NEW Journey of a Lifetime Fall Conference

Friends of Adoption is excited to announce a new fall conference for 2009 - Journey of a Lifetime. It will take place on October 3rd at the Metropolis Hotel in Eau Claire. Keynote speaker Patricia Dischler will share her inspirational story as a birthmother and part of a successful open adoption in the morning, and teach adoption parenting ideas in the afternoon. It is sure to be a wonderful event, one we expect to touch hearts and change families, as so often happens when we share and learn from one another's life experiences. Registration is only $25/person or $40 for a couple, including lunch.

Mark your calendar now and plan to bring a sitter for the kids as they can enjoy the attached CHAOS water park or nearby Action City while you enjoy the conference. The first 10 non-professional registrants will receive one FREE pass to the waterpark, so sign up soon!

Email Christy to request a brochure and registration form!

International Families Picnic - Chippewa Falls

If you have adopted internationally and live in the Western Wisconsin area, we have a wonderful opportunity coming up this summer for you! On Sunday, July 12th from 11:30-2:30 at Irvine Park in Chippewa Falls, we will be holding an International Families Picnic at the main pavilion. We will provide hot dogs, drinks, and utensils -- families can just bring themselves and a dish to share. We will plan to eat lunch right around 12:30.

There are many activities to enjoy at Irvine - a playground right by the pavilion, a small zoo, and a fun water fountain perfect for kids to cool off in! Not to mention the camaraderie of getting to know other families who share the international adoption experience.

If your family plans to attend OR if you have any questions, please email me (Christy) at creppe@cclse or call 715-832-6644 ext. 19. This will help us know how many hot dogs we need to plan on!

As an added bonus, we have Jen Schultz from Genesis Photography (who happens to also be an international adoptive mom) offering a WONDERFUL deal for Friends of Adoption families with a mini photo shoot! The details are below. Please check out her website for a taste of her photography, and call her at the number listed below to reserve a time slot for your child or family! I can not say enough good things about her work -- it is really extraordinary, and I hope many of you will take this opportunity to experience it for yourself.

Free Webinar - I'm the One Who Needs a Timeout!

Check out this FREE live webinar going on one week from today!

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

7:30 PM Central Time

1 Hour Webinar "I'm the One Who Needs a Timeout!"

Hosted by : Bren Wolfe and Heather T. Forbes, LCSW

Click here to register for this free webinar.

Do you ever find yourself overreacting to your child's behavior? Do you sometimes find yourself at your brink, not understanding how you could have moved from a place of pure love and joy to absolute frustration and intolerance?

Parenting is the hardest job--ever! Our children can move us to a whole new level within ourselves, especially children with traumatic histories. They have a way of challenging us like no one else on this planet could ever do.

Listen in on this webinar with Heather T. Forbes, LCSW to discover why these dynamics are happening within you. You aren't going crazy! There is a reason for these intense feelings and she will bring to you a new understanding to settle your heart and mind. As an adoptive mother herself, she knows first hand how it feels to be the one who needs a time-out more than your child! Heather will also share some of her own personal story of healing that will inspire you and help you embrace each moment with your child.

Sensory Integration workshop - Menomonie

We are very excited to be able to offer this Sensory Integration in the Home workshop featuring Nancy Lawton-Shirley at the Menomonie Public Library on Tuesday, June 23rd at 6:00 pm. Click here for an event flyer, and email Christy in the Eau Claire office to register for a spot.

This is a free workshop, and a wonderful opportunity to learn more about creating a sensory and emotionally rich environment in our homes for our families. Don't miss it!

Registration forms!

We told you about these two spring events a couple of months ago, and now they are fast approaching! The Friends of Adoption Spring Retreat and Conference near Wausau on April 24th-25th, and the WWAA Spring Conference in Eau Claire on April 25th are just over a month away. Brochures and registration forms for each of the conferences are now available - send us a quick email to request one or both. Hope to see you at one of these great events!

Thank you to all that attended the Lifebook workshop in La Crosse

I just wanted to thank all of you for attending the lifebook workshop that we held here in La Crosse last Saturday. We had a great turn out and Jennifer Demar from Scrap and Tell did a wonderful presentation on how to make a lifebook for your adopted child. I know that many of you that attended enjoyed the presentation and also enjoyed all of the wonderful scrapbooking supplies that she had available for purchase.
If anyone would be intersted in having a lifebook workshop in their area please contact Magen (608-782-0513 ext. 223) or Christy (715-832-6644) and we can arrange that for your group.

Older Child Adoption article

Adoptivefamilies.com posts this interesting article, written by both mother and daughter, on the things they wish they'd known before their adoption journey. Be sure to read the box under the article as well, entitled "10 Ways to Bond With an Older Child."

Do any families who have walked the road of older child adoption have anything they would add to either of these? We would love to hear from you!

Foster Care and Adoption Resource Center

If you are an adoptive or foster parent in Wisconsin and have never checked out the WI Foster Care and Adoption Resource Center, now is the time! They exist specifically to provide information and resources to you. They have a wonderful resource library where you can find and borrow countless resources, an online calendar, and our favorite - a section of articles and tip sheets written by their staff on a variety of foster and adoption-related issues. Click here for their home page.

Lifebook Workshop

On Saturday, March 7th Friends of Adoption will sponsor a Lifebook workshop from Jennifer Demar in La Crosse, WI. Jennifer will be presenting a lifebook workshop for pre-and post-adoptive and foster families: Lifebooks: How to Present an Adopted Child's Life Story. Cost is $15.00 per person, and you can RSVP to Magen Duffy in our La Crosse office at 608-782-0710 ext. 223. This is sure to be a fun and meaningful event you will not want to miss!