Adoption. Is it in you? Could you adopt? (If you had to, if it came to adopting)?

[Mrs-M]

Smurfybabe. Your heart is in the right place. I hope your dream comes true.

Zoebird. On one hand I get a chuckle out of- "we aren't old enough", yet on the other, it chaps my a$$! As far as I'm concerned, old enough to bare, old enough to care. (Maturity being paramount of course).

[fidgiegirl]

http://pflagfostermom.blogspot.com/

Here's a fascinating blog about permanent foster care for teens. I have to say that I have really been thinking about teens lately. This kind of a blog is a good reality check for me because I think I tend to romanticize things like this. I doubt it would ever happen for us because DH is pretty opposed. But I can still read . . .

This post in particular was really impactful: http://pflagfostermom.blogspot.com/2.../allegory.html

[Mrs-M]

Hi Fidgiegirl. Over the weekend I'll visit the blog link you posted and revisit this thread again.

[iris lily]

http://pflagfostermom.blogspot.com/

Here's a fascinating blog about permanent foster care for teens. I have to say that I have really been thinking about teens lately. This kind of a blog is a good reality check for me because I think I tend to romanticize things like this. I doubt it would ever happen for us because DH is pretty opposed. But I can still read . . .

This post in particular was really impactful: http://pflagfostermom.blogspot.com/2.../allegory.html

I liked that too. Those poor kids, so people expect them to "love" whichever foster family take them in at the moment? That's ridiculous.

[RosieTR]

My brother is adopted. He was supposed to come to our family at 18 mo but because of a legal issue was two and a half. He'd been moved to or from his birth mother's home or various foster homes 11 times during his short life, and somehow gotten a broken arm at one point which may or may not have been the result of abuse. Everything with him has been, and at times continues to be, a struggle. He spent his entire adolescence high on drugs or in juvie jail despite my parents' best efforts, and has been involved with the criminal-justice system for most of his adulthood, though not all of it in prison. Having grown up with the ugly side of adoption, I was pretty sure I was not interested in signing up for that. Now, intellectually I *know* plenty of adoptions work out really well and one of DH's best friends is a poster child for good adoptions. But knowing something intellectually doesn't always make it possible to overcome emotionally and eventually we decided that we weren't interested to have kids by biological means, either. Kudos to all of you who do/would/did take the chance on adoption, and to your children.

[Mrs-M]

Fidgiegirl. Just finished reading the entries related to both links you posted. The second entry made the most impact on me, too. Thank you so much for that.

RosieTR. What a nice post. I felt plugged, clogged, and stuffed-up as I read the story about your brother having to endure a multitude of foster homes by age 2-1/2. No child can establish themselves that way, as adults, we need (and seek) solidness and stability in our lives, children are no different, they also require the same.

Will keep your brother in my thoughts and prayers. I like to wish, always have, and I've made many, many wishes in my life, so if I may, I'd like to make another wish tonight in recognition of your brother. My wish tonight is, I hope your brother can find the strength, the wisdom, and the courage (through intervention if need be) to ascend that steep mountain that stands in his way, and for him to one day (soon) reach the peak, the very top, and conquer all that was lost during the years of his childhood and youth, and gain back some pride, pride to allow him to expand and morph into whatever his dreams fashion.

Weeks after the boys were settled in with us (permanently), the newness of everything (I think) overwhelmed them to a degree, so in the evenings after I'd finish up the days loose ends, I'd strip the boys down, fill the bathtub with hot water, drop in a few play toys, then set them down inside to splash and play.

They played happily and once I was done bathing and scrubbing them all fresh, I'd remove them from the water (one at a time), dry each one off with a big fresh fluffy towel, then wrap the towel around them to keep them warm and comfy, then off we'd go to the nursery. I'd double them up inside one crib (together), diaper them, then dress them in their soft little comfy pj's, comb-back (slick) their still damp hair, and then we'd take up residence on the couch in the living room, in front of the television, under a big warm quilted comforter. There all three of us would sit, like one, all packed in right beside one another like sardines, one kid on each side of me so I could hold them and comfort them and keep them close.

A half hour would pass, sometimes an hour, then the heaviness of night-time would fall/visit, eyes closed and sound asleep. Then, one at a time I'd transfer them into their cribs and tuck them in for the night. Innocent and fragile little cherubs they were. So vulnerable and susceptible, yet somehow, with them now in the safety of our home, under the care and love of our roof, I worried no more. Amazingly enough, I picked up on the subtle changes that took place within them, and from everything I seen (witnessed), they too had washed themselves clean of all their worries, too.

[Marianne]

Yes, we could adopt, easily. But we seem to adopt handicapped dogs and homeless cats now.

Friends of ours adopted a little boy years ago, and two of our nephews adopted children - one adopted two little girls, sisters. Adorable children!

[Mrs-M]

Marianne. Adopting IMO means love, so be it children or animals, it's all good! So nice to know there are those like yourself who care. That never fails to warm my heart.

[djen]

This post in particular was really impactful: http://pflagfostermom.blogspot.com/2.../allegory.html

That was a great post! I bookmarked the blog so that I can read through it more. Thank you