We can be reached at mabec1@hotmail.com or 647-889-3419 (please call collect). Contact our adoption practitioners: Michael Blugerman (Toronto) mjblug@total.net or 1-800-290-2931; Tina McCann (Markham) tinamccann@sympatico.ca or 1-800-250-2251; Jennie Painter (Kingston) jennie@openadoption.ca or 1-866-255-4855.

We have so much to offer you and your child. We can provide a home that’s filled with love, laughter, security and strong family values. It’s a home where a child will have two devoted parents and an incredible big brother with plenty of toys to share. Your child would be guaranteed to have a sibling and best friend throughout their life who is also adopted.

Hello!

Thank you for taking the time to read our profile. Although we can’t imagine how difficult a time this must be for you, we know that you want the best for your baby. We hope that these words and pictures give you a glimpse of who we are and the kind of life we can offer your baby. We adopted our first child, a beautiful boy, in April 2005 and we’re excited about the prospect of becoming adoptive parents once again.

We have so much to offer you and your child. We can provide a home that’s filled with love, laughter, security and strong family values. It’s a home where a child will have two devoted parents and an incredible big brother with plenty of toys to share (though Janice’s shopping habits are sure to result in new toys too!). Your child would be guaranteed to have a sibling and best friend throughout their life who is also adopted.

So please allow us to tell you a bit about ourselves--Janice, Moe and Benjamin--and if you can see yourself taking this life-long journey with us, we’d love to hear from you.

Together…
We met on a blind date almost 10 years ago and have been married for eight years. We love camping, bike riding, playing backgammon, reading, listening to music, walking and traveling. In the summer, we spend several weekends with our families at a cottage.  In the winter we enjoy a warm getaway at our family’s condo in Florida. We like to entertain friends and family as often as possible. Our nieces, nephews and friends’ children love to play in our backyard and jump on our inflatable bouncy castle. We are a great team, too. Jan cooks, Moe cleans the dishes. Jan paints and squishes playdough with Benjamin while Moe plays soccer and works in the garden with him.

Janice’s Turn to Speak…
I have two of the greatest jobs in the world: mom and teacher. I currently teach ESL and a specialized reading program to struggling grade one readers. As a mom and teacher, I think instilling a sense of self-confidence is one of the most important skills I can impart.

I am very close with my family (my mom is my best friend and was even my matron of honour) and have a great group of friends, who are an extension of my family. My brother has been married for two years and they are expecting their first child in November! They live close by and we’re excited to raise our kids together. Moe and I both grew up in very close, happy families. We want our children to have the same kind of upbringing, surrounded by love and support.

Moe is the kindest person I know. He is the first person to help his family, friends and even worms! Yes, he moves worms off the sidewalk so they don’t get stepped on. He cares for bigger creatures, too, and has returned lost dogs to their owners countless times. He has an old-fashioned charm that never fails to win people over. Best of all, he makes people laugh. When Moe pulled out pictures of his nieces on our first date, I knew he was a family man.  He’s an incredible husband, father and uncle who makes every minute with kids count. Benjamin and I are lucky to have him in our lives.

Moe’s Turn to Speak…
I am the youngest of three children and we live very close to each other in Toronto.  My brother has seven children (this is not a typo!) and my sister has three.  As you can imagine, our family get-togethers are quite an event! Around the table you will hear up to four languages spoken at any given time--Spanish, Hebrew, French and English.

I graduated from university with an MBA and I work as a consultant at a great company where my hours are flexible, which is great for raising a family. In my spare time I enjoy playing guitar, reading, listening to music and fixing things around the house.  Every year I go on a canoe trip with my closest friends. Most of us have been friends since we were in Grade one and are now raising our children together. I hope to one day take my kids on similar trips and share with them the beauty of the outdoors. 

When you meet Janice you’re immediately greeted by a huge smile that makes you feel welcome. Janice is a giving and caring person who values helping out in the community. She volunteered as a “buddy” for a person with AIDS and walked in the 60 km Weekend to End Breast Cancer to honour her friend’s mother who passed away many years ago. She is a creative person who loves scrapbooking, decorating and cooking.  She is always laughing, singing, playing and dancing with Benjamin. My love for Janice grows with every stage of our relationship. She is the best mom and teacher. Benjamin and I are lucky. I’ve never seen a more devoted mother.

Benjamin
Benjamin is a happy, friendly two year old who smiles and flirts with everyone he meets. He has an infectious laugh and outgoing personality. He loves swimming, going on hikes, reading, singing and dancing, and boy, does he love to eat! We’re fascinated by his curiosity and we love exploring with him. As a family, we love being outdoors. Last summer we went camping and spent several weekends playing in the sand at various cottages. We jump in puddles, follow the trails of worms and ants, blow bubbles, bake cookies, and explore at the Science Centre and nearby parks, zoos, and festivals that Toronto has to offer. Of course all these activities will be even twice as fun with another child!

We tell Benjamin his special story often and we are fortunate to have a great relationship with his birth parents. In fact, we chose Samuel as Benjamin’s middle name to honour his birth mother, Samantha. This way Benjamin will always have a connection to her. We have a warm and open relationship with Samantha, and, in addition to exchanging emails and pictures we continue to get together with her regularly. Initially, it was too difficult for Samantha to connect with us, but as her heart healed she became part of our family. We exchange emails with Benjamin’s birth father too and look forward to a time when he is ready to see Benjamin again. We would like to offer you the same respect, and we would look forward to getting to know you better too.

Our Home
We bought our house in Toronto six years ago. It’s a cozy home in a great neighborhood that’s filled with young children, top schools and many parks. It’s not a mansion but it’s comfortable, inviting and big enough. We have an awesome playroom painted in vibrant colours, stocked with all kinds of toys, activities and crafts. 

When we sit in our backyard in the summer, it sometimes feels like we’re at a cottage because we are surrounded by mature trees, birds and squirrels. Apples, pears, plums and cherries fall from the trees in our yard.  We enjoyed planting carrots and tomatoes with Benjamin this summer and watching them grow. Luckily we don’t count on picking our fruit to survive, and the grocery store is right around the corner!

Our Values
Janice teaches her students a simple rule that we think is relevant to our lives. “Respect people, property, learning and nature.” Everything we do in our lives reflects this simple statement. Whether we’re shoveling our elderly neighbour’s driveway, donating Christmas presents to a womens’ shelter, being there for friends in need, appreciating nature or returning lost dogs to their owners, respect is the common thread. 

On the lighter side, nothing is more important to us than having fun as a family, learning and laughing together. Our love for the outdoors is a huge part of who we are and drives what we do as a family. We believe in giving children everything that they need: love, respect, feelings of importance and self-worth, security, support, education, laughter and the opportunities to become the best people that they could possibly be. Children will always come first in our lives.

Our commitment to you
We consider Benjamin’s birth parents as part of our family and we would hope to have a similar relationship with you whenever you are ready. Perhaps knowing your baby will grow up in  a warm and caring home with a sibling who is also adopted, and with everything to make them safe and happy will give you comfort in this difficult time. We hope you will consider giving us the privilege of being parents to your child, and we promise to always do everything we can to deserve that trust.

Sincerely,
Janice, Moe and Benjamin