The downside to my recent visit with Charlie and his family for his Kindergarten graduation has been dealing with my emotions afterwards. It was bittersweet being able to attend his graduation ceremony. It was amazing spending time with him and seeing his personality come through more than I ever have before.

But at the same time leaving him was so hard. Usually I try to prepare myself ahead of time for the “goodbye.” I tend to try and think of it as “see... more

When I awoke this morning, I didn’t think I would be able to write today. I awoke during the night when the power went out because of a storm and then went back to sleep. The power goes out frequently during our storms here in the Midwest, so, I didn’t think anything of it. We have a generator that will run most of our house and water our cattle at the flip of a switch. Super Dad awoke early and I told him the power was out, so he headed outside to turn on the generator. Then he came back and brought me to the window to look outside. He couldn’t turn the generator on... more

The Annie E. Casey Foundation has released a report that indicates many foster children are living in less than ideal conditions and in poverty stricken conditions.

The top five states that have their foster children living above the poverty level are:

• Utah • North Dakota • Idaho • Wyoming • South Dakota

The worst states fall on the East coast, where the ... more

We had a pleasant surprise this afternoon while attending open houses for graduation seniors. One of my daughters has a birth sibling graduating from high school this year. Of course, we were invited to the open house. We have maintained contact with him by having periodic visits and phone calls throughout the 11 years since their adoptions. We have done the same with the other four birth siblings as well, although we had more visits when the children were younger. There were six siblings, who were adopted by four separate families. When we arrived at the open house, two... more

For most people, school is out or will be shortly. What do you do now that the kids are home all day?

For the first few weeks, most kids are happy to run, jump and play, but soon the cries of “I’m bored” kick in. With money being tight for everyone right now family vacations, summer camps and “field trips” will probably be difficult for most families.

The first thing I recommend is not the first thing that most people think of, but helps our kids retain what they have learned in school, in addition to helping to keep some structure in place. Continue... more

High blood sugar can cause damage to your whole body, including your teeth and gums. Having diabetes can increase your risk of cavities and gum disease even during childhood. If your child has type 1 or type 2 diabetes, then you already know how important it is to keep blood sugar levels under control. High blood sugar increases the supply of sugars and starches in your mouth, contributing to more plaque. The acid in plaque wears away the tooth enamel causing cavities. The plaque can harden under the... more

For birth parents in open adoption, holidays like Mother's Day and Father's Day can be daunting. However emotionally charged, it is important to remember to recognize your child's everyday parents. This Father's Day take some time to consider how you want to honor your child's Dad. I've included some ideas.

1. A Picture. I know. You're scratching your head. What picture could we possibly have that the adoptive parents don't already have? Plus, they have the child in their home! They know what the kid looks like! Consider this: during a... more

Recently, I was able to attend Charlie’s Kindergarten graduation ceremony. I know I am so blessed that his parents asked me and that I was able. While I was thrilled to be there, it was bittersweet at the same time but today I need to focus on the positive of that experience.

It wasn’t much different from other Kindergarten graduations. When Charlie saw his Mom, Dad, sister, and me he started waving wildly, pointing out who we were to the boy standing next to him on stage. He was excited to see us. The children all sang a few songs together; Charlie being the best of... more

Quite often parents ask “How do you know when your child is attached?” There is no cut and dry answer for this. There are too many variables at play. How old is the child, what type of attachment issues does the child have (anxious, ambivalent, confused) how severe is the attachment disorder and so on.

Both Sammy and Hannah are attached, but in very different ways, and that’s not to say that we don’t have attachment and trauma issues come up at various times.

I’ll start with Sammy since his attachment doesn’t always look like attachment. Sammy loves... more

I wrote an article last year about MRSA, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, because my foster child brought a note home from her school about it. It was not one of those, “This is what contagious disease your child is being exposed to this week,” notes that you get almost every week from public school. The purpose of this informational sheet about MRSA was to calm worried parents because MRSA was getting quite a bit of publicity then. The note suggested washing hands frequently to prevent spreading germs, covering open sores with bandages,... more