Some few birth parents in open adoptions have the opportunity for all their children to have some contact with each other. First Mom and blogger Jenna has many photos of her two children interacting together. Birth mom blogger Coley also has an open adoption and a similar situation.

The rest of the birth parents in the world face the fact that their children may never meet, much less be photographed together and know each other. It is not yet the norm for siblings separated by adoption to know each other.

Some efforts are... more

Today in the news, an interesting article came across my email about a woman who's taken in a severely disabled girl in long term foster care.

It hasn't been easy on her or her family. The foster mom write about she can't leave the girl alone for a second - if mom wants to go to the bathroom, the foster girl must go sit in the bathtub at the same time.

The girl is sixteen, but can't speak and acts at about a twelve month old level - with autism and severe epilepsy.

The mom took the girl in on a temporary situation, and as with many foster parents, the girl just never went home.

But she hasn't adopted, and this is what she says:

State laws... more

This photo is one that I took a few years ago in Paris. Don't ask what it has to do with the subject of this blog - there is no correlation. I just liked this photo and wanted to use it!

Our new adoptee blogger Jupe is not an anguished adoptee who blames every problem or issue in her life on her adoption. In fact, in her past few blogs she has said that she is hard pressed to identify issues that are specific to adoption (or words to that effect.) I commented that I do believe that there are some issues that are unique to adoptees. Jupe's response is below.

I... more

(Continued...Part one here, Part two here)

In 2006, if possible, I have become even more in love with my husband, as he has chosen to soften his heart and expand his world along with me. Together we tested our faith, and came out stronger on the other side.

And I have become even more grateful for my children and to be a mom. My kids are my greatest joy and my greatest challenge…my biggest blessings and my biggest responsibilities. I am so grateful to have each and every one of them here with me and Josh.

I... more

(Continued... Part one here)

In 2006, the love for one little girl taught me much and gave me the strength to choose love over fear.

I learned A LOT about HIV. What I thought was a death sentence and a sad and terrible thing for “other people”, became a chronic but manageable disease that is now part of my daily life. What I thought was a scary and highly contagious disease turned out to be something fairly easy to deal with that poses no threat to family and friends. What I thought was “a problem” for people far away, became my problem.

I became painfully aware of how unfair the social... more

What a year 2006 was! Just about every year in the decade that Josh and I have been married has been a “big year” in one way or another… In 1996 we were married and our first son was born. In 1997 we bought and moved into our first home. In 1998 our second son was born. In 1999 our third son was born. In 2000 we moved cross country and into a new home. In 2001 we started our first adoption. In 2002 our Maggie came home from Vietnam. In 2003 Amanda came home from S. Korea. In 2004 we got to be in the room when our sweet Marcus was born, and then just a few months later we had a “surprise” adoption, when our Mercy and Des joined our... more

Here are this weeks' news stories for you. Please note that the links to the complete stories do expire after about a month, unless you happen to subscribe to that news service and have access to their archives.

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Ethiopia: UN Backs Mass Measles Immunization Amid Concern At New Cases

UN News Service (New York) December 27, 2006

A mass United Nations-backed measles immunization campaign is currently underway in Ethiopia, targeting more than 5.8 million children aged under the age of 5 following growing fears earlier this year... more

"Wǎng jì" means "internet" in Mandarin.

Trying to email China? Keep trying -- the Middle Kingdom has been experiencing an information blackout since the Taiwan earthquake.

The earthquake estimated at 7.1 magnitude by the U.S. Geological Survey shook the ocean floor 23 km southwest of Hengchun, southern Taiwan at... more

The bad stuff of 2006 started in late 2005 as far as LuLu and school go. I didn’t know how bad things really were, or how bad they were going to get until that fateful Feb 13 IEP meeting…

1. On Feb 13, the school district gave us a choice that contained three options: put LuLu in an unsafe placement and allow them to do emotional harm to her, walk away from public school education for her, or file due process. Backed into the corner…we filed due process.2. Filing... more

There’s never been a year I’ve been more excited about leaving behind than 2006. It will “live in infamy” in our household as being the worst year ever (hopefully the future doesn’t hold another year quite like this…at least for some time.) I will recap for you all the craziness and pain of 2006. But first, even in the most awful of years, good things happen. Here is the good from our 2006:

1. In February, I started writing this for adoptionblogs.com. It has been fun, educational and therapeutic for me in many ways. I have had to... more