Irresistable

This is such an adorable video, I just have to share! This is a performance that Quentin and Kerry did together. It's a song called "How Happy Our Lives Are." This was performed during closing ceremonies. These two are such good boys! They're both good with younger children and have sweet dispositions. I'm also including a picture of the two of them dancing together during an impromptu dance session we had during the camp. They have such joy to share...could you be the right family for either of them?

The Journey

I was reading a parenting book last night and the author quoted a Taoist saying (how appropriate!): "The journey is the reward."  I don't think there is a better way to sum up parenting. It's so true! Every day, every new milestone, every challenge, every joy is all part of the reward. Parents do millions of things we don't want to do, but we lovingly do them because they are in the best interest of our child/ren. "The journey is the reward." That just sums it up, doesn't it? There are days when it's not easy and there are days that are completely joyous and the sum of it all is what makes us parents. Through thick and thin we are parents. There are days that really test our patience and it doesn't matter how your child joined your family, that's just the reality of parenthood. But parenthood is also having your heart fill up when you see a certain expression on your child's face or you hear that charming laugh bubbling out of your child or they decide to give you a kiss or hug out of the blue and it just melts your heart.

So today, when I'm not sure what else to say about these precious children, I just remind you that the journey is the reward. Each of these children has joy in them and they just need a parent to share it with. Enjoy it, live it, push through the challenges and you will all come out stronger. There are no guarantees in life, so be flexible and enjoy your journey.

Fabulous Fabian

I was just talking with someone who recently visited with Fabian. It turns out his English name at school is Peter and he likes to be called that. He's pretty shy in big groups, but is personable one on one. He seems to have a sadness about him. He admits that he really wants a family. He told this to both our agency and the other person that was visiting with him. He wants a mother and father to love him. He seems to long for unconditional love and I have to believe that there is a family out there who can provide this for him. Fabian is a smart boy, but I get the impression that he doesn't try very hard because he has accepted his lot in life where he is, which doesn't offer him much opportunity. He was able to solve some very difficult math problems immediately, so clearly he is bright. Perhaps with some parental encouragement and motivation Fabian could reach his full potential. He loves to play soccer and is good at it! That's definitely a strength that should be encouraged. Fabian is a mature boy, perhaps wiser than his years. Surely there is a family that would relish in bringing love and success into this child's life? Is there a soccer coach out there that wants a boy to teach his skill to? A stay at home mom who would like to home school a bright child? He is an incredible flower waiting to blossom! In fact, that's what Fabian drew for us, a flower still blossoming.

Lovely Lisa

I wanted to advocate for 7 year old Lisa today because I was notified that a The therapist thought she had great potential to live a normal life like any other girl with a bit of speech, occupational and/or physical therapy. The therapist admired Lisa's control and determination and said she is a bright and determined little girl with a mild case of ataxic cerebral palsy. This is a condition that does not get worse over time. A family who has the resources to get Lisa the therapy she needs to thrive would be a lucky family! I've seen kids with cerebral palsy do amazing things (like acrobatics on horseback!)! Lisa's case seems to be mild, so this is a condition that is very manageable for the right family. Surely there is a family out there that would relish in her happiness and seeing her improvement as she grows to become the person she is meant to be? She's a happy and smart little girl who wants to please. Lisa kept right up with all of the other kids without a problem at the camp. She's a precious and beautiful child. Would you like to consider her? Please contact me for more details: marcisk@asiadopt.org

Happy News!!!!

I've been holding off on posting because I really wanted to make this announcement: Chrissy and Anna have families pursuing them!!!!! Yay for these two children and their families! I'm so happy for them and thrilled that these kids will have loving families:-) Spreading the word around really does make a difference, so thank you to all of the advocates out there working so hard to help these children. I need an icon for jumping for joy to insert here__________!

Someone asked me to mention the kids that are still in need of families. I don't want to taint the good news, but there are still many children still needing families, so here they are:
Harley
Jimmy
Michael
Heather
Lilah
Shawn
Peter
Bo
Thomas
Henry
Mark
Gene
Cherry
CJ
Harold
Edward
Warner
Lisa
Parker
Gavin
Quentin
Kerry
Fabian
Wade

Check out our password protected website listed in our sidebar for more information on each of those kiddos!

