It's a Wrap!

Yay! I am so proud of us! We did it while we worked, while we cared for our families, while we lived already busy lives. We finished a degree. Here are three big take aways for me among hundreds of smaller ones......

1. Technology is amazing. I finished my first degree in 1984. At that time, I stood in line to register for each class I wanted to take (sometimes for an hour) to hand them a registration card before I ran to the next line to register for another. I spent hours and hours a week IN an actual library because that is where the information was. I carried a large book bag full of reading material. I typed on a typewriter and corrected my papers with white out. All of my friends were on campus. We would meet to have long study sessions before tests and to prepare for presentations. Technology has made it possible for me to get my fourth degree without having to leave my home. I will miss having a university library on my dining room table.

2. The ability to write well is a powerful tool. Hanging indents had me in tears in September of 2012. Mastering the mechanics of APA again has taught me patience and given my voice clarity. All my life I have relied on my face to face communication skills to interact with the world. Walden required me to rely solely on my writing ability to express myself. I am a stronger writer having been a student at Walden and have a deeper respect for writing as a communication tool.

3. I know many people who  hold a dreams in their heart but very few people who carve out the time and a plan to make those dreams come true. I know now that ANYTHING is possible and that I DO have the time to make a difference in the world. We have found 15 hours a week to complete coursework at Walden for almost two years now. What great things could we make happen if we honored this experience by continuing to carve out the time, for the rest of our lives to make the world better for children? I intend to find out.

I am grateful. I appreciate each and every one of you. I respect the work you do. I would love to meet you. Here is how you can find me....

Katy Smith   www.facebook.com/KatySmithWinona   LinkedIn   Twitter @KatyMN12        kackley@hbci.com    www.katysmithconsulting.com    GooglePlus

International Opportunities

I love the idea of being a part of an organization that creates the conditions for dialog around the world for conversations based on shared values and commonality. This is the work of UNESCO. On a very local level, and sometimes on a statewide level, I like to think I do the same kind of work in my classroom. I believe I have a skill set and a work history that would be an asset to this organization but I did not see a position that was of interest to me.

The Academy for Educational Development has made some changes to it's  organization since 2011 when Walden University added them to the Blackboard assignment. Although the URL is the same, the organization is now fhi 360. There is a job available here that piqued my interest. It is an ECE Specialist based in Washington, DC. The job supports Head Start Grantees with a focus on school readiness and family and community engagement. Even the 50% travel sounds like a good fit for me at this stage in my life. I have all the qualifications necessary in terms of schooling and experience.

The World Organization for Early Childhood Education, headquartered out of Whittier College in California has a beautiful mission to ensure the well-being, rights, and education of all children and their families here at home and around the world. I especially like the mention of family education in their mission statement. The organization has no job openings listed on their website.

As much as I love to visit other countries, I would not like to work in one. There is much to do in the field of Early Childhood Education here, in the United States. I am more than happy to put my time and energy to making life better for kids here at home.

References

fhi 360 http://www.fhi360.org/
OMEP http://www.omep-usnc.org
 UNESCO http://en.unesco.org/

Exploring National Possibilities in Early Childhood

Commonsense Media is a national non-profit organization based in San Francisco. The organization defines itself by the motto "We rate, educate, and advocate for kids, families, and schools".  I view them as a trusted source of reliable information about media and technology in the lives of young children and their families.

They are hiring! On their website, they have a lovely promotional video describing the work they do and the folks they like to recruit to join them in their mission. They boast that every day is different and passionate people looking to have a positive impact on the world are welcome to join their community. They are looking for a person to fill the position of development internship. The job requires event planning and production skills, ability to create power points and marketing materials, and research a donor base. They are seeking an individual who is multi capable (aren't we all?) and energetic. The job promises a flexible work schedule.

Although it sounds like they are looking for me, I would miss working directly with families. I love teaching.

The United States Department of Education needs all of us to elevate the voice of the early childhood teaching force in America. As it turns out, they too are hiring! They have several jobs listed on their website. The Education Program Specialist in the Office of Innovation and Improvement is one that caught my eye. The position is housed in the Parental Options and Information Office.

I am not cut out to be a federal employee. My heart aches for my colleagues who work at Head Start. They are buried under paperwork, regulations, and mandates to the point of madness. I would find myself extremely frustrated at the daily frantic pace of government work that seems to go nowhere at times. Nope, not for me.

