I've been hanging out around the China Adoption Forums lately, and found myself answering someone's questions about packing for the trip.

It's fairly useful information -- well, the questions are useful. My answers are, uh, well, hopefully useful too.

Originally Posted by ElectricGypsy 1. How many suitcases did you end up bringing? We went COO (carry-on only), and bought a suitcase to take home with us. Actually, the first time, since my mother was along, we had one checked bag on the way out. But I'd definitely recommend buying what you need there and... more

China Daily reports on an unusual new angle for domestic adoptions in China.

Picture your S.W.I. being run like American Idol....

A well-educated retired couple in Wuhan want to adopt a daughter.

Nothing wrong with that, except that they want a grown-up and well-educated woman and their criteria are as tough as those, as many people say, for the "Super Girls" competition.

The elderly couple want their adopted daughter to be between 25 and 40, with a college or higher degree, but without living parents. She should be... more

(On the continued usefulness of early childhood bonding techniques.)

So, son (son!) seems to have gone through one of those developmental leaps that young children go through. Those faithful readers who have already had the pleasure of raising toddlers know of which I speak -- developmental milestones don't seem to be gradually acquired (like, learning a new word every week), but come in fits and starts (like, nothing for months and then five new words in a weekend). Unfortunately for us, this latest leap hasn't... more

In the news, stories (and a few feisty editorial pieces) about the new adoption regulations continue to pour off the presses (sorry for that mixed metaphor, but it's Monday morning). They're starting to show signs of changing attitudes, or maybe refocused attitudes, like so:

"I call it the single-fat-depressed... more

Avon, Mary Kay and Amway distributors are breathing a collective sigh of relief. China's doors are no longer barred to salesmen.

Yep, the world's second-oldest profession is once again unleashed into Chinese society.

EIGHT years after banning door-to-door sales for wreaking social turmoil, China is reopening its doors to the Avon lady and her rivals from Amway and Mary Kay.

Hundreds of thousands of Chinese - women and men - are beginning to hit the streets and the online world to plug the latest face cream and lip balm... more

Back here, I quoted some stuff about attachment issues and the unreal expectations that some parents-to-be might have about that precious angel staring out of the referral photos.

I don't think I or My Perspicacious Spouse had any illusions about what we were embarking on at the outset of this -- she's a social worker, after all, so we had all that literature -- but still, there were things that might have clubbed us over the head with Daughter had we not been waiting for them to sneak up behind us in the long grass of parenthood. So, here, personal experiences of attachment issues (which... more

The Rumor Queen takes time out from chasing down referral rumors to talk about important things. Things to expect when, you know, the dream actually becomes reality and a prim Chinese woman places a squalling infant in your arms and you sign a piece of paper saying, "O.K. -- your problem now!"

My big girl was terrified of being alone. Even today, unless she is asleep she is rarely in a room by herself. But when we were first home with her, before I went back to work, this meant she and I were together 24 hours a day, every single day (she slept in our room, too, back then). Once my... more

Madonna, you are not helping. Are you?

From the Toronto Star:

As for the charge that she is using and abusing her wealth and power to procure a baby, one might point out that: a) there has been no proof she greased official palms to get the kid; b) if she adopted the baby and left town without donating money to children's causes in her new son's home town, there'd be... more

I'm reprinting this post with the permission of the author, who is the director of an adoption agency.

It struck me as both heartfelt and important.

Dear Families, I will address some of the questions posed by members of this list at a later time. Right now I feel an urgent need to address a concern that has many people at a point of despair, myself included. Within the last few weeks, two of our Waiting Child families have decided not to go through with their adoption plans after having already traveled to China and having already received the children they had intended to adopt. I can only imagine what trauma these two children... more

Is there anything Joyce Brothers isn't an authority on?

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/brothers/280509_joyce830.html

Here's a quiz on international adoption. If you're still in the "maybe we could do this" phase, it probably wouldn't hurt. The lead isn't what I'd think of as timely, but whatever.