Exploring Adoption

Family Movie: 'Saving Sarah Cain'

Our family rents DVDs and has family movie night on the weekends. Since those movies are fresh in my mind on Monday, I'm going to share my thoughts about them in my Monday blog posts.

This weekend we watched Saving Sarah Cain, a PG-rated movie directed by Michael Landon, Jr. and starring Lisa Pepper and Abigail Mason. Based loosely on the Beverly Lewis novel, The Redemption of Sarah Cain, the story follows the misadventures of five Amish children who are suddenly orphaned when their mother dies.

The children's aunt, Sarah Cain (Lisa Pepper) is their only living relative, and is appointed their legal guardian. There's only one hitch: Sarah is an up-and-coming columnist for a Portland, Oregon newspaper. She lives in a glitzy, ultra-modern urban apartment, a far cry from rural Pennsylvania. What will become of the children? Will Sarah break up the five siblings and find an Amish family to adopt them? Will she send them to foster care with an "Englisher" family? Will she choose to adopt the children? Will she bring them with her to Portland? Or will she move to Pennsylvania to live in their Amish community?

Sarah struggles with these questions as she mentally evaluates the importance of her career and her relationship with her romantic interest. Pepper's performance, while somewhat wooden, provided insights into the angst the young career woman experiences as she's suddenly thrown into a "foreign" culture.

The real stars of the show are the five children, particularly Abigail Mason (pictured, left) who plays 16-year-old Lyddie, the eldest daughter. This close-knit group of youngsters realistically portray the way their faith sustains them in the midst of tragedy.

Because of the movie's serious theme, I'd say it is most appropriate for children aged 8 and up. While the movie is a tear-jerker, there are also some light, funny moments, and of course, an uplifting ending. There's no bad language and no inappropriate sexual content -- a couple of belches here and there are the only things some parents might find objectionable. Overall, Saving Sarah Cain is a movie your whole family can enjoy.

I'd also recommend reading the book, The Redemption of Sarah Cain, which is quite different than the movie. Comparing the two would make for some interesting conversations.

Pictured, at top:

Jenn Doucette and me with Michael Landon, Jr. at the movie's premier.

Abigail Mason (Lyddie) chatting with a fan after the premier.

Me with Soren Fulton, who played Caleb--the oldest son.

   

'Chicken Soup for the Adopted Soul' Coming Soon

I recently learned that a story I submitted to Chicken Soup for the Adopted Soul was selected to be published in the book!

Adopted Soul, the latest installment in the internationally best-selling Chicken Soup series, will be available in bookstores in March. My story, "Open-Door Policy," is an excerpt from my book, The Adoption Decision: 15 Things You Want to Know Before Adopting. The story details the wacky, unconventional way my husband and I and our son's birth mom went about opening our adoption.

I was one of the volunteer readers who rated the top 150 finalists for the Chicken Soup for the Adopted Soul, so I can assure you that this volume will be packed with inspirational stories about all aspects of adoption. It includes stories from birth parents, adopted people, and adoptive parents.

For more news and information about adoption, visit www.laurachristianson.com, and check out my Exploring Adoption bookstore.

Arrr, Matey! Those Crazy Pirates Have Arrived!

By now, you've probably seen Pirates of the Caribbean 1, 2, 3, 45, and 110. I watched At World's End the other night and made it through the first hour before falling sound asleep. Never did find out what happened!

There's one pirate movie guaranteed to keep you awake. I'm talking about The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything, of course. Starring everyone's favorite veggie pirates: Larry the Cucumber, Mr. Lunt (a gourd) and Pa Grape, those crazy pirates are up to...well...nothing!

Just kidding -- how could they produce a full-length movie about nothing? (Oops, sorry. I was thinking about At World's End there for a second).

I saw an extended preview of The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything last July at the International Christian Retail Show in Atlanta (The Authors Who Don't Do Anything are pictured at right with the pirates -- that's Jenn Doucette, me, and Grace Fox).

And this movie is most certainly not about nothing. Well, the veggie pirates would prefer to do nothing, but they get dragged into all kinds of adventures on the high seas.

In typical VEGGIETALES fashion, this flick is witty, funny, and more than a little wacky. There are a few scary moments that will cause the under-5 set to squeal, but the frightening scenes are always immediately lightened with comic relief.

  The music adds to the appeal of the movie -- you'll be singing along with silly songs set to rollicking tunes from Steve Taylor and The Newsboys, tobyMac, and Relient K--who performs the rock rendition of the hit song, "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything." (Pictured above is Peter Furler, lead singer for the Newsboys, and all the Newsboys with Steve Taylor at the movie preview).

If you've got young 'uns around the house and want some good, clean family entertainment, you won't want to miss these pirates. The movie opens today, January 11, 2008, at a theater near you.

Pictured at right: Mike Nawrocki, Pirates Director and voice of Larry the Cucumber (aka Elliot the pirate) with his adoring fan, Jenn Doucette.

