Continued from previous post...

So for treating her dry, dry scalp, first we tried a product by Motions called “Hair and Scalp Daily Moisturizing Hairdressing”. The scent was average…not too strong, and I didn’t love it but didn’t hate it (I am very picky about smells!!!) Her hair felt average when we used this, but her scalp was dry and flakey and not looking good at all. I gave it a few days and her scalp kept getting worse, so it was on to something else.

For my older girls I have really liked... more

Happy Tuesday everybody! After our day off yesterday, today sure does feel like Monday…I guess it is nice though, because that means it will be the weekend before I know it. :)

Today I have been jotting down notes on everything that I do and everything that happens today for my “Day in the Life of Me” monthly posts I am going to start tomorrow.

But for today, I thought I would write about hair products. Since being placed with us, one of my biggest struggles with Miss Belane is her scalp. She has the driest scalp in all the land, and... more

I have been saving this post for a “rainy” (busy) day, and thought it went hand in hand with my last post about children, beauty, skin tone, etc.

This artilce is titled “A Reason To Travel: Children” and it is written by Joel Carillet.

Both the words and the photos by Carillet are wonderful… he is a photographer that has traveled the world, and in this article, he talks about the beauty and preciousness of the world’s children he has met (and those he hasn't).

Carillet... more

The fourth and final article in the series “Finding Family-Stories of Adopted Suburban Immigrants” by the Chicago Daily Herald, is titled “Free to Be Me”.

I think that this article may be the most important to read for transracial adoptive parents, as it is written by a woman who was adopted into a white family from Korea as an infant.

In this article, Amy Borema discusses openly her feelings regarding looking so different from her sister, being adopted, not knowing anything about her birth parents, not being able to speak... more

Yesterday I wrote about the first two articles in the four-part series titled “Finding Family-Stories of Adopted Suburban Immigrants” from the Chicago Daily Herald.

All four of the articles highlight a transracial and transcultural adoptive family and do a wonderful job exploring the challenges and blessing of adoption. Make sure you check out the adoption information given on the right hand side of each story, as well as the slide show for each story.

Today I am going to write about the third and fourth articles, and I hope you take the time to read them.

The third article is titled “Siblings... more

The second in a series of four wonderful articles titled "Finding Family" that highlights transracial and transcultural adoption from The Chicago Daily Herald, is titled “A First Year Filled with Love and Mystery”.

Like the last article, this one hits home in many ways, no matter where you have adopted from. This article tells the story of a couple who adopted an 11 month old from China, and follows them through some of her challenges during her first year home.

The little girl is diagnosed with some unexpected health challenges,... more

The Chicago Daily Herald has a wonderful four-part series online titled “Finding Family- Stories of Adopted Suburban Immigrants”.

The articles are extremely well written and have lots of wonderful photos to accompany them. I enjoyed these articles because they went deeper than most of the “look at this family that adopted” articles do and touch on some of the struggles and challenges in transracial and transcultural adoption. I am going to write about all four of them because each one focuses on a different aspect of transracial adoption and are very good reads.

Also, make sure you check out the adoption... more

I recently heard about a bunch of adoptive moms and others who will be traveling to Ethiopia in March to do volunteer work at Adoption Advocate International's Layla House and at AHOPE. One of the big projects will be an "Extreme Room Makeover" for the older children at Layla House.

They need volunteers to go and help work, and to help carry all of the supplies over. I can't think of volunteer work that would be any more fun than hanging out with and helping those wonderful children for a week.

Here is the list of projects they will be tackling (from the Hearts of Hope website)...

Paint 10 bedrooms... more

I love holiday TV specials. Since I was little I have looked forward to watching Rudolph, Frosty, Charlie Brown and other favorites at Christmas time. Even now that we have most of them on video, there is still something special about catching them on TV.

However, I have a new favorite holiday TV special, and that is the CBS special “A Home for the Holidays”. This year it is on Friday night, December 22 (check your listings for what time…but the website says 8 p.m. ET/PT).

This... more

Here are five ideas for “gifts with a meaning this holiday”, that are not too late to buy. If you have someone on your list still that is one of those people that “has it all”, why not give them a meaningful gift…something beyond the normal “stuff”. Or, pick one of these to do with your children to help them get into the spirit of giving this holiday season.

All five of these suggestions are related to adoption, orphans and children. I welcome other suggestions that you may have. Leave me a comment and I will add to my list. :)

Adoption.com’s... more