Is it me or was April a really long, slow month? I had a big program assessment to complete for work and submit to the city 4/30, and was dreading it. Usually these things make time speed up, but in this case it made everything slow down. I'm happy to report that dreaded assessment is in, and I finally feel like I'm not drowning in early childhood education.

Jared and I were both really busy with work this month (with more on his work next month) but we continued our wedding planning. Our biggest task and accomplishment this month was putting together our invitations, addressing them, and mailing them. I wanted them in the mail by the 15th to give invitees at least one month to respond. This was no easy task; it took me almost three days to complete everything with help from my dad, mom, Olivia and Patrice. And now we come home to responses each evening, which is nice.

What else did we accomplish? We both have wedding shoes, and the bowties for our dads and wedding party. And......that's it. Not particularly impressive. And believe me, if you're saying to yourself, "Ooooh, they have a lot to get done," well...you're right. But don't fret. We're fretting enough for everyone!

In other April fun we went to the Prospect Park Food Truck Rally with a group of friends, and despite the weather (sunny, but a biting cold wind) everyone seemed to have a nice time. Below is a list of the trucks everyone enjoyed, with a brief description of what everyone enjoyed.

The Red Hook Lobster Pound: Both Jared and Chris ordered lobster rolls. I tried some of Jared's lobster, which was good, seasoned with pepper but not overly so. They both said they were good, albeit not super filling.
Rickshaw Dumpling Truck: Lisa, Katie D., and I all settled on dumplings, and bought the same lunch option: 6 dumplings and a side of noodles. The dumplings were really good. I ordered Vegetarian Edamame with Lemon-Sancho dipping sauce and Chicken Thai Basil with Peanut dipping sauce. The noodles were also good and not too spicy.
Kimchi Korean BBQ: This was Katie W. and Mike's pick when we all first arrived. They shared a mix of tacos (steak, pork and chicken if I remember correctly) adorned with lots of taco toppings served on raw tortillas. Full disclosure, when I saw this truck and its style of food I thought, "I think I'll pass on Korean BBQ Tacos...sounds a bit muddled." But Katie and Mike enjoyed them, so perhaps something to consider? Plus both Mike and Chris found there way back for more tacos later. This truck had the longest line throughout the day so we'll def. have to try that one in the future too. Clearly it's people's go to choice.

What’s that? We all got secondsies? Yup!

Crif's Dogs: Jared, Lisa and I, followed by Danielle and Ryan, all enjoyed Crif's Dogs. Lisa got the soy dog, and said was great. Jared got the Crif's Dog, a plain hot dog wrapped in bacon, and I got the Chihuahua: hot dog wrapped in bacon served with sour cream and an avocado. I'm pretty sure Ryan also had this and Danielle had ordered the BLT Dog. The hot digs were a hit with everyone. And they were all DEEP FRIED. I've never had a deep fried hot dog. They were crispy on the outside but tender on the inside, which was new, but good.
Milk Truck Grilled Cheese: Katie D. and Katie W. headed there, which also had a long line. Katie W. ordered grilled cheese, which she gave thumbs up to, and Katie D. ordered their chili. She said it was good, and filling as it was "very meaty".
Big D's Grub Truck: Tacos are big food truck food and Sean ordered some here. His were also served on raw flour tortillas and filled with chicken and pork. The sauce and lime additions smelled great, and made me wish I had gotten tacos too.

The day wrapped up with treats and coffee from the The Treats Truck and Van Leeuwen Ice Cream before we all departed because of the cold. Super glad everyone (including Katie D., Sean, Danielle and Ryan, Lisa and Chris, and Katie and Mike) made it out. Below are some pictures from the afternoon.

In other April fun, we enjoyed a spontaneous dinner out one Friday night at Felix’s in SoHo. We’ve been hitting the gym pretty hard as the wedding gets closer, and have been on a Lean Cuisine – Healthy Choice – Smart Ones diet for about 8 weeks, and need a few cheat days now and then. Anyway, Felix’s was good. I had never heard of it, but Jared had been there several times. We sat outside, partially because it was nice out when we arrive and partially because they didn’t have any seats inside. I ordered my favorite: moules frites and Jared ordered beef burgundy. We both started with salad too: Jared an endive salad with blue cheese and walnuts, and me baby greens with goat cheese. Normally I’m a huge goat cheese fan and eat it all the time, but this had a bit too much. The décor is great, very French, and a bit more upscale than you’d maybe expect. I felt underdressed in my spending-Friday-in-the-field outfit, but that’s okay. But, if you were in SoHo and looking for a place to eat, I would recommend it.

Aside from that April was pretty straight forward, but we’re both looking forward to May, which is going to be a busy, busy month!

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. Across the country social and human service workers, lawmakers, concerned citizens, students and others come together to support victims, honor survivors, and learn more about this very important issue.

This week I had the opportunity to attend the 18th Annual Child Abuse Prevention Conference in Albany. I was attending to gather research, ideas, and best practices from individuals and agencies across New York. I arrived on Monday afternoon, missing the plenary speaker for the day, but in time for lunch. After lunch I attended my first workshop, which focused on child abuse and domestic violence in the Hispanic community, and the role that culture and family plays in it. About 45% of the families that HFH serves are Hispanic, so this background information will be very useful.

