When you are in the process of adopting an older sibling group, you probably have daydreams of shared moments. While shopping you may think, “this will be so fun with the children.” While passing a local attraction you may think, “I can’t wait to take the children there; I know they will love it.” Your daydreams may turn into reality if your adopted children are able to form positive attachments with you. Unfortunately, bonding with older adopted children is a two-way street. If your new children have suffered so much trauma before joining your family that they can’t... more

Adopting two or more related children is the definition of adopting a sibling group. It is possible to adopt sibling groups privately by an arrangement with the birth family or internationally. However, the following information refers only to adopting children who are state and court wards. These children have become available for adoption because the rights of their parents have been terminated. The juvenile division of the probate court has terminated the rights of the parents and committed the children to the state (state wards) or placed the children under the care and supervision... more

You know, I don’t remember sticking my nose into my parent’s business when I was a young girl. I think it was more like, the less I know about their business, the less they will know about mine. However, it seems like every girl over six, who has lived in our home as adopted or foster daughters, over the past 14 years, has made it her business to know my business. Two of my daughters, who are the oldest girls currently living at home, are no exception. At 14 and 10, they could make Sherlock Holmes seem like an amateur. I hate to be gender specific here, but none of the boys we... more

All of Nancy’s talk about the healing properties of her rocking chair over at the RAD blog convinced me that I needed a better, bigger, new rocking chair. That is the only item I had on my Christmas list. Oh sure, I have a rocking chair. It is solid wood and quite adequate for rocking babies or toddlers. It was getting a little uncomfortable for rocking our four year old who weighs 45 pounds though. Super Dad took me to the furniture store several days before Christmas to look at rocking chairs after I told him why I needed... more

Take a good look around you now that you have started a new year. Are all of your friends somehow affected by adoption? Do you have any of your pre-adoption friends left? You know, the friends you had before you became obsessed with any part of the adoption triad. Perhaps, like me, you drove them away with your constant adoption chatter. Perhaps they felt like they no longer had anything in common to talk about with you or me.

The last time Super Dad and I went out with friends who had no connection with the adoption world I struggled for topics. I didn’t want to bore them... more

I try not to think about our nearly five-year-old daughter having to move. The tears and the heartbreak will be real for her and our family. I was reminded about our own impending tragedy today when I read a blog about a Child waiting for a decision by Kelly over at the Foster Adoption blog. Her blog is about a boy who has dwarfism and is available for adoption. The system is trying to figure out who should adopt him. Should it be the foster family where he has lived for the past two... more

My baby turned 15 yesterday. Had Super Dad and I not pursued foster care, which led to adoption, then we would be three years away from empty nesters. It is hard to imagine what life would have been like just raising three sons. Happy birthday little Lane, your life is so different having 10 siblings then it would have been.

You have become quite skilled at changing poopy diapers, something that your future wife will surely appreciate. You have learned to share everything you own, but most importantly your time. You have learned first hand about child and substance abuse.... more

Every family has a whiner, right? We are lucky enough to have two whiners, probably because we have 11 children. I guess that makes our family the equivalent of two families so we probably deserve two of them. The whiners fall to their knees in imagined pain with the slightest touch from a sibling or a bump from a toy flying through the air. The whiners scream in pain and push out huge crocodile tears that flow down their faces to drip off from their chins. The whiners rush to tell the tale of their injuries to the nearest parent barely able to choke out the words between sobs.... more

Our family participated in National adoption Day yesterday. We adopted our 10-year-old daughter who has lived with us for the past three years, minus 12 days. Our other six adoptions were finalized in individual, private, adoption court hearings. Many adoptions are now being finalized without the family attending an actual court hearing. The judge signs the order and the family receives the paperwork in the mail a few days later.

If you had a choice which method would you prefer? Would your child prefer that same method, or a different one? I thought... more

I was talking to one of my new friends met through adoption blogs last week about the “stair step” siblings that she adopted. The children are currently teenagers, but at the time of their placement in her home, they were newborn, 11 months and 27 months. Three children in diapers at the same time sounds crazy and it makes life a little crazy while you are living it.

While Super Dad and I haven’t had the pleasure of adopting a sibling group like that, we have fostered several. I was reminded of what it was like last night to parent “stair step” children. Our oldest... more