At 18 months, our beautiful adopted child, Ami, has met many developmental milestones early. Her most recent milestone has to do with self-awareness. She has begun to take her toys away from our four-year-old and strongly say, “MINE.” This self-awareness increased the other night at the grocery store. Ami and I do the family grocery shopping while the older siblings attend AWANA on Monday nights. Ami pointed to a Dora dish set on the store shelf and said strongly, “MINE.” I thought it was so cute that I handed it to her. Then she saw... more

If you took a foreign language in school, do you remember the first time you actually thought in that language rather than your first language? Do you remember ever dreaming in your second language? I remember that happening in Spanish and American Sign Language both, and they were pretty exciting milestones.

My son Caleb, has hit some of those milestones. When he talks in his sleep, I have noticed he no longer does so in Chinese, but rather in English. He no longer thinks first in Chinese and then translates his thoughts into English to say... more

If you've adopted a post-institutionalized child who is at least 5 years old, you have faced the dilemna of whether or not your child is ready for school. If your child doesn't yet speak English, you may not be comfortable placing them immediately into school. Sitting in a classroom for 6 or more hours a day when you can't understand a word that is being said can be quite overwhelming.

Some parents don't have a choice in whether or not to keep their child at home a bit longer because they must return to work. Other parents feel... more

Caleb has now been home just shy of 3 months, and although I hear magical tales from other parents of how their child is practically fluent in English by this time, I just don't buy it. At least not for an 11 year old. One mother whose child has only been home one month longer than Caleb even sent a letter to a listserv I am on, bragging about her daughter's English prowess in reading and writing as well. Either this child has an IQ of 150 with previous English experience, or her Mom had done some serious editing.

Oh well...each child in their own due time. Caleb still struggles to express himself in English even though his receptive English skills have really taken off. Today... more

I hope no one is offended by this post as it is meant to discuss religion in a lighthearted manner, and is not mocking or making fun of any religion at all. I just thought my interaction with my son today was a bit humorous.

Caleb has been immersed in our family's religion by jumping in with both feet since the second week he was home. We have scriptures for him in Simplified Chinese, (not that he wants to read them yet), many church videos in Mandarin, children's church music in Mandarin that he loves to sing and simple scripture stories in simplified Chinese that he actually loves to read. We pray as a family both morning and evening as well as at meal times and he loves... more

I love this photo. I loved it the first time I saw it almost 15 years ago in an LDS church magazine for youth in their teenage years, and love it even more now that it resembles my own family photo. I have it in poster size in my home and have "getting it framed and on the wall" on my list of 1,000 things to do.

If you can't read the print clearly, it says, "God created the races, but not racism. We are all children of the same Father. Violence and hatred have no place in His family." (See Acts 10:34)

You can google... more

"I can't speak English." "I won't speak English". I don't have to speak English." "I hate English".

That is what we have heard --although stated in Chinese--pretty much since the day we met Caleb. He told our guides, he has told Chinese friends here in America, and even told the Mandarin speaking doctor whom we hunted down for him. He told us via our guides in China that English was his worst subject in school and that he saw no need to use it or speak it. They in turn told him that he... more

Caleb has been teaching me quite a few Mandarin words as he points to things we are eating or using and tells me the word and says "Putonghua" which means that he is telling me the word in Mandarin. We play a CD in the computer together where it is Chinese immersion and teaches fun words such as food vocabulary, parts of the body, numbers, colors, etc. through games. The game will tell me four words such as four colors and then repeat one, asking me to choose which one is the correct color. To brag about myself, I don't do too badly...as long as I have just heard the word a few seconds earlier. I am frequently rewarded with a "Good job, Mama!" and a high five. Ask me to repeat it with the... more

Erin, on the transracial adoption blog has a category of Wednesday Funnies. I love her stories, so I decided that I would start one called Friday Funnies. It's the end of the week, we're all tired, and I thought readers would enjoy something light on Fridays.

We are starting the phase where Caleb is now trying to speak English, but with his accent, I am not sure whether it is Chinese or English.... more

"What soap is to the body, laughter is to the soul." Yiddish proverb

Ever have one of those days where you say "I will look back on this and laugh someday?" You might as well go ahead and start laughing now, because in my experience, laughter truly does cleanse the soul.

When you and your child don't speak the same language, the frustration level in your home can become rather high and lead to meltdowns. Your child might even have a meltdown as well! :)

Seriously,... more