Search Results for: blog arrival parties

The Pets Blog Week in Review for October 29 – November 4

The new format worked so well I think I’ll stick with it again this week. Ready? Here we go…let’s see what Aimee and I wrote last week: Monday, October 29 More Viral Animal Emails: Doggone Hysterical Cartoons aren’t just for the funnies anymore. These days people can share them with everyone in their email address book. I talked about some that friends had shared with me that tickled my funny bone. Common Saltwater Fish Diseases Aimee talked about the diseases that saltwater fish are susceptible too, many of which are the same that affect tropical fish. She gave a list … Continue reading →

Celebrity Weekend Round Up—Big Parties For Big Stars

All that dancing finally paid off… Laila Ali waltzed her way through a picture perfect wedding to retired NFL star Curtis Conway in L.A. last night. According to news reports, the boxing champ and former “Dancing with the Stars” contestant said “I do” in front of 200 guests, including her famous father, Muhammad Ali. The bridal party was reportedly a family affair with Laila’s sister serving as a bridesmaid and Conway’s 12-year-old twin sons acting as ring bearers while his 8-year-old daughter served as the flower girl. Regular “Dancing” fans heard a lot about the preparations being made for the … Continue reading →

Adoption Blog Month in Review, April 2007: Part Two

Please see Part One of this blog for updates on adoption blog writers and highlights from late March and early April. In Feeling Different from Family? I muse on finding the right balance between acknowledging our daughters’ different ethnicity and heritage and overemphasizing them. My daughter puts my fears at least temporarily at rest with this zinger—check it out. In How Do You Introduce Yourself to Your Own Child? -Part One: Prepare Them I talk about things adoptive parents can do, even from a distance, to prepare their child for the transition, such as sending photos, tapes, and even a … Continue reading →

Arrival Parties

Maybe some of you have witnessed an international adoption placement at an airport. I remember seeing one while I was in college. There were a couple dozen people, balloons, and one very scared looking tot. Many people who adopt have waited a long time to have children. Sometimes they do not have the baby showers or other preparatory celebrations that expectant parents enjoy. The adoption of their child is one of the biggest events in their lives, and they want to celebrate with everyone. Grandparents and friends are eager to show they accept and support the new family. But imagine … Continue reading →

Gas Tank Getaway: Six Flags Great America

Don’t let high gas prices keep you home this summer.  There’s no need to sweat it out in your backyard when extreme family fun is less than a tank of gas away. If you live in Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan or Illinois, a mecca of mind-blowing adventure awaits at Six Flags Great America.  The popular theme park is located in Gurnee, Illinois; less than an hour’s drive from Chicago, Milwaukee, and a host of other major Midwestern cities. Great America’s convenient location is a major timesaver, but the savings don’t stop there.  In addition to banking gas money, you can continue … Continue reading →

Disney Park Secrets: The Mark Twain Riverboat

After exploring the Hidden Magic of Disney World I decided to start a new recurring column: uncovering secrets of the Disney Parks. Today focuses on a special ride at Disneyland: the Mark Twain Riverboat. The ship sidles its way for twelve minutes around the Rivers of America attraction, taking guests for a short scenic cruise. Horns and bells are used to signify the arrival and departure of the Riverboat, and also to communicate specific messages to other crafts also sluicing through the waters, the Rafts to Pirate’s Lair and Davy Crockett’s Explorer canoes. What’s so special about the Mark Twain … Continue reading →

When Fur Flies

One of the first articles I wrote as pets blogger here was about how cats and dogs really can get along. I worked hard to make sure that my cat and dog, even if they’d never be fast friends, tolerated each other. I’m happy to say that while Chihiro and Cole don’t cuddle as much as I wish they would, they definitely seem fond of one another. Unfortunately, that’s made me complacent. It’s easy to forget that pets, like humans, have individual personalities. Just because one dog and one cat get along, that doesn’t mean all will. That’s the hard … Continue reading →

Rituals and Ceremonies For Adoptive Families

Adoptive parents are a diverse group. On average they are slightly higher income than the general population and have a slightly higher average educational level than the general populace. They come from all religious persuasions and from none. For those adoptive parents who practice a religion, that religion can be a bonding force for their new family. Families who do not practice a religion may nonetheless seek a special ritual or celebration to mark the arrival of a child and various milestones in the adoption process and in the family’s life. Some families have entrustment ceremonies when birthparents place an … Continue reading →

Are You Too PC to Hug?

Remember those corny old cards, bookmarks and bumper stickers that proclaimed “Hugs Are Healing”? Well, no surprises for guessing that the authors were correct. Researchers at the UK’s Manchester Metropolitan University in England have concluded what we all suspected: hugs are healing. But scientists warn we are caught in an epidemic of a non-hugging culture where we are either too time-poor to hug, or political correctness gets in the way. This is a sad but true reflection of our times. Teachers are no longer permitted to touch, much less hug, their infant charges, who might benefit from having a hug … Continue reading →

Katherine Heigl and Josh Kelley’s Bundle of Joy

With apologies to our fearless Popular Culture bloggers, I must admit that I am usually woefully ignorant of TV and music personalities. Nor am I usually a reader of People magazine. I just had to purchase the October 5 issue, however, when I saw the cover featuring actress Katherine Heigl and her musician husband, Josh Kelley, with their ten-month-old daughter Naleigh, newly arrived from Korea. I’m so out of the TV scene that it took me several paragraphs to realize that Katherine Heigl wasn’t Kate Hudson, but her story sounded very familiar to me. Although the cover teaser talks about … Continue reading →