My second workshop, Working With Fathers to Improve Outcomes for Children, was interesting. Although I interact with fathers from time to time, 90% of the residents served at HFH's shelters are single mothers. While some of the information in this workshop was fairly standard about the position young, uneducated, impoverished, single fathers find themselves in, the facilitator shared personal anecdotes from his work with young fathers that shined a light on additional factors that need to be considered. I walked a way with some ideas for engagement activities that include fathers. Day one wrapped up just before 5:00. After catching up on the devastating news that day (a terrorist bombing at the annual Boston Marathon) I headed to Albany's Colonie Center to pick up a book at Barnes and Noble, and have dinner at P.F. Chang's. (Note: P.F. Chang's Crab Wontons are really, really good.)

Tuesday started early, and was a full day. The plenary session after breakfast was very emotional. The keynote speaker, Johnnetta McSwain, a survivor of child abuse, has an extremely inspiring story. I cannot do it justice in a just a few sentences, so I would encourage you to see the documentary The Road Beyond Abuse, in which she shares the horrific abuse she endured, life with her dysfunctional family, time as a young, single mother, and later, her personal achievements, as well as those of her son(s). I don't think there was a dry eye in the room after she had concluded her speech.

My first workshop of the day covered a topic every childless 20-something is interested in: learning about the cries and cues of babies, and making a construction paper baby. In all seriousness though, this workshop was so useful. Some knowledge that I took away to share with young moms:

Colic in infants will eventually end! It's usually around the four month mark, but in certain cases can go as long as 6 months.
Establishing a schedule and routine will help you understand your babies cries.
No two babies are the same. What may have been true for one child, may not be the same for another!
Babies will cry when they are bored.
Often times, when a baby is crying at night, it is because they have been over stimulated, and need some time in quiet, dimly lit room. A babies brain is absorbing everything it encounters all day long, and it is exhausting.

The presenter of this workshop had a clear, concise presentation with simple, straightforward handouts. Much of which she presented I can discuss with our nursery teachers and child-care providers, for them to share with parents.

After lunch I attended Creating an Infancy Leadership Circle in Your Community to Prevent Child Abuse and Neglect Through Cross-Systems Collaboration. This workshop was particularly interesting to me, largely because of my early days with HFH, where I worked with a large number of community groups on volunteer and donation projects. I see so much potential in creating an Infancy Leadership Circle in the communities HFH is established in. Groups like these are a great way to bring isolated families in touch with community resources to provide peer support, social engagement activities, education, and at times, assistance in securing everyday needs such as child care, health care, and more. Infancy Leadership Circles in New York are supported by the New York Zero-to-Three Network and the NYS Council on Children and Families, with locations in NYC. I hope it is something to become a part of in the future.

After this workshop I was finished for the day. So I drove to St. Johnsville, about an hour away, to have dinner with my Aunt Flora, a very close family friend of my Grandpa and Grandma Menghini. I hadn't seen Flora since Patrice's graduation from SUNY Oneonta a couple of years ago, so it was really nice to visit with her. We enjoyed a few hours together, and dinner from Romano's Macaroni Grill, which I picked up as I left Albany. (Romano's Macaroni Grill is pretty good. I ordered two Lasagna Bolognese dinners with side salads, which were also served with bread. The portions were so big that Flora and I could have shared one! If you ever find yourself there definitely get the tiramisu too.) The highlight of the evening, besides meeting Flora's companion, a large friendly dog named "Hey You!", was during dessert. As we ate she said, "Never in my life did I think I would have tiramisu again!" It made me laugh and form a lump in my throat at the same time. My first memories of Flora are as a pleasant, plump woman hosting my grandparents, my Aunt Nella, Uncle Babe, Pere Boulbes, and family at her farmhouse in Fort Plain. I remember her yelling at my dad after dinner one time, very concerned he would burn her house down while flambeing bananas, one of Pere's favorites. While she was most definitely unable to host me (having the limited, frail mobility of a 93 year-old) her mind is sharp as a tack, and we had a great conversation about my job, the conference I was in the midst of attending, wedding plans, and the Boston Marathon bombing. I left just before it got dark, and am truly happy to have visited with her.

On Wednesday I attended Turning Trauma into Triumph: The Transformative Power of L.O.V.E. Part I and Part II. The facilitator of these workshops discussed the importance of developing resiliency in our children, and her system of counseling called L.O.V.E. (Listen, Observe, Validate, Encourage). She also discussed helping older victims of child abuse focus on three key parts of their life: I am, I can, and I Have, which address the person you are, what you can accomplish on your own, and the resources and support system you have for difficult times. The facilitator was very funny, and shared with the group the story of her own life which gave me another level of understanding to her presentation.

In total I attended six workshops, and two keynotes (the final keynote was during the conference's closing lunch on Wednesday afternoon, and about mobilization to further the child abuse cause, change antiquated policies, and correct misconceptions.) Each session gave me excellent information and best practices to share with my colleagues who work with children who have experienced child abuse and families with histories of domestic violence. For social or human service workers looking to attend a local conference on such topics, I would strongly recommend the New York State Parenting Education Partnership 18th Annual Child Abuse Prevention Conference.