List/Grid Monthly Archives: January 2012
Children’s Book Review: Shades Of Black
As a transracial, adoptive parent, there are many things my husband and I can share with our son, The Littlest E, unconditional love, nurturing, caring, etc. We can teach him compassion, empathy, how to be a good, loving person, and what we know about life. We can share with him our hobbies and joys, and the usual everyday things parents share, teach and show their children. One thing we can’t share with him is our…
Childhood Magic
Thanks to the success of Harry Potter, the world has been inundated with children flying around on brooms, black capes fluttering in the wind. Maybe it’s just my imagination, but the number of seven-year-olds waving wands around and proclaiming some unintelligible command seems to grow each Halloween. Witches, wizards, and sorcerers/sorceresses are not, of course, recent inventions. The concept that humans have the ability to transform experience beyond the norms of everyday perception is likely…
The Special Bond Between Grandparents And Grandchildren
As a child, my family and I spent part of our winters and summers with Grandma Sara and Grandpa Jack (my mom’s folks) at their home in Windsor Gardens near Denver, Colorado. I have wonderful memories of them. At night, Grandma Sara used to tuck me into the roll out bed and tickle my forehead with her beautifully manicured nails while singing lullabies as I drifted off into slumber. I loved watching Grandpa Jack clean…
Watching Our Words
As parents, we all know to watch what we say around our children, but sometimes it’s easier said than done. The Littlest E is almost 2½ and is quite the sponge and mimic. It’s so cute when he sits at the dinner table trying to emulate the way his Daddy sits. He notices everything. Most of the time, it’s wonderful that he’s so observant. It’s not so wonderful when either my husband or I forget…
My Pre-New Year’s Present And What Kaiser Taught Me About Customer Service!
Keeping customer service and mission at the forefront of an organization’s work is often one of the most difficult things a company or principal can champion. I will discuss my feelings about the birthing process and my first days as a father in another blog, but I was moved during our process by the customer service we experienced. Kaiser Hayward was our birthing center and I must say, I was moved by every aspect of…
First Haircut, A Cultural Experience
As many of you know if you’ve been following my blog, my son, The Littlest E, is originally from Ethiopia. My husband and I adopted him almost 18 months ago and it’s been an amazing journey. There are so many things that go along with transracial adoption; one of them is a haircut. I am part of an online group of moms who have adopted from Ethiopia and there was a discussion about hair products…
Lessons from Baby’s First Christmas
For the holidays, my husband and I took our 11 week old daughter, Peanut, to the U.S. to meet my family and our friends there. I tried to anticipate how to help Peanut adjust to a complete change from her daily routine of being mostly at home with me. What I was not prepared for, though, were some of my reactions. I have a difficult time still fully comprehending that Peanut is her own albeit…
LET’S CONNECT