• When Trauma Whispers Instead of Shouts

    When Trauma Whispers Instead of Shouts

    Trauma has a way of sneaking up on you. One minute you’re driving home from soccer practice, singing along to the radio, and the next you’re blindsided by a memory from a previous life—one that brings you to tears without warning. If you have any understanding of adoption through the foster care system, you know Read more

  • Keeping the Magic (and Meaning) in Christmas

    Keeping the Magic (and Meaning) in Christmas

    If you know, you know. Anyone else’s photo reel look like this? When we first started this tradition, it felt like one more way to bring a little extra magic into the holidays for our boys—boys who hadn’t always experienced very magical holidays. In fact, when Boy2 was just five years old (FIVE!), he didn’t Read more

  • It Takes a Village

    It Takes a Village

    According to Google AI, the phrase “it takes a village to raise a child” is widely believed to originate from African proverbs. Its exact source may be unknown, but the sentiment reflects a beautiful, long-standing truth — raising children has always been a collective effort. When we adopted the boys, one of the best pieces Read more

  • Embracing the “Firsts” We Do Get

    Embracing the “Firsts” We Do Get

    I was scrolling through old photos of the boys the other day. We’re coming up on our three-year anniversary as a family—a day we celebrate as “Family Day.” (Adoption day is in August.) It’s one more reason to be thankful in November. Looking at those pictures, I couldn’t help but stare at their little-boy faces. Read more

  • Stepping Out of the Comfort Zone: How I’m Doing with Homeschooling

    Stepping Out of the Comfort Zone: How I’m Doing with Homeschooling

    “But how are you?” I get asked this almost as often as I’m asked how Boy1 is doing with homeschool. And it’s a fair question — how am I doing? I thought about homeschooling Boy1 for a long time before actually making the leap. The biggest obstacle for me was work. I work full time Read more

  • Learning What Works: Homeschool Adjustments with Boy1

    Learning What Works: Homeschool Adjustments with Boy1

    One of the things I’ve enjoyed most about homeschooling Boy1 is the flexibility. I talked about this in a previous post — Teaching the Way He Learns — and believe it or not, we’ve already made some adjustments! In just a few short weeks, I’ve learned so much about what works (and what doesn’t) for Read more

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