Taking a break from the matching article, I thought I would share some of the highlights of living with a Chinese foreign exchange student and a Chinese-born daughter.

I showed up unexpectedly to have lunch with Beth at school today. There is another Chinese adoptee in the fourth grade and she happened to sit across the table from us. Beth leaned in to me and whispered, “Emily must be more Chinese than I am because her eyes are narrower!” It was the “more Chinese” part that really got my attention. I pointed out that people in American, Caucasian... more

Recently on the Guatemala Adoption Forum I asked my friends what the most valuable piece of advice they received concerning their adoption. When you are even considering adoption it seems that people are full of "wisdom." You will receive all kinds of unsolicited advice. So I asked those who have begun or even completed the process to nail down the most helpful thoughts they received. Now in turn I want to share those with you. These come... more

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. So here are 86 things about me.

1. I went to 6 different elementary schools, and no, I'm not a military brat.

2. I love bacon beyond reason.

3. I love to read.

4. I love to... more

So, am hoping I can get someone to record this upcoming special series on the Discovery Channel -- Discovery Atlas: China Revealed.

That's mainly because, hey, China!, but also because the web page is pretty. For one thing, it has some really nice pictures. Of, like, kung fu masters and those steeeeep mountains and that.

And a bunch of other interactive-type stuff, like the amaaaazing ... more

Forgiveness is a choice that takes courage and strength and it gives you the opportunity to become someone who has dealt with the adoption experience rather than remaining a victim of your own scorn.

Is not forgiving yourself a form of pride? If you have enacted a different set of rules at a higher set of standards for yourself over others then that is pride. When it can be found within yourself to forgive others but not ourselves are you saying that you are less capable of making a decision than others. Someone we are more intuitive, wiser, more insightful,... more

For those who don't know me well, I'm an avid reader; a self-professed book worm, if you will. It's surprising to me that I waited until just this week to get my library card when we've been living in the city since February. However, I have it and now the never-ending book reading (without emptying the bank account) can commence! I will be reviewing books that have something to do with adoption here on this blog.

In saying that, it makes sense, knowing me, that my first two books are... more

So, things - as you may imagine - are a bit busy here at Naomi's house. The new baby has now been here a week, and is doing quite well, although he's not so into the idea of sleeping in the crib. I guess that's boring. He's a pretty good baby - only really cries when he's wet or hungry. And Anna's doing mostly okay with the baby. She's a big help getting bottles and diapers and wipes and pacifiers. She's not so understanding of the fact that he just doesn't do anything and he actually likes to be left alone when he sleeps.

The pile of work that I have here on my desk is amazing. It's not intimidating - it's just gotten to the point where the amount of stuff to do is just... more

Here are the five pieces of advice I give most often to parents in general about dealing with special education and IEPs. Nothing new here- in fact you may find the same thing in previous blogs, but if you're headed into an IEP meeting, here's my opinion on the top five things you need to know/do:

1. Take someone with you to the meeting. Your spouse, a friend, your pastor, another parents of a special ed student. Take someone AND your spouse if you want. What you’re looking for is someone who can help you remain calm and confident,... more

Over on the transracial adoption message board, I found a post about an interesting research project being done by a professor at George Mason University.

The name of the project is “Transnational Adoption and Changing Faces of American Families” and it is being conducted by Prof. Linda J. Seligmann in the Department of Sociology and Antropology.

The website describes the project like this…

This... more

I really should just get a "politics" category to stick these things in, but hey, I never really expected to be watching politicians who say in public that people who aren't white aren't really Americans.

Yet here we are.

So. Katherine "Katherine... more