To Tell The Truth - Please Stand Up

Adventures in Life, Parenting & Real World Navigation Through the Eyes of a Former Foster Kid, Current Foster Parent

The Many Voices Foster Care, Adoption & Child Advocacy

Sunshine Girl On A Rainy Day

What Is To Give Light Must Endure Burning - Something I’ve been pondering lately is *how foster care advocacy work can intersect with both primary trauma and secondary traumatic stress. * We had a ...
1 week ago
[Birth Mother,] First Mother Forum

FMF gets an offer to apply for an adoption grant - DuskyThough we are rarely posting--the action has shifted to social media--where immediate responses can be made--I'm here because of a particularly poig...
5 months ago
Families R Built with Love

The Revolution will not be danced! - That was the title of the dance piece that my son choreographed taught to 11 other dancers and performed himself at college. At almost 12 minutes it w...
8 months ago
The adopted ones blog

Are Adoptees Blank Slates? - An Adoptee on twitter made an observation that summed up the reality for many adoptees and I can’t find the tweet. Argh. The gist of it was even if you get...
9 months ago
Parenting Your Adopted Child: Tweens, Teens & Beyond

Hello world! - Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start writing!… The post Hello world! first appeared on Judy M. Miller.
10 months ago
In Writing Motherhood

A Motherhood Life Lesson - Photo by Terra Trevor (1986) My babies are all grown. I no longer sneak off to my writing room to finish that one last page. I’ve learned not to try. Now ...
1 year ago
CHILDMYTHS

What's the context for "alienating behaviors"? (Baselines and all that) - It would seem quite likely that some parents do sometimes do or say things that can be considered "alienating behaviors”—actions that might make child...
1 year ago
Indigo Child Khara

New: Adoption History Website - My friend and fellow adoption and human rights activist Janine Myung Ja (of Vance Twins) has just published her new website: Adoption History. “Janine’s wo...
1 year ago
Daniel Ibn Zayd

Goodbye, WordPress! - I think I’ve hated WordPress since I first started using it, and that hatred has only grown as it has morphed into an unusable mess with an obtuse interfac...
1 year ago
I Was A Foster Kid

How’d it happen - Today at work, I was thinking about my life. Man, I have a job. I have an apartment. I pay my bills. I am not in prison or pregnant or living on the stree...
1 year ago
The Declassified Adoptee

Updates & Connecting With me These Days - [image: Black and white image of Amanda from the chest-up with the backdrop of a large studio room in her new practice] *Welcome to a space on the web* tha...
1 year ago
Foster 2 Forever - Adopting Children through Foster Care

Why Every Foster Parent Needs Sexual Abuse Training - Why Every Foster Parent Needs Sexual Abuse Training Foster parents need sexual abuse training: She was only 7 years old when Child Protective Services br...
2 years ago
Pound Pup Legacy Feed

Les 11.000 mailles - “Academia Catavencu” - 18 juilliet 2001 Chers lecteurs, Ce qui suit est une petite histoire qui précède la visite en Roumanie d’un premier-ministre français et de sa suite. Le...
2 years ago
Transracialeyes

Adoption Initiative Conference 2022 - Originally posted on Daniel Drennan ElAwar: The Evolution of Adoption Practice: Activist and Community Perspectives Friday, March 25 and Saturday, March 26...
2 years ago
the5parkers

Blogging About Saving Money - A few weeks ago, I applied for a job. (Actually, it was several weeks ago, but I have had a hard time getting back to this post for some reason.) Anyway, y...
3 years ago
Lost Daughters

Out of the Shadows: An Adoptee Perspective on "American Baby" by Gabrielle Glaser - *American Baby* is a new non-fiction book about the history of closed adoption in the United States that takes a critical look about adoption in Ameri...
3 years ago
Exile of Xingnan

Scared - I wanted to paraphrase myself, as my tummy is in knots just thinking about going back: Am I important to her? I would like to think I am, that she thinks o...
3 years ago
Land of Gazillion Adoptees

