Wordless Wednesday - A New Place to Play (Under Mommy's Desk)

My Daybook - The Homeschooling Conference Edition

Outside the windows of Macalester College this past weekend... the weather was love, love, lovely. My DH and I spent our lunch break during the conference sitting outside and enjoying the shade and the green grass and one another's company, which was also love, love, lovely.

We listened to... many great speakers, including Dr. Ray Guarendi, Margaret Berns, Dr. Mary Paquette, and Dave Rinaldi.
I met ... Margaret and Tracy. I also caught up with Grace, an IRL friend.

I am now thinking about... all the great things I learned from them regarding discipline, comparing myself to others, taking care of myself so that I am better able to take care of my family, and laying the foundations with my young children for a healthy understanding of the gift of our sexuality.

I am thankful for... the extended time with my DH. I am also thankful for our ability to homeschool our children and the chance to revive myself and get excited for the next school year.

I am praying for... our transition to Bismarck and our new home. I am praying to find a good homeschooling community and a house that will work well for our home and school.

I am hoping... to purchase this new science curriculum. I finally found one that I am excited about -- have any of you tried it or heard anything about it? I was especially anxious about science next year because my dad has been "Professor Papa" for the last year and a half and, since we're moving, I have to take on science again.

From the kitchen... we packed picnic lunches to bring with us to the conference and enjoyed our turkey sandwiches with swiss, tomato, and cucumber, while we enjoyed the lovely weather (we remembered the sandwiches we bought at the conference last year being a little (okay, very) dry). Friday night after we shopped the vender area (and didn't spend a penny) and listened to Dr. Ray, we used a gift card we had to go out for drinks and appetizers. Saturday after the conference we also used coupons to go out for a light supper and then ice cream while we walked around a local lake.

From the schoolroom... we finished our schoolwork approximately thirty minutes before my in-laws arrived to pick up the kids for the weekend while we attended the conference!

I am creating... some new discipline strategies (actually, I'm just encouraging myself in the consistency department). I am also creating a summer work schedule for the kids, packing plans, and a few plans for school next year.

I am reading... Jesus of Nazareth and Praying Scripture for a Change: An Introduction to Lectio Divina. I also hope to start Dr. Ray's book that I bought at the conference (the only thing I bought!) and a book Bishop Piche used for a reflection I attended yesterday that was wonderful.

Around the house... Now that the school year is done, we're ready to start packing -- well, not really ready, but it's time to start.

One of my favorite things... attending the Minnesota Catholic Home Educator's Conference.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Register The Girls for horse camp. Register The Boy for sports camp. Register The Girls for the Twin Cities Feile. Find out if I can wait until we move to Bismarck to make eye doctor appointments and still get reimbursed from our medical flex account or if I have to make the appointments before the end of our fiscal year this month. Make appointments to get the kids' pictures taken. Order a few summer workbooks from Critical Thinking Co. Order our CAT-5 tests (this one slipped through the cracks). Make reservations for The Older Girl's trip to Orlando for Nationals. Whew!

A picture-thought I am sharing: summer has started -- Play-Doh at the picnic table with the neighbor boy.

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