Tag Archives: international adoption

More Tips for Selecting Books

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Previously I had listed some tips on helping children make good book selections from the library. Finding the right book and getting a child involved in a story that he or she enjoys is one of the best ways to motivate the desire to read. Here I have a few more tips to offer before you head off to the library! Talk with friends. Look for other children your child’s age and see what they are interested in reading. Seeing others interested in reading may also help to encourage your own child to read more. Talk with teachers. Ask teachers … Continue reading →

The Many Languages of Mother

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In my last blog, I mentioned conversations that have been flying around the blogosphere this spring. I suppose it’s not surprising that in May our thoughts turn to mothers. A heated conversation has arisen among the international adoption community over referring to yourself as “mother” in the language of the child’s birth country. Adoption catalogs carry catalogs with jewelry, shirts, tote bags, etc. which have the word Mother, and sometimes Father or Grandmother or Grandfather, in the languages of the various countries which send the most adoptees to the U.S. Since my daughters are Korean, I’ll use the Korean word … Continue reading →

Lest We Forget: U.S. Troops and Families were Pioneers of International Adoption

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As we remember our servicemen and women, past and present, on this Memorial Day, it is worth noting how much the landscape of adoption in America was changed by servicemen and women. U.S. soldiers fighting in Europe, participating in the post-war occupations of Germany and Japan, and later serving in Korea, Vietnam and other Asian countries helped to familiarize their families back home with the needs of the many orphans they encountered. Although some of the armed services discouraged their personnel from adopting during their service, there are several stories about units informally taking on the cause of one or … Continue reading →

Earthquake May Prove to be a Milestone for Chinese Adoptions

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In a stunning departure from centuries of tradition, thousands of China’s people are considering adoption, moved by the stories of the orphans of the massive earthquake which shook Sichuan Province as well as neighboring provinces on May 12. In the past, adoption has been unusual in Chinese society. Until recently the government discouraged it, fearing that some people would use adoption to get around the one-child (or one-boy or two-girl in some rural areas) policy. But more than that, cultural mores have deterred adoption. An official from the China Center for Adoption Affairs explained that previously, people who adopted would … Continue reading →

Notebook of Blessings -part 2

Here is the continuation of my notebook of blessings. An orange browallia transplanted and given to me by a dear friend after the one I bought died. This one is healthy and growing so well in the pot near our front door. The way this plant reminds me of my Mom as she always had orange browalliasin the garden as I was growing up. The bible study group we are part of and the way it is growing in numbers as well as the way each of us are growing in our walk with God. For the studies we have … Continue reading →

What Your Nose Knows

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Don’t knock your nose — scientists believe that the nose is capable of recognizing thousands of smells. In fact, studies are showing that your sense of smell may be as much as ten thousand times sharper than your sense of taste. That’s pretty amazing! So how does smell work? Inside your nose are millions are cells that act as scent receptors. We have hundreds of different kinds of smell receptors that allow us to identify lots of different odors. Once your scent receptors detect a smell, they send the information to a cluster of neurons in the brain known as … Continue reading →

Mother’s Day is Hard

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Mother’s Day is hard. It is hard for those whose family is far away and cannot get to visit. Hard for those who are estranged from their mother. Or for the mother estranged from her children for whatever reason. Hard for those who wanted children and were unable to have them. Hard for those who have a difficult relationship with their mother. Hard for those who’s mother has died or is in the process of dying. My Mom died 28 years ago, yet I still find certain times hard. Mother’s Day is one of them. When my Mom was alive … Continue reading →

How God Answers Prayer.

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I’m going to take a break from the blogs on anger, to share something of how God has been at work getting me back on track. Lately I have been ignoring my poetry in favor of other forms of writing. Then I received a new poetry book, ‘Two Kinds of Silence’ by Tasmanian poet Kathryn Lomer. I’m looking forward to reviewing it. ‘I really should get back to writing poetry,’ the thought flitted through my mind. That day and the next I wrote and send off a batch of poems for children. A day or so later I received ‘Studio … Continue reading →

What are Google Alerts?

Just when you think the Internet couldn’t get any cooler, it does. I recently started using Google Alerts. It’s a fascinating tool that allows you to choose a topic you’re interested in and be alerted anytime a blog is written on that topic or a website mentions it. I like to keep on top of what people are saying about me, so I put “Tristi Pinkston” in as a search term. Once a day, I get an e-mail which shows me a list of all the places where I’ve been mentioned that day, along with links and the first sentence … Continue reading →

Book review: A Quilt of Wishes

A Quilt of Wishes is a charming little book. It tells how, while a baby girl sleeps in China, her mother waits across the ocean, wondering about her baby. She finds an old quilt that her mother had made for her, and hopes that her baby is warm and loved. She decides to make a quilt for her baby. She uses her own old baby clothes, and friends learn about the project and make squares for the baby’s quilt. They send wishes for the new baby and for the family’s happiness, which the mother repeats to herself as she sews. … Continue reading →