Adoption discussions

I really love when I get the opportunity to discuss adoption with the kiddos (here was the last time they asked).  The conversations seem to happen more frequently lately, I think because they are understanding more and can ask the right questions.

Tonight Cooper said to me, “When Charlotte grows up and has a baby in her belly.”  And I immediately thought, well that’s not necessarily what will happen, so I told him “Unless she decides to bring a baby home like how she came home to our family.  She didn’t grow in my tummy, she grew in another woman’s tummy.”

Cooper said, “Yeah, in your sister’s tummy!”, and I confirmed that yes that was true.  Then he asks, “Mommy, did Charlotte crawl all the way home?”  I smiled and said, “No she didn’t crawl home, she flew on an airplane.”  He asked why and I told him that sometimes when you adopt the baby is flown on a plane with a very nice person called a social worker.

Charlotte finally piped up and asked, “What’s a social worker?”  I told her that social workers help children find their way to the right families.  She then asked, “And your sister couldn’t come on the plane?  How come your sister couldn’t come?”  I explained that she was busy taking care of other important things, but that Charlotte didn’t live with my sister before she came home to us.  Cooper immediately asked, “Where was Charlotte before?”

I asked if they remembered seeing our friend Tiffany at Target.  I told Charlotte that she lived with Tiffany and Michelle before she came to live with us and that’s how we met them and also Josh, Ambyr and all of their kids.  They seemed to be content with all of those answers and so just like that the conversation was over.