For as long as I can remember the only goal that I have had in life was to be a mom. I always figured that I would get married, and that I would have a house and possibly a job, but the only thing that I spent time fantasizing about was being a mom to the children that I knew I would one day have. While my lack of fantasizing about anything else has left me in the dark when it comes to what I would like to be when I grow up, the fact that I am already a mom to two wonderful boys just puts me over the moon!

I love being a mom. I love being the one that they come to with issues and problems, I love cooking cupcakes for their classes, going on field trips, and teaching them how to... more

One of the things that I like to do every so often when I crawl into bed at night, is to think about how far my adopted stepson has come in so many areas. He was so far behind his peers when it came to his social, communication, and emotional skills, that the daily interactions of life were a chore for him. Add that to all of the tremendous emotional issues and stress that he had going on in his young life, and the fact that he was functioning at all is quite an amazement.

At... more

When parents make the decision to begin a stepparent adoption, one of the first steps that they must make is to locate the non-custodial parent in order for them to willingly terminate their parental rights and consent to the adoption. While some parents may know exactly where the non-custodial parent is, others may have quite a hard time tracking the non-custodial parent down.

One of the easiest ways to get the ball rolling when it comes to... more

When it comes time to search for your adopted stepchild's absent parent it is important to make sure that your child is prepared for such an emotional process in their lives. Search and reunion is an emotional roller-coaster full of highs and lows, with enough twists and turns, and loops to make even the strongest stomachs queasy at times! While no one can be fully prepared for an event such as searching for and being reunited with a birth parent, it is important that your child is as informed as possible before beginning their journey.

Discuss your child's motivations... more

As my adopted stepson continues to grow up before my very eyes, despite my best efforts at whining at the world to slow down just a little and let him enjoy being a child just a little bit longer, I find myself thinking a little bit more about his birthmother, and if and when he will decide to search for her before he is grown and out of the house.

While he currently has no interest in locating her, that may one day change, and both my husband and I are ready to support him in... more

When most people think of stepparent adoption, they think of divorce, remarriage and the stepparent adopting their new spouses child. Very rarely do people think of situations such as surrogacy and sperm donations when they think of stepparent adoption, but in many of these cases too, stepparent adoption is part of the process.

There are two types of surrogacy, traditional surrogacy as well as gestational surrogacy. In gestational surrogacy, the surrogate mother is not biologically related to the child that she is carrying at all. The sperm is that of the intended father (the father waiting to parent the child) or that... more

I have to say that one of my largest pet peeves would be when people do not follow through on the commitments that they make. Now I understand that occasionally life throws things our way unexpectedly that hinder our ability to make good on the promises that we make, but for the most part in my experience, it isn't life that is standing in the way of those who do not follow through, but simple laziness or poor planning and time management.

While my adopted stepson does have issues with planning and time management, I do have to say that as he is getting older his follow through is improving and is fairly age appropriate. He is a teenager, so sometimes his follow through is great,... more

My adopted stepson came home quite excited from school today. As I have mentioned before, he is taking AFJROTC in school this year, and today just days before marching in the town parade, he received a promotion! No longer the last rung on the ladder, but a step up to Airman, complete with pins for his uniform has given him quite the boost of confidence and a wide smile to boot!

While this time around just about the entire class was promoted, it doesn't matter to him one bit, it was just the boost that he needed in order to feel special, and feel special he certainly does. I stooped off at the local connivence... more

Last week I felt as though a cold was coming on just as I had kicked the last cold that the kids so graciously brought home from school. It turns out that it wasn't just a cold that was brought home this last time, but the dreaded flu! All weekend long I was in bed, sure that I was dying and coughing up my last lung, all while being terribly hot and freezing cold at the same time, it has been less than fun to say the least.

While I am feeling much better today than I did all weekend, I still have quite a ways to go before I am all better. My fever has been on and off all day long, fading away just long enough for silly little me to assume that I am finally getting better, only... more

My adopted stepson will be turning sixteen at the end of this year. With only a few years left until he is out of the house and off to college, lately my mind has turned to the bond that he has with his little brother, and how I would like it to be stronger before he is out of the house and starting his own life as an adult. While I know that he loves his little brother, they tend to have a hard time getting along.

With such an age gap between the two of them, they both seem to have a hard time understanding that each goes by a ... more