and more lists . . .
Obviously there is a lot to do to pack for the time away. For those of you that are not quite at this stage yet (soon soon), here are some other lists that you can tend to:Before getting court date:
Select and do the paperwork for:
- adoption clinic work-up - the one at UW provides the translator!
- pediatric dentist
- eye doc - make sure they can do the exam without language
- pediatrician
- the attorney who will redo your will
Fill out your Visa paperwork all except the dates. Don't forget to sign them!
When you get a court date:
Obviously, date your visa aps, send them in, and buy plane tickets. Then
Prepare all these and leave in envelopes to be mailed as soon as your adoption decree is finalized:
- New W-4s as you will be getting a big tax credit and you don't need any more money withheld
- The sign-up papers for insurance for your newest family members.
- If your children are speaking, a letter to the school district formally requesting assessment in your children's first language. The district has to schedule within 35 school days (State of Washington) of receipt of the letter (send it registered), so you want to get the clock ticking asap so that your children's first language, which is going to fade, is still with them on assessment day. Otherwise it will never be clear if you are assessing cognition or language.
Schedule:
- a teeth cleaning for you or your spouse so that the children can watch and see that it is going to be okay.
- clinic work-up
- pediatrician
- eye doctor
- dentist appointments
- attorney for will. Make a "stand in will" between now and then. You can get one off of Microsoft Templates and get it witnessed and notarized.
If you have pets (we have nine):
- get housesitters! We are so blessed with N&N - housesitters extraordinaire.
- update written instructions
- make arrangements for vet care if needed in your absence (financial and decision-making guidance)
- buy a lot of pet food
- right before you leave: trim everyone's nails, give flea treatments
Make list of what you need to have in the fridge when you get back.
Yes, Suz (another blogger) was right when she said "there are two things that waiting adoptive families like, they are making lists and reading articles on adoption."
What am I forgetting?
5 comments:
Before leaving on your trip:
1)clean out the refrigerator so you don't return to icky stuff growing in your tupperware
2)pay your bills ahead of time or arrange to have them paid electronically, especially if your region requires a lenthy stay after court
3)arrange for household maintenance such as cutting the grass, watering the plants, putting out the garbage the first week you are gone, etc
4)arrange for handling of your mail: will someone get your mail for you each day or will you have it held in the post office?
5)turn off the water valve to your washer (if no one will be in your home while you are gone). We had friends come home from a 2 wk vacation to a destoyed home due to the rupture of the water valve in the laundry room
6)Have someone start/drive your car if you will be gone for an extended period; nothing worse than returning home to a dead battery
7)Notify your bank and credit card company that you will be accessing your accounts from xxx country during yyy period. Some companies will freeze an account if activity is unusual or from a foreign country until they can rule out fraud. We had this happen to us on our "first" first trip with our credit card; luckily we had a back up card to use!
Well I was going to suggest the mail but Cathy got it. And I never would have thought about the bank. Good point.
i'm glad everyone is going before us because these are great lists!!!
i do have a few other things to suggest:
1. plan for houseplants
2. automatic timers for lights in house
3. maybe another thing to consider - make sure someone at home has access to money & paperwork in case you need something while you are away.
thanks!
You might consider leaving a poa with a family member at home. You're not likely to need it, but it would be a good thing to have.
I'd disconnect the car battery.
Stop the newspaper.
Lots of great ideas! I appreciate the list of appointments especially. I'll have to do all of that in a few days time when we return to the US to get d2b's passport before coming back "home" to Russia
Someone told me to leave a copy of your passport with a friend. If there ever was an emergency and you did not have your passport (lost/stolen), the copy could be faxed to you.
Not that this would happen, but better to be safe than sorry.
SoFlaMom
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