Now folks, it's time to warm up those vocal chords and join me in a rousing rendition of the movie's theme song. Here, for your enjoyment, are the lyrics, as performed by Relient K)

"The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything"

we are the pirates we don't do anything
we just stay at home, and lie around
and if you ask us, to do anything
we'll just tell you, we don't do anything

well I've never been to Greenland
and I've never been to Denver
and I've never buried treasure in ST Louie or ST Paul
and I've never been to Moscow
and I've never been to Tampa
and I've never been to Boston in the fall

we are the pirates we don't do anything
we just stay at home, and lie around
and if you ask us, to do anything
we'll just tell you, we don't do anything

and I've never hoist the main sail
and I've never swabbed the poop deck
and I've never veered starboard, cause I've never sailed at all
and I've never walked the gang plank
and I've never owned a parrot.
and I've never been to Boston in the fall

we are the pirates we don't do anything
we just stay at home, and lie around
and if you ask us, to do anything
we'll just tell you, we don't do anything

I've never plucked a rooster
and I am not too good at ping-pong
and I've never thrown my mashed potatoes up against the wall
and I've never kissed a chipmunk,
and I've never gotten head lice
and I have never been to Boston in the fall

(pirate captain's log 2002
who be this band relient k
and why they be so full of contradictions)

we don't know what he did
but we're down with captain kidd
we don't wake up before lunch
but we all eat captain crunch
we don't smoke, we don't chew
we watch captain kangaroo

and I've never licked a spark-plug
and I've never sniffed a stink bug
and I've never painted Daisies on a big red rubber ball
and I've never bathed in yogurt
and I don't look good in leggings
and I've never been to Boston in the fall

we are the pirates who don't do anything
we just stay at home, and lie around
and if you ask us, to do anything
we'll just tell you, we don't do anything

we are the pirates we don't do anything
we just stay at home, and lie around
and if you ask us, to do anything
we'll just tell you, we don't do anything

Winners of Adoption Book Giveaway

I'm pleased to announce the winners of my December and January book giveaway contests:

Kristen won a two-pack of The Adoption Decision and The Adoption Network for posting comments on the new blogs my company manages: Northwest Flower & Garden Show, San Francisco Flower & Garden Show, and Alderbrook Properties.

Sam, Gracie, and Leigh each won copies of The Adoption Network for listening to and commenting on a radio show I was on in Seattle.

And Heather from Indiana won a 2-pack of my books for critiquing the Exploring Adoption blog. I appreciate all of you who e-mailed and posted suggestions for improving this blog. I'm unveiling a new design today and will be tweaking it in the coming weeks. If you have my blog bookmarked, hit your browser's Refresh button to display the new colors and fonts. Please let me know what you think of the new design.

Congratulations to all the contest winners!

How'd They Do That? Adoptive Family Has 20 Kids

The thought of doing laundry for my husband and 15 children literally makes me shudder. And what about cooking? Our one teenage son eats us out of house and home...I can't imagine feeding 15 of them. Every day.

But that's what one family from Richland, Washington does. The Seattle Times featured the Feser family, parents of one biological son, 16, and 14 kids adopted from China, South Africa, Ethiopia, Vietnam, and Washington State. They also have five additional biological children who are grown.

Okay, so I'm already amazed. FOURTEEN adopted kids. Then I keep reading and discover that their newest addition is a 5-year-old who has Down syndrome. They also have a 2-year-old with Down syndrome. They also have a child who lost an eye to a cancer called retinoblastoma, another who had surgery for spina bifida, two children with cerebral palsy, and two amputees. Yikes!

The couple says that God guided them to consider adoption after most of their other children were grown and out of the home. At first, they were afraid of adopting a child with medical challenges, but then they had a chance of heart. "If we're going to adopt people, we might as well adopt ones no one else wants," said Julee Feser.

It seems as if families with lots of adopted kids are becoming more the norm (or is it that the media only reports on large families?). It would be great to hear from those of you who have both small and large families:

• Did you have a pre-determined family size when you first considered adopting?
• Did you change you mind, and if so, why?
• What's it like to adopt lots of kids?
• If you adopt several children with special needs, how do you make sure that each child gets the help he/she needs?
• Do you agree with the concept of extremely large adoptive families? Why or why not?

Source: "Opening home, hearts to children," by Michelle Dupler, The Seattle Times, Sunday, January 6, 2008

For more news and information about adoption, visit www.laurachristianson.com, and check out my Exploring Adoption bookstore.

Read Adoption Books Without Buying Them: Visit Paperspine

I'm an avid reader -- in 2007, I read 56 books and in 2006, I inhaled 77 books. I'm a big patron of the library, and I purchase a few must-have books, but my bookcases are overflowing so I try not to buy too many books.

I've often wished for a sort of Netflix for books -- a service where you'd pay a reasonable monthly fee to rent several books at a time. They'd arrive in the mail, just like DVDs, and when you'd finished reading them, you could return them in a postage-paid envelope and eagerly await your next shipment.

