Add Water And Stir: Women Of Color | Adoption | Foster Care | Parenting

ABM is joined by guest host & foster mom Cristi and Michelle Hughes to discuss the immigration crisis that has resulted in nearly 3,000 children being separated from their parents after arriving at the southern US border. This crisis is especially triggering across the adoption community due to questions about legal status, childhood trauma, and family separation.  Like the AWAS Facebook page & follow us on Twitter! 

We know, we know! Add Water and Stir has been idle for more six months as Mimi and ABM have been out raising kids, starting businesses, doing research and in short living their best, and sometimes, stretched lives. On this episode of the show, the ladies get together to catch up and discuss a change that’s been a year in the making: Mimi is leaving the show. 

Randall and Beth welcome Deja to the family, and the sweet girl is understandably overwhelmed by all the upheaval in her life. Kevin has serious daddy issues, but Sly Stallone probably wishes he dealt with that on his own time. Rebecca would love to her and Jack to have some sexy times…but Jack isn’t down with that just yet. Annie and Tess prove to be the Pearson’s best version of a welcome wagon. Be sure to also check out our Twitter Storify! Mimi and ABM from the Add Water and Stir Podcast recap NBC’s hit series, “This Is Us” with added commentary about race, class, privilege,  adoption and a bit of humor.  Join the conversation on our Facebook page and check out our entire podcast catalog at addwaterandstirpodcast.com.

So, why didn’t Kate and Kevin call Randall for their birthday? And why didn’t someone tell Kevin that his Mr. T isn’t exactly a real talent? Randall’s name becomes a verb this week, but Toby is the true champ for being Team Kate FOR-EVA! Check out this our recap for Season 2, Episode 2, “A Manny-Splendored Thing.” Be sure to also check out our Twitter Storify! Mimi and ABM from the Add Water and Stir Podcast recap NBC’s hit series, “This Is Us” with added commentary about race, class, privilege,  adoption and a bit of humor.  Join the conversation on our Facebook page and check out our entire podcast catalog at addwaterandstirpodcast.com.

Were Kate's excessive accessories the REAL reason why she tanked the audition? Do Beth and Randall have a hidden nanny that cooks, cleans and braids hair so they BOTH can go running in the morning? What's Kevin's storyline? Is Rebecca 'ride-or-die' or what?  Seriously though...are y'all just as geeked as we are the new storylines.  We are looking forward to seeing black people adopting AND adopting an older child. Mimi and ABM from the Add Water and Stir Podcast recap NBC’s hit series, “This Is Us” with added commentary about race, class, privilege,  adoption and a bit of humor.  Join the conversation on our Facebook page and check out our entire podcast catalog at addwaterandstirpodcast.com.

Is Beth the best wife ever? Who knew Paper Boi could sing? Do black men quote Oprah IRL?  Are we all mad at Rebecca for keeping Randall and William apart?  Did someone call Jesse? Who will sign our petition if they don't get an Emmy nod for this episode?   Mimi and ABM from the Add Water and Stir Podcast recap NBC’s hit series, “This Is Us” with added commentary about race, class, privilege,  adoption and a bit of humor.  Join the conversation on our Facebook page and check out our entire podcast catalog at addwaterandstirpodcast.com.

February is Black History Month in the United States, and this is a month when the hosts really go hard on raising awareness about the contributions of African-American and black Americans with their children.  ABM and Mimi discuss how if families are talking about the contributions of diverse historical figures all the time, then the need to compensate during awareness months is less. Black history, as well as diversity contributions from all people of color, should be integrated into family life every day. The third week of February is National Random Act of Kindness Week. The hosts discuss how observing this awareness week provides a nice opportunity to teach their children to be kind to each other. Let’s start a wave of kindful acts. days when they chuckled about Cissy Houston side-eyeing Aretha Franklin. Mimi and ABM conclude the show with a big announcement: Add Water and Stir will be sunsetting at the end of February.  The archives will still be available as will the Facebook page and Twitter feed. The

Will Kate and Toby's long engagement work out? Can a married person go on tour with someone that has seen them naked?Is Jack's lonely drink at O'Shannon's his final one? Will Randall get an Emmy nod for dropping that "Glory" tear AT WORK? Do we like Kevin now - I mean, we kind of have to, right?  Once again, where the heck is Beth going? Mimi and ABM from the Add Water and Stir Podcast recap NBC's hit series, "This Is Us" with added commentary about race, class, privilege,  adoption and a bit of humor.  Join the conversation on our Facebook page and check out our entire podcast catalog at addwaterandstirpodcast.com

Is Kevin a Facebook stalker? Does Kate slide into Duke's DMs aka Cabin 13? Can Toby be any more annoying? Did Jack clean the bathroom before their special date? Is Randall going to have to choke a b**** at work a la Wayne Brady?  Can Beth possibly be more awesome?   Mimi and ABM from the Add Water and Stir Podcast recap NBC's hit series, "This Is Us" with added commentary about race, class, privilege,  adoption and a bit of humor.  Join the conversation on our Facebook page and check out our entire podcast catalog at addwaterandstirpodcast.com.

After several emotional attempts, Mimi and ABM have a serious chat about the Trump Effect and its relative impact on daily life for parents raising children of color. Mimi and ABM talk about the rise in hate crimes, how to help your children deal with the negative narratives, how changes in health care policy might impact foster and adopted children, and share a bit about their own experiences these last few months. Find show notes at www.addwaterandstirpodcast.com; Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/AWASPod; Tweet Us @AWASPod  

Did Kevin fool you too by leaving both Sloane and Olivia in the dust? Why doesn't Randall have any friends...is it 'racial'? Were Jack and Rebecca wrong for letting Kevin keep all the kids at his party, leaving Kate to sob alone?  Where did William get the money for all these new clothes?  Is Duke a fat camp predator, preying on thick chicks in their most vulnerable state? Most importantly, where the heck was Beth going? Mimi and ABM from the Add Water and Stir Podcast recap NBC's hit series, "This Is Us" with added commentary about race, class, privilege,  adoption and a bit of humor.  Join the conversation on our Facebook page and check out our entire podcast catalog at addwaterandstirpodcast.com.

