TWO THINGS I HOPE YOU WILL READ | ON THURSDAY’S I POST FROM THE VAULT. THIS POST IS FROM OCTOBER 2011.

I haven’t had time to write much this week.  I’d love to talk a little more about the “What To Expect When You’re Expecting A Child From An Orphanage” series Mark and I are doing at Together for Adoption this weekend.  (That’s not the real title, but it’s the gist of it).   I’d also love to write a follow-up post about some practical steps for an ethical Halloween.  I’d love to rant a bit about this mess.  But alas, I also need to get some sleep.  We drove from Orange County to Phoenix yesterday, and Mark and I spent the day ironing out our talks for tomorrow.  Most of the time I am travelling to conferences alone and speaking by myself, and it is so nice to have Mark working on this with me.  The kids are loving being in a hotel (as usual) and on our trip, inquired if we’d reached said hotel every time they saw a two-story building between Riverside and Phoenix.Anyways, for lack of something profound to say, let me point you to two posts on adoption that really articulate what I’d like to say.  This is a really great post on the ethics of adoption.  (When people ask me where to start, I think I will point them here from now on):

The Wall: A Map Of Adoption Ethics According to Me (Part One)

And this is a really great post about adopting an older child is like after the emotional airport scene. After the Airport These are great reads for everyone, not just adoptive parents.  Just today, I took part in a panel discussion with four other adoptive moms, and one of the things articulated by many in the room was just how isolating adopting an older child can be.  Thanks to all of the people – strangers, friends, and family, who read my posts about adoption in an effort to understand, even if it doesn’t apply to you personally.  I hope you will read the posts above – they are both really important.