Our guestblogger today is Dee Thompson, a paralegal and writer who lives in Atlanta. She adopted her daughter Alesia from Russia in 2004, at age 13 She had met Alesia when her choir sang at the orphanage in 2003. She adopted her son Michael from Kazakhstan in April 2007, when he was 10. [Dee wrote a book called Jack's New Family, to help Michael make the transition to an American family. It's in Russian and English. Available on Amazon.]. Michael was beaten by a gang of boys at age 5 and left to die. He lost his right hand due to frostbite. Both children are now healthy and happy. Dee writes a blog called “The Crab Chronicles,” to give the world a picture of her family and encourage people, by example, to adopt older kids. Her struggles are similar, yet different to most families who adopt older children from orphanages.  

I worry sometimes about my 17-year-old daughter Alesia [adopted from Russia at age 13] and school friends telling her things. She is still so naive, unsophisticated, and trusting. I've had to tell her over and over that when she turns 18 next year she will still have 2 years of high school and she will need to live here with us. Friends at school and possibly even some ignorant adults tell her things like "Oh when you're 18 you can do what you want. You'll be an adult." I just want to slap people like that because they do not understand.