National Adoption Month

November is National Adoption Month. 

I've been a fan of adoption for quite some time now.  In fact, long before I ever started blogging. 

Over the last 3 years, though, I've discovered that there are A LOT of things about adoption that I didn't know.  Also, that there are many misconceptions about adoption.  These misconceptions cause people to talk negatively about it, dismiss it as an option, and to (sometimes unknowingly) hurt those who choose to be a part of it. 

And that is SAD.  So very sad.

Let's NOT be these people.

And, while we are not being these people, let's learn about Positive Adoption Language.

Go.

*Positive Adoption Language
The words we use when talking about adoption can send unintended messages. When writing about or discussing adoption, please consider using language from the Preferred Terms column.

Negative Terms                                Preferred Terms

Gave up her child for adoption         Placed her child for adoption
Real parent; natural parent              Birth parent, biological parent
Adoptive parent                               Parent
His adopted child                             His child
Illegitimate                                      Born to unmarried parents
Adoptee                                           Child who was adopted
To keep                                           To parent
Adoptable child; available child        Waiting child
Foreign adoption                              International adoption
Track down parents                          Search
Unwanted child                                 Child placed for adoption
Is adopted                                        Was adopted 

*Taken from itsaboutlove.org

Clearly a Fan

One day, Mike offered to clean the house while I went grocery shopping.  Nice huh?

Well, it was nice.  My husband is a nice person.  And he did clean.

But I also came home to this...

Hanging on our FRONT window.  For all the world to see.

Really Michael?  Really? (Picture me slowly shaking my head now)

Yeah, it lasted just long enough to take the picture..... much to Mike's dismay. 

And, not that it matters, but yes it is also backwards. (More head shaking)

The ONC

Ahh.  Creatures of the Night.  At the Ogden Nature Center.

A place where friends are made.

Come on lil chicken.

We took the little chicken with us to the ONC and met some of my family.  Unfortunately, I didn't get more pics.  But good times were had. 

Thanks, Jenny Frame, for the VIP treatment!