New Song and video on adoption

Steven Curtis Chapman, Christian singer and song writer, and long time advocate of adoption has teamed up with Veggie Tales to give us this beautiful clip of what I hope is going to be a great new Veggie Tales movie. It features adoption!
It's A Meaningful Life is scheduled to be out for Christmas and can be pre-ordered at Christan book stores and on line. Learn about the movie. 
The song: You Were Meant To Be, by Steven Curtis Chapman. See it here.
The video and song are beautiful and include families that have adopted internationally, and inter-racially.
It is worth a look and sharing with those you know and love.
Look here for all the details  of the partnership of ShowHope and Veggie Tales and this Christmas effort to raise money for orphans.

New Africa pendant available

 These hand crafted pendants are a unique way to show your love for Africa and your support of Ethiopian Adoptions. Tess, adoptive mom,  is making these to sell because she got so many compliments on hers.  Of course as an adoptive parent you know your money goes to a good cause too.

The pewter pendant has a pressed pattern into it and a heart can be cut out anywere in Africa.  The copper one has a silver inlay that can say anything you want and in any font. This includes a heart cut out anywhere in Africa that you want.  The pewter is $15 ($10 each if you order more than 4). The copper is $15 without the silver inlay and $20 with the silver inlay($10 if you order more than 4 without silver and $15 each if you order more than 4 with silver).  My contact info is: Tess O'Day 260-609-3001.  Tessfoxx85@yahoo.com

new blog for hair!

There is a new blog for hair care for girls! Go check out Marlies Hair! Cute. Great ideas and product suggestions.
http://marlieshair.blogspot.com/

school, letter to teachers, ELL

WOW! It is time for school already! I am getting my four kids ready for school. I have a 7th grader, a 5th grader, a Kindergartner and a Pre K. Well, I have written my 4th annual letter to the teacher regarding Asperger's and now I am getting ready to write the first of many annual letters to the teacher regarding adoption. So, I thought I would post about resources on that topic.

Here are some sites that deal with school readiness for your recently adopted school age or pre school child.
http://www.adoptionarticlesdirectory.com/Article/School-Readiness-and-School-Placement-of-a-Newly-Adopted-Post-institutionalized-Child/36

Helping your child answer odd and intrusive questions from peers, when you are not there to help:
http://www.adoptivefamilies.com/articles.php?aid=1003
http://www.adoptivefamilies.com/articles.php?aid=441

Language and getting ELL services:
http://www.bgcenter.com/language.htm
http://www.adoptionarticlesdirectory.com/Article/Internationally-adopted-post-institutionalized-students-in-an-ESL-class/261
http://www.adoptionarticlesdirectory.com/Article/Specific-Features-of-Cumulative-Cognitive-Deficit--CCD--in-Internationally-Adopted-Children/17 
http://www.state.tn.us/education/speced/doc/QAs_ESLSpEd_MythFact.pdf
http://www.4j.lane.edu/instruction/gp/ell/assessment?printme=y
ELL  program to use at home?    http://www.gemmlearning.com/english_second_language.php

Some other sites that talk about school interaction and teacher letters.
http://www.examiner.com/international-adoption-in-national/back-to-school-for-adoptees-101-how-do-i-educate-my-child-s-teacher-about-international-adoption
http://older-child.adoptionblogs.com/weblogs/a-letter-to-the-teacher
http://www.adoptivefamilies.com/pdf/DearTeacher.pdf
http://www.adoptivefamilies.com/pdf/Adoption_School.pdf
http://www.adoptivefamilies.com/articles.php?aid=1546
http://www.adoptivefamilies.com/school
http://www.adoptivefamilies.com/articles.php?aid=1455 
 
if you need to inform teachers about attachment issues:
http://www.attachment.org/pages_teachers_letter.php

more hand outs for teachers:
http://www.adoptivefamilies.com/clip.php http://www.adoptivefamilies.com/pdf/MemoToTeachers.pdf
http://www.adoptivefamilies.com/pdf/Assignments.pdf
http://www.adoptioninformationinstitute.org/education.html

In my opinion the following link is the ONE STOP for all adoption and school related information:
http://www.adoptivefamilies.com/school
Hoping this gives you somewhere to start and great resources for Back To School!