I have been a member of the National Education Association (NEA) for as long as I have had my teaching license. I am proud to be one of the three million members of this teacher's union. The organization identifies their mission as "Great Public Schools for Every Child" and I applaud them. Great public schools are the foundation of our democracy.

I have been the Government Relations Chairwoman in my local Winona Education Association for years. My work takes me to the Capitol in Minnesota several times a year. I am comfortable in that arena and although I do not consider myself a lobbyist, I do lobby. The NEA has an opening for a lobbyist. The job is described as promoting public schools and public education through lobby efforts. It requires five years of experience, which I guess I have and asks applicants to be skillful in navigating public policy, writing, and a willingness to work evenings and weekends. Hmmm, maybe?

Exploring Local and State Roles in the ECE Community

My first pick is MinneMinds, a coalition of seventy plus organizations in Minnesota campaigning to increase public funding to provide access to quality Early Childhood care and education for three and four year olds who live in financially challenged homes. The organization has impressed me in it's ability to harness resources and lobby with laser like focus. Although I am not interested in working for them, in a way, I lobby on behalf of their efforts. To be a competent lobbyist, one needs an extensive knowledge of public policy and how it gets crafted and know how to build relationships with policy makers, legislators, and other stakeholders. I have good people skills.

www.minneminds.org

My second pick is Minnesota's network of Early Childhood Initiatives or ECI's. ECI serves greater Minnesota's efforts to provide quality early childhood experiences to children and support for providers who care for them. I chose this organization because I am familiar with the work they do. I am often invited to a community by an ECI to speak to business and community leaders in support of investing in Minnesota's youngest learners. ECI's are lead by regional directors. To be an effective regional director, one needs to understand the communities represented in the region, have the ability to collaborate with other professionals, and organize activities. I would need to be a much more organized person to competently fill the role of an ECI director.

www.smifoundation.org

My third pick is the Minnesota Association for Family and Early Education (MNAFEE). MNAFEE is a professional organization representing teachers, administrators, and providers in the field of early education and parent education. The organization supports high quality family and early childhood education for children and their parents in the state. The organization is run by one person who supports the work of several boards within the organization. The position is largely clerical. Computer skills, scheduling skills, and office management skills are all necessary to the position. Although I would be able to do the job, it does not make use of what I do best, work with people face to face.

www.mnafee.org

Wordle

Greetings Capstone Classmates!

Profile of A Volunteer

My co-worker, Anne brings bread to work about three days a week. One of those days, the bread is to share with us, her work community. On the other days, Anne drops the home baked bread off with a friend or an acquaintance that is struggling with or celebrating life. Anne ministers with bread. You can taste love in her work. I cannot begin to estimate how many loaves of bread that have left Anne's kitchen. In baking, Anne celebrates life's high points, a new baby, a college graduation, a promotion at work and life's low points, a death, a divorce, a miscarriage.

Anne's bread is symbolic of her passion for connection and community. In times when so many of us write checks to organizations or volunteer to serve on boards, Anne's act of kindness seems so intimate in comparison. Anne's bread says I care. I care enough to bake, to deliver the bread, and to show up at your doorstep for a brief (or not so brief) visit. In it's simplicity, the bread heals. Anne is our school readiness facilitator in the district. One of her major responsibilities has been to assist immigrant families in navigating the school district. She takes her time to get to know each family and astonishingly remembers their names, names that take practice to master years later. When Anne sees an alumni family at school, so many of them thank her for her gift of bread to welcome them.

I know bank presidents who give large amounts of cash to programs but  never take the time to know anyone being served there. I know CEO's who donate to the food bank but never dine with folks who live in poverty. Anne's story resonates with me in a way that leaves me inspired to make real connections with people as I volunteer. Organizations that put real people in the path of folks who need them, like Big Brothers, Big Sisters, the Miller Mentoring Program, and Ready, Set, School are all local organizations that make a real impact with people power. Kindness is powerful, kindness matters.

