Don't you just love General Conference? I always feel so recharged and resolve to do everything right. I'll be patient and find all the joy in parenthood. I'll be outgoing and friendly with everyone I meet. I won't get distracted by things that are time wasters and don't really matter.

But, I never seem to manage all that. I am a serious introvert. I get tongue-tied and terrified when I talk to people, sometimes even to friends. I love my kids, but they can drive me nuts. I am very easily distracted by silly things, books especially. But I can still try, right? I don't have to do it all at once. Maybe I can try eye contact or a smile with strangers. I've been concentrating lately on not yelling and not stressing out over little things. I can keep working on that. Every day is a new day to try again. One of my favorite quotes from this conference was by Sister Dalton: "The will to win means nothing without the will to prepare."

Tomorrow we head up to Lebanon again. Seems like we were just there (2 weeks ago, we were), but this time Nathan is coming with us. We both need to see the dentist for cleanings, since it's been more than a year, and Mary needs a cavity filled (does that make me a bad parent? It feels like it does). Lana had just opened up the day, so we grabbed it. It's good. Lil'Nathan will participate in a study at Dartmouth measuring his brain waves while he reads. For that he gets a T-shirt with a brain to color. We'll also go to Poverty Lane for some apples--I'm really hoping for some Jonagolds. Really hoping. I want lots. :) I also need to go to LISTEN b/c I've had to cut it out the last two times I was up. I may go through withdrawl soon. Oh, and the car will get it's oil changed.

On Fri morning we get visitors from the south. Audrey (Nathan's sister), Brian (her husband), and Elijah (their 8 mo old son) will be here for the weekend. They want to go to the beach (!) for chowder and ice cream and to Boston to walk the Freedom Trail and ride the T. As an alternative there is also Lake Winnepesaukee. (I think I may have slaughtered that spelling.) We went last year in Oct and it was gorgeous!

Struggling with homeschooling groups. The new co-op that was started seems already to be in upheaval as everyone in it appears to have a different idea of what it should be. The unschooling group down south... while a lot of our ideas are similar, many are not. Some members seem rather judgemental of different choices. I know there are a few others in the area. And there's one meeting on Wed during Lil'Nathan's chess club meeting. Maybe that's the one. I have so many friends in the Lebanon area homeschooling... Hey, what do you guys do? Maybe I can come play, too...