Getting away with the girls!

I just returned from a homeschool conference in St Louis, MO with other homeschool mom friends. Thanks to my Mom and Dad for coming to help Tim manage while I was away. Right away I want to apologize. Many of you will find that as you read this post it will make little or no sense. For those of you who were along on the trip to St Louis - this is my attempt to remember the important, preserve the humor, and laugh one more time- lest we forget as we get back to "life".

Here are a few of the serious tidbits I picked up:
Love your children. Teach them to love God. Follow His leading in your school and in all things. Cherish the years you have them for they pass too quickly. Love to learn, teach them how to do it and love it. Get rid of the two dimensional. Know their learning styles. Parent to the heart, not the behavior, and not to impress those around you. Close the trap door for public school-quitting is not an option. If the kids are crying, cool it. In the beginning and the end everything you need fits on your bed. Love your husband. Support each other. Follow the lead dog-even when they're wrong. Your hobbies have been sucked down a black hole, but its okay. Teach kids to make mental pictures of words and ideas to help in reading. Read, pray, read, and pray some more. Make a schedule. Get regular sleep. Get up earlier. You don't have to scrapbook. Train kids in the jobs you want them to do. Ask them to help find their role in the running of the home. Make beds and dress the children. Run your dishwasher on a schedule. Make your husband listen to the "sensimale" CDs. Cleanliness is a 2, kids are a 12. Kids mirror our attitudes. Love is messy- in many ways. Make sure kids have time to dig in the dirt. Trust your child. Enjoy school and your kids. Focus on character not academics. Don't compare yourself with others. Celebrate accomplishments!

Now for the humor and the memories:
Jeannie (A.J.): Even though you failed us, we love you. Recalculate on, sister!
Deborah: As a praise song: You came on Thursday, Thursday, Thursday. Thankfully you came on Thursday. As a hymn: Oh thou my friend, we are so blessed, grateful and joyful that thou didst bestow on us your presence on the fifth day of the week. (My tribute to DW) If you had come alone what would Pam have done without her little world in the back seat?!?! Thanks for tolerating shopoholics.
Pam: Wait a minute! Yes, it was five stories. Sorry- you can't control those who share your bathroom! Good luck on your life schedule, but I see cinnamon in your future. I promise not to carry the cheesecake next time. Enjoy your pocketbooks! Hope the sheets are lovely!
Tina: Keep it moving ladies, stay focused! Thanks for keeping us on schedule and scouting out the shopping deals. When you're funny, you are truly funny and you don't even need the tank top. Thanks for keeping us laughing. Thanks for the math advice. My kids thought all the manipulatives were games!
Sharon: Are we talking or ------?? It's official-we're family!! Thanks for hauling us all around and getting the tired and grouchy home safe! We all pray that one day Nicole will thank you for all the hours "in the zone" on the front row with your Dr Pepper. I'll share a meal with you anytime and we are all glad you were in the picture!
Alice: I found a cute shirt online-I'll send you a link. May you have no more nocturnal wanderings and may your blanket come up to your chin! Thanks for getting us around when technology failed!

It was a great time my friends, and I know now it was something I really needed. I am so glad God brought us to Murray so that I got to meet all of you!