My name is Mark

I can sing and dance and draw. See my picture? I wrote some characters on it, too.

Hello, my name is Mark. I am six years old and I'm in the Eagle Class of the Sunshine Academy. I can speak some basic English and write Chinese characters. I like playing with toys and puzzles and helping out by folding sheets. I love to play with other kids and when I grow up I want to be a policeman. I have seen my friends get adopted into families and I want a family of my very own to hug and love me forever. I have a special need, but really, I'm just a little boy who needs a family to love him. My special need hasn't effected me and my teachers tell me I'm smart, well behaved, obedient and sweet. I"m a good student and learn quickly. I get along with other children well and I like to help out others, too. I have lots of friends and the nannies and teachers like me. I'm a good boy....when is my family coming for me?

Talented Thomas

Thomas was chosen as the only child to do a performance in front of the CCAA officials when they came to our Hope Journey Camp. Does that tell you how special he is? He's a cutie! He has a little impish smile that just steals your heart! Thomas was also part of the Lion Dance during closing ceremonies. This boy has some talent! He's got personality, charisma, rhythm and flexibility. Thomas is 8 years old. If you're interested in more information about him, please email me: marcisk@asiadopt.org

Why Family?

Some families adopting older children start to have doubts when the process gets difficult about removing an older child from everything they know. They ask me, "Why do you work so hard to find these children families?" Why? Because I know if these children are left without families, they will never know the love and security that a family provides. They will never be held in the arms of someone who loves them unconditionally and forever. They will never be fully accepted for who they are in society. They may not get medical care that they desperately need. If they are lucky enough to get the medical care they need, they may have to go through that painful experience alone. They will face a life of difficulty as an orphan in a society that looks upon orphans as unlucky. They will be left with few opportunities, even though they may have so much potential. Few orphans get the chance to pursue their dreams. Instead, they have to take whatever job they are able to get, if they can get one.

When holidays roll around and everyone else goes home to their family, they are likely left to themselves, or if they are lucky, they may be allowed to go back to their orphanage. Is there anyone left there that they know? I don't want anyone to have to feel that sadness.

Why do I feel so strongly about family? For all of the reasons above and because I have known the love of family and I have met and seen the orphans. I have seen the look in their eyes that tells me how much they truly need a family. I have been through things in life that I'm not sure I would have been able to get through without the love and security of family. I also have felt loss. My mom works with homeless people who only months or years ago were executives with successful businesses and now, without family are left to the streets. This can happen to anyone who doesn't have the security of loving family. Imagine being an orphan...how scary would life's challenges be? For all of those reasons and more I know that these children truly need families. Are you one of these families?

We Are the Voices of the Children

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if every child had a mother or father to kiss them goodnight? A sibling to play with on the playground? A grandparent to read them books on the couch? This is our wish for all the waiting children in our adoption programs. If finding families for these waiting children also holds a place in your heart, we could use your help.

We are looking for volunteers who would be willing to be adoption advocates in their local community to increase the awareness of our efforts to place these terrific kids in permanent, loving homes. This could be done by hosting an informational meeting about intercountry adoption at a local library, manning a table about adoption awareness at a community event or setting up a display on a church bulletin board (or other ideas you may have). We will be happy to provide you with a packet of promotional materials and some ideas on how to get started…you just need to bring your passion and dedication to helping these kids.

There’s a great quote by Edgar Allen, the founder of Easter Seals, which says “Your life and mine should not be valued by what we take…but by what we give.” Your efforts can make a real difference in the lives of these children. If you are interested in giving of yourself to help create families for children that have none, please contact Marci Siegel-Kittrell at marcisk@asiadopt.org or Joy Drechsler at joyd@asiadopt.org or (503) 224-1860.

Fabian

Fabian is the oldest boy in our Hope Journey program. He did seem the most mature of the bunch. He likes to play with other kids his age and there weren't many of those in our program. He seemed shy in the larger group, but was more outgoing and personable in the interview.

During the interview he was quite responsive and spoke about his desire to have a family and even siblings. When we asked if he could have any thing in the world, what would it be? He said that he wanted "to have a family to love, parents to play with me and help me with school." He understands adoption and very much wants a forever family. He feels comfortable going to the U.S. for adoption. Fabian likes to draw, read and tell stories. He especially likes comic books. He is in 4th grade and his favorite subject is Chinese.

