Category Archives: Adoption

Faith and Hope and Love.

The thing about faith is that…it’s not transient. You either have it or you don’t. You don’t have to believe in the God I believe in to have faith either. You can have faith in lots of things–doctors, teachers, friends. To have faith, you have to trust. A lot. Believe. A lot. So where does…

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As They Grow…

I am the first to admit that March 7, 2007, was one of the toughest days of my life. I sat, holding the baby that only a week prior was declared “mine” in a court of law, while a neurologist told me my son had a diagnosis that changed his life forever. I felt numb….

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Weddings (and other such events)

Tomorrow my brother is getting married. In a quiet, small gathering. On a boat. At Disney World.   Now, while most people think this sounds romantic and lovely, I am a nervous wreck. My brother loves my son no matter what; however, if he decides to melt down or scream or narrate the entire event,…

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When I Realized I Needed My Own IEP

Well hello there stranger! I’ve been MIA for a month and I’ve missed your posts and interactions. But as of today, I’m back, and can’t wait to catch up on some great posts here! What have I been doing all this time? (Besides doing the happy dance upon the arrival of my new escape Kindle?)…

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The Little Things

(The moving truck arrived so there are currently giant men and 497 boxes all over my house. Jack is in a corner screaming, and the dog peed on the floor. Such is life, eh? Needless to say, I’m reposting again. I PROMISE to write new stuff next week–you know, when I can feel my legs…

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Romanticizing Adoption and Special Needs

It’s tough being an adoptive parent. And a parent of special needs kids. I’m both. And today reminded me of one of the most frustrating aspects of our situation: other people romanticizing it. Sitting on a counselor’s couch at a residential treatment facility where one of our girls has been for 6 weeks, life doesn’t…

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Waiting…. Waiting…. Waiting….

I don’t like waiting. Which is kind of ironic because I’m a mom, and a mom of multiple developmentally delayed kids. For years we’ve been waiting with one of our daughters – waiting for meds to kick in, for her moods to stabilize, for her mind to find balance. At our meeting with the counselor…

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Soothing An Anxious Child

Some kids just pop out of the womb self-assured and confident. Mine, not so much. Raising 2 former foster kids, assurance is like a foreign language in their minds! It’s been a huge learning process for us to figure out what works and what doesn’t in helping them find confidence in stress. And I know…

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I Went to the Dark Side…

I did it. I went to the Dark Side. All this time, I’ve been super vocal about the difference between being an advocate and being a…. well, you know. Yesterday, all that changed. (To read the whole drama, go here) I felt bad about it all day. I felt like I had worked so hard…

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When I Discovered I Was Part of The Problem

Ours isn’t the usual superhero story. When I brought my daughters home from foster care I anticipated grief, health issues, tantrums (they were both toddlers, after all). But I didn’t think that 7 years later, one would be healthy and well-adjusted while the other seemed to fall apart emotionally and physically in spite of interventions….

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