Welcome to Milkweed and Monarchs. I’m Dawn Klem, and today, I take you back to the early days of parenthood—when my husband Craig and I brought our daughters home from Romania and began the journey of adoption.

Adjusting to life as a family was filled with surprises, laughter, and plenty of learning curves. From navigating language barriers with a Romanian dictionary to figuring out meals that felt familiar yet new, every day brought a new challenge. The girls’ excitement for school, their fascination with cereal, and their insistence on wearing patent leather shoes in the snow made for unforgettable moments.

This episode is about adaptation—how we learned to embrace the unexpected, how the girls found their place in a new country, and how small moments, like singing Yankee Doodle Dandy in the driveway, became cherished memories.

Join me as I reflect on those first few months, the lessons we learned, and the joy of building a family through love, patience, and a whole lot of humor.