Fabian played the same curcurbit flute that Harold did at the event. Although he didn't actively play with the younger kids, you can see him here enjoying the limbo:

Mark, Cherry and Jimmy

I'm feeling at a loss for words today, so I'm going to let this video be the voice of the children. This dance is so cute!

Chrissy and Mark

Chrissy and Mark both have families pursuing them as of November 2010!!!!

My last post about Chrissy brought a whole host of interest in her, so hopefully one of those families is meant to be hers! I must say, I'm shocked that my posts about Mark and Cherry haven't brought more interest. There was a family that wanted to pursue Mark, but they were then unable to. This family saw how smart, talented, sweet and sensitive Mark is--if you want a cuddly, sweet boy, this is your boy! I've been contacted by several people who have adopted children with hydrocephalus and their children are happy and thriving. It's not as scary as it sounds. On that note, I think Mark and Chrissy would probably do well together. They're both complete sweethearts and seem to have complementary personalities.

You may have noticed that ASIA has been assigned several special focus children to our individual waiting child list. We've now got young girls for people to consider. In my heart, I'm hoping that some of those people wanting young girls will consider some of our boys as well. We have so many great kids that aren't getting much interest. Cherry, Mark, Anna, Jimmy, Henry and Peter were all part of the Lion dance and one other dance and they each showed tremendous talent and potential. I've been contacted by people that adopted children from Bao an and their kids were friends with Cherry and Peter! These kids have seen their friends get adopted, yet they still wait. It breaks my heart! We are the voices of the children and these children need families. There is an entry on the Love Without Boundaries blog that states eloquently why these older children need families:

http://www.lwbcommunity.org/adoption-of-older-children

So what would you like to hear about these kids? What would make the difference in helping them find their families?

(Chrissy now has a family pursuing her...9/21/10)

Girls and Chrissy

Joy's wonderful posts made me realize that even if you want a girl, you may not end up with that girlie girl. As I read through her posts, I sat there thinking, my daughter loves trains, planes and cars and wrestling! She points to every plane overhead with a big smile and exclamation..."plane!" She also loves to pull mom to thr ground and wrestle. Of course, she also loves clothes, shoes and her doll, Nancy. So I guess whether you end up with a boy or a girl, they can have very similar qualities!

I have thought for a long time that we had a family for Chrissy, but it was not meant to be. This girl is adorable, personable and sweet! There must be a family out there for her! She was one of the first children I interacted with at the camp and she was so sweet! She was definitely curious about me, but didn't hesitate to dance and play with me. She is a girlie girl! She loves dresses and pretty things and her English teacher describes her as very relational. She has close friendships with other girls in her class. Chrissy is one of the children who was chosen to participate in many of the performances along with Mark, Cherry and Jimmy. When I first posted pictures from the camp, I had a lot of people contacting me asking who that adorable girl is in the blue and white dress. Without even having to look at the pictures, I knew it was Chrissy, because she, too, jumped right out at me at the event because she was so dolled up and adorable. I've also had people contact me who have adopted children with the same special need and feel that it is very manageable. They are raising happy, healthy children with the same need. Chrissy is a sweetheart and her file is available! If you would like to consider her, please contact me right away: marcisk@asiadopt.org

Fire Trucks and Superheroes - Part 3

The final thing that I will say about raising boys can be summed up in two words: loud and active. From the get-go, my in-laws nicknamed the boys "Crash" and "Bang". And for a year after we adopted the boys, whenever I spoke to my mom on the phone she would ask if everything was alright because of the ruckus she heard in the background. My boys seem to have the philosophy that if it must be said...best that it is said loudly! Plus, all the aforementioned fire trucks and superhero toys have their own noises too.

As for being "active", I am convinced that we could solve this country's energy crisis if we could somehow harness the energy of our young children. My boys are in constant motion and I've had to adapt my parenting style to keep up with them, or ideally, one step ahead of them. Long ago we got rid of our living room coffee table so there was more room to build race tracks, hold tickle fights or chase our cousins around the house. And don't forget the wrestling -- whether it's because they are bored, their dad has come home from work or one of their uncles has come over for dinner -- wrestling is a default activity with boys.

