Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Scenes from a Homeschooling Convention

One week ago I bid my Man and Kate a fond farewell, loaded Cole, Meg and Molly into the family van, and struck out for my destination to the southwest with a quick overnight swing towards the east. The four of us headed for my Mom & Dad's to deposit Molly at Camp Grandma and while there we picked up my sister, Becky who would join us for the adventure ahead.


The adventure ahead was the Southeast Homeschooling Convention, conveniently located in the very same town where my other sister Sudeana lives in South Carolina. Last year, I made the 9 hour drive on my own and Sudeana and I had a blast at our first homeschool convention.  Yet the whole time I was sitting in workshops and classes, shopping in the vendor hall and soaking up all of the information, I was thinking how very much my older kids would have loved the whole experience.

 This year, Cole and Meg accompanied me as well as my sister Becky who began homeschooling her two boys this August and my trip was all the richer for the additions to our family roster.

Once inside...

...we got down to business. Serious business...
Okay, maybe not all that serious...seriously big cookie, true 'nuff!

We learned, we saw, we shopped, we played...
here see for yourself!






(A little bit of bun fun...)



Friday night comedy show. We laughed till we hurt!




(Finally! A school-related use for that backpack!)

Cole and Meg with the author of one of their school books, and one of their favorite conference speakers, Monica Irvine of the Etiquette Factory.


Cole and Meg with one of their video instructors for the Institute for Excellence in Writing, Andrew Pudewa many of whose workshops we all attended. I told Mr. Pudewa that we've been using the poetry program that he authored and where the kids were in the curriculum which caused him to look at Cole and Meg and say, "So, you've memorized about forty poems so far! That's great!" Cole and Meg looked at him in surprise, not realizing that they'd achieved the 40 poem mark! (Click here to see why we're working so hard on poetry of all things!)

One of the highlights of our visit to South Carolina, outside of the convention, was getting to eat out at a few new and different restaurants. One evening, we dined at an Asian restaurant called Red Bowl and we were joined by my friend and fellow conference attendee who'd moved to South Carolina last summer!

Another evening, we ate at a local Mexican restaurant where they made a huge bowl of guacamole at our very table. It was to die for. 

The guac was followed by a burrito as big as my niece Mackenzie who got to join us for dinner. 



Quite a meal, quite a crowd, quite a conference, quite a lot of learning...about learning!
 I'm quite privileged I was able to attend in such perfect circumstances!

Man's mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions. 
 ~Oliver Wendell Holmes

(The same can be said of one's stomach after eating a huge Mexican meal!)

2 comments:

Becky said...

Such a fun trip!! Already making plans for next year!!

Sudeana said...

accommodations have been reserved and reservations have been made at new favorite eatery for next year's event!! already looking forward to it!! it was a blast!!

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