We celebrated BE’s 8th birthday last week, her fourth birthday with us. She was on winter break from school, so we spent the day at Jeeper’s. Then over the weekend, she had a party with a few of her friends. She’s very proud to be a big 8-year-old.
Category Archives: Adoption
Happy Anniversary
J and I celebrate our 8th wedding anniversary on February 19. A while back, BE drew us this anniversary picture. Other than the “two years married,” the picture is pretty accurate. It shows J and me at our wedding, followed by BE and her first mom (she was born just three days later on FebruaryContinue reading “Happy Anniversary”
It Finally Happened
Yes, it finally happened, the moment every adoptive parent anticipates, but dreads. The moment your child says he or she wants to live his or her first parents. I knew it would happen, and when BE was mad at me the other day, it did. I’m not even sure what she was mad about; sometimesContinue reading “It Finally Happened”
A Day without a Mexican
Does anyone else remember the movie “A Day without a Mexican?” It came out almost 10 years ago, and on the surface, it was all about ethnicity and class. In the movie, the entire Mexican population (except for a news anchor) vanishes from the state of California. Naturally, the movie examines what happens to theContinue reading “A Day without a Mexican”
Here Come the Tween Years
The tween years are often defined as somewhere between 8 and 12, in which girls are “too old for toys, but too young for boys.” BE will be 8 later this month, and although I don’t anticipate her being done with toys anytime soon, I can see early “tween signs.” Not long ago, she wouldn’tContinue reading “Here Come the Tween Years”
Understanding Adoption History
Lately, I’ve been interested in the future of adoption and what can be done to fix the existing system. However, I hadn’t thought much about the history of adoption until I came across this site from the University of Oregon. The site offers an interactive history of adoption in the United States beginning in theContinue reading “Understanding Adoption History”
A First Family Visit
About a week ago, we had visit with a member of the kids’ first family, one that they hadn’t seen in years. The kids experienced some anxiety about it, both before and after our visit. Afterwards, we had a debrief about expectations and how things aren’t always exactly as we remember them. The kids are stillContinue reading “A First Family Visit”
Foster Care and Broken Adoptions
I recently read this four-part series about broken adoptions in the U.S. foster care system. The article explains that in 1996, Congress passed the national Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA). The act was meant to address problems in the foster care system, including children who were moved from one foster home to another. However,Continue reading “Foster Care and Broken Adoptions”
BCLC: Rejecting Positive Messages
Heather Forbes recently sent out her latest e-mail newsletter, and as always, she answered a reader’s question. Here’s the question: “My son had a terrible early childhood history and constantly tells me he is a bad boy and that nobody loves him. Yet, no matter how much we tell him what a good boy heContinue reading “BCLC: Rejecting Positive Messages”
“That’s When I Knew I Was Adopted”
My fellow NPR fans know that the “Story Corps” program is a great way to hear intimate stories from ordinary people’s lives. On my local NPR station, Story Corps airs on Friday mornings, and I recently heard an interesting story about adoption. On that episode, Diane Tells His Name was interviewed by her daughter. DianeContinue reading ““That’s When I Knew I Was Adopted””
Shannon Mackie 