I purchased LifeBooks : Creating a Treasure for the Adopted Child with the best intentions in mind. I also purchased a fabulous scrapbook, all the supplies under the planet (scissors, special “travel” paper and all occasion paper, stickers, pens, an organizer for all my supplies, glue and tape, etc) but I never did anything with them.

To preface, I have not seen Juno, but I have read rave and rotten reviews both from the adoption and from the “secular” community.

Despite what views our society has traditionally had on orphans and adoption I am hoping that times will change and our children won’t be referred to as orphans (because statistically I believe that most are not actually orphans and because the connotation stinks).
However, if one looks at this fabulous list of adoptees, adoptive parents, and, yes, orphans, one will see that no matter where they came from or whom they were raised by, they are extraordinary people.
Is that nature vs. nurture?

Is Gwyneth Paltrow really interested in adopting or is she just reacting to the media inquisitions?
She recently stated that her husband, Chris Martin of Cold Play, is interested in adopting (but she is only just “open to it”).

From A Birth Project:
According to a BBC report, a group of ‘charity workers’ located in Chad were arrested on the tarmark of the airport with an airplane full of about 103 children. The group denies they planned to sell the children for adoption, instead claiming they were sending them to ‘host families’ at a nice price of 2,400 euros (US$3,450) each. The group also claimed the children were from Darfur, Sudan and they were rescuing them from their ‘war torn lives’. It turns out many of the children were from Chad and not without families.
Apparently Guatemala is not the only …read more

Adoptive parents are always looking for unique ideas and ways to thank caregivers for caring for their children whether it be foster care or orphanage care. There are protocols that should be followed though when gift giving, especially in international countries.

In Russia it can be frowned upon to give fragrances because it might be considered insulting (although some women love special perfumes and often request it from families).
It is most often customary in a two trip adoption to wait until the second trip to give gifts because it may be considered a bribe if a gift is given before …read more