Extra Post: Calling Alabama?

Hey, this is a quickie extra post today calling all Alabamans and NFPA members.  I am presenting three workshops at the upcoming [June 25-27] annual National Foster Parent Association conference in Mobile Alabama.  I am staying an extra day so that I can see a bit of Alabama, taxis permitting.   I suppose I could sun myself by the pool or write on  my upcoming chapters... but since I am not likely to travel from Maine to Alabama again I would like to see a bit of it.

 Has anyone reading this been to Mobile or know Mobile? If so I would welcome any suggestions on where to go or what to see. I have a couple of evenings on my own, plus one extra afternoon, evening, and morning.  I have looked online some, but don't know which things are really good, and which are just tourist-y Thanks!

Quick Takes: Coming soon.... near you???

I have a couple of announcements to share. I will be presenting workshops at three upcoming conferences. In the hopes that maybe I will meet some blog-friends at one or more of the conferences I am listing them here.  If you live in the area of one of the conferences [especially if you are going to one of the conferences!] shoot me an email and maybe we can connect at the conference or while I am in the area.  I would LOVE to meet some of you!!

  
 May 6 - 7, 2011:
FOSTERING HOPE: Connecticut Foster and Adoptive Parents 16th Annual Conference, Groton, CT      FMI: www.cafap.com
  May 6th  2:00-3:30      
 "Hellos and Goodbyes:  Tips for Healthy Transitions"
   May 7th   9:00-10:45      
 "Calming the Hotspots: Tips and Tools for a Happier Home"

    
May 18-20, 2011: FOOTSTEPS TO THE FUTURE:  18th Annual
Daniel Kids Foster Parenting Conference, Daytona Beach Florida
FMI: www.danielkids.org

May 20:  10-11:30 am
"Hellos and Goodbyes:  Tips for Healthy Transitions"

 June 25-27, 2011: The National Foster Parents Association
               41st Annual National Education Conference
               Mobile, AL      FMI: www.nfpaonline.com
June 25: 11:00-12:30   "Hellos and Goodbyes:  Tips for Healthy Transitions"
               2:25 - 3:45 "Simple Strategies for Mini-Miracles"
June 26: 8:00 - 9:30  "Simple Strategies for Mini-Miracles"

Also at that conference, my colleague and co-author Pat Miller will be leading three workshops:
June 26:  1:30 - 3:00  Dishonesty: Lying  [Part 1]
               4:45 - 6:15  Dishonesty: Lying  [Part 2]
June 27   9:00 - 10:30  Dishonesty: Stealing

Image credits:  eastsidekickers.org, cafap.com, nfpaonline.com, danielkids.org

Back home from Nashville

Well, I made it. I had my choice of morning wakeup calls by Travis Trit, Carrie Undewood, and quite a few in between. Certainly a far cry from my usual morning wake up..... "Nana, get uuhhhhpp! Now, Nana!" Another difference is that at the hotel I could program and choose the time for that recorded musical wake up call. Not so the paintive Nana wake up call from my little gremlins. Those tend to come before the sun is fully up. But home I am, Nana wakeups and all. It was a good conference although not quite what I had expected. I had misjudged [read failed to ask] the percentage of kids vs adults and foster parents vs agency staff. Nonetheless I met some wonderful people and some amazing kids.

For any of you foster parents out in blogdom.. there are more agencies than you can imagine that specialize in the transition to independent living... often referred to as "age-ing out" of the foster care system. I learned much that was new to me about that area of foster care, things that I am more than willing to share if there is any intetrest out there.... just sing out and let me know!

Over the next weeks I plan to sprinkle in more about the conference, but for now I am content to be excited that I have finished unpacking, have caught up on the mail, have filled in all the crinkled and creased parent papers that were sent home for me while I was away, and spent some quality time with the at -least-momentarily-cherubic gremlins. I guess they really did miss me... a very good sign! Time to tiptoe down, check on their sleeping status and plant a kiss on each head. Then I will head to bed so I can be ready for my not-so-Music City wake-up call tomorrow morning and for the race to be ready before the school bus arrives. Good night!

Off to Nashville....Wish me luck

Well, dear blog followers, tomorrow I leave for a week, well a school week anyway. Five days away from my cherubs and their challenges and their joys. I am headed to Music City....Nashville, Tennessee. Why? you ask? I am headed for the only national conference on independent living. It focuses on the needs of children aging out of foster care into the wild world, and how to equip said kiddos for a successful transition. Sponsored by Daniel Kids of Florida, I found it online and decided to attend this one rather than the regular foster care conference because of its focus. On top of that, I am actually presenting a workshop there. The workshop is called "Build Your Own Parachute" and will [hopefully] teach foster parents how to use independence trunks, independence notebooks, and practice apartments to prepare their charges for a successful transition. Getting everything ready and set for presenting has kept me busy and offline for over a week, but I think I am ready. I even managed to put all my workshop handouts in pdf form onto CDs so that participants can carry home a CD rather than a stack of papers. Wheee... score one for the trees and the environment!

I am going with the world's scariest looking splint still on my hand. I am sure its wires and contraptions will make the airport security people scurry about and will set off countless alarms. Getting ready and going would be much simpler if I had the cooperation of that still pretty useless hand. The porters and bell boys will profit from my inability to pull the bags of books etc. that I am taking.

This will also be the debut of my new book, The Caring Heart Speaks. Hot off the press I am hoping that it is well received. That is something like hoping everyone thinks your baby is cute. Of course, you aren't trying to sell your baby. All the locasl folks have made the appropriate oooh and ahhhhs about the book, but this will be the first roll-out not in home territory. All in all, a slightly intimidating looking week. I'll be out of touch until I get back. Wish me luck...see you soon...and if any of you happen to be going to the same conference...Say Hello!!

Stepping past doubts

This morning I booked my flights and hotels and paid my registration fee, so I can't back out now. I am going to Nashville, Tennesee!

Quite a while ago I found a Florida organization online named Daniel Kids that works with foster children. When I saw they were doing a national conference on independent living for kids coming from care I was intrigued. My support people encouraged me to apply to do a workshop on the independence notebook I created for and use with my kiddos. Long story short, I did apply, they accepted the proposal, and now I am actually going! With the mouse click that confirmed my ticket and hotel I of course began to get the traditional cold feet. The questioning doubters in my head set up all kinds of arguments. Who am I to offer advice to others? How can I leave my kiddos for the five days of the conference? Especially how can I go when it is the first four days of school!? What if the workshop attendees think the notebook is stupid? What if they feel they wasted their time in my workshop?

Though painful, I think anxiety like this is a good sign. It means I am taking a risk, not playing it too safe. It means I am determined to do things well. It means I am looking for answers. That's what I would tell my kiddos. Wish me luck!