The stakes are a bit higher with this decision than whether you sleep in and skip work one morning. Maybe this man is married, which could get very complicated, and could be potentially dangerous if he has a jealous wife. This man could be a charming Romeo who will break your heart.Perhaps he is a con man out to cajole you out of your last penny.

He could be a dangerous psychopath aiming to do all sorts of dastardly things to you. You take a look at the information you have on this man, and maybe try to find out more. Then you weigh the options... more

When I sat down to write this post, I realized that this is the last day of September. Tomorrow is October! I can’t believe how fast time seems to be moving lately. I have to think about Halloween (I don’t have a costume for my son yet.), his birthday and (gasp) Christmas.

So considering that my mind was spinning from the realization that it almost October, I decided to share what other people are writing and give myself a chance to catch up.

1. Haircare:... more

Read to the bottom for an opportunity to HEAR Mia!

Here is a rare opportunity (said tongue in cheek) to hear Mia. This all started today as I took my wife and kids to Central Park here in our small NC town. Though it is small, they have a great train and several kids rides (Check it out!). the temperature was in the low 70's and it was partly cloudy. The outdoors were screaming for us to come and play.

We did the train, the really cool... more

Continuing with the article describing various parameters child welfare professionals (and families) should consider when they are matching a family with a child, the next question asks:

Are the parents willing to learn more about caring for this child's needs?

The vast majority of parents with whom I have worked have been sponges, soaking up information on how best to support and assist their children to become the best they can be. The problem, in my opinion, lies not with most parents, but with a system that... more

My previous post about another adoption scammer prompted further thought into what these convicted, known scammers have done to the adoption world. While I don't think anyone will disagree that getting the word out that morally delinquent people are preying on waiting families can only serve to help protect ones' self, something else has been happening. It's not good either. On the forums, we've... more

So I had finally made it to Wednesday, my dad's birthday. Here is what it was like for me.

I had decided early on that this would need to be a day that I should get out of the house and have face to face interactions. I planned out to work at both of my out of the home jobs and do some social things as well. I had contacted our trusted sitter just in case I needed her that night as well.

I went in and worked at my accounting job for a few hours in the early morning. I made sure to wear very comfortable clothes, some of my favorites to be gentle with myself. I then went in and worked at the spa and gave a couple of massages to loyal clients who were forewarned that I... more

For Earlier Posts, See Below Note: I hate long posts but this is the last one of this massive story. Grab a cup of Guatemalan Roast Coffee and sit back for the conclusion of "The Mummau Story"

Get To La Aurora "Umm Journal, it is 4:45am and I think Kristina has been sitting on the edge of our bed for almost an hour. To be honest I've been up for a bit too but my body isn't cooperating yet..."

"Are you awake?" she asked as I was rubbing the sleep from my eyes. Mia was still sound asleep... more

I just discovered a wonderful resource on the forums here at adoption.com: the Russian phrases for children sticky!

(A "sticky," for those of you who don't know, is a forum thread that is so wonderful and fabulous that it has been stuck at the top of a message board so that it will never ever go away).

The number one thing you should know how to say in Russian?

I love you. Ta tibya lublu...

Enjoy!

Michelle, who is one of the writers of the Older Parent Adoption Blog, recently did a list of "100 things about me" to celebrate her 100th post in that blog.

Well, I happen to be over the 100 blog mark, but this month I have written the MAXIMUM number of blogs for adoptionblogs for each of the two blogs I write. That doesn't mean much to anyone besides the others who write blogs at this site, but I have to tell you, it was quite a feat.

The magic number for two blogs is 86. Here are the first 43.

And here are the second:

44. My favorite... more

Vogue magazine. It sounds funny, but yes, Vogue is a coping mechanism for me. Every year I look so forward to the September issue. I study it. Read every article, save out the photos of outfits that I want to copy. This year, knowing that I was going to be dealing with personal issues at the end of the month, I didn't let myself read the issue when it came in the mail. I hid it from myself, wrapped in the plastic until this week. It gave me something to look forward to, that I knew I would enjoy immensely when I really needed it.

Sex... more