These are just a few of the factoids my children and I learned recently at a showing of The Wildest Weather in the Solar System.

Three new IMAX and Planetarium shows opened recently at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, giving you three new chances to go geek with your kids.

• Flying Monsters 3D: Uncover the truth about the mysterious pterosaurs, whose wingspans of up to 40 feet were equal to that of a modern jet plane.  Enter the lush and alien environment in which these creatures lived and experience real flying monsters (see trailer).
• Tornado Alley 3D: Experience the adrenaline and the science of nature’s most dramatic phenomena. Join Storm Chasers star Sean Casey and the researchers of Vortex 2, the most ambitious effort ever made to understand the origins and evolution of tornadoes, in this heart-pounding science adventure (see trailer).
• Wildest Weather in the Solar System: Take a spectacular journey to witness the most beautiful, powerful, and mysterious weather phenomena in the solar system. After seeing a storm the size of a 100-megaton hydrogen bomb and a 400-year-old hurricane, you’ll be glad you live on Earth (see trailer).

Schedules and prices are on the DMNS site.

When you’re done with the show, slip into the kid-friendly Space Odyssey exhibit where you can gaze on a variety of images projected on to a huge globe (flight traffic patterns, weather, light density), study the physics of crater making, see what stuff  looks like in infrared, make rivulets in space sand, and do other fun activities for kids of all ages.

Yes, it’s out of this world but no, it’s not out of sight — you’ll find fun and fascination at these three new IMAX and planetarium shows at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.

Lori totally geeked out at the museum for this post — at age 10 her dreams were to be a scientist. She’s now mom to tweens Tessa and Reed in the Denver area. She writes regularly  at WriteMindOpenHeart.com about parenting in open adoption and living mindfullly. Her first book, The Open-Hearted Way to Open Adoption, will be published by Rowman & Littlefield and available in mid-2013 .

At age 10: Waking up early for cartoons. Land of the Lost and Schoolhouse Rock.

At age 20: Recovering from the night before. Drinking a lot of water and trying to quell the headache.

At age 30: Sleeping in. Coffee and crossword puzzles in bed with Husband.

At age 40: Getting up to my hungry baby and my entertain-me toddler.

Now (not 50, but I don’t want to hang on to this post until then): Suiting up for Zumba. Sneaking in some online time while my kids watch cartoons (nothing as good as Land of the Lost and Schoolhouse Rock) and Husband makes me coffee.

What are your Saturday mornings like? How were they different in your previous eras?

Image: digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Lori is a mom to Tessa, 10, and Reed, 8, and they live in the metro-Denver area. She writes regularly — often on Saturday mornings — at WriteMindOpenHeart.com about parenting in open adoption and living mindfullly. Her first book, The Open-Hearted Way to Open Adoption, will be published by Rowman & Littlefield and available in mid-2013

When Tessa was born, my friend Juli (scrapbooker extraordinaire) gave me a beautiful handmade calendar that she designed especially for my daughter.

I’ve previously written about my documentarian tendencies. So it seemed natural when my children were born that I would add my kids’ journal entries to my nightly routine. Call it anal retentive, obsessive or rigid (as my husband jokingly has), but I am happy to capture each day of their lives until they are able to do so themselves. I plan to turn over documenting duties to them on their 12th birthdays, but for now this is how I’ve captured every single day of their lives — nearly 4000 for Tessa and  than 3200 for Reed.

Here are some of Tessa’s calendars (Juli’s creations are the two in the upper left) — several year’s worth of covers…

and snippets of early entries (I can’t share any current ones with you — she’s a Tween now — with secrets!):

Reed has calendars, too. The covers of his calendars are at the top of this post, and below are some of his entries (and yes, the second child’s is sloppier; what’s it to ya?).

Thanks to my mom for filling in on the overnights she’s had them. And yes, the kids LOVE scanning a month of their lives and remembering an earlier time.

All you need to do the same is a 2012 calendar (marked down by now) for each child, one that have room to write in each square. You’ll also need the discipline to write one sentence a night.  That’s all! You and your kids will be reaping the rewards  far into the future.

And from the future, even the most vitriolic of temper tantrums (your kids’ or yours) can appear quaint.

