Sperm Donation Google Ad vs Opinion Piece

I admit I don't read all the articles out there anymore regarding donor conception. For some reason I linked to the above opinion piece titled "Our Selfish Creation of Human Life" which was run back on August 5th in the Sydney Morning Herald. Certainly it was the article's title that drew me in. The intent and direction of the piece and the writer's position are quite evident from the get go.

What made me laugh was the placement of the Google Ad below the headline and before the article's text. Double click the image to enlarge it if you have to.

It may not be the same ad if you link through now but it will probably be on the same topic. I am sure the writer would have been disgusted by this placement as it works against the piece. Or maybe it doesn't. Getting paid $1,200 a month is nothing to laugh at but here I could do nothing else. I just found it very funny. Even though it is clearly not a subject to laugh it. I am sorry but I did anyway.

Hurricane Irene - Shared Connections and Concerns

In the past 12 hours I have been trading e-mails and Facebook posts with each mom to my children's two known half siblings. Nice feeling that we are all concerned about each other.

T apparently was hoping the hurricane would knock out power in their mid-Atlantic state so that she would get to use her flashlights. Z is out West so luckily his family did not have to deal with all this.

My own two kids had been set up to sleep in their mom's walk in closet but J felt to enclosed so he slept in the dining area of the living room to stay away from his bedroom windows. J laughed when he heard T wanted the power to go out. He did not want that as he wanted his TV.

My younger child lost her second big tooth during this storm. Supposedly the tooth fairy made an appearance at my old apartment (after I sent this image to their mom that we use to convey the congratulatory wishes of TF with today's "quarter dollar plus").

Lesbian Couple Removes Donor From Birth Certificate

Just read the linked story over on BioNews about an Australian court case where a lesbian couple after petitioning the court was able to remove the name of their [known] donor's name from the birth certificate of their child. I am not sure how I feel about this.

Here in NYS as I have stated numerous times I am recognized on the birth certs of my children as their natural parent. I can empathize with this couple wanting their names on the certificate but somethig here just bothers me as the child has an ongoing relationship with the donor.

Read the article and then come back here and let me know what you think.

Old Friends, New Friends

This morning when I dropped my kids off at camp I ran into an old friend whose child started at the camp last week. There are a lot of kids and they are broken up into different groups as most camps do so they all did not know each other before today.

What was interesting is I know this child's story and it's a typical single mom by choice / donor conception story. The three kid's have no idea how similar their stories are. They just see each other as normal kids which they are.

You're a Stranger

This morning my son crawled into my bed and I called my daughter to join us stating I wanted all my children in bed with me. My son then stated, out of the blue that I am not his biological dad and that I am a stranger. Now I know he as a 9 year old likes saying things at times to get a rise out of me. I stated that he is right that biologically I am not their dad but asked why he responded like this now. He stated it was my statement about "all my children".

It's amazing how a simple statement, despite it's truth, and how long I have been dealing with this, still hurts.

He stated something that he has been having conversations with his mom. I didn't quite get what he said was in those conversations and I will be asking her.

I asked him after we got out of bed what prompted this again and again he stated it was my "all my children" statement. I told him I loved him and although I love him very much the stranger statement still stung. He replied how do I know you're not lying. Here I know he is baiting me but still what makes kids say things you never know.

Definitely want to speak to their mom.

Update:

One thing I should make clear is that the kid's mom and I have always been in agreement in how we discuss the donor and my being the kid's dad. She and I actually spoke this morning and I know she has never nor woud she ever use words like stranger when discussing my relationship to the children.

I think my son, in his choice of the word stranger, was simply looking for a word to mean "not biological". He did ask me about the donor and I did not know what to say as we only know what we know from the profiles. We are all good now. Had a good trip to camp and drop off.