The Truth at the Bottom of the Castle
I think every school aged girl who gets adopted feels at least a little bit like a princess. That was certainly true for my daughters. Sarah, who was five-and-a-half when she came…
Category
Parenting
My Valentine
Twenty-six years ago I was engaged to one of the most beautiful girls I had ever known. It was no secret she was out of my league. In fact, the only reason…
Rainbows and Unicorns Should Erase Adoption Scars
There really is a beautiful and almost magical side to our adoption stories. We wanted our daughters badly. Our sons wanted little sisters, too. We painted bedrooms and bought new clothes. We…
You Can Lead a Horse to Water
I was talking with a wise religious leader once when I used that worn out cliché, talking about someone who refused to conform. “No,” he admitted, “you can’t make him drink.” Then…
Whoosh! There Went my New Year's Resolution.
Jack and Emily Simmons The road to hell, good intentions… blah blah blah. I had a lot of things I needed maintain, even get ahead on over the next several months because…
Sometimes Things Aren’t as They Seem
Denney was less than a year old when he went to the orphanage in Russia. He didn’t know much about his history before joining our family; but that was by his own…
Some Things Don't Make Sense
Celeste and Denney It’s like how black and wet make purple. You don’t have to know why it happens. It’s a fact. It doesn't matter if you can explain it, or if…
The Term "Real Mother" Confuses Us
Mothers’ Day has always been a tough one at our house. My wife, Amy, came from a home where she was abused by her father and her mother did nothing to stop…
Mental Illness Is Like Other Illness
Amy and I have three biological children and six adopted ones in our family. Parenting that many children should clue you in on the fact that there is some mental illness in the home, if…
A Rose By Any Other Name...
Simmons Family in 2007 Sarah or Yeakaterina? (Make sure you roll the “r” when you say that.) I need to back up. Recently, a mom-blogger provided some feedback for my new book,…
Down Syndrome doesn't Mean Something's Wrong
Down syndrome doesn't mean something's wrong. Jack is now eighteen. We adopted him when he was just one-month old. As with a large percentage of other children born with Down syndrome,…