I thank my God in all my remembrance of you (Philippians 1:3)

In an interesting display of “harmonic convergence”, cable television played both versions of The Parent Trap on two different channels during the same time slot. As I flipped back and forth between them, I noticed both versions had the scene wherein one of the twins meets the grandfather for the first time and begins sniffing him. The grandfather asks what she's doing and the twin replies, “I'm making a memory. Years from now when I'm a grown up, I want to remember that... more

Today is Sammy’s fifteenth birthday. A far cry from the little five year old boy I brought home just over nine years ago. At that point I never imagined I would have a child in a residential treatment center, and actually, had never even heard of them.

While talking with my father-in-law last weekend, we were talking about Sammy’s upcoming birthday and his impending adulthood. He asked me what was going to happen in three years when Sammy became a legal adult and was no longer in a residential center. In no way will he be ready for the real world.

I have been... more

When you have children with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or effect, you come to expect the good days and the bad. You so appreciate the good days. Sometimes you become stuck thinking that is how your children should act all of the time. You may even think that your children could act that way if they wanted. Probably you are getting a glimpse of how your children would be if they had not been exposed to alcohol while forming. Unfortunately, they were exposed to alcohol and it has messed up their brains forever. Trust me; they are not any happier about it than you are.

While... more

Should I stay or should I go? The lifelong question of parents everywhere. When dealing with a traumatized child, the best bet is to stay home as long as possible. Put yourself in your child’s place and think of you would feel coming to a new home, and starting in day care a few days later. You would be scared. Nothing is familiar. You don’t know these people or this house or community. Anxiety is the top emotion on the list. There are options to help you stay home with your child and help her feel safe and loved. Family Medical Leave

Covered... more

I love articles that feature success stories of young mothers who experienced an unplanned pregnancy and then parented successfully. With my first unplanned pregnancy I was so doubtful of my skills as a young mother and hearing that other women had faced the same obstacles as me was helpful. It’s also helpful because these types of stories usually tell the challenges in parenting as well.

This particular article features a young mother, Megan Torres. She became pregnant when... more

The process of Terminating Parental Rights (TPR) was not explained to me prior to the birth of the child I relinquished for adoption. Actually, it wasn't explained in detail after her birth either. I found out much later that, had I been informed of the laws in our state, things would have been much easier for all involved. And so, I cannot scream it loud enough: learn the laws of your state regarding Termination of Parental Rights.

I will share my own misunderstanding(s).

When I placed in the state of Pennsylvania (and it seems that, since then,... more

To quote the great philosopher, Tom Petty:

“The waiting is the hardest part Every day you see one more card You take it on faith, you take it to the heart The waiting is the hardest part.”

You have all this time to fill and nothing to do with it, but there are plenty of things you can do to help you become more prepared for the child or children that will enter your home.

Talk with other adoptive parents Find out what issues they deal with, what parenting methods they use, what... more

A mother recently posted on the forums about the baby she has recently relinquished. The birth did not go as planned (do they ever) and she was not able to spend time with her daughter. Alone. As any birth mother will tell you, whether they got that time or not, that time alone is greatly important for the placing mother. One could also make the argument that the time is also vastly important for the baby. And, if you really want to, you could make the argument that the time is important for the adoptive parents.

Here are some reasons why for each group... more

The Sensory Processing Disorder Answer Book gives practical answers to the top 250 questions parents ask. Written by Tara Delaney, MS, OTR/L and published by Sourcebooks, Incorporated of Naperville, Illinois. Tara is a pediatric occupational therapist specializing in helping children with sensory processing disorder (SPD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). She also adopted a child internationally from China who came home with sensory processing issues.

True the covers says, “answers to the top 250 questions... more

We are at the point of the home study that drives most families crazy – waiting.

We started the process back in March. We did our initial interview, filled out the application, signed all the consent forms for our records to be given to the agency, and all the other paperwork that needs to be done.

Hannah has had her health check done, mine has been completed, and I have submitted my autobiography. My husband has a few things to finish yet.

The big hold up has to do with Sammy. If you have an adolescent child in your home who has been involved with... more