SPRING....my favorite time of year!  Lawns are green, flowers are blooming, kids are excited because school is almost out, and THE CONFERENCE IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER!!

I look so forward to seeing my extended "Sotos" family each year.  It brings so much joy as I see Megan now reconnecting with old friends, meeting new friends and becoming the "social greeter" at the hotel like she did last year in Arlington.  It is something she talks about all year long and then keeps talking about it and keeps talking about it (after all we are talking about Sotos kids, right?).

This will be our sixth consecutive year of attending.  I'm thankful that I have been able to do this.   It became a priority to me after attending the first time and seeing other Sotos kids and hearing the speakers, but mostly because I really wanted to continue on the journey with other families.  There is no better way to do that than the conference weekend.  I've attended Sotos 101, What's new in Sotos, potty training, behaviors, genetics, planning for the future, OT, PT, speech and so on.  Too many to list but I have every note I have taken from these conference topics.  My favorite was in Niagara Falls and a lady spoke about "Circle of Friends."  She had a special needs daughter and spoke on the importance of finding the right people/friends for her daughter so that as her daughter grew older, and it wasn't cool to be with mom, there were other caring people in her circle of friends that would watch out for her.  I've talked about that topic for so long and with so many people.  It left a lasting impression on me. 

The welcome dinner, silent auction and entertainment on Friday night is the BEST!  I love seeing friends from previous conferences, sharing information with new families, watching other kids get out of control because then I know I am not alone, and getting into bidding wars on silent auction items.  Two years ago I bid on a "pet bag full of goodies."  It actually took our dog two years to finish off all of those delicious dog treats.....best money I could have spent...for both my dog and the SSSA since proceeds benefit the organization.

Sunday....breakfast together when Barry provides a great slide presentation of the weekend and we "network" one last time.  This is followed by the general meeting and the "Q & A" with the doctors.  This is the time when we get to ask all of our questions.....any topics, any age of child, our experts give us the best answers they can and we "soak it up."  OK, so I know a lot of you probably don't want to attend a general meeting, BUT.....you are the organization and we need YOU and YOUR IDEAS to keep growing this organization.  Can all of you attending give me, as President, just one hour of your time that morning and attend the general meeting? 

Hmmm....Williamsburg, VA.....have you SEEN how much there is to do there and in the surrounding areas?  The biggest decision is which direction to head either before or after the conference!!  For us, it is DC as we will probably not be back to that area.  Another great thing about attending is traveling to places you would otherwise never have gone!  I'm going to start packing.......