Using Social Media to Get Connected

Three years ago I was living a disconnected social media life. I had a cell phone but not an iphone. I didn't text and I could not be found on a social media site. Life was calmer. I read more books. I was happy. When my life became more public, I was encouraged to get on Facebook. I refused and started a blog as a compromise. Why would I want to live such a public life? My life was already full of people, more than I had time for much of the time. My life changed with her. I won her and she changed my life. Here she is:

I could work anywhere! I could update my blog when I traveled! I joined Facebook under a secret name. I was hesitant because I feared having to do parent education on social media, something I did not want to do. I later created a Community Facebook page to announce my speaking schedule and to promote early childhood programs and efforts. I joined LinkedIn. I maintain a website.

I took a digital learning class in Washington DC last summer that required me to open a Twitter account. Without a doubt, this has been the best social media tool I use to connect with legislators, policy makers, and community leaders on behalf of advancing early childhood in MN. Just today, for example, I sent a Valentine to MN's House Majority Leader. She tweeted about it. I was thrilled!

I would appreciate any feedback that anyone has to offer about my social media connections. You can find me on Facebook www.facebook.com/KatySmithWinona and on Twitter, my user name is KatyMN12. I am on Google Plus and LinkedIn, both of those accounts have the same picture that I use for my Walden work. Let me know what you think!

Advocacy Message

It seems to me that everyone smoked when I was a kid, movie stars, princesses, models, and even my favorite cartoon characters. Taking up smoking was a right of passage between adolescence and adulthood. The Marlboro Man was a powerful symbol of independence and free spiritedness. I looked forward to the time that I could start smoking during my childhood. Smoking was glamorous.

In my lifetime, smoking has gone from glamorous to gross. The body bag commercial by the American Legacy Foundation is just one example of a serious anti smoking campaign that raged through out my adulthood. The public education campaign was so successful, it prompted public policy that has increased the taxes on cigarettes to make them largely unaffordable for most Americans. I cannot think of a friend or colleague of mine who smokes now. 

Both advocacy messages draw on the emotions of the viewers. The smoking ads sell a feeling of independence and relaxation. The anti smoking ad sells a feeling of anger and betrayal. Any time we can illicit an emotional response from the intended audience, an ad campaign is successful. 

My Own Capacity

The culture of childhood fuels my passion and sparks my interest every day. I often think about children in the context of their families and community. The parent child relationship has been topic that has fascinated me for nearly three decades. Supporting that relationship has been the focus of my career.

Childhood, done well, gives children the foundation for a healthy life. I am interested in advocating for a healthy childhood and creating community conversations about issues that impact a healthy childhood. Media, technology, play, routine, structure, discipline, and raising readers are just a few of the topics I educate the public about. Over the weekend, I delivered five different speeches in the span of thirty hours in three cities. I spoke to roughly 1000 people. This is the best advocacy work I do. 

I have a long history in the field which has created a body of work that is rich in stories, experiences, education, and research. I have a long contact list that includes colleagues, legislators, parents, foundation leaders, and community members. I love public speaking and teaching. I am a powerful communicator. I think I have everything I need to be an effective advocate. 

In order to continue to grow along with the early childhood "movement" in our state, I need to work hard to help elect politicians who believe in the importance of investing. Lots of candidates seek my endorsement and I always take my time to be thoughtful in endorsing. I also take the time to educate each candidate about the importance of early childhood and our nations commitment to create policy and fund our most important resource. 

My Role as an Advocate

I was born into a family that valued advocating for the underdog. Social justice is in my bones. I cannot remember a time that my calendar did not include board work, campaigning, and fighting for one cause or another. At the micro level, being a teacher and a mother has, at times, focused my advocacy lens around issues that are just not good for children. Working as a family advocate, serving on local initiatives in schools, joining the PTA, and working in collaboration with other agencies to provide services to a family are great examples of micro level advocacy efforts. Micro level efforts build confidence in advocates to think bigger and aim higher. In many cases, the opportunities to advocate on a micro level are inherent in our job descriptions.

Micro level advocacy is exciting work. When you work on behalf of ALL children, you have the opportunity to meet people from all walks of life who are doing "big picture thinking" for the good of children and families. I get excited to work on campaigns for candidates for state offices, serve on state boards, and rally at the Capitol. Collective voices are powerful voices. Last year I rallied with teachers, plumbers, electricians, police, nurses, and firefighters to raise voice of concern to union workers all over my state. It was electrifying and powerful and it worked!

Community leaders are citizens who are willing to step into the role of leadership. That's it. A willingness to make something better is the key to forging a path to making a difference in your community. When a community leader amasses a knowledge base that can move a conversation forward, a state leader is born. Knowing that you have the experience and expertise that policy makers need to affect positive public policy, I believe we have an obligation to share that. I know many Early Childhood practitioners who have all they need to be effective change agents what they need is mobilization.

