It feels good to be back! After a year and a half as Education Coordinator, I am thrilled to be returning to my role as Adoption Support Coordinator for families in the Vancouver/Coastal region.
I'd like to congratulate Michelle McBratney on her new position as Family Finder. She's still a part of the AFABC team, but will work with specific families in her new role.
More congrats... this time to Yvonne Devitt as she returns to her position as Education Coordinator. Yvonne served AFABC and our families in this role for nearly ten years and has returned with fresh ideas for the future of our Education Department.
If you had Michelle, Yvonne, or myself on email, never fear! Even with all these changes, our emails remain the same - and our support to you as families never wavers!
I'm thrilled to be back! I'm rolling up my sleeves and planning some events in Greater Vancouver and the Sunshine Coast.
If you live in Squamish/Whistler area would like to see a summer event in your area, I'm all ears! Please contact me at 604-320-7330 ext 105, or email me at sreid@bcadoption.com. Let's get something together for our Sea to Sky Families this summer!
...And for families living on or planning to visit the Sunshine Coast, now's a great time to book your spot at the Father's Day Weekend Family Camp. Bring your tent or RV and the whole family! Registration required: www.sunshinecoastcamp.eventbrite.com
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Zsa Zsa, Tell Me it's Not True!
Zsazsa Gabor's husband, Prince Frederic von Anhalt, has announced his plans to have a baby with his 94 year old wife.
Don't panic, folks. The Prince is only 67 himself, a spry retiree who has the "time to take care of it". IT. Yes, he really said it.
Since Zsazsa lost her leg last year, injured her hip, and hasn't walked since a car accident several years ago (and, I'm thinking, since she's nearly a centenarian!) the couple plan to employ a surrogate and egg donor in order to fulfill their baby plans.
The Prince worries that, once his ailing wife passes on, he might get lonely - and creating a baby is a logical solution for the retiree. They also fear the end of the Gabor family name, and are racing time to produce a child before Zsazsa passes on.
I typically don't comment on individual families' plans to add children through birth, adoption, or surrogacy. But when the intended mother is nearly 100, and their baby plans are inspired by the threat of boredom or loneliness, I have to speak up.
My grandmother is in her 90s. She had her last baby later in life, but that child is now grown and in her 40's. It was so late, in fact, that my grandmother and my aunt (mother and daughter) were pregnant at the same time.
But even that's not possible for Gabor. Her only daughter Francesca Hilton is 64 herself, and would be - many would argue - a little old to be parenting a newborn.
My ninety something grandmother loves babies, but when her great-grand babies come to visit, it's for a few hours at most. After all, grandma is 92. She lived through the Great Depression, survived World War II, crossed the ocean on a ship to build a life in Canada, and is now enjoying her golden years in peace and quiet.
Shouldn't Zsazsa be afforded the same serenity at this stage in her life?
If her royal husband is feeling lonely or despondent, I have a few suggestions for the chap - now that he's retired and has time to "take care of" things.
1) Become a volunteer grandparent. That way, he won't have to buy diapers for himself and the new baby at the same time.
2) Adopt an older teen. Let the child decide if he or she would like to take on the Gabor name, and have a 90 something mom and 60 something Dad. I promise, adopting a teen will leave you VERY entertained and busy as you face the remainder of your life on earth!
3) Adopt me! I have parents. Very loving ones. But I'm in the age range you could be looking at for kids. True, Mom Zsazsa will still be 65 years older than me, but Dad and I will be close enough in age to get along well.
The one condition, of course, is that I get to keep my biological parents. I'll even take on the name Gabor, particularly if I get to be a Princess, and if it makes you think twice about creating a baby just to keep you entertained.
Don't panic, folks. The Prince is only 67 himself, a spry retiree who has the "time to take care of it". IT. Yes, he really said it.
Since Zsazsa lost her leg last year, injured her hip, and hasn't walked since a car accident several years ago (and, I'm thinking, since she's nearly a centenarian!) the couple plan to employ a surrogate and egg donor in order to fulfill their baby plans.
The Prince worries that, once his ailing wife passes on, he might get lonely - and creating a baby is a logical solution for the retiree. They also fear the end of the Gabor family name, and are racing time to produce a child before Zsazsa passes on.
I typically don't comment on individual families' plans to add children through birth, adoption, or surrogacy. But when the intended mother is nearly 100, and their baby plans are inspired by the threat of boredom or loneliness, I have to speak up.
My grandmother is in her 90s. She had her last baby later in life, but that child is now grown and in her 40's. It was so late, in fact, that my grandmother and my aunt (mother and daughter) were pregnant at the same time.
But even that's not possible for Gabor. Her only daughter Francesca Hilton is 64 herself, and would be - many would argue - a little old to be parenting a newborn.
My ninety something grandmother loves babies, but when her great-grand babies come to visit, it's for a few hours at most. After all, grandma is 92. She lived through the Great Depression, survived World War II, crossed the ocean on a ship to build a life in Canada, and is now enjoying her golden years in peace and quiet.
Shouldn't Zsazsa be afforded the same serenity at this stage in her life?
If her royal husband is feeling lonely or despondent, I have a few suggestions for the chap - now that he's retired and has time to "take care of" things.
1) Become a volunteer grandparent. That way, he won't have to buy diapers for himself and the new baby at the same time.
2) Adopt an older teen. Let the child decide if he or she would like to take on the Gabor name, and have a 90 something mom and 60 something Dad. I promise, adopting a teen will leave you VERY entertained and busy as you face the remainder of your life on earth!
