Puppy Shopping  is so much fun. In fact, it’s one of my guilty pleasures. I almost can’t help myself.  I know, I know.  Puppy mills are bad. I get it.  But puppies are cute.  They just are.  Eric and I have also been know to while away many a fine day at the Denver Dumb Friends League looking at all of the cute dogs (and puppies) all waiting to find homes.  And let me tell you there are tons. Seriously tons.

So we’re walking our adoption walk, and I can’t help but to find the ways that I find it similar to puppies.  And… I find myself a little shocked, and maybe a little disappointed, maybe a little grateful too. Let me tell you why.  There are some great resources out there for adoptive parents in waiting. For the adoptive mom and dad there isn’t a growing belly, there aren’t monthly visits to the doctors office, at least not in flexible family adoption. There isn’t necessarily the excitement of a baby shower or baby’s first kick. It’s just a different picture.  So the question for the flexible family is… how is the excitement sustained.  Where do we get the will for our next step? And then the next?

This is what it looks like.

PAPERWORK. There’s tons of it.  Applications, family history, coursework and classes to take, CPR, interviews — together, and individually, it seems, daunting.  So where’s the happy? Oh yeah, puppies.  So with the give or take 500,000 children that are currently in the foster care system there are resources like The Adoption Exchange and they have “Heart Galleries” and there are other resources also and on these web pages and there are pages and pages and pages, there are pictures and pictures and pictures of children and children and children all waiting for their forever family.  And it seems almost…like looking for your next puppy.  And on one hand really, I’m saddened by it. The stark hit you right in between the eyes thought that all of these children need a place to call home.  And then, I’m grateful, that I have an opportunity to look at these children and in some cases see their Wednesday Child videos, see the sparkle in their eyes, see the interaction with their siblings and get to know them even if it’s through the eyes of a camera.

So while we work through our process, we’ll continue to look at the resources that are available to us, the websites and heart galleries…and you know what?  This, well, I wouldn’t really call it a “guilty” pleasure, but it’s a pleasure too.