Being proud of my kid is something I feel often. My kids are great. They are fun, happy, loving, full of energy, hilarious, compassionate, well behaved, smart and talented in a million different ways. Sure, they get on my nerves now and then for bickering or shouting when the baby is asleep or leaving socks on the floor, but that is to be expected. :)

I am proud of them when we all file into a restaurant and get nasty glares from everyone, (one waitress admitted to considering quitting on the spot when we first walked in), and then as we finish... more

Continued from my last post...

My best friend and I organized a garage sale to raise money for Belane’s adoption and help pay off some of my friend’s adoption (they brought home the greatest little boy from Ethiopia a few months ago). Two other friends decided to come help us organize things, and we really appreciated the help. We had a ton of stuff (including freshly baked treats to sell) and we were well organized. The only thing that we didn’t plan for was the rain. We’ve lived in our town for over six years, and being in the mountains, the rain usually blows in and blows out. I can’t ever remember it raining for hours on end. But that is what it did…it rained and rained and rained.... more

Thanks to those of you who commented on the last post, regarding the article about the mother struggling with her daughter’s dark skin. I have to admit that I read the article and “stewed” over it a few days before I posted about it.

Here are some random thoughts tonight…

I am a sensitive gal by nature, and Josh often tells me that I need to have thicker skin. I think that I have “toughened” up quite a bit over the past few years…I really have been able to take a “if you’re with you’re with me and if not, that’s sad for you” sort of attitude most of the time. (Although occasionally I still let things get to me…such as was evident in this... more

I have been thinking lately about what kids really need. The "world" right now seems to think that kids need a lot of things, and I have to say that after giving it a lot of thought, the things that I believe kids truly need and deserve, probably aren't the same things that many people seem to think kids need and deserve.

For instance, I don’t believe that kids need name brand sneakers or $60 pants. I wouldn’t believe that if I only had one kid and all the money in the world. I think if a child truly wanted $60 pants or name brand sneakers, then they should have the opportunity to work, earn money to pay for the item (or even half of the item) and learn the value of a dollar.

Call... more

I recently came across this poem on a friend’s blog. It was my favorite poem when we studied poetry in college, and it was a pleasant surprise to “rediscover” it…almost like finding a favorite old photograph in an old forgotten album.

Reading this poem now, it has different meaning to me as it did when I was in college. In college, I read it as a romantic poem (which it certainly is). I am a romantic and I can definitely enjoy this poem thinking about Josh, my best friend and true love.

And yet when I read this poem, although it is not how... more

Yesterday was my Benjamin’s sixth birthday, and this morning he got on a school bus for the first time to go to his first day of school in America.

Let’s start with the birthday stuff…he was SO excited for his birthday. Birthdays are not celebrated in Ethiopia, in fact it is very common for people to not know what day they were born or exactly how old they are. We did not know Ben’s exact birthday (as is typical with orphans), but between the input we’ve gotten from the orphanage, his extended family, our doctor, our dentist and preschool... more

In regards to school choices and adoption, I will share with you what has worked for our family and my thoughts on things, but keep in mind that many families have done things differently with great results.

We live in a small town with excellent public schools. I honestly know most of my kids’ teachers and administrators. The class sizes are small, and our district has been recognized as the best in the state and even chosen as a “model” for other districts. We have excellent reading and math programs (along with other subjects), as well as wonderful art and... more

Choosing how to educate your children is a very personal matter, and one that does not have a right or wrong answer.

I have many friends who choose to homeschool their children, and it works out wonderfully for the parents and the children. Advocates of homeschool feel that they are able to let their children learn the basics, along with a broader choice of things that really interest them. They are able to tailor learning to the children’s individual learning styles. They are able to focus on learning and not on test taking. They are able to protect their... more

School is right around the corner in our house. My kids go back later this week, and there is an air of excitement surrounding all of the new shoes, clothes, backpacks, pencils, crayons, etc.

I have several friends who live in other places whose kids also start public school this week, and I have quite a few homeschooling friends who have officially started their school year as well.

Summer went by fast! On one hand I am grateful, because fall means Belane’s homecoming (hopefully!). We did not go on any huge vacations or do anything... more

As I have discussed quite a few times, I get plenty of comments when I am out and about with our large, transracial family that typically fall either into the "completely rude", "abosolutely ridiculous" or "make me feel wierd" categories.

For example, the woman in the grocery store that walks up and right in front of all of my kids demands to know which ones are "really mine". Put that one in the rude category.

Or the woman at the beach who declared that it disturbed her that "all those children" were calling me Mom. Put that one... more