But, I've come to the conclusion that all this noise and commotion is a good thing. At times it has acted as a built-in safety feature, allowing me to keep track of where they are in the house or the yard. I can take action on any suspicious noises I hear -- such as running water -- or worse yet, no noise at all (which of course is when the real trouble is taking place). And just as important, it makes our house feel more like a home.

Don't forget...if you are ready to bring a little extra commotion into your house, we have some terrific boys in our Hope Journey program that would love to be a part of your family. Check them out!

Fire Trucks and Superheroes - Part 2

While fire trucks will always be cool, superheroes currently reign supreme in our house. TV-viewing, action figures, comic books, birthday parties and even the bed sheets must feature mythical characters with super-human abilities. A typical dinner conversation at our house goes like this: "Momma, who can fly faster...Superman or Spider Man? Who is stronger...the Hulk or Wolverine? Who is smarter...Batman or Iron Man?" And it's not just the most popular superheroes that they want to know about, they ask about the second-string characters as well (e.g., Ultraman, Richochet and the Jackel). Plus the villians...can't forget them. My youngest son is fascinated by anyone labeled a "bad guy" and wants to understand what makes them "bad" (we usually use them as examples how one can make the wrong choices in life). So much so that my husband and I are a little worried that we are raising the next evil genius!

Fortunately, my husband has proven to be an extraordinary resource in this stage of their childhood. While I was more interested in Barbie dolls and Disney movies growing up, my husband spent his childhood memorizing stats about Marvel characters. Even today, he can recall the most obscure details. It's one of the latest things that has made me appreciate what a great dad he is.

Since superheroes have universal appeal, I would highly recommend that any mom out there adopting a boy from our Hope Journey program brush up on their comic book reading It will make you seem like Wonder Woman!

Fire Trucks and Superheroes - Part 1

Hi! My name is Joy and I'm a colleague of Marci's. While she is taking some well-deserved vacation time, I will be your guest blogger.

A few years back my husband and I adopted 2 boys with special needs from Korea. With lots of love and great medical care, both of their medical conditions were resolved within 9 months of being home. Now they are a lively five- and seven-year old - similiar in age to many of the boys on our Hope's Journey program - so over the next couple of days I thought I would share some of the unexpected joys of raising boys.

From the moment we brought them home, our boys were fascinated by planes, trains and automobiles -- really anything with a motor and at least 2 wheels. Whether it was watching them, reading about them or playing with them, nothing could hold the attention of these wiggly boys like a book on construction vehicles or a ride on the local commuter train. At the Fourth of July parade every year, my kids are the ones cheering for the fancy sports cars, as well as the street sweeper. Even today, I often find them fast asleep in their beds with a Hot Wheels car or a book on monster trucks clutched in their hands. But what really gets their hearts a flutter are fire trucks. When the boys were younger, we lived down the street from a fire station. Oh! the look of joy on their faces whenever the ladder truck would go zooming by with their lights flashing and their sirens blasting. One summer, the fire department stopped by our block party with one of their engines and my boys were over the moon with excitement (and so were several of the adults, I noticed). In fact, our boys have us so trained to point out fire trucks while we are driving around town that the other night my husband and I caught ourselves shouting "fire truck" when there were no children in the car!

My boys have really opened my eyes to the wonders of the heavy equipment that's all around us. As a former girlie-girl, I admit that I never paid attention to the awesome power of a steam engine, or the cool technology contained within an emergency vehicle or the simple rythm of a front loader and dump truck working together at a construction site.

Miscellaneous Tidbits

My heart is in advocating for Mark and Chrissy since it sounds like we don't have families for them. But I can't help noticing that there are a bunch of children on the shared waiting child list that were posted this month that have pretty "minor" special needs like repaired heart disease or clefts, and this includes girls around age 2 years and under! This is strange to me because usually those kids get snatched off the list as soon as they are posted, so we must be entering a new era here. Has everyone been matched who wants a waiting child and has a dossier logged in? Are people now wanting older children or more minor special needs than that? I'm curious about why these children sit on the shared list. We don't have any families eligible for that type of match right now, but do other agencies? Curiosity killed the cat, I guess, but I would be interested in hearing from anyone with opinions on that.