Lori is a mom via open adoption to Tessa, 10, and Reed, 8, and they live in the metro-Denver area, just 2 miles from where Lori first fell into her own journal habit.  Which evolved easily into a blogging habit, which she feeds at WriteMindOpenHeart.com. Her first book, The Open-Hearted Way to Open Adoption, will be published by Rowman & Littlefield and available in mid-2013.

To: All Mile High Mamas everywhere
From: Three Mile High Mama sisters with very expressive eyebrows
RE: Holiday wishes

Happy and peaceful holiday wishes from me and mine to you and yours.

I’m talking a facial for the mama.

The Ritz-Carlton Spa in Denver is a four-time Forbes Four Star award winning spa (2008 – 2012). And it is currently offering special ways to pamper anyone in your life that may be under a wee bit of stress (you, perhaps?). Or someone who simply deserve an indulgence for being of service during the past year (again, I’m looking at YOU!).

No matter what part(s) of the body you decide to pamper — face, feet, hands, back and shoulders, all-inclusive — you’ll be greeted at the hotel’s entrance as if you were the most important person who has ever graced the Ritz-Carlton, even if you are dressed in yoga pants and have on no makeup (don’t ask how I know this).

You’ll be escorted to the spa level over the next hour or two will be relaxed and rejuvenated. You’ll be in good hands (literally!) with your massage therapist or aesthetician (in my case, the very gifted Angie) who delivers your massage or facial or mani-pedi. Angie will take you to nirvana (the mystical locale; I’m not saying you’ll smell teen spirit in the background) and then will bring you back softer, younger-looking, and more relaxed than when your yoga pants-clad self walked in.

But wait! If you have time either before or after your treatment, you get to enjoy other spa amenities such as the steam room, relaxation room and the whirlpool. Afterwards you’ll be able to shower, shampoo, shave, moisturize and primp, even if you didn’t think to bring any of your potions. It’s the closest you may come to not having a care in the world.

Here are some offerings from the Ritz-Carlton’s Holiday menu:

Sugar & Spice Scrub
This exfoliating treatment helps soften dry skin and fortify moisture levels leaving your skin glowing for the holiday season. The seasonal-inspired herbal spice scrub with sweet almond oil, walnut extract, shea butter, nutmeg, cinnamon and clove oil will soften and boost skin’s natural botanicals leaving it silky, soft and supple. The finishing touch is a chocolate sugar scrub for the hands and feet and a peppermint oil scalp massage. 45 minutes, $115

Gingerbread Facial
Customized for your specific skin type, this high-performance facial features the highest quality seasonal ingredients to deep clean and purify the skin. A gentle cleanse, tone and exfoliation will remove dull and dry skin cells. A relaxing face, neck and shoulder massage with botanical serums will re-balance and restore a youthful glow to your appearance. This treatment includes a seasonal herbal spice hand exfoliation and a peppermint scalp and foot massage. This luxurious facial will leave you ready to enjoy the holiday season. 80 minutes, $200

Peppermint Patty Pedicure
Embracing notes of chocolate and peppermint this pedicure was created to celebrate the holiday season. This decadent pedicure starts with warm foot soak to soften and nourish the feet. Then, legs and feet are exfoliated with a chocolate sugar scrub. Then a mint chocolate mask is applied for hydration. A paraffin foot dip is also included before whipped chocolate lotion is massaged into the feet and legs. Nails are polished as a finishing touch. As an extra indulgence a warm cup of hot chocolate is served to complete the spa experience. 75 minutes, $125

Pure Peppermint Pampering
Enhance any signature treatment with peppermint oil. This scent is ideal for altitude adjustment, fatigue or jet lag, and stimulates circulation, relaxes the mind and nourishes the hair. It is available as an enhancement to any massage, facial or body treatment. $25

Prenatal Massage (year-round):The specific prenatal techniques are designed for expectant moms to increase circulation, alleviate tired muscles, decrease stress and reduce water retention. Recommended after the first trimester of pregnancy. 50 minutes, $115 and 80 minutes, $165

Seems an even exchange for all those Pampers® you changed, don’t you think?

Lori Lavender Luz of WriteMindOpenHeart.com is a mom via open adoption to Tessa, 10, and Reed, 8. She and her family live in the Denver-area where Lori is writing her first book, The Open-Hearted Way to Open Adoption in, yes, her yoga pants. It will be published by Rowman & Littlefield and available in mid-2013.

