I don’t really have two, or even one, doppelgängers, but over the last four years, people have been telling me and J how much our kids look like us. This includes people who know we adopted, and people who don’t. Strangers will tell me they can tell that BE and I are mother and daughter.Continue reading “My Two Doppelgangers”
Tag Archives: Adoption
The Forgotten Garden
I read a lot of adoptee blogs, and one message I often encounter is that adoptees don’t always see adoption as entirely (or at all) positive. I recently read “The Forgotten Garden” by Kate Morton, which did an excellent job of expressing this idea. Spoiler alert: if you plan to read this book, or haven’tContinue reading “The Forgotten Garden”
What’s Your Opinion on “Gotcha Day?”
My nearly-tween daughter, BE, has long since given up cartoons for Disney Channel shows and movies such as “Hannah Montana” and “Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure.” Her latest obsession is “Jessie,” which is about a nanny taking care of three adopted children in New York city. This family is very rich, and in one episode, celebrates elaborateContinue reading “What’s Your Opinion on “Gotcha Day?””
Happy Adoption Day #3
On June 25, 2010, we celebrated adoption day at the courthouse. The kids were just 5 and 2 when the adoption was finalized. Now, they’re 8 and 5 and about to be a 3rd grader and a kindergartener. BE remembers a little bit of that day, and in classic BE-style, the thing that she talksContinue reading “Happy Adoption Day #3”
My Twisted, Not-So-Secret Story
I love the Moth Radio Hour on NPR, so I was excited to discover a relatively new storytelling organization in Detroit – The Secret Society of Twisted Storytellers. The organization hosts a storytelling event each month, featuring five or six local storytellers. In March, I got to tell my story and it was a lotContinue reading “My Twisted, Not-So-Secret Story”
Michigan Radio: Adoption and Early Childhood Trauma
I’m a big fan of Michigan Radio (the local NPR affiliate) and I’ve often linked to stories the station has done as part of a project called “State of Opportunity.” This project looks at how the state can improve opportunities for disadvantaged children. So, I was ecstatic when the station asked me to do aContinue reading “Michigan Radio: Adoption and Early Childhood Trauma”
When your Child is a Hoarder
BE isn’t really a hoarder, but she does show a lot of interest in trash. She always wants to pick up things that she finds lying around, such as a broken crayon in her school hallway, or a cracked cell phone case in the grass. In her recent newsletter, Heather Forbes answers a reader’s questionContinue reading “When your Child is a Hoarder”
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”
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”
Shannon Mackie 