Why is Home Décor Essential? - A day spent alone, and one spent with friends will get you in an entirely different mood. Your mood depends on your company and surroundings. This theory d...
3 years ago
I Will Pull This Blog Over!

embedd code for Buffy thanksgiving video -
3 years ago
Fostering Attachment

Excellent Webinar on Effectively Communicating With Teenagers - Ryan Dowd of the Homeless Training Institute is one of my favorite trainers. Here's a link to the workbook, and here's a link to register for this free ...
3 years ago
The Chronicles of Munchkin Land

壁面緑化をすることによって環境などにどう影響があるのか - 地球環境への配慮が可能となる地球環境のことを考え、壁面緑化 […]
3 years ago
Adopto-Snark

God Works in Shitty, Shitty Ways - I’ve said it before: One of the things that makes adopto-blogging so difficult for me is that it’s the same damned stuff, day after year after decade. So h...
4 years ago
noah baby

Tips on Breastfeeding and Snacks for Breastfeeding Your New Baby - So you are probably here because you wanna know exactly more information on breastfeeding and the best snacks for breastfeeding too? One of the greatest bo...
5 years ago
Cherub Mamma

My last CPS meeting - I don't remember the "official" name of the meeting I attended this morning. But the gist of it was to find out what the State could do to salvage the plac...
5 years ago
Rage Against the Minivan

CLAIRVOYANT HEALING, COLON CLEANSING, AND HYPNOTHERAPY: THE WEIRDEST THINGS WE’VE DONE IN THE NAME OF HEALTH | SELFIE EPISODE 45 - Sarah saw a hypnotherapist. Kristen went to a faith healer. One of us has had her colon roto-routed. We are talking about the most wacky and woo-woo thin...
6 years ago
And other ideas and thoughts ....

"The one that adopted me, not the biological one." - It's so difficult dealing with my mother. The one that adopted me, not the biological one. The biological mother I have is far less upsetting than the adop...
6 years ago
Scooping it Up

Visiting the DMV With an Immigrant, Transracially Adopted Child - Recently I went with my anxious teenager to the DMV to take the test for her learners permit. We arrived expecting lines and nerves about her test. But wha...
6 years ago
Fosterhood in NYC

The February 2018 Update is... - that there is no update. Really, are you at all surprised? We’re doing well though. My attorney wants me to put the blog back up and start writing ag...
6 years ago
Stellar Parenting 101

The Wall - I hit the wall hard on Friday night and I woke up Saturday morning just as miserable as I had gone to bed. So I . spent the entire day in my hiding in my ...
6 years ago
Crash course in parenting - Life as a foster mom

Therapy - Well. Y "finished" therapy, but we can go back if we need to. I feel like things are going so much better overall with him. The therapist said she felt li...
6 years ago
kimberly gonzalez

Where There’s Smoke… - finished transcribing a Supernatural fan fic i started writing over the summer today. it comes in at about 4.5k words so far, but there’s still …
6 years ago
FAMILY PRESERVATION ADVOCACY

Mothers as "Relinquishers" - Revised 12/21/17*Open Letter to MADDeline Hauter aka Julie,* Julie, you and I have gotten off to a bad start and I would like to remedy that. I have been a...
6 years ago
"Neither Here Nor There..."

- To Worship You I Live "...it's by Your will, and for your pleasure I exist"
7 years ago
Finding Christopher, Finding Myself

Another Milestone ~ 8 years and 8 months in the making! - Another milestone in my reunion with my firstborn happened last weekend. (It only took 8 years and 8 months!) For the first time ever, all of my children ...
7 years ago
Love Is Not a Pie

Introducing Becca - Hi everyone! I'm back! Sort of. Let me explain. Many of you know me as a Rebecca Hawkes, but in real life most people know me as Becca Bryer. Rebecca Hawk...
7 years ago
Mother Issues

seeds - Sorry I disappeared again. It wasn’t a good time to talk about what’s going on because still nothing is resolved but sometimes I want to talk anyway and I’...
7 years ago
Fleas Biting

Another day, Another Seizure... - Epilepsy never gets any easier. Or easier to write about. Awesome had another big seizure this morning. The second one this week. I find myself, as alwa...
7 years ago
The Not So Secret Life of an Adoptee...Shhhhh they might hear you.

