When I logged in to send this quick note, I was shocked to discover that it had been weeks since the last one went out. I'm sorry! I lost track of time while getting ready for the amazing Great Homeschool Conventions in Greenville and Fort Worth; my assistant was working as homeschool lobbyist at the General Assembly (homeschool moms make the best lobbyists!); and the newsletter just slipped through the cracks.

We leave tomorrow morning for the Midwest GHC in Cincinnati, and once again, I'll be doing the Homeschool 101 track (Teach the Teacher, What to Teach, How to Teach, and Records and Transcripts). I'd love to see you there! 

Before we go, though, I wanted to share the most recent post on the blog — Penmanship Matters. I am so often asked if it's still necessary to teach penmanship, and I keep reading disheartening statistics about schools that are dropping it from the curriculum. Consider this my penmanship manifesto;-). As always, you'll find links and resources to help you as you teach your students or improve your own handwriting. (You can see our new French-ruled notebooks at the bottom of this email — they are helpful!)

There is another recent article you may find interesting — How to Wisely Praise Children. This post was inspired by an article and video on helping children fulfill their potential. My favorite take-away from the original article is  the confirmation that stories shape beliefs and thoughts. Not that anyone who has been mentored by the wisdom of Charlotte Mason would doubt it! 

Finally, I thought I'd share a snapshot (below) of the "princess party" we had with my granddaughter Imogen and her cousin, Davie (in glasses). Their other grandmother and I took them out for lunch at a relatively fancy restaurant downtown, then stopped at a vintage shop where we tried on hats. It's the first time I've ever worn a tiara in public, let alone in the middle of the day, but no one seemed to notice, and we discovered one benefit — little princesses behave beautifully! Days like this create fun memories, and are good foundation for strong relationships as they grow up. I wish you joyous memories, too!

Peace and joy to you each day, 

P. S. I will do my best to get another letter out before May, but just in case I can't, I would ask your prayers for a very special conference I will be going to. It is being held in Chengdu, China, and I will be speaking for three days to a group of expats who are doing the heroic work of educating their families in a foreign land. 

I've never been to China, and I'm looking forward to it. I'll be stopping in Beijing on the way home for a bit of sightseeing — the Great Wall, and who knows what else. If you have any recommendations for things to see or eat, I'd love to hear them!