Dustin Hubbard has come to my rescue. The Issaquah, Washington entrepreneur recently launched Paperspine, a company that carries about 200,000 book titles.

Similar to Netflix, you set up a queue -- a list of the books you want to read organized by priority. Paperspine mails you your books, you read them, and then you ship them back in pre-paid mailing bags.

Paperspine offers four plans:

1. Light - $9.95/month (plus tax) plus $1.49 shipping per book to receive up to 2 books at a time
2. Frequent - $14.95/month and free shipping to receive up to 2 books at a time
3. Avid - $19.95/month and free shipping to receive up to 3 books at a time
4. Family - $24.95/month and free shipping to receive up to 5 books at a time

I contacted Dustin to ask about Paperspine's adoption books, and he graciously pointed me to the pages on the site where you can find them.

Here's the link to the books I wrote, The Adoption Decision and The Adoption Network.

And here's the link to 92 adoption-related books.

Paperspine is a great resource for those of us in the adoption community, because it's hard to find a wide selection of adoption books in most libraries and bookstores (except for Tapestry Books, which specializes in selling adoption books). People interested in adoption read voraciously on the topic; renting books seems like an affordable way to test-drive a slew of adoption books before deciding which ones deserve a permanent home on your bookshelf.

Paperspine also has a blog on which Dustin recommends books. If they don't carry a book you want to rent, you can request it by emailing feedback@paperspine.com. If you comment on Dustin's blog or email him, please tell him you found Paperspine via my recommendation on the Exploring Adoption Blog (no, I don't get kickbacks for the referral; I just know that owners of startups like to hear how people found out about them). Happy reading!

For more news and information about adoption, visit www.laurachristianson.com, and check out my Exploring Adoption bookstore.

Need an Adoption Speaker for Your Event?

If you need a speaker for your adoption or infertility event, conference, or workshop, I'm booking 2008 engagements.

I've just revamped the "Workshop" area of www.laurachristianson.com. There, you can view descriptions of my adoption and infertility programs. Also included are blogging, marketing, and writing workshops.

If you prefer, you can download a PDF of my adoption speaker packet now.

"The Mom Song" from Anita Renfroe

A friend who's an adoptive mom sent me this hilarious YouTube video of comedian Anita Renfroe singing "The Mom Song" to the tuno of the William Tell Overture (aka, the theme song from "The Lone Ranger," for those of you who are old enough to remember).

I interviewed Anita a couple of years ago and have read some of her books, and she is quite a funny lady. Moms everywhere (and dads, too) will relate to this video (although you may want to listen to it twice to absorb the lyrics). Enjoy!

For more news and information about adoption, visit www.laurachristianson.com, and check out my Exploring Adoption bookstore.

Adoption Talk Today on KGFT Radio - Listen Live!

I'm going to be chatting about adoption with radio host, Ted Griffin, for two hours today on KGFT 100.7 FM in Colorado Springs, CO. You can listen live via the Internet from 4-6 Mountain Time. It's a call-in show, so feel free to call with your questions about adoption.

For more news and information about adoption, visit www.laurachristianson.com, and check out my Exploring Adoption bookstore.

Critique the Exploring Adoption Blog; Win Two Books

Happy New Year! I'm kicking off 2008 by giving you a chance to win an autographed 2-pack of my books, The Adoption Decision: 15 Things You Want to Know Before Adopting, and The Adoption Network: Your Guide to Starting a Support System (a $24 retail value).

Every January, I give my Exploring Adoption blog an overhaul. I need your input, advice, and constructive criticism.

• What topics would you like me to address in the coming year?
• What would you like to see more of/less of on the Exploring Adoption blog?
• What adoption-related books/materials would you like me to preview or review?
• The sidebars of my blog are getting cluttered. What sidebar elements do you use most often? Least often?
• Are you interested in submitting a guest column to the Exploring Adoption blog? If so, what would your column be about? (you can email me this information if you prefer).
• Do you have recommendations for people you'd like to see profiled on this blog (adoption authors, adoption professionals, orphan care organization directors, etc.). Feel free to suggest that I profile you!
• What suggestions can you offer in terms of colors, type fonts, number of columns, etc. for redesigning my blog? I am not a designer, so I muddle along as best I can in terms of blog design. If anyone out there has a knack for blog design is interested in bartering or getting paid for giving my blog a design revamp, please e-mail me and we'll negotiate.
  

To enter my book giveaway contest, respond to any or all of the above questions in the Comments area below this post, or email me your suggestions. Please be direct and candid with your contents--I can take criticism and not get offended (well, at least not too offended). I'll put the names of everyone who comments/emails me in a hat and will announce the winner January 10.

Thanks so much for your help, readers!

For more news and information about adoption, visit www.laurachristianson.com, and check out my Exploring Adoption bookstore.