Images: Ritz-Carlton, Lori Lavender Luz

]]> http://www.milehighmamas.com/2011/12/10/ritz-carlton-spa-pampering/feed/ 4 http://www.milehighmamas.com/2011/12/06/colorado-adoption-story-1970s/ http://www.milehighmamas.com/2011/12/06/colorado-adoption-story-1970s/#comments Tue, 06 Dec 2011 13:00:20 +0000 Lori http://www.milehighmamas.com/?p=28177 An acquaintance from a Denver-area high school told me via Facebook that her biological mom had died this year. She said that the whole thing had been a nightmare and that I should write about it.

I wanted to know more about what she meant by that and so Cheryl allowed me to interview her about her life and her adoption in Colorado in the 1970s.

What she’s shared with me shows the conflicting emotions held by some adoptees: dealing with what IS while longing for what could have been; the push and the pull that exists between an adoptee and her birth parent; seemingly opposite views expressed within moments of each other.

This is Cheryl’s story. It’s long and sad, but worth a read.

~~~~~

My memories start at age 5. My mom, Connie, had four more children after me: Viki, twins Mark and Mike, and Richard.

Connie was a partier and was gone most nights. My siblings and I were hungry, we were dirty and we were neglected. I once almost killed my little sister Viki by giving her a bottle of baby aspirin because Connie was out lookin’ for love.

Eventually social services stepped in. Connie kept Viki but gave up the three boys to Colorado Christian Home. As for me? A couple who became my parents had seen me at their church, where Connie would send me to beg for money and food. This couple informally adopted me with Connie’s blessing. Connie kept trying to get money from them for years. My adoptive parents had to get a lawyer to formalize the adoption .

Virgil was my biological father, but I call him a sperm donor. When he got out of prison he fought my new parents for me but my parents’ lawyer wasn’t aggressive enough. I was a little kid who was put on the stand. Even though I said I wanted to go with the people I felt were my parents, the judge returned me to Virgil.

Shortly after I moved to his home Virgil killed the pet bunny my parents had gotten me. I was with him for about 6 months, but then he gave me to an aunt and uncle because I didn’t like Virgil’s new wife. When they took me to California I stabbed the aunt in the arm because she cut off my hair all. We came back to Colorado and my aunt and uncle broke up and gave me to Virgil’s parents.

My grandma wanted to keep me but Clem, my granddad, didn’t. Clem was also my younger sister Viki’s dad (yes, this means my paternal grandfather fathered a baby with my mother) and was a violent, mean man. Clem knew I knew he had been with Connie (he had tried to be with my aunt, too — just a nasty, nasty man) so I was given back to social services and went into the system.

Eventually my parents got me back for good. By this time I was 9 years old.

What kind of contact did you have with your birth family?

I was always in contact with Connie and my siblings. Connie’s mom thought we should have had more contact but those times never went well because my folks had money.

I believe if we’d had counseling during these meetings it would have been better. I didn’t grow up the way my birth family members did so it was awkward and lets face it I was damn angry Connie gave me away without any responsibility, just saying “it’s for your own good.”

I mean she had already starved me. I remember being so HUNGRY! She beat me; there were days I couldn’t go to school because I had no clothes or pencils. She had subjected me to Clem — what more could she do??? Shove me off the swing set again from the top bar??

Moving from that kind of environment and treatment to a more calm and loving one with my adoptive parents, well let’s just say the transition didn’t go as smoothly as you’d expect.

Really. Counseling would helped me move from one reality to another.

How did adoption affect you?

It affected me in some negative ways, but yet some very positive ways, too. I am the most insecure person in the world…have no self-esteem and don’t trust most people. Am angry and depressed even with counseling.

On the other hand, I am more sensitive to the needs of others, and I have broken the circle by not having violence and hunger near my children. I have stood by my kids and they are successful. Sammi is the first “grandchild” of Connie’s to graduate high school (with honors!) and go to college. Chelsea shows horses. I am pleased to say I have found a way to help my kids become successful.

It’s a doubled-edged sword. Connie didn’t live to see Sammi get her honors diploma. Likely she would not have known how much it meant, but I did. If I had to suffer through my childhood for MY kids to have a life I would do it again.

What are your thoughts on open vs closed adoption?

I believe open adoptions are best for the kids. Why? Because they have fewer feelings of abandonment and isolation. They would be able to comprehend why they were given a new beginning.

So I know I was hungry with Connie — I would share rotten potatoes with Viki. I was beaten with a big green paddle. I get that. But this was life as I knew it. This was what I lived. This was “normal” to me.