3) Adopt me! I have parents. Very loving ones. But I'm in the age range you could be looking at for kids. True, Mom Zsazsa will still be 65 years older than me, but Dad and I will be close enough in age to get along well.
The one condition, of course, is that I get to keep my biological parents. I'll even take on the name Gabor, particularly if I get to be a Princess, and if it makes you think twice about creating a baby just to keep you entertained.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Generations of Toilet Training
Before I became a parent, I had grandiose plans to have my child toilet trained by two, reading at three, and filing my taxes on his fourth birthday.
Perhaps it's the relaxed attitude of my generation, but we're into year three already and I'm still lining up for Pull Ups at the grocery store. Noah knows every word of "Once Upon a Potty", yet he's not reading, he's merely reciting the words from memory. And my taxes?? I can't even file them, so there's no hope for Noah completing this year's return.
(Noah, if you read this post years later, I'm sorry for "outing" you as a mostly trained 3 year old. But remember, I did NOT include pictures of you sitting on the toilet... whereas your grandmother has framed pictures of ME snacking on a purple popsicle while chilling on the commode when I was your age...)
I digress.
Back to YOUR toilet training. A generation ago, if your child was 2 and not trained, there was something wrong with both parent and child. One generation further back, my grandmother gained fame and posterity for "training" her children at 6 months. I suspect she may have spent a lot of time hanging her babies over the toilet, but she swears they were "cured of diapers" well before their first birthday.
Today, it's anyone's guess. We know more about the human body and how little bladders really ARE little and we shouldn't rush or shame our kids into producing ONLY on the toilet.
Even the way we train has changed a lot. This weekend we bought a whole stack of "big boy underwear". Some had cars and trucks on them, others had monsters or blue stripes. We bought a package of mini marshmallows to reward him every time he peed on the toilet.
After we got home, we called one of Noah's grandmothers to share the excitement. After the phone call, Noah proudly annouced, "I can't pee on my monsters or they will bite my bum!"
I was momentarily stunned, but Noah was delighted. The idea of inciting a biting frenzy on his bum filled him with giggles - not fear... although the giggles didn't work and he ended up peeing on the monsters before the end of the weekend.
We're getting there, though - slow and steady. And I'm happy to annouce I'm paying less attention to the calendar and MORE attention to my son's cues.
A co-worker gave me the best advice, and I'm taking this to heart "How many adults do YOU know who aren't toilet trained?" It's true - he'll get there when he's ready. And we can giggle about monsters until that day.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Nice Nostrils!
This morning Noah went to the dentist. We chose a pediatric practice, since his many experiences with doctors had left him with minor "white coat syndrome".
Luckily for Noah, the whole office is a kids paradise: video games, play rooms, and an overflowing treasure chest of prizes to reward kids after their visit.
Noah bounced around as usual, picking up toys, peering in exam rooms, hopping on and off of couches as he awaited his turn.
"Wow, and I thought my kids were busy!" One mom of three boys commented. "Oh, look at his curls!! Did he get them from Mom?" She squealed. As usual, I just smiled and said "Oh, I don't know.... " A busy dental office with a bouncing Noah didn't feel like the right place to stop time and explain our beautiful family story.
Noah actually sat still for 3.5 seconds - long enough to allow an x-ray to be taken of his top teeth. The dentist remarked that his four adult teeth (on the top half, at least!) were all present and waiting to emerge in a few years. She asked if there was any orthodontic problems in the family, and as usual I just shrugged, smiled, and said "I don't know!"
I think the lightbulb turned on (or the notes in his file finally made contact with her scanning eyes) because she stopped, smiled, and turned her focus back on Noah.
"Well Noah, you sure got that beautiful smile from somewhere special!"
At that my frizzy haired 3 year old smiled brightly at the woman staring down at him from above. "Nice clean teeth, Noah! You sure did a good job brushing your teeth!"
With that, my son replied. "Nice clean nostrils, lady! You sure did a good job picking your nose!"
Now, THAT's my boy!
Luckily for Noah, the whole office is a kids paradise: video games, play rooms, and an overflowing treasure chest of prizes to reward kids after their visit.
Noah bounced around as usual, picking up toys, peering in exam rooms, hopping on and off of couches as he awaited his turn.
"Wow, and I thought my kids were busy!" One mom of three boys commented. "Oh, look at his curls!! Did he get them from Mom?" She squealed. As usual, I just smiled and said "Oh, I don't know.... " A busy dental office with a bouncing Noah didn't feel like the right place to stop time and explain our beautiful family story.
Noah actually sat still for 3.5 seconds - long enough to allow an x-ray to be taken of his top teeth. The dentist remarked that his four adult teeth (on the top half, at least!) were all present and waiting to emerge in a few years. She asked if there was any orthodontic problems in the family, and as usual I just shrugged, smiled, and said "I don't know!"
I think the lightbulb turned on (or the notes in his file finally made contact with her scanning eyes) because she stopped, smiled, and turned her focus back on Noah.
"Well Noah, you sure got that beautiful smile from somewhere special!"
At that my frizzy haired 3 year old smiled brightly at the woman staring down at him from above. "Nice clean teeth, Noah! You sure did a good job brushing your teeth!"
With that, my son replied. "Nice clean nostrils, lady! You sure did a good job picking your nose!"
Now, THAT's my boy!
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