Today's high in Novosibirsk was 47° Fahrenheit, with an overnight low of 36°. Pretty balmy by Siberian standards, especially when you consider that, in January, Novosibirsk's average high is 9° and its low is -1°.

Why the weather report? Well as it happens, some prospective adoptive parents are just back from a long-awaited trip one to Novosibirsk, and one of them has done something really cool about Russian winter weather.

Steve and his wife Stefanie, like many of you, live year-round in a city that doesn't get harsh winters. But they are adopting from a region... more

Now that larger numbers of people are going to be traveling again, I thought I'd better circle back to the practical stuff. I've given you my tips for trip one and my thoughts on what to do when you meet your child for the first time. Your second trip will have its own challenges, though, so I thought it might help to pass on what I did then as well.

First up: How... more

You might remember that, about a month ago, I told you there were going to be some changes in the way the U.S. Embassy in Moscow processes visas for the children we adopt. Changes that add more time--at least 24 hours--to your wait in Moscow. Changes that add another night of hotel costs in what is the world's most expensive city for expatriate living.

Those changes... more

Many of the longstanding blogs about adopting from Russia have been, understandably, very quiet in the last few months. But even as we all wait for word from Moscow on the re-accreditation (Andrei Aleksandrovich, if you are reading, please give everyone in the Ministry of Education the "hurry up" sign), a handful of parents are beginning their adoption journeys. I'd like to introduce you to some of them today.

First up are Troy and Rachel at "Journey With The Williams Family". I found them... more

In the general scheme of things, and given the current state of the adoption process in Russia, this is only a minor annoyance. But I want to make sure those of you who are traveling or will be traveling soon are up to date.

This morning, the U.S. Embassy in Moscow posted a notice on its Web site that it will need more time to process adoption exit visas. As of June 18, the standard processing time will be at least two business days instead of one. Why?... more

I wrote a while back that Moscow's subway system is one of the top five things to see when you are visiting Russia's capital city on your adoption journey. But mass transit can be an odd experience for us car-crazy Americans. So I thought I'd take a minute today to look at how to ride the Moscow Metro and the city's trams.

First, some background. While the London Underground has far more kilometers of track (408 to Moscow's... more

I would love to say that, while I was waiting for my second adoption from Russia to finally happen, I waited with grace. I didn't. I ranted, I raved, I ripped out old bushes and an old patio.

Maybe that's what some of you are doing now as you wait for Moscow to get the accreditations moving again. This slowdown has seemed more nerve-wracking than the one I went through in 2005. But as I was working on another assignment last night, I was reminded of the calming, and inspirational power of an image. Of how looking at the right picture can mentally... more

When I was researching Saturday's post about The Frog Princess, I got a rude awakening to just how much things have changed in Russia since my first adoption: I checked up on the Hotel Vladivostok, only to discover that its top rooms now go for more than $300 a night!

In December 1999, my room at the Hotel Vladivostok was $33 a night. It was small, with space only for a bed, a portable crib and a small television whose sole English-language... more

If you read the mainstream press, you'd come away with the idea that Russia has shut its doors to adoption. As I've said before, it hasn't, and if you want proof you need look no further than the posts and blogs about the referrals, trips and court dates that prospective parents are getting right now. Yes, right now.

Before you jump to the conclusion that something nefarious is going on, remember this: While the accreditations of adoption agencies... more

As a single, working mom of two, I have a long to-do list of things that don't get done.

But when I was working on a reorganization of the basement the other day, I came across the box of materials I had put aside for my younger son's life book. There was the journal I kept during my two trips to Sakhalin Island in 2005, and copies of all the e-mails I had sent or received while I was away. There were photos, but I am not the world's best with a camera and most of the time during my trips I was playing with my son, not taking his... more