an indoor play area or the zoo (depending on your weather). Or a pizza dinner and game night with friends. Or a BBQ at the part (again, depending on the weather).
For gifts/remembrances- I really like [URL="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/429390145695318594/"]this[/URL] picture frame idea (and it could be a "gallery" idea as well). And, I love [URL="http://attemptingagape.blogspot.com/2013/04/lifelong-commitment.html#.UxvNyfldVUM"]this idea[/URL] (I'd love to bring this into our next adoption).
Congrats (and have fun!)!!
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When we had our Adoption Party for Nugget, we had a painting of a bare tree. All the kids and family members put their thumb prints on in different shades of green stamp ink/paint to make their new family tree. Now it is hanging on our living room wall. I plan to pull it back down and add more leaves for Chuckles AP, then have both their new names and adoption dates painted by the trunk.
I wanted to add that you can just buy the posters from certain poster printers and have them personalized with the names and dates. They are usually listed under wedding/baby shower gifts, but you can have them printed saying adoption day instead.
I totally do not want to rain on your parade. Really. It is super exciting! But you may want to take into consideration that it might be a sad day for them. They are old enough to "get it." So you might want to start peppering the conversation with things like "The day of TPR was kind of sad for me. I hated to be part of that loss of your first family. I am wondering if I will feel like that on adoption day or if I will feel pure joy that you are officially part of our family for ever. How do you think you will feel?" Just to make sure you are all on the same page emotionally.
But that said, I LOVE the candy bar idea. One of my girlfriends did "Wanted" posters of her kids for adoption announcements. I thought they were awesome because of the message it sent about adopting a kid from fostercare. You could do a balloon or butterfly release of the amount of items that equals the days they were in fostercare. You could sit outside the courthouse and do one numbered balloon at time to both celebrate and bring awareness to fostercare. Tell the kids about the balloon release but then surprise them with a hot air balloon ride after the festivities! Finally, I agree with the others, the day of our adoption finalization was exhausting. Especially because no one slept the night before.
I totally do not want to rain on your parade. Really. It is super exciting! But you may want to take into consideration that it might be a sad day for them. They are old enough to "get it." So you might want to start peppering the conversation with things like "The day of TPR was kind of sad for me. I hated to be part of that loss of your first family. I am wondering if I will feel like that on adoption day or if I will feel pure joy that you are officially part of our family for ever. How do you think you will feel?" Just to make sure you are all on the same page emotionally.
But that said, I LOVE the candy bar idea. One of my girlfriends did "Wanted" posters of her kids for adoption announcements. I thought they were awesome because of the message it sent about adopting a kid from fostercare. You could do a balloon or butterfly release of the amount of items that equals the days they were in fostercare. You could sit outside the courthouse and do one numbered balloon at time to both celebrate and bring awareness to fostercare. Tell the kids about the balloon release but then surprise them with a hot air balloon ride after the festivities! Finally, I agree with the others, the day of our adoption finalization was exhausting. Especially because no one slept the night before.
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Our daughter was 12 when we finalized and she wanted it celebrated and wanted it the exact opposite of the first time she was adopted, to make it special.
We dressed up, had photographer there, took her bff with us, went to lunch and Build A Bear afterwards and then rode down to the beach for the night.
We passed out pink "it's a girl" bubblegum cigars and I made cute announcements and sent them out ahead of time and she has a copy of that in her lifebook.
Then I took the best of the pics from that weekend and make them into a book on Shutterfly to keep and a collage I made where I scanned in the adoption decree and made a collage with that and our family photo at court into a frame that has all 3 of our names on it, the finalization date and Journey of Love engraved on it
it is a mixed day. we decide to focus on celebrating our family, rather than the adoption
i went kinda nuts. rented two bounce houses, had a catered barbeque, band (my husband is a musician and he put one together), games, etc
we invited family, friends, and neighbors.
it was just a fun day. us adults got the full significance, but i made an effort not to focus on the significance of the court appearance
congratulations
We are going to go to build-a-bear and out to eat afterward. That's about it for us. Staying very low key. Not even notifying relatives since we are already kin.
We went out to lunch after our latest adoption. Then, we had a big party after church that Sunday. We themed it "__ is O-fish-ally Adopted" (cause I wanted it to be something that everyone remembered) and "We Found Nemo!" It was Finding Nemo themed with lots of colors and themed foods. I don't go crazy about birthday but adoption days are special. I used that party planning to deal with all the stress of the unknown. It was so good for me to craft my way to the finalization date (I even made custom shirts for the kids).
Our first adoption, we had an open house after the signing. We decided it wasn't worth the amount of stress that we felt to keep our house open that long for the amount of people who came. It would have been easier to just have a party.
I'm already tossing around idea for our next (potential) adoption. The kids have been little when we adopted so....
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We went out to lunch after our latest adoption. Then, we had a big party after church that Sunday. We themed it "__ is O-fish-ally Adopted" (cause I wanted it to be something that everyone remembered) and "We Found Nemo!" It was Finding Nemo themed with lots of colors and themed foods. I don't go crazy about birthday but adoption days are special. I used that party planning to deal with all the stress of the unknown. It was so good for me to craft my way to the finalization date (I even made custom shirts for the kids).
Our first adoption, we had an open house after the signing. We decided it wasn't worth the amount of stress that we felt to keep our house open that long for the amount of people who came. It would have been easier to just have a party.
I'm already tossing around idea for our next (potential) adoption. The kids have been little when we adopted so....
On our adoption day for our daughter, which was in October of this year. We went to court with some family and friends, we had a photographer for the event, afterwards we went out to breakfast with everyone, opened a few gifts from people. Then the 3 of us spent the day together (it was our Happy Family Day) and then that evening we went to Farrell's which is a fun restaurant here in So Cal, and they sang an adoption song to our daughter. We kept it low key, but to each their own. We had already had a huge welcome party for her earlier in the year :)