Now on to Mark and Chrissy. I know I say this a lot, but Mark and Chrissy stole my heart right away! These two kids are sweet, sensitive, talented, smart, beautiful and charismatic. What more could you want in a child? These two are liked by all and I can see why. So why is it that they don't have families yet? It baffles my mind! I'm going on vacation today, but I'm going to spread the word about these adorable kids to anyone considering adoption. Can you do the same? Hopefully when I return next week, we'll have families pursuing more of the children.

Yesterday I got to visit with a family that came home recently with two newly adopted teenagers (one from our Hope Journey I program). What an adventure! But I must say, they are doing very well! I was truly impressed. Although the kids are still too shy to speak much to people they don't know, I could tell they are healthy, happy and comfortable in their new families. English is still a challenge for them to speak, but it has only been a few months, so that's completely understandable. It hasn't been entirely easy, but it gives me lots of hope that for families that are truly committed, it can work. So on that note, I leave you with that food for thought.

Pairs

Now that this new Special Focus program is going into effect on September 1st, let me tell you about a couple of pairs of kids that I think would do well together. When we interviewed the kids, we asked whether they had a best friend and if they did, who was it? Mark said he is best friends with Henry. Cherry said she is best friends with Mark. Anna said she was best friends with Henry. Anna, Henry, Jimmy, Mark and Cherry all did several dances and performances together. I think they are all a pretty close group. I think if you were to adopt two children at once, a combination of those kids would do well together. Cherry is definitely a leader of the bunch and Mark is also very bright and seems to know his stuff. I think Henry and Jimmy are more of the followers in the group. I'm not sure where to fit Anna in there, but she's definitely a part of it:-) All of these kids are extremely sweet and lovable! I would be thrilled to see all of them find families! I think they all have a tremendous amount of potential!

Sometimes you have to look beyond the obvious to see the strengths of a child, but once you do, you can help that child thrive and that child will amaze you in ways you never thought possible! Parenting is truly an amazing privilege! If you're hesitating because of one of the special needs, please take a moment and look into that special need and ask about the child. You may find that it's not so scary after all.

Misty, Jillian and Gregory

This is a much better picture of Misty than I originally included--look at that beautiful joyous smile!

When she was on the stage introducing herself she talked really loud. And the nanny tried to take away her microphone and get her back to her seat. I had no clue what she was saying. Her dialect was very close to Cantonese, but not Cantonese. When we got a chance to talk during the interview, the nanny asked her why she was so loud on the stage and what she was saying up there. She said “that thing I was holding (microphone) make my voice really loud, I was wondering if my foster brother could hear me from there. I was calling him…” It turned out to be she was fascinated by the microphone. She did very well on the interview. She understood the questions and answered properly. She was outgoing, and very boyish.

Well, CCAA has asked which kids from our last Hope Journey program have families--we only have 3 that don't and it sounds like their files will be going back soon. So if you want to see the files of Misty, Jillian or Gregory, speak now!

I wish I had been there to meet these kids, but Fei and Sandra were there and met them if you have any questions about them. Don't wait if you have the slightest interest: marcisk@asiadopt.org

(These files have been sent back to CCAA.....September 2010)

Big Changes to the Waiting Child Program!

You may have heard amidst the rumor mill about the changes that CCAA announced to agencies this morning. There's some exciting things going on with the waiting child program! Here's a summary:

On September 1st, CCAA is creating a new category of waiting children called "Special Focus" children. These are children who have been on the shared waiting child list for more than 2 months. Considering that there are over 2100 children on the shared waiting child list right now, this is quite a lot of children! Agencies will now be able to request Special Focus children to be on their own agency individual waiting child list. This may enable families to take the appropriate time needed to decide if a child is a good fit for their family. Additionally, families pursuing a Special Focus child will have 6 months (instead of 3 months) to get their dossier into CCAA.

The big news is that families pursuing a Special Focus child will be allowed to adopt a second child, either at the same time or within a one year time frame! One of the children must be Special Focus, but the other can be either healthy, Special Focus or a regular special needs child. ASIA's current Hope Journey children will be considered Special Focus children. CCAA emphasized that families need to be well prepared for the adoption of two children or special needs children in general to avoid tragedies.

We hope this will be a great opportunity for the waiting children. More details will follow as they become available.