So you’re an adopted kid and you go see how your biological family lives and you try to wrap your brain around it, the two opposite scenarios. You come from these people. Their blood flows in your veins. You have a connection to them but sometimes it horrifies you.

On the other hand there are the people I was grafted to. Yeah, it’s a way better place, because the way I was living was not normal, not safe. Openness allows me to see both sides. It stretches me to fit in both camps, even though neither is a perfect fit.

Plus with openness medical records are accessible. I can’t see any down side to openness.

But if it’s an older child, she needs counseling and her adopted parents need support. The grafting process isn’t as automatic as the social workers thought it would be.

You were placed in the 1970s. What parts of your adoption worked well for you? How could the adults around you have made the situation better for you?

I don’t feel like any thing the adults did “worked” for me. The judge put me on the stand and then ignored my wishes to stay with my folks  and gave me to Virgil, a known offender. There was no counseling, although clearly I was living a turbulent life. Instead of fighting and acting crazy the adults around me should have communicated and concentrated more on me and my wishes than on their own.

Tell me a little about your siblings, both bio- and adopted.

Viki is less then a year younger then I am. She has 4 kids, and she left them all just the way Connie did. One of her sons is in prison and her oldest daughter lives on welfare. The oldest daughter has two kids by two dads; one of the dads is in prison the other has been deported. Her other daughter is OK — she was raised by her dad. Viki’s other son didn’t graduate from high school and smokes weed all day.

The twins, Mark and Mike, and live in Georgia. Mark owns a construction company and is bitter. Mike came to Denver for the funeral and got into a fist fight with Viki and claims she stole from him; it just turned into a mess.

My brother Richard is dead. Open adoption could have made a difference here, some connection to his original family. He didn’t know us really. I met him once after we were grown up; he was very handsome but you could tell he had serious demons. Though I didn’t know why because he was a baby when it all went down. We don’t know who his dad was. We don’t know for the twins either. My dad was in prison when they were conceived.

Then there is Shawna, born after Connie gave me away. Shawna was pregnant at 13. Her dad was Don, who was a kind and loving man. He married Connie, but it turned out soooo bad.  She made a huge mess of their lives. He provided well for her and she could have been happy, but no. She took Viki and Shawna and ran off with a big drunk named Chief. Just a year before she died she wanted to see if we could find Don even though she was married by then to yet another man, Clark. So there was no stability for either Viki or Shawna.

Connie passed away this year. What were the family dynamics at this time?

Her funeral was something else. I was included in the arrangements and ended up being the peacekeeper.

It was decided for the obituary that I would be listed first, but it wasn’t printed that way. Shawna’s fiancee was listed before me, but I didn’t rock the boat. Since my children and I weren’t in any family photos I made my own picture board. The thing that got me was that people kept saying how loving and nurturing and kind Connie was. BULL! Of all the kids she gave away I was the only kid there. Clark said he would throw the twins out if they came.

I was the last one to leave because I wanted a private audience with Connie. I told my dead biological mother it was a joke about her being kind and loving. I told her she killed Richard and I told her I made way better choices and gave my kids a life in spite of her. I told her the only reason I cared was because she gave me life, but that she wasn’t my mom. And I told her I pitied her because she never got to know my daughters. I told her she didn’t break me.

Truthfully I wanted to spit on her, but my parents raised me better.

It’s clear to me open adoptions are helpful for kids who are abused, neglected and worse. I believe had we had an open adoption with my brother Richard, he would still be alive and I wouldn’t have to keep living the horror of him on the beach dead.

Please make a difference for my brother, Lori.

~~~~~

Cheryl, thank you for sharing your story of tragedy, struggle, resilience and eventually triumph. I’m not sure anything I can do here will make a difference for your brother, but your voice is being heard and I’m sure your story will stick with readers. With your powerful testimony, may the lessons you lived bring an awareness of the child’s perspective in any adoption arrangement. Peace to you and your family during this holiday season.

Lori is a mom via open adoption to Tessa, 10, and Reed, 8, and they live in the metro-Denver area, just 2 miles from where Lori and Cheryl grew up. She writes regularly at WriteMindOpenHeart.com about the many facets of  adoption, among other things. Her first book, The Open-Hearted Way to Open Adoption, will be published by Rowman & Littlefield and available in mid-2013.

