We got LuLu’s first copy of the KIDS Discover magazine today. It was a birthday gift and a great idea! It looks fabulous! This magazine, for grades 3rd -7th, is focused on science and social studies topics. This month’s issue is on the Brain. Some of the other topics include Ancient China, Lewis & Clark, Rain Forests, Electricity and the Weather.

For us it will be a way to interest her in reading, since she struggles with it so. Because it’s a magazine, the information is given to you in short “articles”... more

With November approaching, I find myself thinking of the fast approaching holiday season which will be here before we know it. This is my favorite time of year even with all the business and stress that this time of year brings. I find myself every year reminiscing of the holidays of my childhood remembering all the family festivals and all the cherished thoughts I have of those days. Family time together is what it is all about. These are the moments that cannot be replaced and will be remembered for years to come.

While this year I am dealing with some painful issues I have to lock them away for myself... more

While doing some research on news coming out of Viet Nam this morning I stumbled across an article about the increasing preference of boys in Viet Nam. Margie Mason’s article “Vietnam’s Preference for Boys Tips Gender Scales in Asia” made me stop watching Jack’s Big Music Show with Ella and read the full article. The title drew me in and I thought my readers would like to hear about Mason’s article.

The article is a result of a report published by the United Nations stating that Viet Nam is becoming more like China and India; where boys are more... more

Last Sunday we celebrated Ella’s birthday with family and friends. It was a wonderful party. Ella knew everyone and genuinely enjoyed being the center of attention. She didn't shed one tear or have one whiny moment.

Birthday parties with a house full of toddlers and their parents just aren’t for me. With the exception of my first born, we didn’t invite other children until their fourth or fifth birthdays, when the boys really wanted other children to participate.

Since birthdays only come once a year (unless you are a leap year child of course…)... more

I have been sharing some tips to make life easier for you and your family when your new child comes home. Since this is a time of significant adjustment for your entire family, it is a time that calls for some "special treatment".

My tip for today is to create a schedule and stick to it as much as possible, and provide structure for your new child.

A predictable schedule and structure helps make a child feel safe and secure, and this is especially important for a child whose entire life has just been turned upside down. Newly adopted children often feel very... more

I stumble out groggily to the living room, intent on coffee and few minutes of quiet email before breakfast. The 6 youngest are already up, watching kids' shows on PBS. When my (home from Ethiopia in August) 12 year old spots me, she says, "Mom-- fire!" and then turns her attention back to the TV.

I understand that she is not yet speaking in complete sentences, but her imperious tone grates on my tired self. "What?!?" I say in a disbelieving tone.

Still staring at the TV, she repeats herself. "Make fire! I'm cold." She curls her 12 year old self into a more comfortable ball in the recliner and tucks the pillows around herself.

"You need to be nice to mom. I think... more

This article from today’s Tallahassee Democrat reports a parent challenging the use of time out rooms in her school district. The article reports that the 7-year-old girl, with learning disabilities, had been placed in the time out room at least six times since the beginning of the school year.

The girl has since become fearful of being in any room with the door shut and will no long close the bathroom door.

The Advocacy Center for Persons with Disabilities has... more

In my recent blogs about Dora and her manure moving, a reader inquired how to get a teenager to work when they refused to do anything. You can’t make someone work. I wanted Amy to get a job on her own as soon as she turned 16, but of course she had no intentions of doing so. My husband and I arranged her first couple of jobs, at age 14 and 15. When she did... more

I've been blogging here for an entire year. As of the beginning of this month, that is! I had looked back at some of my previous posts from this time last year and I can see the strides I've made in my own healing just by how I talk about various subjects. By no means am I suggesting that my adoption related grief and loss are issues of my past. No, not at all. I'm just pleased that I've managed to pull a few things together, make some sense of others and continued to learn about the issues that affect us all. It's been a good year. Not always easy but good!

That... more

In my previous blog, I wrote about some “famous” people who spent time in foster care. Some just a short time, others much of their childhood.

Victoria Rowell may not be as much of a “household name” as Eddie Murphy, but may be more impressive. Ms. Rowell spent her entire childhood in foster care. She entered care when she was just over two weeks old, and aged out when she was eighteen. She went on to become a wonderful dancer, but most notably was a star on The Young... more