College Scholarships for Adoptees - *Did you know that there are scholarships available for adopted and foster children?* Many of these scholarships cover tuition cost, living expenses, c...
8 years ago
welcome to my brain . net

All Parent Blogs in One Place! - If you are looking for all of my blog posts pertaining to therapeutic parenting, you can locate those on my coaching site. Neat and tidy. I'll see you over...
8 years ago
Writing My Wrongs

Facing Pride of Abandonment - Despite the number of times she said it, I do not think she was “proud” she gave away her child. At least I do not think she was proud in the literal sen...
8 years ago
Once Was Von

10 Cara Mengatasi Rambut Rontok Secara Alami Yang Praktis dan Mudah - Cara mengatasi rambut rontok secara alami seringkali menjadi pilihan yang dilakukan oleh banyak orang karena dianggap mudah dan terjangkau, selain itu ju...
8 years ago
Letting Go of Mie

Tuesday's Tears - Mie, the Trauma Survivor -
8 years ago
Just What The Hell Am I Supposed To Call This?

Manfaat Buah Jambu Air Bagi Kesehatan Tubuh - Manfaat Buah Jambu Air Bagi Kesehatan Tubuh – Buah jambu air adalah buah yang sudah sangat familiar di Indonesia. Buag ini dinamakan jambu air karena di ...
8 years ago
Our Little Tongginator

Chinese New Year Chapter Books for Older Kids - There are many lists about Chinese New Year books for preschoolers and young elementary students, but very few highlight chapter books for middle graders a...
8 years ago
Taste of Kimchi

가는 말이 고와야 오는 말이 곱다 - I am Korean born. 한국어 탄생. 입양인.
8 years ago
Adoption Truth

Shout It Out - So, between taking my sweet Granddaughter to Disney World and getting into our family place at the lake, I’ve spent most of September barely on social med...
9 years ago
Foster Parenting Adventures

IEPs and children who have experienced trauma (post 2 in series) - *Problem* *Traditional behavior charts which include positive motivators (such as sticker charts, extra free time, treasure box prizes) and negative motiv...
9 years ago
Rileys in Uganda

Guest Post: David Smolin shares his experience as a speaker at this years Christians Alliance for Orphan (CAFO) summit - In CAFO’s own words their summit “inspires and equips Christians to care for orphans with wisdom-guided love. The CAFO Summit has become the national hub...
9 years ago
my fascinating life

Near and Far - Here's what Christmas was like when I was a child in Australia: presents in the morning around our family Christmas tree, then over to our grandparents' h...
9 years ago
John Raible Online

Get over your denial -
10 years ago
A Family of My Own

Small Update - I mailed my Dad’s Father’s Day card, which included my letter to him asking him to adopt me back, today. Now I’m nervous, but it probably won’t even get to...
10 years ago
Wandering alongside my Little Wolayta Warrior

Letting go of The Hard. Good night. - Why couldn't I just leave it here, unfinished? I don't know. Yet, it haunts me. This year, I become aware, one of the things I really needed to do was "Let...
10 years ago
Ain't That Sherific?

