Journey to Global Community
Okay, I may be slightly overreacting, but I had this conversation with the boys in Target the other day: Me: “We need to buy some Band-Aids.” Aram: “I want Spiderman!” Me: “Samuel, do you want Tinkerbell (what he got last time) or something new?” Samuel: “I don’t think I want any color; I want big people Band-Aids." Me: “You mean beige?” Samuel: “Yeah, but brown for me.” Me: (scouring the aisle and knowing there is slim-to-no chance I’m going to … [Read more...]
If I could have written a letter to myself before we started the international adoption process, here are some things I wish I would have known. Some I already knew, but after adopting (or going through the process) others became much clearer to me. Adoption and parenting in general are selfless. Keep in mind that you are not just adopting a family member, but there is a mutual merger of birth and adopted families, culture, and country. Research thoroughly. Melissa Fay Greene recommends The … [Read more...]
“What is REAL?” asked the Rabbit one day.When you’re 9 years old and a girl, I suppose being an emotional wreck is to be expected. Ah, heck. When you’re 37 years old and girl, I suppose being an emotional wreck is to be expected. But sometimes, it’s hard to know which 9-year-old wrecks are I Stubbed My Toe And That’s A Great Excuse To Let Go Of The Emotional Mess Smouldering Inside Me, and which wrecks are Real. Yeah, yeah. I know they’re all real. But the Real … [Read more...]
Oh, I remember the days when everyone and their mother was writing articles about this blog without actually reading it. A total lack of understanding for the term “attachment parenting” caused very odd outbursts from journalists against my blog’s name. It was very creepy how they described it as some sort of weird mantra we “attachment parents” *must* have because *all* AP mothers "must stay home" and "refuse childcare"... Except, the name behind my blog is meant to be a … [Read more...]
This guest post was written by Grace Showalter. Although the views and opinions presented here may or may not necessarily be the same as “I Am Not the Babysitter”, we appreciate and respect the educated opinions of all mothers. Dr. Jane Aronson, the "Orphan Doctor" is an invaluable asset to the international adoptive community. There is no doubt that her expertise in pediatric medicine for internationally adopted children has literally saved lives. Her work with the Worldwide … [Read more...]
This week we're celebrating Tim Nelis as our Real Man of Parenthood. His wife, Sara, hit the jackpot in this guy. In this picture below, he is wearing their first son, Bennet, in an Ergo. Bennet is three here. They adopted Bennet at 2 years old and used baby-wearing to encourage attachment. Baby-wearing helped to teach him that he was theirs and to let him know that he was home, not in another foster placement that would end. Tim often wore Bennet, who has developmental delays and really … [Read more...]
We are framing this photo for Samuel, taken by Kyle LaMere in Ethiopia, September 2012. Under the photo will be Maya Angelou's "Love Liberates" quote. How beautifully she sums up the importance and love of the birth mother and family. How true love frees; it does not enslave. Someone once said, "Children need two things: One is roots and the other is wings." I know Samuel's birth mother was strong enough to provide our son with wings. Now our prayer is that together we can provide him with … [Read more...]
Today, as I fly to Houston to raise awareness for phase 2 of our water project with Waves for Water, I will be thinking about my friend Laura, and her family. Laura has reminded us what mothers really are at war with. Mothers around the world are fighting daily to preserve the health and wellbeing of their families. This is what the world should be outraged about. This is the true "mommy war." There is so much we can do. "The Brightest Light . . ." Letter from Laura … [Read more...]
Thanks to everyone reading, this is the message I am able to deliver to you: By the end of this week, Argisa, Ethiopia will have clean water! Most of you know that you all raised, over the course of one week, the money we needed for our first phase of the Ethiopia project. That, in and of itself, was a miracle. Jack, from Waves for Water, boarded a plan on December 12, and I have just been informed he has landed in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Jack will be bringing 80 Sawyer filters to the … [Read more...]
Our hope is that people will get a chance to see a family that may look a little different, but is as close and loving as a family that meets the stereotypical ideal. It is time to break barriers, stop making assumptions, and realize that families come in all different shapes and sizes and can still define the term. Find Out More ››
