Yesterday being Cj's second birthday and all, I've been spending a lot of time thinking back over our history together.

I can easily remember the time before Sam had a little sister, and the thought process that brought us to our second adoption.... more

Like many first time fathers, Mark worried during our second adoption process that he wouldn't have it in him to love another child as much as he loves Sam. There's no doubt that for my darling husband the sun has, from Day One, risen and set on his son's sweet head. The intensity of the emotion he feels for his boy often takes his breath away, and he continues to be amazed by how easily overwhelmed he can be by the parade of joy, fear, adoration, anxiety, pride, panic, delight and utter astonishment that comes... more

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I'm up to my eyeballs in cute!

The puppies are eleven days old, starting to open their eyes, and getting all rolly-polly and pup-like, although they still wriggle around a bit like giant garden slugs with fur.

I'm happy about this for the moment, as I know what havoc will arise when they're fully mobile and jumping all over the place with big clumsy puppy feet, using their razor sharp puppy teeth to chew on everything... more

My eldest, a lovely daughter now thirty-seven-years-old ... how the heck did THAT happen? ... is a very busy executive. She has a tough job that demands she be available, and she must respond quickly to questions and demands.

In addition to almost endless phone calls, emails come at her like snowflakes to Minnesota in January, and all need some at least some attention. In her continuing efforts to stay on top of things, she got herself a BlackBerry.

Lucky me!

Her new ability to communicate instantly had made... more

Not long ago I wrote about old friends of older adoptive parents and how accepting mine have been of my children since they appeared on the scene.

It wasn't until I thought back to how isolated I was as a twenty-something mom with kids that I fully appreciated how welcoming my friends have been of Sam and Cj, and how enthusiastically so many of them have involved themselves in the lives of rugrats, a species they would never have... more

This is one of my favorite shots of Sam and me, possibly because his fourteen-month-old face in it is SO adorable, but maybe also because we are so obviously both focused on something of great interest to him.

Peering over his shoulder as he shows me some item ... a rock or shell or bug, back then, now just as likely to be a drawing or cryptic message composed of the letters he can write ... and explains in detail exactly what it is that so darned fascinating about whatever, is one of the most pleasant pastimes of parenting,... more

Discussions about adding siblings come up often in families, and adoptive families have even more to think about than deciding whether or not to make a new one.

All the potentials examined with one adoption are looked at from top to bottom and inside out with any subsequent plans to begin the process again, so the domestic vs international, boy vs girl vs leaving sex to fate, birth country: same vs different, infant vs older child, now vs later tango must be danced again.

For many, the cost of adopting makes the possibility... more

Sam most certainly is Grandma's boy, but Cj is Granddad's girl.

Mark's father loves all four of his grandkids, but from Day One there has always been a special something between him and our little girl, and the bond continues to grow as she does.

The other evening she almost brought tears to his eyes when she toddled over, climbed up on his lap and gave him the biggest, tightest hug. It lasted so long that he was close to being overwhelmed by her sweet and loving cuddle.

The look on his face... more

I figured I'd better get a photo of this double-dish-action while I can. I'm not counting on it lasting much longer than Cj's toddlerhood, at least not voluntarily. Right now, pushing her chair up and giving a hand is a favorite activity, and when it's Dad she gets to help there's even more reason to rejoice.

It's beginning to become clear that it will be Cj, not Sam, who'll be Mark's fishing buddy in the years to come. Mark has fostered visions of father/son fishing trips for most of... more

Sunday was one of those days that does my heart so much good.

I'm not talking about getting my HDLs higher or my LDLs down, or pumping out forty minutes of cardio. Nope. It's that warming thing that it was all about. The family of the most recent of Cambodia-born babies, home just before Christmas, invited us and another family for lunch.

There were four ... count 'em, four ... children under the same roof in Seychelles, all born in Cambodia and cared for at AOA orphanage, and the sight... more