That's where I come in! I love to drive a rookie up to the Capitol for an experience with a legislator. I coach them and give them ideas to craft their own advocacy story. I thank them. I do all I can to make the experience a positive one for them, including lunch! I let them know that I still have butterflies in my stomach when asked to do something that is out of my comfort zone. I also share how thrilling it is to see a collective effort come together, like "Early Childhood Day" at the Capitol. Here is a picture of me at last year's rally. I was asked to give a welcome. The day called for high heels and a finger puppet or two, how cool is that?

Personal Advocacy Reflection

Meet my two advocacy buddies! I have a passion for making Minnesota the best state in the nation to raise children. When I say things like that, most people head to the buffet table to escape my enthusiasm. Not these two, nope, they are in it with me. On the left is Paul Winkelaar, the Community Organizer for Education Minnesota, the teacher's union that I have belonged to for more than twenty years. He is a force to be reckoned with, a big dreamer, and a guy who will not take no for an answer. On the right is dear Representative Erin Murphy, the Majority Leader of Minnesota's House of Representatives. She and I are cut from the same cloth. She wears her passion for Minnesota on her sleeve and serves our state as an elected official. We began a professional relationship in 2010. She consults with me on early childhood policy and makes sure I am at important meetings in St. Paul. She wants me to succeed as an advocate. Erin and I took our relationship to new heights this fall when we took a field trip with our grown daughters to go zip lining! When folks this fired up get together, friendship just happens. 

I know the assignment asked for just one person but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to brag about my friend and my Governor, Mark Dayton. He has been more than generous with his time to mentor me on my journey of advocacy. He has taken several opportunities to meet with me and has been very encouraging and supportive of early childhood initiatives in our state. I hope you get to meet him one day, he is terrific and truly wants what is best for families in Minnesota. 

Greetings Walden Colleagues!

Hi, you have found me! So happy to be sharing the Walden journey with you. I am sure that time will fly as we learn how to advocate for children and before  you know it, it will be spring!

Three Consequences, Three Supremes, Thanks!

Systems. Tangled, complicated, messy systems. I have struggled to understand how the world of early childhood has become so big, so regulated, and so exciting all at the same time. Three consequences of my experience as a learner in this tiny learning community......

The first consequence of learning with a small group was having to be genuinely interested in what early childhood programs look like in different states. My colleagues were forced, by the sheer numbers to learn about what early childhood looks like in Minnesota. I know much more about Louisiana than I ever thought I would. In order to provide feedback to one another, we worked with what we had. 

The second consequence of working in a caring community is the comfort level we have with knowing what we don't know and being able to express that without concern. It would be impossible to have a deep understanding of early childhood initiatives in all fifty states. We don't need to know it all to be effective advocates. Find your strengths and work from there. 

The third consequence is about harmony. It will be imperative for early childhood professionals to sing the same song,  no matter where we live. We need to sing a song that reflect what we know to be true about what kids need, what families need, and what the field of early childhood needs. The three of us have different jobs but speak the same language. Together, we tell a powerful story.

I appreciate the support that I have gotten from this tiny team. Your support makes me feel powerful. Being a Minnesotan helps me feel like a leader.  My goal is to use a body of work, combined with my new learning to be a leading voice in advocating for early childhood programs that provide support and parent education to families. It's time. I'm ready. I am excited to lead. Bring. It. On.

A Long List of Issues

For the next few weeks, I will build a case study and develop a support system for an imaginary family. I have two families I am working with that will serve as inspiration for the class assignment. Both of the families struggle with poverty, unemployment, mental health issues, and lack of support. If either one of the families were to find out they were expecting a baby with special needs, they might just crumble under the weight of the enormity of the situation. Here is a brief outline of the fictitious family you will come to know through the assignments in the next few weeks.

Joe and Ann have been married for two years. Ann has two sons from a previous relationship, ages 10 and 6. Joe has a daughter from his first marriage, she is 4 years old. Joe and Ann live in a remote corner of the county. Joe is underemployed as a picker on an apple farm. The work is seasonal. Ann stays home with the children alone without transportation. They share one cell phone that Joe often takes with him in case his truck breaks down. Ann will deliver a new baby prematurely. Winter is coming and the prospects for employment are dismal.