They Just Don't Get It . . . - I have decided to take my son out of school at the end of this year. For years I was intent on the fact that he would be in school as long as they allowed...
10 years ago
FosterWee

National Guinea Pig Day - Blitzen and I took the day off of school and work to celebrate the day. And a really weird thing happened – we had an amazing time. Blitzen and I have ne...
10 years ago
Fostering Thrifty Families

Great Deal on gDiapers Hybrid Cloth Diapers with Flushable Liners (LIMITED TIME) - One of my favorite ways to be a thrifty foster parent is to cloth diaper! For our family it's been a fantastic way to protect our foster babies' tender tu...
10 years ago
The Daily Bastardette

Daiily Bastardette moving to Word Press - After a couple years of talking to myself about it, I have decided to transfer *The Daily Bastardette* from Blogger to Word Press. The final straw came...
11 years ago
Production, Not Reproduction

Well, Hello There - Hello! How are you? I miss writing here so much! But that is not what I am here today to say. [image: Adoption Blogger Interview Project 2013] The Adoptio...
11 years ago
Out of the Fog

Cross Post From My Reunited Cricket Blog: Stop Saying That!! - *STOP SAYING THAT!!*
11 years ago
Fantastic Lies

Party Animals - *I understand this post is almost a year over due, but the theme of this blog is better late then never. * All I wanted for my bachelorette party was to...
11 years ago
Fostering Awareness

She's 4!! - Happy Birthday Bri!!
11 years ago
The Luckiest {Unlucky} Girl

Luca's 3rd Bday - I was there the day he was born. I can not believe this little baby is THREE years old. (Click to Enlarge) Someone please tell him to stop growing...
11 years ago
Life in the Grateful House

Trauma Doesn't Tell Time - Robyn Gobbel, LCSW, wrote a blog post regarding trauma, implicit and explicit memories. I don't know Robyn but now I'm seriously crushing on her. Here is...
11 years ago
Percolated Paradox

Guess who got a job? - Me. That's who! My background check was finally fixed and the transitional living program offered me a job. It will be a night job that doesn't pay enoug...
11 years ago
Foster Mama & the kiddos

Oh My it has been AWHILE! - Well... by the looks of things around the blog I got busy :) I can't believe it has been since August that I last updated on our journey. I don't have time...
11 years ago
My Tsehai

Orphans, Orphanage in children's movies and books? - If you are a member of the adoption triad you probably know of Disney's need to kill off a parent in every movie. We avoid any movies that I know have a ne...
11 years ago
FormerFosterTalk

Defining Ourselves for Ourselves - An Alumni Sister asked, “how do we learn to define ourselves for ourselves and learn to not see ourselves as cases but as people?” Learning to define yours...
11 years ago
AdoptionTalk

Culture, Christmas & Adoption - Somehow, in all the years I've watched Miracle on 34th Street, I've managed to miss this scene until this year, where a Dutch girl comes to see Macy's Sa...
11 years ago
It's You and Me Kid!

First holidays together.... - Tigger, S, and I had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We were with my parents and my relatives. S's relatives have all moved out of state and this was his first...
11 years ago
Our Foster Family Tree

Musings of the Lame: Life as a Birthmother: What's Wrong With the Adoption Tax Credit? - Please hop on over to Musings of the Lame, where Claudia has made it easy to let your law makers know that we will support a bill that HELPS FOSTER CHILD...
12 years ago
the fiddlehead report...a day in the life of the Rikkers

Back to school= quiet house - Back to school 2012 that's deserving of a blog post! Really, my house is quiet. The tears of sending Jack off to Kindergarten have passed. I have a mome...
12 years ago
Adopting Special Needs

Moving - I have moved this blog to http://adoptingspecialneeds.wordpress.com. I hope you all move with me!
12 years ago
I'm Still a Good Mother; A Birth Mother's Journey Through Open Adoption

Absence Makes The Heart Grow........ - "Absence makes the heart grow founder". Does it really? Or does absence make the heart grow curious, empty, confused, or just plain hard? I never truly und...
12 years ago
Always in My Heart: An Adoption Journey

Finding Myself - Have any of you seen the movie, "Runaway Bride"? Well, there's a girl who has been engaged multiple times and ends up running off during the actual wedding...
12 years ago
From Foster Kid to Foster Parent

