Things have been running so hot and heavy on this blog for a while that I figure it's time for a bit of a breather, a little levity, a jigger of jocularity ... and a darned fine example of the humor some adoptive parents manage to create out of the dense ether of an Internet group dedicated to support, communication and fair interchange. Background:

A while back, in one of my more snitty moods, partially brought on by the aforementioned hot and heaviness, I responded to a post on the ... more

This thought process started here. International adoptive parents' desire to bring as much birth culture as possible into the life of their children is nobel and respectful, but no matter how much you strive to duplicate native foods, celebrate important holidays or practice ancient dance in traditional dress, you can't help but be missing most of the basic of basics your kids would be have been experiencing.

Although... more

As international adoptive parents, we're all well aware that our children are growing up differently than they would in their countries of birth. They're learning a different language, dressing differently, becoming accustomed to foods they well might otherwise never have come across in a lifetime, and learning to turn their noses up at things that might have been considered tasty treats ... ... more

A baby, a birthday and an up-coming trip to Cambodia have all combined into a fearsome weight that very recently took the shape of a sack full of nickels and smacked me upside the head.

Yep. A wake-up call for Sandra, shouting down the line, "Hey, Lady! You've got some issues... more

I'm writing today on the Older Parent Blog on the new baby down here in our little valley, my assistant Cathrina's boy, Rocky, born last week.

This new addition has unleashed a deluge of emotions, all setting me to pondering in many directions. Some of these, I'm addressing on the Older Parent Blog over the next few... more

Adding a second child often prompts a debate, or at least some deep and careful thought, in all families, and adoptive families are no exception. In fact, the discussion may be much wider ranging when issues of domestic vs. international, infant vs. older child, boy vs. girl, Ethiopia vs. Ukraine, special needs vs. none,... more

As adoptive parents, we spend a lot of time contemplating the impact adoption may have on our children. We worry about everything from attachment to post-traumatic stress to developing good birth parent relationships to positive representations of birth country cultures, and on and on and on.

With so much filling our anxiety plate, we might be forgiven for occasionally forgetting that our kids have not only adoption-related issues to face, but also those plain old regular ones that all children have to deal with over the course of their lives. ... more

Jan Baker's post, "Help Needed to Understand" had me realizing this morning that despite all the to-ing and fro-ing she and I did a while back, understanding between birth parents and adoptive parents in general is apparently still a very long way off.

It does seem that the more we learn about adoption, the more there is to learn. For... more

Foundations for positive self esteem start by knowing who you are and where you come from. Children who are adopted into families that are not of the same cultural heritage may not always have those answers. As your child’s biggest advocate, you want to foster a positive self image by helping your child learn about her roots and by celebrating and embracing her cultural heritage. Steps:

1. Help your child learn about her heritage by researching topics of interest together. Continue to educate your child about her heritage as she grows and matures

Have a conversation with your child about what heritage is and how important it is to celebrate... more

Continued from here ...

It is, very thankfully, beyond the scope of my rather prodigious imagination to anywhere near fully grasp the suffering that must go with the first flow of HIV-contaminated mother's milk. What can presenting that nipple feel like to a mother who understands exactly what it is she is offering? Where does the concept of the lesser of two evils right itself enough for anyone to find peace enough for milk to... more