{This and That}

I know lots of you are started school last week -- I hope you had a lovely start to your new year.  Our local schools started back last week also.  Naturally we spent that day at the beach! ;)  We'll be enjoying fall's calmer crowds from here on out!

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Even better than Charlotte Mason at the beach: Charlotte Mason with sixty other moms, in a beautiful location, with a full day of John Muir Laws instruction and a trip to the Getty!

I got home from the CMI Western Conference a couple weeks ago.  It was wonderful and provided me with much food for thought.  Eventually I'll get some of the main points I took away from the trip up, but for now I'm remaining in (and enjoying!) processing mode.

The best part, though, was chatting with so many other enthusiastic ladies, including some I'd known for years online but hadn't yet met in person (like Jenny!).  It was also a treat to meet some readers and share ideas face-to-face rather than via email or in the comment box.

On top of that, I stopped on my drive down for a little lunch with Brandy, so even the 5-hour drive was fun!  It was an all-around great time, and if I don't have a newborn due or in arms next summer I'll be trying to attend again.

In the meantime, I'm looking forward to our February conference here in the Bay Area even more!

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If you're following along on Instagram, you'll already know that a few weeks ago, Justin took off walking!

very pleased to call himself our earliest walker, at just eight months!

He also is attempting to go from two naps to one, poor guy.  It has led to snoozes in all sorts of unwelcome places...

It has gotten to the point that as soon as I sit him in his high chair -- for whatever meal, at whatever time of day -- he starts nodding off!  LOL

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I caught up on sorting photos this past weekend and noticed that my recent snaps of Monterey (one of our favorite coastal towns) contrasted neatly: either moody gray-blue or...bright!  (No filters here, and no, that top one isn't b+w!)  I think that pretty well sums up the Northern California coast this time of year.  Mornings are gray, but once the sun comes out...

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A little reading around the web...

Unwelcoming Gluttony from the Table of Sophia
Writing Your Own Charter
Have Kids, Become Divine

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We are more than halfway through our first term, so soon I'll be ready to share a bit about what we're doing this year: Year 5, our Form I rotation, our daily schedule and weekly checklist, and our first term of Morning Basket plans.  Whew, that's a lot! :)  I hope to be back with at least one of those posts before the weekend.

In the meantime, check out Keeping Company and have a great week!