Image: AltGate.com

I sleep with a woobie. In the cold months. And my husband doesn’t mind.

What, you may ask, is a woobie? It’s a loaf-of-bread-sized bag of millet or buckwheat covered in a flannel casing. Ours were made by one of my students years ago. Pop one in the microwave for 3 minutes, and you have warmth. Warmth on your lap for a cold drive in the morning. Warmth under your shirt when your core needs heating up. Warmth for cold sheets on a chilly night.

I had two woobies.

One night I found one of them shredded underneath my nightstand, its guts spilled all over the carpet like puke in a frat house. Know what this means?

A mouse has moved into our house.

Surely my other woobie, my favorite one with black-and-white-and-pink cows against a blue sky — surely this one is saved. After all, I slept with it last night and left it in my bed, under the covers. Safe and sound.

BUT NO! THE GOLL DARN MOUSE GOT TO THAT ONE TOO! Chewed up my woobie IN MY BED! And left some TURDS for me as added injury.

Nothing like a changing the sheets at 10 pm. And muttering curse words all through the process.

Needless to say, the exterminator has been called. There’s no mercy for varmints who invade my space and ruin my woobies.

Except for my children.

Have you had to deal with unwanted critters seeking warmth in your home this year? Have they caused any casualties? What measures do you take?

Lori writes regularly at WriteMindOpenHeart.com about her dealings with many types of critters large and small, namely her husband, Roger and their children Tessa, 10, and Reed, 8. Her family lives in wilds of the Denver-area.

Images: MS-Office

What about you? Answer these four questions.

1. You have a chance to meet your favorite author who in town for a book signing — a to-die for experience! The problem is, the signing is at the same time as your daughter’s soccer game, in a different part of town. You can’t make both.

a. You go to the book signing — you’ll catch next week’s game for sure.
b. You go to the game. It’s important that your daughter knows how much you  support her.

2. It’s your birthday, and you get to choose the restaurant. You pick:

a. Date Night. Get a sitter and do it up good!
b. Family night at Olive Garden or TGI Fridays or Tres Margaritas. A cuisine you like at a restaurant that’s kid-friendly.
c. Chuck E Cheese. Your kids will be so happy and that makes you happy.

3.  You’ll spend the extra “Fall back” hour on Sunday:

a. sleeping, reading, or indulging yourself somehow.
b. getting caught up on your To Do List.
c. playing with the kids, of course.

4. Your spouse has a work trip planned to a city you’ve always wanted to visit. You can get there on frequent flyer miles and the hotel expenses are paid for by the employer. You:

a. immediately begin researching flights and brainstorming babysitting options (not necessarily in that order).
b. sigh deeply and wish you could get away, but it would just be too disruptive for everyone.
c. go about your business. Get away? Why would you want to get away?

This is the part where you think I’m going to say what the answers mean, isn’t it? That if you answered mostly A, you are self-centered and need to grow a heart, or that if you answered mostly C, you have lost yourself and need to grow a pair of, um, warm fuzzy socks. For yourself.

But no, I simply want to ask you if your answers accurately reflect your values. Do you do what you want to out of love and joy? Or do you find yourself acting out of duty and obligation some of the time? much of the time?

What are some ways that YOU balance the needs of those you love with your own needs? Do you identify more with Mother Teresa or Mommie Dearest (or one of the infinite other points on the spectrum)?

What kind of mom are you, and what hints can you give about getting everyone’s needs met (including your own!)?

Lori is the daughter of a Carol Brady but somehow developed into a Peg Bundy. She writes regularly at WriteMindOpenHeart.com about living mindfully and parenting in open adoption. Every chance she gets, Lori leaves her children Tessa, 10, and Reed, 8 in the care of Carol while she goes on business trips with her husband.

Image: Vlado / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

It’s a feel-good movie with heartwarming moments of triumph over adversity and portrayal of family unity and support, and it tackles the question, why do bad things happen to good people?

Bethany Hamilton was a 13 year-old surfer in Hawaii when, in 2003, her left arm was taken by a shark. She not only surfed again, but she surfed competitively and won. She has since become an inspiration to anyone who has had to overcome an obstacle, especially children and teens.

