Published by Dominique Soileau  · January 15  ·  Ambiguous grief has laid its heavy cloud on my household this week. For those who are not familiar with the term, ambiguous grief is the loss of someone who is alive yet unreachable and is a very familiar emotion with those in… Read More »Ambiguous Grief…

Published by Dominique Soileau  · June 2, 2020  ·  During this current uncertainty, pain and general suffering of so many around us, I want to take a moment to congratulate this amazing miss. The past 19 years of raising you has taught me about healing families, both those formed by blood,… Read More »My Taki Girl

Published by Dominique Soileau  · May 10, 2020  ·  Some people think foster care is about brokenness. Broken families, broken children, broken system. I want to tell you what it’s really about. HEALING. Healing families, healing relationships, healing support networks. I have only been doing foster care for close to a… Read More »20 Mother’s Days

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 Dominique Soileau  · February 16, 2020  ·  Brave Love…What is this messy beautiful brave love we talk about at Village Closet? Brave Love is the mother kissing her newborn at the hospital, preparing to send him home with a stranger. Brave Love is the grandmother sewing quilts for each… Read More »Brave love

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 Dominique Soileau  · July 15, 2019  ·  “I will not let you fall.” Six simple words whispered with the conviction only a three year old can possess, meant for the ears of his younger sibling. Childhood developmental trauma is something brutal. Daily battles with unrelenting fears and chaotic minds… Read More »I Will Not Let You Fall

Published by Dominique Soileau  · April 30, 2019  ·  Thank you Brandy for sharing this with us. Brandy is a kinship provider who stepped up for a child in need. 3 years ago I met this beautiful, special, gentle, innocent soul at CPS for an Icebreaker meeting between his Foster Mom,… Read More »Guest Post

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

Published by Amanda Mueller Kitchens  · December 20, 2018  ·  The pages of Dominique’s story and mine intertwined while sitting around a table at a foster care support group. Like Dominique, my journey to this point started a little over seven years ago, when my husband and I became what is… Read More »Stuff. More Stuff