It would behoove every parent to read these words every day and then apply this profound sentiment to their lives, everyday.

Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself. They come through you but not from you, And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you. You may give them your love but not your thoughts. For they have their own thoughts. You may house their bodies but not their souls, For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams. You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you. For... more

The following post contains racial epithets, they are only used to qualify questions and illustrate points. They are not my personal sentiments. I don’t use these words in my every day life, but some do, and its my intention to determine why its acceptable.

Everyone needs something to protect.

Dogs protect their property. We lock our doors. We buy gates, alarm systems and fences. And we purchase insurance just in case our own methods of protection fail us, we’ll have a back-up plan. We protect ourselves against each other and acts of nature. We buy guns and keep the kitchen knives on the counter in a big wooden block, so they’re close at hand.

But... more

Today is the birthday of essayist and children's author Kenneth Grahame, born in Edinburgh, Scotland (1859), known today for his book The Wind in the Willows (1908).

He began writing essays and stories on the side, but when he wrote The Wind in the Willows, many publishers turned it down because the idea of talking animals was too fantastic. At the time, Victorian educators and child welfare experts believed that children should be discouraged as soon as possible from pretending and daydreaming, that letting children believe in fairy tales and myths was detrimental... more

I am not having much luck finding specific information or statistics about older parent adoption. The reason for this, I believe, is because age really isn’t much of an issue for people who want to adopt. Actually, it isn’t a big issue for women who want to bear children either.

With today’s medical advancements and testing, women can and are bearing children well into their 40s, some in their 50s and even a few in their 60s. If I had wanted to bear a child, I could have spent far less money on testing and medical necessities than the cost of our adoption.

Older... more

Someone please explain to me why fertility and birthing a baby are such monumental issues for women. I am a woman, and I still don’t get it. I have never felt the desire to carry a baby in my body, feel it kick, then spend hours pushing it out. Not when there are so many children around the world who do not have a home or mother to love them. I don't feel like falling back on biology simply because I can. I don't relate to following a primitive instinct.

Human Rights Watch cannot even begin to estimate how many children live in orphanages worldwide, the number is obviously in the millions. With a planet that is showing... more

In my opinion, identifying with your child by their race makes them less *your* child and more a “product” of another country. I know several adoptive parents who feel they must send their Chinese daughters to mandarin classes so they can learn their “native” language. My daughter was *born* in China, but her native language is english. The mere fact that she was birthed in another country does not make her a commodity of that country that I have imported as a cultural anomaly.

Continually referring to your child by their race makes them less your child and more a consequence of adoption. I don’t even think of Lola as Chinese, she’s Lola, my daughter. She could not be more like me... more

I’ve mentioned in prior posts that we live semi-rural. We love it, and it gives Lola plenty of room to explore without the usual neighborhood concerns; cars, pavement and weirdos.

One of the things I like best about living out of the city is that we have 5 chickens, all hens. They are wonderful companions as well as voracious bug eaters. This never really entered my circle of concern before, but when you live “out” like this, the bugs are poised to strike a coup. I am a believer in respect for all life, so when we lived in the city, if I found a bug in the house, I would pick it up and carefully put it outside. If it was a *big* bug, my husband would be summoned to do my dirty work... more

We travel fast and light. Traveling to China to get our daughter Lola, we each took one suitcase and Lola’s stuff was with mine. The couple we went with took 7, count ‘em 7 suitcases and 2 diaper bags! Folks, it's China!!, anything you’ve got packed was made there anyway...

2 adults with a small child should not require more baggage than that carried abroad by “Americas Next Top Model."

This couple had so much luggage that when flying within China they couldn’t get on the plane with all their junk, and asked us to claim that some of their luggage was ours. Don’t impose... more

Here is a lighthearted book about toddlers that I read before we even got Lola, it helped me laugh a little and not take everything so seriously.

It also has some good tips about keeping yourself in shape and looking good, its not just all about how cute your kid is if you look like 20 miles of torn-up track.

I have found that its really easy to stay in my sweats and a pony tail all day if I’m busy and don’t have anywhere to go. I generally loathe my laziness when I look in the mirror and see that I’ve made no effort during the day to look like a civilized human... more

I have never been a believer in strollers, huge diaper bags and generally packing up the whole house when you prepare to leave for the day with your child. Perhaps this notion is ingrained in me because my husband and I are backpackers rather than campers; the ilk who travel in huge motorhomes with satellite dishes on top and king size beds inside.

When 2 people can go into the woods for 4 days with everything they need to eat, sleep and explore, tucked into a cube on their back, straying beyond your property line should be put into perspective, and satisfactory proportions achieved without looking like a Disney gift shop exploded, hence my purchase of this smart and stylish Kate Spade... more