Favorite Adoption Books

If you or someone you know is adopting, I'd love to share our favorites book for you to stack your bookshelves with. Gifting an adoptive family with a book on adoption is one of the most thoughtful and kind gifts you could give them. Several friends and family have done them for us (even writing notes inside for our kids!) and they are treasures in our home. Well, treasures that now include ripped pages, bent corners, and drooling all over them. 

Most of these stories will make you cry...every. single. time, but they are written with little ones' loss, attachment, questions, insecurity, and bonding needs in mind. Some of these books are also just on Ethiopia/African culture or on interracial families. We have more adoption/Ethiopia related books than the ones I mentioned, but these are my 4- and 5-star recommendations.

And because life is hectic, I'm not reviewing. You just get titles and links to Amazon. You're welcome :) 

In no particular order:

• I Wished for You: an Adoption Story by Richmond
• God Found us You by Bergren and Bryant
• On the Night You Were Born by Tillman
• I Love my Hair by Tarpley
• Zella Zack and Zodiac by Peet
• A Mother for Choco by Kasza
• A Country Far Away by Gray/Dupasquier
• The Perfect Orange: A Tale from Ethiopia by Araujo
• Where the Sun Kisses the Sea by Gabel
• A Saint and His Lion: The Story of Tekla of Ethiopia by Stone
• African Tales by Mhlophe and Griffen
• E is for Ethiopia by Gudeta, Abate, Mulu, and Boru
• We Belong Together: A Book about Adoption and Families by Parr
• Amharic Vocabulary for Kids from www.amharic.com
• The Lion King...JUST KIDDING!

BONUS: I just saw Nelson Mandela's Favorite African Folktales while adding the links. And now I just might have to buy it! 

I'd LOVE to hear what your must-have adoption/Ethiopia reads are too, especially as our kids get older I'd love more stories resources for them.

Parenting is Wonder-FULL!

A few months ago, my friend Holly Delich from the REthink Group / Orange contacted me about a new book she was commissioned to write with her mom. She told me they were writing a book for parents and described it like this...

This is not a how-to book for new parents. It's a how-it's-been-done book for new parents. It's not a book for your bookshelf, but for your coffee table.

It's not just our words, but multiple families' stories and photos.

It's not for those wearing rose-colored glasses, but with sleep deprived eyes instead.

This book is not for the perfect family. This book is for YOUR family.

Parenting. It's not easy, but it's...

Full of Love.

Full of God.

Full of Wonder.

Then, she asked if she could share our family's story in the book! She wanted to share our story as an encouragement and inspiration to others whose families have been built in unexpected ways. Of course, we said YES! She wrote up a beautiful 1-page story on how God's Plan A has unfolded in our lives.

Last week I got a copy of the book and it is totally wonderful (pun intended!). It's super creative, energizing, inspiring, entertaining, and practical. Our story and family picture is featured at the end of the book (alongside a few other totally captivating families) and there's even a full-page picture of Addise in the beginning of the book.

I hope this book and our story is encouraging and helpful for others. We are so grateful - not just to be highlighted in this book - but for the beyond-comprehensible story God's writing in our family.

If you want to get a copy to remind yourself of how wonder-full parenting is meant to be or you want a great gift for a friend or you just want to see the Diaz family feature story, you can buy it HERE.

Parenting truly is full of wonder, even on the days when it doesn't feel like it at all.

Communication Photo Album

One of my adoptive mommy friends gave me a great idea to help Judah transition. Since he's learning Amharic right now, but we don't know any, pictures are a great way to help him communicate. I thought this was such a great idea!! Thanks Tona!!!

You can use the pictures as a "vocabulary time" and start teaching him some English words as you point to the items in the pictures. It might be fun to have you and Brian in as many of the pics as you can [ex: you sitting on his bed, Brian sitting at the table].

· Select: All, Read, None

· ShowAllUnread

• Your cars [inside and out]
• The outside of your house
• His bed
  
• His bathroom
• Your kitchen table with food on it
• Your refrigerator with door open so he can see the food =)
• Your living room
• Food pictures of things he might eat or see at your house
• Toys that are waiting on him at home; If you are taking him a toy or cuddly then have it in the picture of his toys and then you can show it to him in the pic
• Airplane pictures [inside and out]
• The people you think he may see with in the first few days home [just call them "friends" so he does not have too many names]
• Pictures of you guys together from your 1st trip
• Pictures of animals, if you have them
  

Hopefully this is helpful for other adoptive parents who are preparing to travel. Feel free to share! There are "share" buttons at the bottom of this post.