Guatemala Adoption

While we were in process, one of the big draws to adopt from Guatemala was the percentage of adoptable children who resided with foster families. Most Guatemalan children eligible for adoption did not live in orphanages (I'm electing to use past tense here, seeing how the Guatemalan program remains closed), although some did. Beauty spent the first nine months of her life with a foster mom/family. I thought this would be a noteworthy topic of discussion this morning, considering the foster family versus orphanage issue is one that many adoptive parents contemplate. Beauty's foster mom, R., was a grandmother of three children, ages ten and younger, for whom she cared on a full-time basis. She earned a small income from fostering… [more]

In past entries, I've discussed Beauty's delay in language. When she was last assessed, she was around a year behind where she needed to be. Since starting weekly speech therapy with M., Beauty has improved leaps and bounds. She's really trying to vocalize her opinions and emotions; she's working on making choices between two options. She tries to repeat almost anything. Suffice to say, as I write this, I am beaming with pride. So maybe there's one small fly in the ointment of joy. Beauty's favorite word of all time, ever? No. Don't get me wrong: I know she's two and this is prime time to assert her independence. I respect that. In fact, I encourage it. I could've cried with happiness… [more]

A confession:  I'm a bit of an early shopper when it comes to the holidays. Since we started the process of adopting Beauty in 2006 and every subsequent year, I have tried to incorporate some sort of Guatemalan item into my family's gift-giving repertoire.  Last year, the item of choice for the season was an ornamental tin can angel. We bought several sets (they're sold four pieces in  a set) and gifted them (individually) to our family and friends.  At less than $10.00 each, it was a great, meaningful gift--thoroughly appreciated by those who love Guatemala as much as we do. So, where else can you locate some amazing Guatemalan finds? Commercially speaking (for those… [more]

Starting on a lighthearted note, have you heard that hot chocolate has been declared a national treasure in Guatemala? An article found here further explains, "In an effort to recognize the historical importance of hot chocolate and protect the labour-intensive traditional preparation of the beverage, Guatemala has awarded the drink a special designation." I'm especially partial to this article for two reasons: one, we are a family of devout chocolate lovers in basically any form; and two, this article sites chocolate as being symbolic of the Mixco region (Beauty's birthmom grew up and currently lives in Mixco). In any event, the kids and I spent a good portion of yesterday afternoon discussing chocolate and its background/uses in cooking… [more]

October 1 was Children's Day in Guatemala. While we've been battling a bug here in our home and didn't do much to celebrate, it's definitely worth a mention, even if it is somewhat belated. In essence, the purpose of this holiday is to honor children and really, who better to celebrate than the little ones who light our lives in so many amazing ways? That said, Guatemala does a great job at celebrating and honoring its children. With "clowns, mimes, chorus concerts and music at different stages", how could one not feel celebratory? Mayan Families, a charitable organization I've mentioned in past entries, traditionally tries to celebrate with a pinata and cake. However, due to this year's food shortage… [more]

Beauty is not "chubby"; in fact, she has a bit of a belly and would definitely not be classified as either "skinny" or "malnourished". In short, she likes to eat, and it's rather apparent she eats well. She's in the upper percentile for her weight and the girl can surpass her brother's caloric intake in a heartbeat. She isn't picky in the least--she'll try anything that's placed before her and enjoy it with gusto. However, when I read another article about Guatemala's food crisis earlier this morning, I looked at Beauty (then happily devouring pancakes, her favorite breakfast food) and I could feel my eyes well up. This article on CNN details the declaration that Guatemala is "in a… [more]

Happy Guatemalan Independence Day to all those who celebrated last week! While the holiday has passed, I thought it especially important to mention regardless--I know many of you celebrate Guatemalan holidays with the same gusto as you celebrate those of your own native countries. That said... September 15 is Independence Day in Guatemala; in short, this holiday marks the independence of the countries of Central America from Spain. Suffice to say, it is quite the celebration and my family was happy to partake in our own festivities in honor of said holiday. We donned our Guatemalan flag shirts (yes, we each have one) and Beauty sported her new Guatemalan flag bow. We set our dinner… [more]

The night Beauty arrived home (December 14, 2007), I gave her a bath just before bed. She had endured a long day of traveling and airports, and I thought it would help her to relax a bit. As I undressed her and snuggled her in a towel in my lap, my eyes widened. Even though I was prepared for this as a result of our agency classes, there it was, staring me in the face: a huge bluish “bruise” covering a fair portion of her lower back on the right side, going down to the middle of her rear end.  It wasn’t a bruise. It was a Mongolian spot. Now, I immediately knew it wasn’t a bruise, but it… [more]

Witches, goblins, and ghosts included, I’m a huge fan of Halloween. I love the autumn season in its entirety; I love sweaters and crunchy leaves, pumpkins, and chilly weather—the whole nine yards.  Since I became a mom in 2006, most of all, I love trick-or-treating. Yesterday, the kids and I were thumbing through a catalog of costumes and making the really difficult decision of which ones to pick (let the record show that, at this exact moment in time, Bear is between two and Beauty is still choosing between three!). We hit a page with the Disney princesses and Beauty positively swooned (even there her three top picks are all animal costumes, but I digress!). And a conversation… [more]

Over the course of September 1-3, I participated in Three Days, Three Daughters: An International Hunger Strike. I’d like to share some of my experiences from the strike and my feelings about the three days of fasting. First and foremost, the fast itself was really inspirational. It really just put absolutely everything in perspective for me. Three days of fasting is so, so little to essentially “give up” in exchange for what these three women are missing every single day. To be a part of a greater voice for those who have been silenced…in that respect, what’s a mere three days, really? My kids sat at the table with me as I documented yesterday, my third and final day of striking. As I was writing… [more]