As we are once again at Halloween, I wanted to post my favorite article on whether or not Jewish families should let their children go trick or treating. Please note that the article really does apply to everyone - not just Jews - and as a side note, Anna's former foster family - devout Christians - do not allow their kids to go trick or treating as they feel it is not in line with thier beliefs. This article is from Kolel: The Adult Centre for Liberal Jewish Learning and is

Decide for yourselves...

Q: Dear Reb... more

Last Saturday evening we had arrived home rather late after an evening out with my husband’s family. My husband and I were both exhausted both physically and emotionally. We were looking forward to sleeping in, relaxing, having brunch with my in-laws, doing the usual household chores that seem to only get done on the weekend, and watching football. Although our favorite teams (Eagles and Steelers) are not doing well this season.

At any rate, little did we know that as we were going to bed “drama” was taking place 300 miles away that would effect our day on Sunday. Early... more

I have no idea exactly what it is that my adopted stepson did to my computer the other day, but it sat here next to my bed for nearly a week, nothing more than an expensive paperweight. Sure it would turn on, and even let the desktop come on, but then nothing, absolutely nothing. Not a darn program or application would load. Sure I was free to click on any icon I so desired, the little hour glass would even pop up to allude me into thinking that the computer may actually compute, but to my utter disappointment time and time again, the hourglass produced nothing more than frustration.

After finally getting Norton Anti-Virus to run, which by the way came up with nothing, figure that... more

I’m not much in the mood to blog tonight, but here goes.

Last night turned out to be nice. One of the families staying here needed help with their kids, so I volunteered. They have the mom and sixteen year old twins here along with their two new Ethiopian children who are 3 and 6 years old. The mom had to go to the airport last night to get her husband, who was joining them for the second week of their stay, and didn’t want to take the kids.

It was their first night in this hotel, so she wanted me to help the older girls get dinner ordered, get the kids fed, etc. Their two new kiddos were going bonkers in the hotel room at first…pushing buttons, flipping switches, jumping on... more

Well, bless them for trying.

Now, I'm usually first in line for the "information wants to be free" and big on the anti-censorship thing. But I've also got The Boy (age 12) who has a problem with Runescape in much the same way that Charles Bukowski had problems with women and beer. Only with less poetry, since it involves absconding with the laptop in the wee hours of the night and lots of spyware scanning and stuff.

I've actually heard of virtual sweatshops in China, where computer gamers are paid to level up characters, build things and acquire goods in multi-player online spaces,... more

Lest any of you think I’m blowing this out of proportion…schools arresting special needs kids that is, consider this report by the Center for Law & Education, entitled “When Schools Criminalize Disability: Education Law Strategies for Advocates.” This downloadable document outlines strategies that parents, advocates and attorneys can use to defend students who find themselves being charged by the school system with a criminal offense.

Don’t get me wrong…children... more

Link: Part 1

I love hearing reunion stories with happy endings. There have been enough stories of Korean adoptees finding their birth families that I know it is done. It’s for this reason that I would never discourage someone from searching for their birth family. Despite the message of my last post, I am not against seeking out possibilities. I am an advocate of making sure that you don’t set yourself up for disappointment.

Reunions and... more

They will be consumed first.

(And if you don't get that one, here's what you need to know.)

Just in time for Halloween.

And a happy Chong Yang to y'all, too.

Maybe I should explain why I’m not thrilled that Ricky and mom live down the street.

He has to change schools again – and she probably won’t take the time to do it for a while. I’m sure he’ll be out of school for months now. This will be about his sixth school in two years. Every time she moves her welfare checks get lost in the system and she goes into emergency mode without food, gas etc. I always get panicked calls,... more

A week or so ago I heard from my beaureaucratic contact in Russia - A.P., I'll call her.

I wrote her through a translator to reply to a letter she'd sent me inquiring about Little J. When we first adopted Little J I'd written the Ministry of Education in his region asking about his Russian siblings and she wrote back. We exchanged a few letters but once I was told that his siblings had been adopted (my agency told me this), combined with some unanswered letters I sent to her as well as their supposed orphanage director, I stopped writing. I figured I needed... more