Socialization doesn’t always come easy to two year olds, and that “sharing” business seems to be a sore spot with most of them. Ella is still on the learning curve in this department. Somehow all the toys she ignores for weeks become incredibly important to her the minute another child touches them.

So today when her little friend “C” arrived, she cheerfully greeted her and then for the next half hour proceeded to take every toy out of her hand with a big smile on her face. “C” let out a high pitched scream or a growl each time this happened. I was convinced... more

Photo: Ella and her friend J take a "road trip" together

"Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born." - Anais Nin

S and I have been friends for several years. We worked together in a shelter for victims of domestic abuse, and shared some pretty unique experiences. S is a generation “Xer,” and I was born in the middle of the post WWII ... more

Photo: Ella and her friend M.

Another beautiful spring day has come and gone, and I sit her reflecting on how nice a day it really turned out to be. Ella and I went to visit her little friend M and her family, who live in a county south of us.

M celebrated her third birthday recently, so is definitely light years ahead of seventeen month old Ella in so many ways. Ella followed her around like a younger sister, trying hard to keep up with a wise and capable sibling. It was the first time I saw Ella acting more like a toddler than a... more

Photo: Ella and E playing

Today Ella and I had very special guests. C brought her precious baby boy over to visit. We have been waiting anxiously for this day, because E is finally home from Guatemala.

A few months ago C and I made email contact when we discovered that we lived in the same small city. They were at the beginning of their adoption process, waiting for the referral of a baby boy.

I followed their adoption with interest, but tried not to share my concerns. After all, they didn’t need me to remind them that the... more