A Blue Ribbon For Baby Max

Please follow this link to read about this campaign.

Another Great Adoption Journey Chronicled

Just in case anyone is not familiar with Owlhaven and Owlhaven's blog on Adoptionblogs.com. She has been chronicling the journey of her family, meeting the 2 newest members of their family, in Ethiopia. Be warned, you might need a Kleenex!

Reading this story makes me so open to adopting older children one day....

Great Article

I haven't had much to say on the adoption front recently, but reading Erin's Blog, she linked and reviewed a great article on families and adoption. The best way to sum up what the article is about is mentioned by Erin.

The article looks at a wide variety of adoption issues, and addresses them by sharing the experiences of several different adoptive families. The question is asked, "Do parents really love adopted children differently than their own offspring".

Now I want to print it off and have it ready to handout to any family members or friends who need to be educated about love and family.

Update on the Rumours

Just wanted to say thanks for the comments and the helpful things etc., that were left on my last post. Much appreciated guys!

On the God's littlest Angels Website there is a note posted by Dixie who runs the orphanage about what all the fuss and rumours are about, so I thought I should post it here. Sounds like on the 18th, there will be more information available and maybe we can all find out about the new rules, and put these rumours about the 1974 laws to rest. Here's hoping...

July 9, 2007: There are many rumors about the Parquet and the Adoption law of 1974. At this time, Parquet and IBESR are still holding meetings and deciding which agency has authority over adoptions. According to the law, the President has given IBESR this authority. In the last 4 years, different people within the government has tried to implement the law of 1974, but have found that the practicality of only accepting families that meet all of the requirements is almost impossible. Our number of orphans has grown and adoption has changed. The new law of President Preval is going to chambers and will be voted on soon, then the law of 1974 will no longer be in effect. Do not panic. We have another meeting with Parquet July 18 and then maybe I will get a better idea of what the new requirements will be.

Rumours

Just when I think I have finally made a decision...

While I was on vacation with ML, I did a lot of thinking and soul searching. After all what else is a girl to do after the little one goes to bed and there is no Internet!! I had finally decided that Haiti is from where my heart is being pulled. Filled out the paper work to start the adoption process, chose the orphanage that I wanted to adopt from, and felt really good about it all. Happy that I was finally able to make a decision.

Then on a email group I belong to, the rumours are flying that an old law of Haiti's from 1974 is being enforced, again, starting July 3, 2007. Part of this law states that anyone with a biological child cannot adopt. Obviously if this is true it will break my heart. I know that the Haitian government has enforced this law in the past, then a few months later has relaxed. There is also rumblings that they are actually in the process of creating new laws.

All rumours at this point, no one can tell me yet whether this is true or not.

So, am I back to thinking about Ethiopia again??

Tagged!! I'm it!

OK I know I was tagged by Hazel ages ago, and I have some really good excuses as to why this has taken so long.... but anyways, here is my list of 7 random things about me. (This is way harder than I ever thought it would be, I can't be that boring can I?)


1) My favourite thing to do in the whole wide world is.... Travel. I know lots of people say that, But I just want to clarify, when I travel there is no all inclusive resort, meal plan and never leaving the beach/resort. I like to experience a place and eat where the locals eat. Which will bring me to next thing on my list

2) I am not an adventurist when it comes to eating, but I have eaten the ink from a squid on pasta in Japan. Oh and octopus on a stick too. And you could see all the suction things, had to eat it with my eyes closed. But it was surprisingly tasty. Ended up eating my sister's as well.

3) Feminist through and through. Gets me in trouble with the menfolk, as they are always intimidated by my crazy ideas. See they should listen to Stephen Lewis, he is one as well.

4) I hate to suntan/lie on the beach or be generally hot. It bores me to pieces. And I become like a 4 year old with no attention span. This sort of explains why the all inclusives don't appeal to me. I do love to swim though.

5) I love to make cards. I make cards for any occasion. It is one of my creative outlets. My family now pay me to make their cards for them to give away.

6) I am a freak about my books, and because of this do not lend them out. I hate to have the spine broken.

7) I have worked in the oil patch as a labourer. It taught me 2 things, I really wanted to finish my degree and the second, I will always be a feminist. I have so many stories that would knock you socks off of things I saw...

OH I need to tag some people.... ok sorry this is a cop out, but I am swamped, if you read this and you havent been tagged, consider yourself tagged!