Who is the heck is Fireman Joe and why should we care? Did Rebecca really duct tape flip-flops to her feet?  Will Nancy's elderly bed head hair entice Dr. K over for a Netflix and chill session?  Is the newborn baby Randall a "magical negro" or perhaps Moses in the Exodus story?   Did we really need this episode? Mimi and ABM from the Add Water and Stir Podcast recap NBC's hit series, "This Is Us" with added commentary about race, class, privilege,  adoption and a bit of humor.  Join the conversation on our Facebook page and check out our entire podcast catalog at addwaterandstirpodcast.com.

Does Jack really sign papers for housing TWICE without his wife's input? Is Olivia's new blonde wig enough to convince Kevin to dump Sloane? Can Toby stop talking about sex for ONE minute? Is William's boo Jesse going to be the next person to move in Randall's house? Mimi and ABM from the Add Water and Stir Podcast recap NBC's hit series, "This Is Us" with added commentary about race, class, privilege,  adoption and a bit of humor.  Join the conversation on our Facebook page and check out our entire podcast catalog at addwaterandstirpodcast.com.

Our first show is a recap of the first half of the series, episodes 1-10. While there are multiple story lines, we focus mainly on Randall, a transracial adoptee, and how meeting his birth father impacts the entire family. Mimi and ABM from the Add Water and Stir Podcast recap NBC's hit series, "This Is Us" with added commentary about race, class, privilege, adoption and a bit of humor.  Join the conversation on our Facebook page and check out our entire podcast catalog at addwaterandstirpodcast.com.  Tweet us @AWASPod.

On the first episode of 2017, Mimi and ABM return from their holiday break to discuss what’s in store for their families for the year. The ladies shied away from setting New Year’s resolutions due to the poor success rates associated with keeping those resolutions. Instead, ABM and Mimi set larger goals for their families for 2017. They discuss their family plans for the year, and note the differences in their family goals based on the ages of Hope and Nana. Spoiler alert--both families have goals related to weekend activities, but they could not be more different! During the show’s second segment, ABM and Mimi dish about all the plans they have for Add Water and Stir for 2017! There will be a new podcast website, more interviews on topics you want to hear about, guest blogging opportunities, and the return of quarterly live shows! There will also be new show segments and lots of great content on the Add Water and Stir page on Facebook. The ladies hope to make Add Water and Stir your primary source of informa

On this episode of Add Water and Stir, Mimi and ABM take some time to reflect on the 18 episodes of the podcast they published in 2016. They talk about the challenging topics like adoption disruption as well as the warm and fuzzy shows like the one with Sammie from the blog, Chronicles of a Non-Belly Mama. They also chat about what’s in store for 2017. Find show notes at www.addwaterandstirpodcast.com; Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/AWASPod; Tweet Us @AWASPod

This episode is a replay of Episode 033: Hope Shares Her Script, which is a great opportunity to hear a young adoptee talk about her time in foster care and the process of being adopted.  You get to hear Hope share what we should know about children in foster care as well as her advice and encouragement to kids who need loving homes. Find show notes at www.addwaterandstirpodcast.com; Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/AWASPod; Tweet Us @AWASPod

On this episode of Add Water and Stir, Mimi and ABM commemorate National Adoption Awareness Month in the US.  Rather than making the special episode adoptive parent-centric, the ladies were fortunate to have several adoptees who were willing to share their stories.  So, they yielded the floor to these courageous guests. ABM and Mimi would like to thank our guests for participating in this episode and sharing their experiences with us.  We have additional material from some of our guests and we hope to bring more of their voices to our listeners at a later date.     Find show notes at www.addwaterandstirpodcast.com; Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/AWASPod; Tweet Us @AWASPod

On this episode of Add Water and Stir, Mimi and ABM get back to basics by catching up on a few adoption and diversity topics. The ladies gave themselves 5 minutes to dive into 4 topics. ABM explores the abortion vs. adoption debate as well as suggests that the word “orphan” may be overused in adoption circles. Mimi tackles diversity in movies and TV through the lens of Tim Burton’s Miss Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children and Netflix’s Luke Cage. She questions whether there is such a thing as too much, too little or just right? The ladies round out their topic discussion by providing some Add Water guidance on avoiding cultural appropriation in Halloween costumes. During the Wind Down the ladies chat about what they’re watching on TV and things quickly devolve into a hall pass “dibs” feud over actor Mahershala Ali. Since it’s election season, they decided to put it to a vote: Who gets to call dibs on Mahershala Ali? Cast YOUR early vote at www.addwaterandstirpodcast.com Find show notes at www.addwater

On this episode of Add Water and Stir, Mimi and ABM welcome the author of the blog, The Chronicles of a Non-Belly Mama, Sammie Mendez. Sammie is married with four children, one via foster to adoption and three via pregnancies by both she and her wife. They chat about interracial relationships, transracial adoption, assisted reproduction, you name it, they dish. You’ll love Sammie’s positive energy and fun-loving approach to life and family! The ladies forgo the Wind Down as the mourn the recent deaths of Terrance Crutcher and Keith Scott, both killed by police the week of recording. They round out the episode with a few recommendations and shoutouts. Find show notes at www.addwaterandstirpodcast.com; Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/AWASPod; Tweet Us @AWASPod