Does the act of dropping to the floor cause a racket of clacking, pops and creaks not unlike a fierce game of mahjong on a three-legged table?

Is every dip of the hips accompanied by an exhale that sounds way too much like old Uncle Merv lowering himself into his Baralounger?

If once you've actually placed yourself on floor level, does the chance of remaining there for the rest of your days seem a definite possibility?

Yeah ... I know ... me, too.

One of the great things about being an older adoptive parent is the fact... more

"Do you know how old you'll be when that kid is a teen?"

Heard that? Yeah ... I'll be you have.

Does it scare you? No?

What? Are you simple, or something? Because it certainly should!

Not that your status as an older adoptive parent should be the root of all fear. No. Any parent of any age should tremble at the thought of sharing space with raging hormones, perceptions of wisdom far beyond what years would indicate, and the potential for mistakes with dire and life-long consequences.

Teens are scary,... more

The warm fuzzies that bubbled up while reading about the stretching mega-givers starting popping pretty darned fast when this came along soon after the article on benvolence.

Starting out by detailing the latest in fashions for kids ... $88 for a pair of the cutest red shorts, and a pair of jeans... more

I came across two stories back-to-back in this morning's perusal of newsal that caused a physical response that felt like something Sybil, the famous multiple personality woman could have experienced regularly ... bang! zowie! huh? boy howdy! ... the world can sure look different one moment to the next!

First, this, on people who give and give and give ... mega-givers, so to speak, those who... more

As I mentioned briefly, the 29th of May brought the debut of my assistant, Catherina''s baby. (I'd give the link for my short announcement, but apparently it was so short that there's no way I can call the story up to get a link. Strange ... )

Holly, for one, has been patiently awaiting details, so here are some:

The little... more

A few months have passed, so I've overcome the trauma of Cj's attempt at preschool ... sort of ... and have been thinking of trying it again.

She so loves going to Sam's school, happily running in, meters ahead of me, then waving her way along until she reaches his classroom. With a shout of, "Brother!" she runs into... more

Sam is four and a half ... and a very bright four and a half, if I do say so myself ... so has developed keen observation skills and prodigious curiosity. Like good old Carnac the Magnificent he often knows and sees all.

Unlike many kids who've been adopted into families where the parents are young and pre-menopausal, Sam hasn't been exposed to pregnant friends of Mom and Dad, and the excitement, hoopla and conversation that goes... more

Yesterday was not only Mothers Day in America, it was also our former foster son's 9th birthday. Nine-years-old! That's simply amazing.

T lived with us from the age of two until just past his fourth birthday, and even with me able to do the math it seems impossible that it's been five years since his mother returned... more

Continued from here, where we've been talking about spoiling ...

As older parents, and specifically older adoptive parents, we all, I suspect, teeter on the brink of over-indulgence with our kids. Many of us come to parenting late after years of longing ... a recipe for spoiling if ever there was one. Plus, it's said by many that we have more patience than we did when younger, and that may translate to putting up with a lot more guff than we should.

Easily... more

This article, "Has Generation Y overdosed on self-esteem", has me wondering if we Boomers haven't done more harm than good in working so hard making life the easy and comfortable passage between birth and death it now is for so many in the Western World. It was, after all, our generation that took it on board to do everything within our power to level playing fields, even the odds, and strive for as close to some guarantee of 'normal' for as many as possible.... more