♪ ♪ There's a world ♪ somewhere near ♪ ♪ A world we've come to know ♪ ♪ Your family and you ♪ can search for it too ♪ ♪ A place that will ♪ help us to grow ♪ ♪ There's a world ♪ somewhere near ♪ ♪ under beautiful skies ♪ ♪ You can find it and say ♪ on a bright, sunny day ♪ ♪ Under the Yellow Balloon ♪ ♪ Yes, ♪ Under the Yellow Balloon ♪ ♪ Diane> Bye bye.

Allison> See you tomorrow.

Diane> Allison, how do you like my new adopted baby?

You haven't said anything about it.

Allison> I think it's real nice.

See you later.

Diane> Bye.

Beatrice, it's time for us to be going home Tell Allison goodbye.

(Allison thinks) I wonder if she knows I'm adopted.

Allison> Mom!

I'm home.

Mom> We're in the den.

Allison> Hi, dad.

I didn't know you were home.

Dad> Have I got back in town early today, so I decided to come home to see you and mom.

Mom> Did you have a good day, dear?

Allison> Yes, ma'am Guess what Diane brought to school with her today.

Dad> A kitten.

Allison> No.

Mom> A kitten?

I don't think the teacher would be happy to have a kitten in class.

Well, what did Diane have?

Allison> She bought her new doll to school.

Dad> What's so unusual about a doll?

Allison> Oh, this is a special doll.

It was adopted.

Diane has adoption papers and everything for her new baby.

She said before they would let her have Beatrice Marie, she had to promise to be a good mommy.

Did you have to promise to be a good mommy before you adopted me?

Mom> I guess you could say I did because we wanted a baby so much.

Everyone knew we would do everything we could to be good parents.

Dad> Allison, did you tell Diane that you were adopted like her doll?

Allison> Oh, no.

I've never told anyone.

Dad> Why?

Allison> I don't know, I guess I didn't want to have to answer any questions about being adopted.

Dad> Allison, what do you really know about adoption?

Allison> What do I know about adoption?

Well... Mom> Allison, you know that daddy and I have always said that you were our special baby and that we're so happy you're our daughter.

Dad> When your mom and I were first married, we wanted to have lots of children, but the years went by and, well, we never had a baby.

Mom> The doctor said we'd never be able to have a child of our own, and we wanted one so much that we adopted one.

Allison> But what would I say if someone asked me about my real mother and father?

Dad> Allison, we are your mother and father.

We wanted to adopt a baby, and we had to wait a very long time before you came to live with us.

Mom> We don't know very much about your birth parents, except that they decided they couldn't take care of you, themselves.

Well, they let somebody else become your parents who could care for you and who would love you.

Dad> We were so excited when the adoption agency called us and told us that they had a baby girl for us.

We went to get you as soon as they called us.

You were just beautiful.

Mom> You know, you were only five days old when you came to live with us, and we've loved you just as much as we could have loved anybody.

Of course we've corrected you when you misbehaved.

We've given you food to eat, clothes to wear, a place to live.

We've taken care of you when you were sick.

We've brought you many things.

We've had a lot of good times together.

Dad> That's what made us a family.

We wanted a baby very badly.

And you became that baby.

Mom> You said Diane's doll was special because it was adopted.

Well, you're our special daughter because you were adopted too.

Allison> I know that, Mom.

I'm glad you and dad adopted me.

I just didn't know how to talk about it.

I don't want anyone to think that our family was different than theirs.

Mom> Every family is different in some way.

Dad> Say, when you came in from school, you were talking about Diane's doll.

Would you like to have one like that?

Allison> Can I?

She said they were real expensive, but they're all handmade and each one of them is different.

Dad> Well, they may be expensive, but we want you to see just how special it is to adopt a baby.

Mom> I'll go call Diane's mother and find out where they bought the doll.

♪ Not flesh of my flesh.

♪ ♪ Nor bone of my bone.

♪ ♪ But miraculously, ♪ mother you'll ♪ ♪ ♪ Never forget for a minute ♪ ♪ you were not born ♪ ♪ under my... ♪ ♪ Saleswoman>Oh, you're interested in adopting one of our babies?

Allison> Yes, ma'am.

A friend of mine has one of your dolls.

Saleswoman> Well, we don't call them dolls.

We call them little people.

Each one of our babies is made by hand, and no one looks exactly like the other.

Would you like to hold this one?

Allison> Yes, ma'am.

Saleswoman> Each baby comes with its own birth certificate.

And since they can't care for all the ones that they've made they put some of them up for adoption.

We require that all of our parents fill out official adoption papers, since an adoption is a big responsibility.

Each of our babies is made with great care, but it takes the love of an adopting parent to bring that baby to life.

Allison> Just like when a real baby is adopted?

Mom> That's right, Allison.

Dad> That's just what we were talking about earlier.

Saleswoman> So are you interested in adopting one of our babies?

Dad> We sure are.

Well, Allison which of the little people have you chosen to adopt?

Allison> Well, I like this one.

Dad> Then that's the one it'll be.

Saleswoman> I'm sure Stephanie Faye will love her new home.

Now, how should I make out the adoption papers?