Labels Change. “Foster Kid” to “Foster Parent” - Fifteen years ago, if you would have told me that I would one day be a foster parent, I would have laughed in your face. I wanted to be so far away from th...
12 years ago
Insert Bad Movie Title Here

Reminder - I moved to: http://insertbadmovietitlehere.wordpress.com Thanks for following!
12 years ago
Words of weary memories that I can always see

Recognition. - My biosister, Nicole, is a teenager and is 5 months pregnant. Obviously, when most people find this out, they are curious to know if she will place her ...
12 years ago
workshop for beginners

Moved - I've got myself some new digs. If you want to follow, email me at: dandiesinthesunshine@hotmail.com
12 years ago
SocialWrkr24/7 : Eyes Opened Wider

Two second post - (Okay, this post wasn't supposed to be blank. Apparently blogging from my phone is not fool proof.) I quit my part time job today. I'm equal parts elated...
13 years ago
Rita's Rituals

Saying Goodbye To A Pet Is Never Easy - I lost my first baby, bandana boy, sooo sad. The decision was hard. And even though it may have been obvious, the loss of a pet is never easy. I still r...
13 years ago
Seventeen Pillows

Dealing with death and dysfunction - My maternal grandmother passed away last week. No condolences are necessary as I didn't know her. I wanted to know her. I tried to know her, but she was...
13 years ago
Adoptive Parents Speak

Just Sayin - In regard to some of the comments I am not and will not post Defensive behaviors can be the result of a: * Challenge to private or public perceptions of ou...
13 years ago
Home

Moving Day - Tomorrow is August 29th, which is the deadline I set for myself to launch the newly designed site for Home (if I hadn't set the deadline I may have procra...
13 years ago
Yoon's Blur

Farewell to Yoon's Blur - So, I know I just said I was going to take a break. But I have decided that, yes, it is time to go. No more "breaks." This is it. In light of all the "bre...
13 years ago
May I Have a Word?

Musician Suzanne Vega Finds Her Birth Father--Her Blood Sings - Suzanne Vega's adopted. Sort of. At age 9 she found out her daddy wasn't her real daddy. She was also shocked because that meant she was White. (Adoptive d...
13 years ago
Jacquinn Speaks

My 30 Day Dating Diet - ----My 30 Day Dating Diet Journal---- "Embrace and appreciate your woman's mind." Tony Gaskins said. The immediate thought that rushed to my mind upon hea...
13 years ago
One Inch of Grace

Guest Post: A Grandmother’s Adoption Perspective - I’m excited to share my first guest post! This is from my mother, “Grandma G”, and this is her adoption story. ____________________________________________...
13 years ago
The Burden of Thought

Boys will be boys - Despite acting like he doesn’t understand what we say, Gege has a very good sense of what is allowed and what isn’t, and more or less follows our household...
14 years ago
Screwed Up: My Story

From the Beginning - Are you a new reader? Then may want to start here. See my main blog HERE. Screwed Up: My Life Part I Part II Part III Part IV Part V Part VI Part VII P...
14 years ago
Mothering4Money

-
Tubaville

-
Full Circle

-
La Bicicleta

-
And Then There Were Seven

-
The Anywhere but Here Girl...

-
Caring for Other People's Children

-
Sideshow Barb

-
Home

-
The Warrior Princess Diaries

-
The Mom With Brownies

-
Joy's Division

-
I'm A Foster.com. Life before, during, and after foster care.

-
iAdoptee

-
The Adoption Counselor

-
Insert Bad Movie Title Here

-
From the Past into the Future

-
Elaine's Blog

-
Last Mom

-
Whispers of a Former Foster Child

-
Gold to Refine

-
Real Daughter

-
Angry Adoptive Mom

-
Real Daughter has moved to wordpress

-
Musings of the Lame: Life as a Birthmother

-
Life After Foster Care

-
Relearning to Fly

-