“Being a foster sibling comes with more than just being an ordinary sibling. You are welcoming a human who you have no relation to. You want to welcome them with open arms but you are constantly wondering how they feel or what they have been through… Read More »Foster Siblings
“See Me.” (published with permission by the youth) See ME. Look at ME. See my curls, my freckles, my beautiful, blue, questioning eyes. Look past the straight face, wary glances, backwards hugs and flinches. See me. Shoulders forward, head down. See that I don’t want… Read More »See Me
Foster care. It looks different than people think or imagine. It is different ages, different stages, different stories, different caregivers, different endings. It is babies, toddlers, elementary aged, teenagers, and young adults. It is cousins, siblings, grandparents, teachers, aunts, uncles and friends. It is social… Read More »Foster Care looks like…
Community Impact Recently, a foster youth moved into my home. The next day, I took them to Our Village Closet to begin to assemble a basic wardrobe. On the ride over, they were quiet. As we entered the clothes shop area, I saw a look… Read More »Fostering Connection through Fashion!
I knew I wanted to post about #SuicidePrevention and awareness today, but didn’t realize how it would come about. I had some infographics in my notes to share. I had some statistics. Yet the day moved along with still no post. Then Dominique and I… Read More »The Hard Question
Ambiguous loss- a feeling of grief or distress combined with confusion about the lost person or relationship. This is my son. This is her son. I knew…when I met him for the first time, that I wasn’t his first mom. But I could feel I… Read More »Nate’s Journey with Ambiguous Loss & Grief
(*We use self-care and intentional well-being to mean the same thing) It is Wednesday…so this post will be about intentionally taking care of YOURself. YOU. Why do we make this a recurring theme? If you attend any Resource Family Training, you will hear it there… Read More »Wellness Wednesday
Published by Amanda Mueller Kitchens · April 29, 2020 · Today is Lyla Joy’s Judge Day Anniversary! Tonight we have ketchup with hot dogs and lots of ice cream!! Just like with Gracie Girl last week, we celebrate resilience, enduring love, family AND remember belly families while honoring the ambiguous grief… Read More »Judge Day
Published by Amanda Mueller Kitchens · September 9, 2019 · Two more sleeps. Two. Two women. One boy. She gave him life. I now help him live it, watch him face it, guard him as he grows. She gave him his blue eyes and freckles. I get to see those eyes… Read More »Two Sleeps
Published by Amanda Mueller Kitchens · February 15, 2019 · We celebrated the birthdays of 2 Littles in our home this week. As always, I become reflective leading up to and on the day of a birthday…wondering about belly moms and belly dads- how they feel, what they may be thinking… Read More »Two Birthdays, Three Mothers
