It was truly the best phone call ever! Today my good friend became a Mom. I can't wait to meet their little polar cub! Now I will get to write a welcome home baby letter! The wait for a child does all kinds of things to friendships and truly who you are as a person. The particular waiting mama has touched my heart in a way that I can't explain. I cried when she called with her news! It is one happy day for many families who have endured this wait....but I am extra happy for this mama!
For Polar Cub and Mama Bear
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Chinese New Year Dinner Menu
We will be getting together with friends next weekend to celebrate the Year of the Tiger. To be honest, for me all holidays revolve around food:) The Lunar New Year is no exception! This is what I have planned so far....please leave me your suggestions. One of our friends that will be coming has a daughter from Vietnam and a son from Korea. They will be bringing some yummy traditional dishes for each of their kiddos birth countries. We will of course have some Chinese dishes as well as some Indonesian dishes ( my mothers birth country). Looks like we will have lots of Asia covered next Sunday!!
On the menu so far:
Gong Xi Fa Cai!
On the menu so far:
- Nian Gao. Chinese Sticky Cake. This cake is said to make people advance towards higher positions and prosperity step by step....hey it's a recession we need all the help we can get!
- Chinese Tea Eggs- I can't wait to try these! My friend Liz will be bringing this to dinner!
- Char Siu Bau. Chinese steamed buns with BBQ pork. I bought these at an Asian market but this recipe looks good.
- Pangseet-Indonesian fried wonton. My kids loooove these!
- Bami Goreng-Indonesian noodles-this will be our Long life noodle dish. I am going to use long Chinese egg noodles.
- Chicken in black bean sauce- Yummy and shhhh I can make this in the crockpot:)
- Kerupuk- I grew up eating these at my Oma's house. You use them to scoop up rice and meat. They are yummy! My kids call the "Chinese Chips"
- Scallion pancakes- Did you eat these in China? I love these!
- Beef Randang- A spicy Indonesian beef dish
- Rice and lots of it!
- Oranges and tangerines
Gong Xi Fa Cai!
Saturday, February 13, 2010
To Sophie's Birth Parents.....THANK YOU.
***PLEASE GO HERE FIRST TO SEE THIS REPORT ON CNN ABOUT BABY HOPE IN CHINA***
To Sophie Birth Parents:
Thank you for choosing life for your daughter and our daughter. The choice you made may have been due to financial challenges of medical costs in China, it may have been due to your fear of what may be in your daughters future, but whatever the reason..... the bottom line is that you made a choice, a choice that she live. For that we will be forever grateful.
***UPDATE ON BABY HOPE***
To Sophie Birth Parents:
Thank you for choosing life for your daughter and our daughter. The choice you made may have been due to financial challenges of medical costs in China, it may have been due to your fear of what may be in your daughters future, but whatever the reason..... the bottom line is that you made a choice, a choice that she live. For that we will be forever grateful.
***UPDATE ON BABY HOPE***
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
She is taking questions
Here is your chance to ask an adult adoptee a question without being scared:) Yoon Seon is a Korean adoptee and has offered to answer questions....about her, her thoughts on adoption, her thoughts on being a transracial adoptee etc. I would hate for you to miss the opportunity. Now go. Shoooo. You know you have a question or two to ask.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
A No Controversy Post
Yep that's right no controversy this week. Just a little update.
* I like to buy a book and provide a special snack for Sophie's class for Chinese holidays like the Moon Festival and Chinese New Year. Last year her class was small enough that I bought this for the class. This year the class was bigger so I went here and got this, this and this for her class. I got fortune cookies instead of almond cookies because I think there might be a kiddo with a nut allergy in her class ( I know they are not really Chinese...but kids LOVE them!) I also picked up a book for her class library. I hope her teacher and class enjoy the special book and treats!
* It snowed here yesterday to the tune of about 6-8 inches. Not a big deal in most parts of the country...but I will be lucky to get back to school by Wednesday. All three kids have had a blast playing in the snow. Personally I'm ready for spring!
* I went cotillion dress shopping with Hannah today. It is so hard to find any dresses for her that she likes and that fit her. She is so tall and skinny. The kids section is to "kiddish" for her and the juniors section dresses are too big.
* I need a girls weekend....baaaad! I need airline tickets to drop.
* Ben's X-b*x has died. Way too expensive to just replace. Way too much invested in games etc. not to find another one. His birthday is in February. Maybe his grandparents can kick in.
* Sophie is talking up a storm. Her vocabulary has exploded! She is using lots of "big" words and I'll be honest they sure sound funny coming out of her little mouth!
* There is nothing Sophie loves more than staying home with "my mom, my Hannah and my Ben" ( daddy always has to go to work)
Well thats it folks. Nothing exciting or controversial....this week.