The main character is played by AnnaSophia Robb whom, as I’ve said before, bears an uncanny resemblance to Tessa (or vice versa). So Tessa has always identified with this grounded and wholesome actress, who hails from the Denver area.

I keep pointing out, as we watch the film, values that Roger and I have been trying to instill in our children.

• “I’m impressed by how the entire family is on the same team, supporting each other and not fighting!” I say with particular emphasis.
• “Look at how Bethany lets nothing stop her! She is going to surf again no matter what. Such determination!” I belabor with many exclamation points.
• “I notice how she feels sad but doesn’t let the sadness stop her,” I note.
• “Wow. Bethany doesn’t waste any time feeling sorry for herself, does she? She doesn’t expect people to give her special treatment.”

Just in case Tessa and Reed missed any of that.

The angel choir chimes in my head when Tessa says to me: “Mom, I’m going to be just like Bethany for the next week!”

Oh Em Gee, this is going to be so fantastic. No more pecking at her brother. No more excuses about schoolwork. Feeling emotions but not letting them rule her. Commitment to her goals.

It’s gonna be a great week.

At bedtime in her room, Tessa moves around oddly as she gets ready for bed, but I can’t quite pinpoint why. She argues with me over various issues: packing for school tomorrow, picking up dirty laundry from her bedroom floor, who gets the last toaster strudel in the morning, and how she really doesn’t want to go to an after-school activity this week.

“Tessa,” I say.

“Whatt!” she says with the sullenness of a full-teenager, which she is not yet.

“What about being like Bethany this week? I thought you were going to try to get along with Reed better and meet your commitments and keep going even if some things are difficult.”

She looks at me as if I’ve got surfboard styrofoam for brains.

“Mo-0-mmm,” she begins to spell out to me as if I were the child, “What. are. you talking about? I MEANT that I was going to not use my left arm for a week.”

Oh.

My bad.

Cross-posted on WriteMindOpenHeart.com. Lori is a mom via open adoption to Tessa, 10, and Reed, 8. The family lives in the Denver-area, where each of them understands exactly what the others are saying — once in awhile.

I was pretty successful with this method. I earned several degrees, didn’t marry several Mr Wrongs, and navigated several medical interventions — all with the power of my intellect (not as colossal as I make it sound, and there weren’t THAT many Mr Wrongs down on one knee).

But parenting — and specifically adoptive parenting — required me to take my Data model (sensible, information-based) and add the Deanna Troi model (sensitive, compassion-based). These two Star Trek characters personify for me the head and the heart I now use in parenting my two children.

Adoption and, more specifically, OPEN adoption, is something I couldn’t think my way through. I couldn’t study my way through or weigh my options through or test my way through with a #2 pencil.

I had to FEEL my way through.

Open adoption has engendered a huge shift in how I move through life. From Day 1 with Tessa’s first mom, Crystal, I have had opportunities to choose between what feels right and what makes sense, in cases where they are at odds.

Pulling another organ into service for decision-making and leadership has had an added benefit: parenting itself requires the involvement of one’s heart as well as one’s head. I can’t think my way through Reed’s fight with his BFF. I can’t think my way through one of Tessa’s tantrums (no thinking occurs for either of us during one of those). Book learning only goes so far.

It’s not that I turn OFF my intellect, but that I also tune into my heart for answers.

Living from my heart requires me to just. be. present. Abiding in a situation and with the people in it. Being open to insight, inspiration and intuition.

Which I can add to intellect.

Open adoption has brought me more deeply into thinking/feeling. I used both my head and heart to navigate Tessa’s reunion with her first dad, Joe, and am using both methods currently to help Reed with some questions he’s been asking about his placement.

I’m not saying that all problems are easily solved because I’ve got such massive brainpower and a huge, unerring heart. I make lots and lots of mistakes every single day, and some are whoppers.

I’m saying that open adoption requires that I see things from the perspectives of the others involved, that I understand the effects of my actions on them, and that I use both my head and heart as I move through life.

It’s been a worthwhile change.

Lori is a mom via open adoption to Tessa, 10, and Reed, 8, and her family lives in the metro-Denver area. She writes regularly at WriteMindOpenHeart.com about living mindfully. She gives herself a B+ thus far and is aiming for an A on the final. Her first book, The Open-Hearted Way to Open Adoption, will be published by Rowman & Littlefield and available in mid-2013.

Images: smokedsalmon / FreeDigitalPhotos.net