We’ve had a great Christmas season this year...a nice balance between keeping busy without being frantic. But the holidays—which I expected to distract us—have only made the separation of us from our child more prominent. I imagine that anyone who is ce ...

The highlights from my week:

What surprised me at library story time: When one of my mom-friends asked me if the new China adoption rules affected me. Yikes! Someone actually knew something about international adoption! That just showed me ...

Well, certainly not Christmas. My distract-o-meter is dinging on high these days as we wait for our referral. This is not to say that Christmas is distracting me from thinking about the referral…just the opposite. Waiting for the impending referral is keeping me from thinking about Christmas. Most ...

With each of the births of my boys, *I* was the one to pick up the phone to tell everyone the news. *I* was present at the births (well, sorta, but Labor Land does do strange things to the mind), and *I* knew exactly when and where my children were born.

This Christmas season, I find myself thinking about Joseph, the adoptive father of Jesus.

(Side note: Imagine having GOD as ...

“I hope she’s able to get pregnant so that she won’t have to go through the hassle of adopting.”

This is ...

I’m a straightforward, frank kind of person, so it would never really occur to me to hide my child’s adoption from her (as if that’s possible when adopting transracially) or keep her past veiled in secrecy. However, I don’t always have the tools I need to explain things in a way ...

Would you like to try your hand at writing? Share what you’ve learned as an adoptive parent?

Mark your calendars, or if you’re like me—tape a note to your kitchen cabinets—to remind you of an upcoming television special featuring adoption.

The highlights from my week:

Hollywood look-a-like moment: Saw a clip of Ralphie from

You’ve all heard of PAL: Positive Adoption Language. Well, I think agencies have their own kind of PAL…Positively Ambiguous Language. You ever read their websites? Their brochures? They’re loaded with uncertainty.

In a recent discussion about China, I was telling my five-year-old son how he would get to visit there some day when he was older. Here’s an excerpt from our conversation:

Another thought on the adoption wait:

Waiting for something is like sitting in a pressure cooker.
Mostly you just blow off steam ...

The highlights from my week:

Proud Geek Mama Moment: My five-year-old son can now say the Greek alphabet all o ...

My fourth thought as our wait for a child nears the end:

When faced with the unseen,
adults tilt towards doubt,
children ...

Our wait to adopt a child is coming to an end; here’s my third thought:

Waiting is like having a balloon stuck to your nose.
The longer the wait, the bigger the balloon.

I’m nearing the end of our official adoption wait, so it’s time to reflect. Here’s my second thought:

I am engrossed with the wa ...

As our referral from China draws nigh, I want to reflect on The Wait. Everyone tells me that once we see that picture, the pain of the wait will vanish and it will be worth it in the end. So before I forget what it feels like To Wait, I’m going to start rambling about it here. Here’s my first thought:

One of my dear friends is currently undergoing one of the greatest pains any mother can endure…the death of her unborn child. She delivered her full-term baby who had died in the womb just a few days before. I am just beside myself with sorrow.

The highlights from my week:

Food I tried in vain to find a palatable way to eat: Collard Greens. Bought a big-bag-o-co ...

At the beginning of our adoption process, I was simply overwhelmed at the decision. Which country? When? Which agency? And then when we started the actual paperwork, the list of things that had to be done had me drowning in confusion. I just couldn’t make sense of it all…all these different requirement ...

A childless friend asked me recently how I deal with my kids always messing around with my stuff. “Ha!” I thought to myself. “If that’s all they messed with!” Children not only mess with my possessions, but take a good crack at my time, my perspective, my desires. Everything looks dif ...

Is it appropriate for transracial adoptees to be only children or the only child in the family with their ethnicity?

T ...

Sometimes you read a book and it feels like you are having an enjoyable, meaningful conversation with the author. And then sometimes you trudge through a book and realize “this just ain’t jivin’”.

There’s a buzz going on over at Parade.com in reference to a recent reader comment:

...

The highlights from my week:

How long my fall decorations were up: Less than 24 hours. I was ...

Ever since my miscarriage, I respond differently when someone announces their pregnancy. My joy for them is clouded with fear…worrying that they might have to endure the same gut-wrenching experience that I went through.

"No one really listens to anyone else, and if you try it for a while you'll see why." (Mignon McLaughlin)

I’v ...