Last week I asked Natasha to create a picture. (It is posted on the right.) I wanted to see her mental life. What does a life filled with nervous feelings (anxiety disorder) look like?

Feelings can be difficult to explain. Over the years I have discovered that Natasha can draw her feelings and thoughts. And once she has the picture, she can describe... more

I mentioned about a week ago that my darling daughter came home from an Ukrainian orphanage with PTSD. She has been home for about 6.5 years now. She is a happy and loving 10 year old with an average IQ.

Her neurological issues and her mental illnesses are invisible to most folks. Heck, some were invisible to me. Natasha picked up a couple of new labels in the last... more

Natasha was adopted at 3.5 years from a Ukrainian orphanage. She came home with Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

A condition in which victims of overwhelming and uncontrollable experiences are subsequently psychologically affected by feelings of intense fear, loss of safety...

From: Helpful Adoption Terms to Know

Before I adopted my daughter I spent... more

My daughter Natasha was adopted from Ukraine when she was 3.5 years old. And for some reason today.... I asked her what she thought was an important topic concerning Ukrainian adoption.

Her answer:

You have to do lots of paperwork... the process... the procedures.

And then you have to travel on a plane.

And then you do more paperwork to complete the adoption.

But then.... after a while... that is when love grows. That is the important part.

My darling is a smart cookie.... more

I haven't been blogging very much because emotionally.... I was hit hard. I have been grieving and feeling stupid for grieving.

It started on Feb 8... actually it started earlier. As a parent I am constantly preparing my child for her next challenge. She has some learning disabilities that impact reading and math. And she has ADHD.

My darling... more

I love FRUA. They are an Eastern European adoption support group. And they have a "chat board" that is typically a source of interesting information. You have to take it with a grain of salt. While folks do have to register to use FRUA's board, anonymous postings are common.

Right now the Admin for FRUA's board is stressed out. He is experiencing... more

By this time many folks have read the Alone again news story. Jeff and Michelle Bignell adopted 2 children from Ukraine in March 2001. They adopted a 7 year old boy and 4 year old girl.

Let's call the boy S.

The Bignell family felt like they couldn't cope with S's many mental/developmental issues. He broke his sister's ankles, ran away and killed pets. So we aren't talking about small issues. Feb 2005, S was... more

You probably wouldn't guess just by looking at this picture..... You are looking at the strongest willed person on the planet. This is Natasha at 3.5 years of age. She was black - hole - sucking - everything - in - and - not - letting - light - out strong willed.

She came home developmentally delayed in all ways; emotionally, gross motor skills, language. She was a walking talking puzzle of different developmental ages.

But one thing that she was absolutely clear on. She was the boss. She ran things.

At first when she got angry at me, she would show a... more

I love NPR's This American Life show. But somehow I missed a great episode.

If you have broadband access you have to listen to this show.

Act 1 is about a family who adopted a child from Romania. This child spent the majority of his time in a crib... 7.5 YEARS. Then an American family adopted him

There was a brief honeymoon where the child tried to act perfect. But then he displayed all his pain and rage. The child put... more

International Ukrainian adoption has started up again as I mentioned in Ukrainian Adoption Happening: Sept 6 Appointment.

And Starbucks Loving Mommy has another interesting post about her adoption experience so far. She has her referral and is traveling by train to the Oblast.

RUMOR REMINDER: Remember... more