Home School Conference

Big D and I went to the Michigan Catholic Home School conference this weekend. This was my first conference; I was really excited about going. I was also excited about having a night and a whole day just hanging out with Big D.

The conference was great. I already had a list of the curriculum I wanted, so I was not overwhelmed with the choices at the conference. As soon as we got there we purchased what we needed and the rest of the time we looked around and went to some of the talks.

The speakers were great. Marcus Grodi gave one of the talks we went to. He hosts The Journey Home on EWTN. His talk was about the early Church fathers. I encourage every Catholic and Non Catholic to read about the early Church Fathers. In the short time Marcus was speaking, he gave us a little insight on some of the Church Father’s letters, what they were trying to tell people, and how they instructed everyone to follow the Church Christ established. As I sat there I was thinking, “This is so clear, everyone needs to read about the early Church Fathers.”

Marcus recommended a book, Four Witnesses. Big D and I read this book when we were coming back into the Catholic faith. I remember having the same thoughts as I read this book as I did at Marcus Grodi’s talk, “This is so clear!”

We were also fortunate enough to hear Laura Berquist who wrote Designing Your Own Classical Curriculum, she gave a talk on home schooling children from toddler to teen. Laura gave great advice for parents who are teaching children in different grade levels. Laura’s tips and experience gave me a sense of reassurance and peace. All the people we met and talked with were so kind, I felt right at home.

We went to this conference to hear the talks and to buy our curriculum, but Big D spotted some very cool Catholic T-shirts. We found out that a 16-year-old girl who was disappointed in the fashions for her age group decided to make these shirts in her home. They are her designs and I think she did a fabulous job. We had to buy one for all the kids and of course Big D. Here is her website www.jmjdesigns.biz

This conference was a nice little get away for Big D and I. It also brought us in closer to the world of home schooling. It reaffirmed for us that we are doing the right thing for our family. This weekend was a wonderful experience for the both of us.