Continued from Part One...

So down the road as my children grow, our open adoption arrangements may change and issues might evolve. How is it going to be when my children are older and begin to understand some of the differences in the contact they have with their own birthfamilies as compared to their siblings? What kind of challenges will this present for the whole family?

Right now I can only imagine how things... more

My co-blogger Coley just raised an interesting topic in her last post about adopted siblings with different birthparents, and how the relationships and contact level can vary. Having three children in open adoptions, all with different birthfamilies I wanted to address this from my own experience as well (and ok I was scratching my bottom brain trying to narrow in on a topic today).

It can be very challenging when you have more... more

I’d like to tell you about our sweet baby Ruth. About two months after we started Georgia’s adoption paperwork, we decided to add another child from Haiti to our family. We were given the referral for a little girl born in January of 2005 and we named her Ruth. Had she lived, she would have turned one year old this month.

Here is an excerpt from my personal blog:

June 4, 2006

Last Friday when Tim and I were driving around doing adoption paperwork, we were discussing whether or not Tim should come to Haiti with... more

I've written before about the extreme poverty of the people in Ethiopia, and how difficult it is to see little children begging everywhere. I found the experience of being surrounded by beggars overwhelming at times, and at times refused to give out money for fear of being mobbed. But looking back, I can think of some of the specific people I saw, and wish I had done more. This evening I happened upon this... more

Recently, the question was posed: How many teenagers would be too many in a home? The question was asked by a friend who has several children in her family, but is currently hoping to adopt one child, a girl. This girl will eventually be a teenager, like her other children will, and so this thought has come about in considerations between herself and her social worker.

Good question. Not that I know a great answer, but it’s a good question. So, I thought about it and I emailed her an answer. Then, I asked my teenagers for their... more

When nine-eleven hit and the world stood still. As we faced our first serious Terrorist Attack. The world fell silent and America fell on her knees.

When the rubble was finished falling and the day was nearing the end. We grieved for all the families of the people who would never be coming home again.

God love the children. Left in this world to face life without that parent. Taken from them by the worst act of terrorism that America has ever known on her land.

Just like the children each day who loose a parent in the fighting that goes on in the world. From Africa to Iraq. Now the shores of home welcome back the bodies of our soldiers each and every day.... more

It's the end of the month, so time for me to clean off my desk and dish out the information I've been hoarding lately. For starters, if you've been thinking about adopting from China, but now will no longer qualify due to their upcoming new restrictions, there's a new Yahoo group for you.

Here's the description from their home page:

Ineligible to adopt from China? Welcome. Already have Chinese children but no longer... more

Facing the racial diversity in foster care can be challenging. You and your family may not care of the racial make up of a child that comes into your home, which is great. Also understand that the child that is placed with you is also around all of your family members and friends.

We were asked if we would foster or willing to adopted a child with racial differences. We explained that we both had older parents with a number of old relatives that were not racists, but we were unclear how they would react to us raising children of different racial make up. Please, understand that we did not think our families were, or are racists. They were raised in a very different time when... more

I find pearls of parenting wisdom in some of the most unlikely places. Today, I found one on my bathroom floor – next to the toilet. That’s where Super Dad has placed the latest United Methodist Men’s magazine and there was an article on being a good stepfather in there. I was just quickly skimming it, when a tip caught my eye about teaching morality and character – it said to “talk your decisions through aloud.”

The idea is that the stepdad can contribute to the child’s moral and character education by talking through decisions he’s making... more

My local networks are all abuzz with speculation about the bill coming before the Georgia legislature in just a few short days. SB 10 would provide scholarships, funded by the state, for children with disabilities to transfer to another public or a private school if their needs aren’t being met at their current school.

There are lots of reasons to be skeptical…and believe me, I am skeptical when it comes to anything the school districts are doing, or the state DOE at this point, as well.

But, Georgia’s not alone in our thinking.... more