Pam Connell's comments

Friday Funny: the Befuddled Santa - Blog Entry

30 Dec 2008 01:48 AM

I do feel for the poor guy. He was really trying.

Thanks for your comment Dee--your family seems really interesting--and you're right, our kids need to learn tolerance too.

Two Years and One Month of Scrapbooking Articles - Blog Entry

27 Dec 2008 12:31 AM

Nicole, I just hit two years with Families.com as well--and I love your layouts! I'll have to try that!

What About Santa? - Blog Entry

21 Dec 2008 11:29 PM

Here's how we handled it: We told our kids true story of Nicholas, the bishop in the early church whose story inspired the Santa legend. (There is a children's video of his story made by the Catholic Communication campaign. Since Nicholas lived well before the Christian Church was split into different denominations as it is today, I don't think anything in the video is overtly "Catholic-promoting" except for the use of the term "Saint Nicholas').

We did use the above video with our children and showed them how the Dutch "Sinter Klass" of the early American settlers became "Santa Claus" in English. (Try repeating Sinter Klass several times very fast and you can see how.)

We explained that Nicholas was "a friend of Jesus" who liked to give presents on Jesus' birthday. I hoped that by the time the kids figure out that St. Nick is not the one leaving their presents today, they will think of me as a friend of Jesus as well.

Baby Wearing and the Adopted Toddler - Blog Entry

04 Dec 2008 04:07 PM

Congratulations Starletblue! My son was two when we adopted his little sister. She was almost a year old, but weighed only 15 pounds. I used a Baby Bjorn, a sling, and carrier used in Korea which was basically a quilt wrapped around you holding the baby on your back. It was really hard for me to get the baby in it by myself, but I wore her in it while she had her days and nights mixed up--my husband would tie her onto myback before he went to bed.

I look forward to hearing about your kids!

Tame the Catalog Clutter (2) - Blog Entry

29 Nov 2008 01:41 AM

I'm proud of keeping catalogs to what fits in a single magazine holder, but I do have a small pile of them on my desk until I get around to phoning the company and ask to be removed. I don't know why on earth I didn't think to just tear out the order forms and recycle the rest of the catalog. (Guess that's why I read your blog!) Thanks.

Reasons to Find Out Baby's Gender - Blog Entry

29 Nov 2008 01:04 AM

I always thought I'd want to be surprised, but I had complications with my health during the pregnancy and it seemed like doctors were beginning to speak of the pregnancy, even of the baby, as a problem. I felt it was important to give the baby a name, so we found out the gender (at an ultrasound I would have been having anyway), named the baby, and then insisted that the name be written on all my medical records. I wanted everybody involved in our care to realize that we were two patients--that my baby was a person and not a problem.

Book Review: Cross Cultural Adoption - Blog Entry

25 Nov 2008 05:07 PM

This is one of my favorite books because it shows responses that explain adoption to children--cousins, friends etc. It is so much better for our kids when all kids accept adoption as something normal, not weird.

More Reaction to: The Girls Who Went Away - Blog Entry

23 Nov 2008 01:11 AM

Vellie, thank you for sharing your story. I wish the best for you, your son and his family, and your daughter.

A New Normal - Blog Entry

17 Nov 2008 08:10 PM

Thanks for your comment scrapandtell; I look forward to hearing more about your family in the future. I just read a column in our local paper by an African-American columnist who said he voted for McCain, but found himself unexpectedly emotional at Obama's victory. He said he never imagined that there would be a black president in his lifetime.

The Reunion of Mother and Child: How It Began - Blog Entry

17 Nov 2008 07:50 PM

Thanks so much for sharing, embracelife--it is wonderful to see how you can empathize with your birth daughter and recognize her need to be in control of the process. I bet it's hard to be patient! Maybe reading some stories of reunion might help? In addition to Nicole's series here on this blog, our sister site adoption.com has lots of stories, from all members of the adoption triad.

Can you write your daughter a letter sharing how you feel? --while reiterating that you won't push her. You could include family medical info and info about your talents, hobbies, etc. so that she will know you are thinking of her welfare and not pushing a reunion.