Tell the Story!

The strategy that I find particularly useful to influence the political will is storytelling. Dr. David Walsh, a friend and colleague of mine has a saying "Who ever tells the story defines the culture" that I use often. The story all over the nation is about large percentages of children coming to school not ready to be there. This story is a tough one for me to swallow. I went to kindergarten in the fall of 1965. I had never been in childcare, I had never been in preschool. On my first day, my mom pointed me in the right direction to the bus stop. She was holding my little sisters hand and had my baby sister on her hip. My big brother and sister were in middle school. I was ready. Every single one of my classmates was ready. Kindergarten was a wonderful place to learn to get along with others, follow a routine, and learn the basics of being a good student. I was ready for kindergarten because kindergarten was designed for a five year old.

In order to move the social, economic, and political will of the country, policy makers tell a story that links the future work force to skills children learn in preschool. Enough of the narrative is true enough to inspire new policies and influence the political will. Undoubtedly there will be intended and unintended consequences of the story. The story has already begun to change kindergarten from a place to learn to learn to a place where learning is measured.

The part of the work that appeals to me is storytelling. Telling the story about what kids need from their early childhood experiences. To tell a story about play, and imagination and their important role in wiring a brain for learning. To tell a story about the kinds of classrooms that kids need and the teachers in them. The kinds of stories that reclaims early childhood for children. I have a body of work and experience behind me now that makes me a force to be reckoned with, a force for children and their parents to advocate for a childhood that children and the adults who love them can enjoy.

Stories Move Policy

I can hardly watch testimonial videos from parents without crying. I get as emotional as they do when they talk about the difference Head Start made, not just in their child's life, but in the family. The stories families tell are the way we evaluate our work. When families have a great experience in our classrooms, they talk about it. Even if the story is not connected to my classroom, I can relate to them and feel validated by them as an early childhood professional. Personally, as a parent, I get choked up because even though my children's early childhood experience as a long time ago now, I remember it as a tender time. I was so thrilled when another teacher saw the uniqueness and wonder in my small child. As a parent, it takes a great leap of faith to drop off a small child with someone else. When it goes well, when a teacher loved my child, he or she became "family" to me.

Parent involvement matters to children. It speaks volumes to children to see parents attending school. School matters and nothing says that more powerfully than making time for it, even as adults. For families, showing up at school to partner with the staff for the best possible outcomes for a child is essential. When we care for the children we share, the early childhood field is strengthened. Partnering with families helps us understand the child and the context of that child's childhood.

I testified in the Minnesota Senate this week. I always carry family success stories with me. Stories help public policy come to life. Stories also inform when policy and practice causes friction. Stories make policy better. Stories connect the work we do in classrooms to the work done in Capitol cities all across our nation.

When we invest in early childhood programs as a way to give children a hand up out of poverty, the dollars are well spent. When we add parent involvement, engagement, or education to the formula, we compound the investment. That's what I told twenty eight senators this week. I know it's true.

Five Years From Now....

In five years, George here will be in first grade. Early Childhood will look very different in the U.S. because of the decisions we make as a nation in the next year. I believe we are on the cusp of making great strides in our investment in early childhood. Fueled by our anxiety about the achievement gap, public opinion is changing towards placing greater value on educating not only small children, but their parents as well.

Most of us agree that Congress is a mess. It's just a year until election day when we will elect a new Senate. In order to look more favorable to constituents, politicians will seek something, anything to work together on to prove to the American people that they can reach across the aisle and govern. I think early childhood is where they will meet. My own Senator, Al Franken was kind enough to ask me and a University of Minnesota researcher to work with his staff to consult on a bill to include parent education as a requirement of a preschool scholarship. I was thrilled.

Finally, you have certainly all heard of Art Rolnick by now. His work has been fundamental in convincing business leaders that an investment in early childhood is an investment in growing the economy because of the rate of return on each dollar invested. Business leaders have noticed and responded. Note the Chamber of Commerce's six action steps listed below, cut and pasted from their own website. Many of us can see the roots of policy we are dealing with today in the action statement. It's time. The situation is ripe for change. I hope the early childhood community is ready! I know I am!