* I like to buy a book and provide a special snack for Sophie's class for Chinese holidays like the Moon Festival and Chinese New Year. Last year her class was small enough that I bought this for the class. This year the class was bigger so I went here and got this, this and this for her class. I got fortune cookies instead of almond cookies because I think there might be a kiddo with a nut allergy in her class ( I know they are not really Chinese...but kids LOVE them!) I also picked up a book for her class library. I hope her teacher and class enjoy the special book and treats!
* It snowed here yesterday to the tune of about 6-8 inches. Not a big deal in most parts of the country...but I will be lucky to get back to school by Wednesday. All three kids have had a blast playing in the snow. Personally I'm ready for spring!
* I went cotillion dress shopping with Hannah today. It is so hard to find any dresses for her that she likes and that fit her. She is so tall and skinny. The kids section is to "kiddish" for her and the juniors section dresses are too big.
* I need a girls weekend....baaaad! I need airline tickets to drop.
* Ben's X-b*x has died. Way too expensive to just replace. Way too much invested in games etc. not to find another one. His birthday is in February. Maybe his grandparents can kick in.
* Sophie is talking up a storm. Her vocabulary has exploded! She is using lots of "big" words and I'll be honest they sure sound funny coming out of her little mouth!
* There is nothing Sophie loves more than staying home with "my mom, my Hannah and my Ben" ( daddy always has to go to work)
Well thats it folks. Nothing exciting or controversial....this week.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Just Some Questions
Ok I am going to guess that this post will offend or be interpreted in the wrong way....and this is not my intention. I am Catholic. I was raised Catholic by parents who didn't bring us to church. My sister and I would go to Church on our own once we were in 3rd grade I guess. Our Church was around the corner from our house. Now I am not speaking for ALL Catholics, but as Catholics we tend not to be well versed in the Bible....and for many cradle Catholics not well versed in our own faith practices. So that is my disclaimer....if I offend you blame it on me being Catholic:)
If your motivation for adopting was was related to your faith....for example you were "called" to adopt.....or maybe attended a Stephen Chapman concert or your church called on its congregation to adopt....How are you going to explain that to your child?? "God chose us to be your forever Mommy and Daddy" may lead her to think that God "Took her away from birth mother" which can only lead to why would God do that? How are you going to avoid your child thinking that you rescued her?
If your motivation for adopting was was related to your faith....for example you were "called" to adopt.....or maybe attended a Stephen Chapman concert or your church called on its congregation to adopt....How are you going to explain that to your child?? "God chose us to be your forever Mommy and Daddy" may lead her to think that God "Took her away from birth mother" which can only lead to why would God do that? How are you going to avoid your child thinking that you rescued her?
We see this quote from the scriptures often on blog headers, usually just a small portion.
"Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west. I will say to the north, "Give them up!" and to the south, "Do not hold them back." Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth" Isaiah 43:5-6
I found this link easily by g00gling scriptures for adoption.
I am not challenging you faith or your call to adopt. I read a comment a few weeks back and a parent had something to the effect that her daughter becoming part of her forever family was "preordained". That is was God's doing, and then there was a really great respectful response....but I can't remember where I read it!!
I suppose even if I did tell Sophie that it was God's will that she came to be part of our family, she might ask why does God not let Chinese children stay with their birth families, or why didn't God stop her birth parents from leaving her, or why did God make her with a special need???
I remember during one Mass awhile back during the homily the priest touched on "why God lets bad things happen" and oddly his response was simple but it truly resonated with me....the priest shared that "that sometimes when bad things happen it gives us the opportunity to be more Christ like"
Just thought I would ask.....
Adoptee's rights
There are many powerful lines in this song. The one that struck me the most was....."I'm starting my life in Chapter 2"
Our children from China will not likely ever know their "roots". Maybe someday there maybe some kind of DNA data base for children who have been adopted to maybe be able to find their birth families....maybe.
Having said that I can't imagine knowing the information is out there and being denied access by the government. I get that it's a triad and the birth parents rights also need to be considered....but that should be some way to communicate, maybe between a liaison of some sort. Not all births are a result of an unwanted teenage pregnancy, unfortunately some are a result of violence. I do believe that adoptee's should have the right to seek information,and to have question answered if possible. It is a balance, but having the government say that one persons rights are more important than another's is not right.
Our children from China will not likely ever know their "roots". Maybe someday there maybe some kind of DNA data base for children who have been adopted to maybe be able to find their birth families....maybe.
Having said that I can't imagine knowing the information is out there and being denied access by the government. I get that it's a triad and the birth parents rights also need to be considered....but that should be some way to communicate, maybe between a liaison of some sort. Not all births are a result of an unwanted teenage pregnancy, unfortunately some are a result of violence. I do believe that adoptee's should have the right to seek information,and to have question answered if possible. It is a balance, but having the government say that one persons rights are more important than another's is not right.
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