Mid-West Homeschool Convention

We had so much fun at the convention in Cincinnati!  We saw comedian Tim Hawkins, as well as The Duggar Family.  Jim Bob was gracious enough to take a picture with our family.  God also blessed us with the opportunity to meet another family while we were there!  Liz, (Forever Changing), and I met through our blogs.  It was so cool to be able to meet in person!!!
One of the major themes of the convention, seemed to be about focusing on your child's heart, and instilling character.  One of the workshops, was with Tedd Tripp, who is the author of Shepherding a Child's Heart.  He explained how most of the time parents will try to manipulate the behavior of their children, to get them to behave.  For example, by grounding them for a certain amount of time, or promising a reward for good behavior.  (Which I am guilty of!)  Instead he encourages parents to focus on the character trait that needs correcting.  To instill character first.  Otherwise, when you need to correct them, they will have a tendency to feel wronged, and angry.  One way of helping them with their heart attitudes, is to have them keep a heart notebook.  Mr. Tripp suggested letting your child decorate the front of it, and write down bible verses on the inside that pertain to each character trait, or heart attitude.  I think this is a great idea!  What a wonderful way to help them to remember God's word.  
I signed up for a natural wellness course, through Vintage Remedies!  This is very exciting to me, as I have felt very passionate about learning how to use natural remedies for our family.  They also have a Vintage Remedies book for Girls, which I plan to use with my daughters!  It teaches them how to live a healthy life, choose healthy foods, and even how to make things, such as natural cleaning supplies and skin care! 
On a final note, we found out that we will be moving...again!  I am so thankful for the simplifying that has already been accomplished in our home.  This should make moving so much easier this time around.  I recently found a book entitled, Speed Cleaning, by Jeff Campbell and The Clean Team.  I am looking forward to reading it, as it promises to help you cut your cleaning time in half!  I will keep you posted...
Blessings to you!
~Jaime