Six Actions the Business Community Can Take

• Support a mixed provider delivery system
• Encourage alignment between the early learning system and the K-12 system
• Promote early learning policies as part of the economic development agenda
• Encourage the inclusion of early childhood data in the statewide longitudinal data system
• Encourage your state to adopt a Quality Rating Information System
• Encourage business organizations and networks to adopt a policy position in support of public investments for effective, high quality early education programs

For more information on action items, as well as a summary of the economic evidence behind investments in early childhood education, please visitwww.uschamber.com/icw.

Nice to Meet You!

I work in a state funded parent education program called ECFE. I love it there, always have from my first experiences their as a mother nearly 29 years ago to today. I see magic happen at ECFE with parents who do better when they know better, with children who see a community of caring adults support them in their journey of childhood. Since the day I enrolled to now, years later as the coordinator, I have embraced an advocacy role. Over the years, I have come to know and work with legislators, policy makers, and parent and provider groups on behalf of early childhood.

A specialization in Early Childhood Public Policy and Advocacy seemed designed for my life. It seems obvious to me that we work with the least likely population to hire a lobbyist. I have been trying to politically organize toddlers for years with no luck. Their parents are sleep deprived and doing what is necessary to get through the day, the list does not often include advocating for better programming. And then, this....

In 2011, I was named the Minnesota Teacher of the Year. I was the first teacher from early childhood to win the award in it's 47 year history. The spotlight was immediate and hot! It seemed like the whole country was talking about early childhood. The field is hungry for advocates who are practitioners. I see lots of research advocates, Art Rolnick, a colleague and friend comes to mind. I see lots of public policy advocate groups at the Capitol on lobby day, Think Small, Minniminds, and the United Way are just a few of the dozens in Minnesota. The world needs practitioners, teachers to have a voice in shaping policy on behalf of small children and their parents. 

Meet Minnesota's Early Childhood Champion, Governor Mark Dayton. I hope to learn how to work more effectively in an arena that values research and policy briefs more than a spectacular finger puppet collection. Sometimes you choose a direction your life will take, sometimes though, life chooses you for a role. Three goals: 

• I am working on a piece of public policy now that would bring a piece of digital media to our preschool screening program. I have much to do and will continue to work on the project.
• I would like to learn all I can about vocabulary, influence, positioning, and policy development from this course. I bring finger puppets and charm to the table, that might not be enough. 
• I would like to get a sense of how early childhood initiatives are rolling out in other states. Looks like I will know much more about Louisiana in eight weeks.          

Life is telling me to advocate my heart out while the whole world seems to be talking about early childhood education. I need to elevate the idea of parent education while the iron is hot. I am ready!

Thank You, Champions!

You have supported me, and I thank you. When I struggled so hard to figure out the new Blackboard system, you were there for me with kind words and suggestions. You are good teachers! When I needed someone to post on their blog early, you did so I could not worry about homework when I was traveling. Friends do that kind of stuff, thank you. When I posted fun pics, you supported me and congratulated me, that meant a lot to me. When frustration knocked me off my feet, you gave me your contact information or reached out to me on my Facebook page. Friends do that, thanks! Even when I was snarky, Melissa reminded me that we are cut from the same cloth. She also helps me translate "Southern English"! 

I hope I have been a good colleague for you too. I have tried to spell your names correctly and hopefully been encouraging to you. I believe we all do very important work on the planet. Together we can elevate the field by elevating ourselves professionally. I hope you have felt that kind of support from me. I have offered my snarky brand of humor when I thought it would help. I have been honest and true. 

I wish for you lots of time outside to play! We live in a beautiful place and I hope that we always take time to enjoy our surroundings. That's my Matt in the background of this picture. He is crazy about me and I am crazy about him. I wish that you all know love, messy, wild, blissy, crazy love. Keep working hard toward your goals. I am excited to see what becomes of each of you. That will mean that we need to keep in touch with one another. 

Katy Smith

Licensed Parent Educator

ECFE Winona

(507) 494-0920

5100 W. 9th Street

Winona, MN

Find me on Facebook!  KatySmithWinona

or Twitter KatyMN12

I am out to make the world a better place for children to grow up. I feel better knowing you are all out there doing the same! If I ever find myself in your neighborhood, I will hit you up for lunch and a great conversation! And if I ever find out that you came to Minnesota without looking me up, you will buy lunch! Be well! Thanks for all you do for children. Don't forget to be nice to yourself too!