• Apr. 12, 2008
MACHE conference preparation
Well, by this time next week the conference will be over. I will have survived my third homeschool convention. I am so looking forward to this conference. More because it will be a time away for me - something I have not had in a long time. I usually get to go away for one weekend in November every year to scrapbook. I didn't have the chance to do that last year because of Molly. And while I'm looking forward to it, I am also dreading it. This will be the earliest I've ever left a nursing baby. It's only for two days and one night but it's going to seem like a long time. I'm trying not to think about it. Molly is very much a Mommy's girl. Laura is too, but she is finally able to get along okay with her sissies and Dad. Molly will be another story. Though she takes a bottle, she usually takes them sporadically from me and not others. She's going to have to get over that if she doesn't want to be hungry.
So I'm trying to finish up my preparations. I have some new things I want to look at as well as scouring the used tables for some deals. Since I've made the decision to go with TOG next year, I know a few things I need for that. I also need to firm up my science choice. I also have several workshops I'd like to attend. The Maxwells (of Managers of Their Homes fame) are going to be there and there a a few of their workshops I'd like to hear, but I'd also like to hear some of the ones Dianne Craft is doing. I think I may end up having to order some tapes because some of them meet at the same times.
I've been spending time trying to get stuff ready for our next school year, even though it is months away. I figure I better maximize my time before Molly starts getting mobile and needs closer watching. She can't even roll yet - though she did just learn to sit upright for a few minutes. She likes her exersaucer for a while and then needs to get out. I've made several file folder games for Laura to do and will begin copying the things I need for Emily and Sarah after MACHE. I purchased a refurbished laser printer to make that a little easier. While I love our Epson printer, it goes through ink like crazy. I've bought all the folders, notebooks, page protectors and dividers we need for next year. All I need now is paper and pencils and a few miscellaneous craft supplies. And we're not supposed to start until August 4th. The girls have taken the initiative the last few days to try to work ahead on some of their individual work. Sarah will finish her Handwriting book in two weeks. Same with her math. She is technically done with her English so we're trying some things from Writing Aids level 1 to help her with her weak areas. Emily still has about six weeks worth of English, but is only two weeks out from finishing her Handwriting and she will finish her Beta MUS book by the end of the week. (Good thing I'm going to the conference to buy the next book.) We will double up on our MFW Adventures stuff in May to finish that by the middle of May. Then we are going to concentrate on a few odds and ends.
Emily will be taking her CAT test this week. I think she'll do fine. I gave both girls the AOP placement test for Language Arts because I was curious as to where they were at. Sarah placed as halfway through 2nd grade with an end of 6th grade reading level. I wasn't surprised at all with that. Emily placed as halfway through 4th grade with a somewhat undetermined reading level. I say that because she rather bombed the 6th grade level but did pretty well on both the 7th and 8th grade levels. I even called AOP to see about it and they said that was strange. Guess those were just some weird words to her for some reason. We'll see what happens next year I guess.
Blessings.
