Slowing Down

We are slowing down. Busy takes on new meaning - busy playing outside, busy reading a book on the porch, busy riding bikes and roller blades ... The weather has been consistently perfect (this side of heaven) for over a week now. It gets harder to study and pay attention and easier to give up trying and take a walk! 

Spring brings one of my favourite times of year - homeschool conference time and curriculum catalogs come in the mail. At this point with Will, I've got only one more year with him by my side and the curriculum is pretty much set. It's the little things now - the last minute things that I want him to know before he leaves. Most of it has nothing to do with math, spelling or history but of the heart and soul - not found in my curriculum catalogs. 

This year our area homeschool conference had Andrew Pudewa from Institute for Excellence in Writing as the keynote speaker. He drew quite a crowd with the number of attendance up significantly! I was super excited to have him come and to listen to him in person. I've been listening to him on mp3 for years - one of my favourite being Fairy Tales and the Moral Imagination. And his talk Freedomship Education Paradigm challenged my conception of what education is. On top of that, Will has been learning from Mr. Pudewa for years - by DVD on my laptop. It's been our writing program and been an absolute miracle for both of us - for me trying to figure out how to teach writing and do it justice and for Will who could have cared less. Mr. Pudewa is a great teacher and hilarious on top of it. So when an opportunity to attend a class of his in person came up for Will, we jumped on it! The day before the conference he was offering several different classes depending previous experience and age. Will was super excited - yes, for a writing class on essays no less! And so was I because I was going to sit in on it:) 

Will also got his autograph. You know your a homeschooler when...

This was also the first homeschool conference that I spoke for. My workshop was titled "Creative Organization" and I had handouts and a Keynote (powerpoint). This was really the first time I've ever done something like this and I was pretty petrified. My sweet husband despite his crazy day managed to make it there in time to set things up and cheer me on in the back row. Actually at one point I think I noticed him starting to doze but to be fair he really did have a busy day so I won't take it too personally .... It was a good experience for me and I'm really glad I did it. Always room for improvement but you can't improve if you don't do it! So there! 

I attended the loveliest of women's retreats on a Saturday. My friend Karen who had gone to Nepal in February to teach and encourage Christian women there, led a similar retreat for the ladies in our churches here! It's title was I Serve God in Whatever Stage of Life He Places Me - in the home, in the community, in the church. Missing nothing, my artist friend and creative Christ follower adorned the luncheon tables herself with some handmade flair!

We have been busy wrapping up the year with Will's string ensemble he's been a part of this school year. He was part of a concert in March put on to raise money for the upcoming school tours. And now in May, we've had one day of school tours with one more day to go. Over the weekend, they had their final end of year recital. The school tour day was exhausting for us all but a blast. Four schools in all areas of the city in one day on a big, yellow school bus is quite the event! Gathered in a grade school gym, kids lined the floors in straight rows (more or less) and listened as the string ensemble played their repertoire. Audience participation included members of the audience getting a chance to "direct" the group. It was a blast! A really great experience! 

And finally, I don't know where she gets it?