An Evening with Stephen Lewis

Last Thursday I had the pleasure of attending and evening with Stephen Lewis. It was an amazing evening. I did not know what to expect. The few people in my life that knew who he was said he was an amazing speaker and really funny, and he was both of those. But that just doesn't do the evening justice.

He made me realize what I am passionate about in this life. Sitting there listening to him speak, I realized that I will one day go to Africa. I have never been so sure of anything. I am also sure that I will find members of my family there.

Hazel wrote a great blog post about the evening, and I was lucky enough to meet her in real life. As fate would have it, she was in line right behind me to get our books signed.

If you have never had the opportunity to listen to him speak, I would highly recommend that you go. I know I will.

Ask and you shall find....

Well after writing that post yesterday, I have found 2 resources I hope can help me with the commenters I wrote about.

The first was from Sandra at adoptionblogs.com. In her blog post she references some great material to teach your kids about tolerance, you can have it mailed to you for a $5 (USD) shipping charge, or it is available for download on the site, but I can't get it to work... I will try again when I get home.

The other I found on anti-racist parent. It references a book I have ordered, that if it is as good as I think it might be, I will forward to some of the people I spoke of yesterday. I am hoping that it at least helps start a diaolgue. I will post a review and let you know if it is well received. Here is the quote that anti-racist parent had on their site.

A final fear has probably always haunted white people but has become more powerful since the society has formally rejected overt racism: The fear of being seen, and seen-through, by non-white people. Virtually every white person I know, including white people fighting for racial justice and including myself, carries some level of racism in our minds and hearts and bodies. In our heads, we can pretend to eliminate it, but most of us know it is there. And because we are all supposed to be appropriately anti-racist, we carry that lingering racism with a new kind of fear: What if non-white people look at us and can see it? What if they can see through us? What if they can look past our anti-racist vocabulary and sense that we still don’t really know how to treat them as equals? What if they know about us what we don’t dare know about ourselves? What if they can see what we can’t even voice?

from The Fears of White People by Robert Jensen

A Taste of What is to Come?

You know you are going to hear something bad when it is preceded by "I'm not a racist". Really? If you have to say that then you probably are.

In the last 2 weeks, on 3 different occasions, by 3 different people, about 3 different groups of people, I have heard "You can't trust "them".

What can I say? What should I say? Especially if they are said by people who are related to you? I don't want to cut them out of our life, not yet. I want to try to educate them. I believe that these statements are made out of fear and ignorance. All I know to do is question the person who says it, asking them if they know every single person of that ethnicity. Asking how they can paint a whole nation or people with that broad brushstroke?

You know what I get back? My head is in the sand, not wanting to see how people and/or the world really is. They tell me it is naive to think we can all just get along.

I want to respond intelligently to these comments when my kid(s) (hopefully plural) are old enough to understand. I want to be prepared and armed with "something" to act as a rebuttal when these comments are said around my family.

I know I am not alone in dealing with such comments. Any advice would be appreciated.

Generation of Orphans

Rod has a great post about a great DVD that the Stephen Lewis Foundation produced. The DVD is called A Generation of Orphans. I also would encourage anyone to get a copy.

I am attending an evening with Stephen Lewis next week as well, and can't wait... just need to find a sitter now....

WORLD AIDS ORPHANS DAY

I have nothing profound to say about today being World AIDS Orphans Day. On my adoption blog, it just needs to be recognized.

And so it begins

Today I filled out paperwork. Exciting stuff I know.

Why a second blog?

I have started this blog to only focus on adoption. My other blog deals with life as a single mom, including, hopefully, one day adoption, but there are lots of other ramblings that I dont want to get in the way.

I have had adoption in my heart for almost 2 years, and I am still trying to find the courage to start. There are 2 things that stop me from taking the next big step.

Issue # 1 - Money. I have the money to complete the adoption, it is the life after the adoption that concerns me. Could I manage to live only on 55% of my salary for 9 months? I know how important attachment and bonding is to a newly adopted child. (We are very fortunate to have paid parental leave in Canada!) What about the day to day costs, two kids in daycare, swimming lessons, soccer, entertainment?

Issue #2 Family. Do I have the strength to deal with their comments. The "you don't need another child" comments and that "you can't afford another kid(s)".

Erin over at adoption blogs discusses the barriers of money and the family . After reading her post, it feels like she is talking to me. The coles notes version is "if adding a child to your family is in your heart, you just make it a reality".

So that is my mission. Find the way to make it a reality. I'll keep you posted.