Mark Your Calendars!

Get out your calendars and mark off May 30-31, 2014 for the Minnesota Catholic Home Education Conference and Curriculum Fair!  My husband and I have been attending this fabulous event for the past 5 years and look forward to it all year long.  I am especially excited about this year's keynote speaker, Dr. Meg Meeker.  Her talk on Friday evening will be on her book Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters. Saturday morning will be just as powerful with her seminar on the Ten Habits of Happy Mothers.

Dr. Meg Meeker

Registration has not yet begun for this event, however, I wanted to create a bit of a "buzz" about this wonderful conference.  I cannot say enough positive things about it!  Take a peek at the list of vendors who were there last year.  It is so convenient to be able to shop for all of my curriculum, parenting, faith, and gift needs all in one location.  And the owners of the shops are typically on hand and can answer any of my questions or offer advice on the many and varied curriculum choices available.  The speakers, workshops, and vendor presentations have something to fit all levels, from the beginning home educator to the seasoned veterans.

There is much, much more. Please visit their website for details to read up on this event.  Oh, I almost forgot to mention that for Friday afternoon, breakfast Saturday morning, and all of Saturday the registration is only $25 per person!  So you and your hubby can have a mini-getaway for $50!!!  Or have a girlfriend weekend with your gal pals! Registration is set to begin in March, so check back on their website and take care of it online - easy-peasy!

Have you been there in the past?  If so, leave a comment letting me know how it went and if you'd recommend it to others.

God Bless!

Heather :-)

PS  I am really hoping to be able to make it this year.  Little baby Cheeto is due right around that same time, so we'll see! :-)

I Can't Wait!

It's less than a month away!  The Minnesota Catholic Home Education Conference and Curriculum Fair is coming up on June 1-2. This is an event that I look forward to all year long.  Todd and I secured childcare for the oldest 6 children (no easy task!) and will bring little Peter along for the ride.

I am particularly excited to attend the high school and beyond workshop during the day on Friday.  With Madeline entering 7th grade in the fall, the reality of high school, transcripts, PSEO, and a whole bunch of other stuff is starting to stress me out.  Todd has graciously agreed to be there with me so that we can hear the same information as we tend to process things differently. 

The keynote speaker is Marcel LeJeune.  I've heard him on Relevant Radio a couple of times and think that he'll do an awesome job. They always do a great job bringing in quality speakers.  The past two years featured Andrew Pudewa and Ray Guarendi. They were absolutely amazing and hilarious which is a winning combination if you ask me!

Now I need to sit down and get my "lists" together.  It is so nice to have all the vendors in one location where I can actually talk to them and pick their brains with questions I have about curriculum and different learning styles of my children.  The hardest part for me is keeping to my list of things that I need and holding back on the impulse buys...there are so many fun things that I would like to add to our school!

The best part is seeing all of the other families who are doing what we do.  No matter how secure I feel in our decision to home school, there are days when I feel alone and isolated.  Home schooling is definitely more mainstream than it was 20 years ago, but it is not the "normal" thing to do.  In my neighborhood of over 300 homes, there is only one other family I know of who teaches their children at home.  It's hard to put into words the feeling I get being surrounded by hundreds of people who are walking the same road as we are. 

How about you?  Do you have a home school conference in your area that you attend?  If you live in Minnesota, do you plan on attending this year?  I'd love to see you there!

God Bless!

Heather :-)