Last week I spent sometime at the Midwest Parent Educators Homeschool Conference.  I love looking in the vendor area.. and always wish I had money to buy each and every book or program that would benefit my kids.

View of the vendor hall

Here's one of my kids favorite spots.. Miller Pad and Paper!

I went to the following conference sessions:

• Raising a Mighty Man of God Kevin Swanson

This session was packed.  There were probably 200+ people in the room, and the speaker lost me when he said; "The problem with our society today is that 25-30 year old men are living in their parents basement.  Why are they living there?  They can't get a job, because their female counterparts have taken them."  AACCK..

• Entrepreneurship: Seven Disciplines of Biblical Business Success Russ McGuire

This one was really for #2.  It was informative, and I think he learned a few things.

Justin, #3.5, some bird and #3.

• Help! My Child Won't Sit Still!! Margaret Porch

This was a good one.  Took lots of notes.. after I took my ADHD meds.

#3.5 and #3 they couldn't get hooked up to the internet…

• Strategies for the Struggling Reader Margaret Porch

This one was really good.  I think I'll be able to apply this stuff to one of my struggling readers.

You want to know something you usually only see at a homeschool conference?

Dad's with snugglies.

I take #4 to speech at our local public school for a couple of hours everyday.  #5 goes with me to do his school work while #4 is there working on his R's and L's.  Each day we walk by the cafeteria and smell the food, each kid takes a turn trying to guess what the kids are having each day… and the same thing happens.. they beg and beg to stay and eat lunch.  I promise them we will eat someday, and our someday came on Tuesday.

They did great standing in line, getting the silverware, napkin and food… but apparently homeschooling doesn't teach a kid everything they need to know in life.

Like how to open a milk carton.

Really.

He asked for help from a friend sitting next to him…

And was on his way to drinking chocolate milk and eating his mashed potatoes and chopped steak with gravy.

Something epic is arriving in Kansas… 

The President arriving at KCI..

President Obama will be less than 15 miles from our little compound..  but we won't get to see him..  I not the biggest Obama fan, but I am a HUGE fan of the United States! How off is a sitting president 15 miles from your house?

He's flying in Marine One to Osawatomie Kansas (population: 4665)

This is the Osawatomie High School I thought I would try to get a couple of the 400 tickets they were giving out for his speech, but there were about 400 people in line around 20 minutes after it was announced President Obama would be speaking. I thought this would be quite a "homeschool" experience to give my children.

#4 and #5 don't quite understand how far away 15 miles is.. but they seem to think that President Obama *could* land in our back field.  They've been talking for days about what would happen if he landed in our back field.

#4 is pretty sure he would come in and check out our Christmas decorations.  He thinks that the President would want to eat dinner with us. I asked him what he thinks I should make the President for dinner, he said; "your home made pizza."

#5 is pretty sure that The Man would be mad, and wouldn't want the President in our house.  (The Man is a Republican).  #5 thinks I should make lasagna, because that's his (#5's)  favorite snack!

It would be pretty cool if the President came to our back field, and if anything it would make great blog fodder.

(all photos credit Brian Foster KMBC9.com except for my backyard.. that's all mine baby)

We started school Monday… This is only Thursday.. of the same week.. but feels like a Thursday somewhere in the future.  I guess that means  It's been a long week.

#5 and his cookie

We have a new-ish bakery in Ottawa Kansas called Keim Bakery.  I went in there last week to write my article in peace.. and picked up a few cookies for the monkey's first day of school

#4 devouring his cookie

#2 and his cookie

Here's #4 and #3.. eating their cookie

This looks like the same photo.. but it's not.. Can you see what's different? 

If you said.. the dog.. You'd be right. He didn't get an apple cookie. He should have, because he's so stinkin' cute. I love his flippy floppy ears.