(In this post when I talk about our children who came from a scary place, I am including those who were neglected or abandoned. Although they weren’t abused or frightened by some larger person, their experience was extremely fearful for a child.) I’m not a fan of fear. In college you would have thought differently.…
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Supporting adoptive and foster families and families living with autism.
making Halloween happier (adoption & foster care)
How do we stay sane during Halloween? It can be hard, even with kids who don’t have sensory issues, or attachment issues. The first goal is to make it fun for your child. For children with attachment issues, I don’t agree with the approach of removing everything fun in their life. If there’s no fun,…
Read Morebe big picture positive
We went to the pumpkin patch on Saturday, and we all had a good time! It’s not too often that family fun outings go really well. Last year we attempted the pumpkin patch and were disappointed when our trampoline LOVING son decided he hated the big orange bouncy thingy. Right, that was a shocker. To…
Read Moreputting the HOPE in HOPEless (adoption/foster)
You may wonder why I write this blog, why you should listen to yet another person who thinks they have an answer to helping hurting, traumatized kids. Why am I here? Because of what my daughter has come through, the great progress she has made. I try not to flag my faith here. My faith…
Read Morewhat invisible illnesses taught me about humanity
My home is filled with invisible disorders and health issues. Autism, depression, mood disorder, PTSD, Oppositional Defiance Disorder, Attachment Disorder, Sensory Processing Disorder. I guess some could argue that many of these aren’t invisible, yet most don’t realize what happens inside our home, which might be a good thing. I call them “invisible” because no…
Read Moredevelopment stage or attachment issues? (adoption/foster)
“My child is five and she lies a lot, is this a developmental stage, because I know some kids lie, or is it an attachment issue?” Questions like this come up often in the foster and adoption community. No matter the age of their child, parents wonder whether a behavior (usually one they don’t particularly…
Read Morethey seized the spotlight
HGTV has a new realty show coming out starring The Hatmakers. International adoption, a Harley riding pastor, a writer, and a renovation will all take center stage, or center of the t.v. screen. I am jealous. Oh, wait, did I just utter those words? I’m really not jealous. For a minute second I was, but…
Read Morewhat is Autism?
My son, Jeremiah, has Autism. For those of you who don’t know someone with the disorder, or who haven’t looked into what it is, there can be a very narrow perception of what the word “Autism” means. One example of this came when I was introduced to a woman who attends a small group we…
Read Moredetecting attachment issues (adoption/foster)
I have listed the behaviors children with attachment issues display in a post titled, signs of neglect, trauma, and attachment issues, but felt there needed to be a more extensive list and one that was more accessible. After all, that is why I’m here, because of attachment issues and to help children heal from their past,…
Read Morewhen your adopted child doesn’t fit seamlessly into your life, what will you do? (adoption/foster)
To this day Dimitri’s bones ache when the winter cold settles in. As that chill cloaks him, memories of a frozen Uzbekistan scene play through his mind like a horror film. His father laying on the concrete floor of an abandoned building, drunk, and nearly dead. He’d wrapped a thread bare blanket around his sister,…
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lovin' adoptin' & autism 