Hello from Bobbie & Henry,
Thank you for considering us as adoptive parents. We recognize that you are facing a difficult decision and we want to provide you with as much information about ourselves. We are very excited about expanding our family. We have a son, Joshua, who will be a great big brother and has asked, more than once, when will he get a baby! We will cherish a child forever and provide him or her with the brightest future possible.
We have, already, been touched by adoption in a couple of ways. Bobbie was adopted and has always felt nothing but gratitude that her biological mother made the right decision about her future. Fast forward three decades later, Bobbie became pregnant and the biological father was adamantly against having the child. Henry (who at the time was just a friend) ended up being by my side the entire way, we fell in love and Henry has just adopted Joshua.
About Us
Henry and I met the 'new-fashioned' way, online! Much later we both found out that our first impressions of each other were just ok, but we ended up having another date anyway. While we dated for a few months we hadn't made any commitments to each other or said the "L" word. One day I told him I was pregnant with another man's child and without hesitation he said he would adopt the child! The cliché about opposites attract is very true about us. We once went to a baseball game together and he was rooting for the A's while I was cheering for the Yankees! He is very patient, calm and has a great sense of humor. I'm full of energy and always want to observe and explore the world. Henry, however, is always up for trying one of my suggestions because he is very intelligent. We enjoy travelling and I love the beach. Henry took me to Cape May for a weekend with no kids and proposed the night of my birthday. I noticed early on that we made a great team so I thought it was a wonderful idea to blend families.
A little about Bobbie
I grew up in New York and I feel that my parents did a wonderful job raising me. I grew up as an only child and while I did have many friends, I always new that I wanted a big family. I never felt like I wasn't their child or was lacking something because I was adopted. After college I worked as a stage manager for awhile. I think I'd like to go back to school at some point but I haven't decided yet what I want to study. I am a stay-at-home mom and I feel very lucky that I can be around my child so much. I love the performing and visual arts and Josh just saw his first play and told me he wanted to see the other plays. I also enjoy traveling, reading and knitting.
Since my parents are in New York and I don't have siblings I wanted to create my own 'extended' family. Close to three years ago I started a babysitting coop in my neighborhood. We have gotten to know a wonderful bunch of families and we all help each other watch the kids. While I am Jewish, I am not very religious. Josh attended a Jewish preschool because I wanted him to be introduced to the culture, wonderful songs, foods and holidays. Some of the parents of Josh's friends have become our close friends. We just had a fun 2 day sleepover in Santa Cruz with another family. I thought Lindsay and Andrew would be bored hanging around the little ones but we all had a wonderful time.
A little about Henry
I'm the eldest of three children. I am originally from the Seychelles Islands, a small group of islands in the Indian Ocean. My family moved to the Florida when I was ten. I recently returned for a two-week vacation for a family reunion. Ethnically, I am a mix of French, Irish, English and Chinese. I was raised Catholic, but I'm not especially religious. For some reason though I still love visiting old cathedrals and churches. I am an economist by profession. I worked for banks in New York for fifteen years before starting my own consulting business and moved to the west coast in 2005. This allowed me to be close to my two older children who live with their mother in Contra Costa County. I am one of those people who likes numbers. That works well since I am an economist. I also like baseball in part because of all the statistics involved.
Our family
Joshua is six and is going into first grade. He is very social and active. He loves swimming and gymnastics. He, also, really loves babies and younger children. It is amazing how he reins in his boisterous energy and pats and coos over little ones. We have been talking about all the different ways families are formed and I believe he is starting to understand the concept of adoption.
Henry has two children from his first marriage and he is an amazing parent! Although they live with their mother, they have been a part of Joshua's life since day one. Lindsay is now 16, and is a straight A (already quite the perfectionist) student. She plays the oboe, sails and has her Dad's sarcastic sense of humor. Joshua is in love with Lindsay because she is so patient with him and lets him win. Andrew is 12. He is, also, a very good student but has more enthusiasm for memorizing baseball statistics. He plays soccer and baseball and is learning the guitar. He can play rough and tumble with Joshua but never lets him win. Going through divorce can be very hard on children but because Henry has continued to be a very involved parent, they have adjusted very well.
It's great that the kids have at least one Grand Mom and Aunt nearby. Last thanksgiving my parents flew in and Henry's brother and partner were also in town. We all went to Grandma Lys's house and I even said it was ok to invite his ex-wife and her partner so all three kids could be together for the holiday. It's a lot of fun to be able to have the entire family at the same time. We even travel together. Last summer we were a group of 9 and we spent 2 weeks together in the Seychelles.
Our thoughts about parenting
Our parenting style is pretty easy-going. We believe in setting a good example and exposing children to as many different experiences as possible. Our theory is that if they are exposed to many different aspects of the world they will find something that really excites. We think the luckiest people are the ones who are able to make a living doing something they truly enjoy and from which they get a sense of fulfillment.
Now that Josh is six he's ready to do some household chores, to learn that everyone is expected to help out. I am trying to find an opportunity for him to volunteer with me somewhere in the community. We want him to grow up understanding that responsibility, both on a personal and community basis is an important character trait. We will encourage a child to explore their personal interests whatever they may be.
Our Home
We live in Oakland, close to San Francisco. We feel fortunate to have a large home with a nice big backyard so the children have a lot of room to play. Sadie, Ming-Ming and Padme (an 9 month old kitten), our three cats, are also a special part of the family. Josh now attends a great public elementary school with a diverse student population just a few minutes away from our home. We're pretty lucky to be surrounded by some fun parks, Frog Park has this great big castle like structure to climb and hide in and we just discovered another nearby park that has a huge climbing structure. San Francisco is just a few stops away by BART (a subway system) and we go there at least once a month to explore. We have a membership of the California Academy of Science which is part aquarium, part rain forest and part museum of natural history. It will take us many years to explore all the interesting and fun places in the bay area.
Thank you for allowing us to introduce ourselves to you. We are excited about the opportunity to have our family grow through adoption. We believe that adoption can be a positive experience for every one involved and we look forward to sharing with you our hopes of an open adoption. To learn more about us, please feel free to visit our website at http://www.bobbieandhenryadopt.com/. Please also feel free to call us on our toll free number, 1-888-347-1156 or email us at: BobbieandHenryadopt@gmail.com. Or you can call our friendly lawyer, Susan Romer at 1-800-823-6788 (1.800.U.ADOPT.US) or email her at adamsromer@aol.com.
Warmly,
Bobbie & Henry
