This is the second part of my book review for Delivered From Distraction: Getting the Most Out of Life With Attention Deficit Disorder, by Edward M. Hallowell and John J. Ratey. To read the first part of my review, click here.

Another treatment they recommend in addition to ADD medication and exercise is Essential Fatty Acid supplementation. Most people... more

Several weeks ago when we took Little J to see a Clinical Social Worker one of the things she suggested we do was read a copy of Delivered From Distraction, subtitled "getting the most out of life with Attention Deficit Disorder." She suggested it so that we could get some ways to deal positively with Little J's behaviors; she also suggested it so that we could find out more about alternative/complimentary therapies for ADD.

I thought the book was... more

In reading about reunion, I found several references to the fact that often the two parties in reunion may regress. The theory is that they regress back to the age that they were separated. Most often this means the birth mother would regress to her late teens or early twenties, and the adoptee would revert back to infancy. As time goes on in reunion, they hopefully grow and eventually catch up to their real ages.

One source that I read about reunion mentioned that there are four people present at a reunion between a mother and her child. The participants include... more

For Earlier Posts, See Below

I rounded the car and embraced my father-in-law. The conversation had been sparse to say the least on the early morning drive to the Greensboro airport. The usual excitement of travel had long since been drained from this trip to Guatemala. The uncertainty of whether or not Kristina and Mia would return weighed to heavily upon us to have any enthusiasm at all. By now uncertainty was simply doubt and cynicism toward the system that held us apart. Now with our lawyer telling us he felt a month would be a good estimate for an early return... more

As soon as we started talking, I went and sat next to Amy. Imagine! I could see and sense that her defenses were down enough that I felt like sending (and she was capable of receiving) some touch from me. I know I should have been doing this all along, and I did, for years and years and years. But not much this past couple of years.

So we sat on the couch and started processing. (As a sidebar here, I would encourage ALL of you to get Nancy’s DVD or CD. ADN will have them for sale, although we won’t have them ready to ship out for a couple of weeks. I will explain what Nancy said and Amy’s reaction to the best of my ability, but this DVD is a must-have for... more

I do not venture into international adoption much, however, something’s been bugging me lately, so, I thought I would throw it out there into the blogging world.

Lately, I have noticed something that I find puzzling. It appears to me that when some people criticize any aspect of international adoption, sometimes there seem to be many who are are immediately ready to brand that person "anti-adoption". Pitchforks suddenly appear and a posse of "adoption is perfect" triad members gather. They appear chomping at the bit, ready to pounce on the poor unsuspecting soul who unwittingly... more

Sometimes it's hard to get new children to sleep. No matter what the age, even adults sometimes have a difficult time sleeping in a new room, with new sounds and new smells. Here are a few ideas:

1. Disperse aroma therapy in the room. The ones that have helped me are Peace and Calming, Trauma Life and Gently Baby. I’ve used these for all ages and for myself. They help. They help a lot. Don’t just take my word for it. They help. These are all available from Young Living Oils at their website or one of many qualified independent... more

We spent last weekend at church camp. It is a family camp, on the edge of a mountain lake a few hours away from where we live. Most days we spent at least some time playing in the lake.

With the numbers of young ones I have to watch near the water, my hubby and I opt to have the youngest 4 (all age 8 or less) wear life jackets on the beach. They are used to them and don't complain too much.

However, the other day, when one of my 4 year old's little friends showed up on the beach wearing one of those swimsuits with built-in floaties, my 4 year old was amazed. "Mommy," she said,... more

Due to space and time constraints, I have chosen to discuss this survey in several parts. You can read the whole survey at this link. Any quotes and specific data in this blog come from this survey.

The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute, in conjunction with Holt International Children's Services, undertook a survey of the participants in The Gathering to gain greater insight into the experiences of Korean adoptees since they began arriving in the U.S. and Europe in 1955…

I found this whole survey to be very interesting because it covered adoptees from 1955-1985.... more

Many professionals in the adoption community recommend “lifebooks” for children who have been in foster homes and children who are adopted at an older age but I think they can be beneficial to all adopted children.

Lifebooks can be created during pregnancy while making and adoption plan as a positive way to pass on your legacy. Whether you are planning an open or a closed adoption, your child can still benefit from a lifebook as they have something tangible there to explain things to them when you are not physically there.

You are probably wondering……

What... more