This week marks a milestone for my children: their birthmother’s birthday. We have an open adoption by mutual request, thus, I have the kids make something and we send it off.

My daughter seemed particularly sad this year as we created our gifts. I asked her about it, and her eyes welled with tears. She said she missed her birth mother. Now, I’m not at all competitive with her birthmother, but I questioned this a bit. Whereas my daughter does recall certain fairly catastrophic events in her childhood, and has the Post... more

In my previous blog , I highlighted where presidential candidate, John McCain stands on certain issues related to adoption. In giving equal time to both candidates, the following is what I have been able to find on Senator Obama’s position on issues that adoptive parents may be interested in.

These blogs are NOT intended to support either candidate at all, just to shed a little light on the subjects.

It is not possible to compare and contrast... more

If you’re anything like me, you’re ready for the political ads, phone calls, billboards and everything else to be over with.

However, as adoptive parents or potential adoptive parents there are issues that we need answers on but are not the things that are usually discussed in political debates, nor are they the targets of all those political ads we have been hearing for months.

This blog, and the following one will highlight what I have been able to find about each candidate on the issues important to us. These blogs are NOT intended to support... more

You are getting ready to finalize on the adoption of your child, or maybe you have just finalized. Now you get the daunting task of changing your child’s name on all the various records. You may not realize how many things you have to change until you’re going through the process.

In most cases in order to change your child’s name you will have to show the adoption decree at the very minimum. Some places may require you to show your child’s old birth certificate, the new birth certificate, guardianship papers (if applicable), social security card, or other forms... more

I received a private e-mail alerting me to a blog over on the Psychology Today website. The topic is why more people don’t adopt.

Personally, I think the blog is well written and addresses all types of adoption. The people who have commented on the blog address international and infant adoption as well as foster care adoption, but the author, Susan Newman, Ph.D., delves into all issues.

I am pro adoption for any type of adoption. There are children... more

I'm all for adoptive parents choosing the route that first their family. Whether that is an open, semi-open or closed adoption, I don't care as long as you can live with your own reasoning. The one thing that I do not approve of and will not ever approve of is lying to your child. One thing that seems worse than that is lying to your adult child.

A thread was started on the General Adoptee Support forum under the heading of How I Found... more

I know everyone is still talking about the Benita Jackson case. However, I've seen little talk about Catherine and Brenda O'Connell. They are two teens who are on trial for murdering their mother. They were adopted from Guatemala when they were 11 and 14, three years apart and both the same age. (Now 17 year old girls.)

And they killed their mother. No one is disputing it. Not claiming that someone broke into the home. None of that. They did... more

One of the biggest things I have learned from Katharine Leslie is that our kids have not had great examples in life and that we can tend to presume that they know how to behave nicely or what our expectations are, when they truly don’t.

Kids look to their parents are behavioral models, and our kids have not always had good models before entering foster care or some of the orphanages. The things they have heard and seen are not necessarily the behaviors we want our kids to have. They watch our behaviors closely... more

I did a walk today for a cause that is very close to my heart. I participated in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure raising funds for breast cancer research.

I lost my aunt to breast cancer a little over ten years ago. My kids never got the chance to meet her and she was one of the strongest women I know. She was a single mom who worked hard to support her kids because the child support she received was sporadic at best.

Anyone who participated in the race received either a white shirt or a pink shirt. The pink shirts indicated that you... more

I ran across an ad for the Clorox Wipe It Out Program in a country music magazine. It featured one of my favorite singers, and adoption advocate, Rodney Atkins. The Wipe It Out Program helps to raise money and awareness for various charities chosen by different country music stars. Rodney Atkins is working in conjunction with the National Council for Adoption (NCFA) to promote adoption awareness and give kids homes.... more