Dad> Our daughter is adopting Stephanie Faye, so the name of the adopting parent is Allison Shaw.

Saleswoman> Adopting parent: Allison Shaw.

Teacher> Thank you, Mike.

Allison, I believe you're next.

Allison> This is Stephanie Faye I adopted her yesterday.

Here's her birth certificate and adoption papers.

Adoption is a special way to get a doll or a real baby.

I know, because I was adopted too.

Teacher> Thank you, Allison.

Adoption is certainly one of the special ways children become part of a family.

(school bell rings) It's recess time, but it's cold and wet outside, so we're going to have an inside recess.

(kids moan) You go choose what you'd like to do.

Mike> Allison, are you really adopted?

Allison> I sure am.

My mom and dad chose me to be their daughter, just like I chose Stephanie to be my doll.

Beth> Do you like being adopted?

Allison> Why wouldn't I?

You and Ann are twins.

Do you like being twins?

Beth> We don't know anything else.

Ann and I have always been twins.

We share everything, even our birthday.

I'm a little older than she is because I was born two minutes before Ann was.

Ann> Sometimes it's funny to have someone else look just like you do.

I start looking in a mirror.

Even though we're identical twins, there are some differences.

Beth's chin is longer than mine.

She also has more freckles on her nose than I do.

Beth> But Ann is a half inch taller than I am.

Mom never has any trouble telling us apart, especially when one of us has done something wrong.

Even with these differences, some people can't tell us apart.

Student> Hey Ann, you forgot your book.

Beth> I'm Beth.

I've got my book Ann> Thanks.

Beth> Sometimes we get tired of people asking us, which one we are.

we've played tricks on people and pretended we were the other twin, but it doesn't always work.

Once we changed places in class, and I did Ann's work and she didn't mind.

Ann> Yeah, but the teacher found out that we had traded places.

Beth> It's nice to have a sister the same age as you are.

There's always someone to play with even on rainy days.

Ann> But if you want to be alone, it's hard to find a place to be by yourself.

Beth> Mom used to dress us alike, but now we usually wear different clothes so people can tell us apart Ann> We're really two different people.

Even though we look alike.

We have to be ourselves even though we're twins.

Beth> I guess us being twins is just like you being adopted.

We don't know what another way of life would be like.

Joyce> It's not so bad when you don't know another way of life but when your family changes, it's hard to accept that things are different.

My mom and dad are divorced.

We were a happy family.

We used to go places and do things together.

I love them and they love me.

Then something happened.

Dad> I'm sick and tired of this nagging because it's driving me crazy.

Mom> I'm sick and tired of your never taking any responsibility around this house.

Dad>I'm just walking out.

Mom> Well, get out!

Mom> And if you do, don't ever come back.

Dad> You don't believe me, do you?

Mike> Mom and dad started disagreeing about everything all the time.

Then we stopped doing things together as a family.

One day they told me they were divorced, that they weren't married to each other any longer.

Dad> Your dad's not going to be living here anymore, Joyce.

Mom> But that doesn't mean that we don't both love you very much.

We just won't all live here in the house together.

Joyce> I was afraid that meant they had divorced me too.

But it didn't.

They both still love me.

But we don't live together as a family.

Dad> We think this is going to work out better.

Joyce> I live with mama, but I get to see daddy every other weekend.

We usually go wherever I want to go.

My family has changed.

I guess I really got two families now instead of one.

Student> My family has changed too.

but I don't get to see both of my parents.

My mom's dead.

She had been sick for a long time before she died.

At first, I thought she had gone away on a trip and would be back, but she couldn't come back.

I thought maybe it was something that I did that made mom die, but that's not true.

I know better now.

Dad and I miss her.

It just isn't the same at home.

Dad used to play ball with me before dinner.

But now he doesn't have time.

He has to cook for me, clean the house and do the laundry after he comes home from work.

I help him as much as I can.

I wish my family was the same as it used to be, but it can't.

My dad said maybe one day he'll find a new mom for us.

That doesn't mean I'll ever forget my real mom.

I'd just have a new mom.

>> All of you have such interesting families.

All I have is a plain old family.

(students laugh) ♪ ♪ My family is large.

♪ ♪ Maybe yours is small.

♪ ♪ Size doesn't matter ♪ much at all.

♪ ♪ Everyone comes ♪ from different families.

♪ ♪ Each are special, ♪ ♪ I think you'll agree.

♪ ♪ If your parents adopted you, ♪ ♪ you must remember ♪ you are special too.

♪ ♪ If you happen to be a twin, ♪ ♪ then you will always have ♪ a special friend.

♪ ♪ It doesn't matter ♪ if your folks are apart.

♪ ♪ Sometimes families change ♪ and you must make a new start.

♪ ♪ Things have a way of always ♪ working out ♪ ♪ because you're a family.

♪ ♪ That's ♪ what families are about.

♪ ♪ ♪ Everyone comes ♪ from different families ♪ ♪ Each are special, ♪ I think you'll see ♪ ♪ so remember ♪ when you go home, ♪ ♪ no family is as special ♪ ♪ as your own.

♪ ♪ ♪