Midwest Homeschool Convention 2011

Three letters

WOW!

This was a great convention but I wouldn’t recommend it for a beginning homeschooler unless you know what you are looking for!  The size of the Exhibit Hall was amazing!  A newbie would about have a panic attack if they easily get stressed out!  It made APACHE look like a preschool exhibit!  Following are a couple pictures of the exhibit hall.  There was a glassed catwalk across the center of the room, so there is a picture from each side.  I could not get everything in so it is only a portion of the side, but I think I got the majority of each side.  One thing that made it easier was knowing what I was looking for and what I wasn’t interested in.  I don’t like the bookstores that you just dig through used books looking for a deal, I’m not looking for a college, and most of my subjects I am content with what we already use; so it made it pretty easy to tell if I should look at a table or not.  I still spent more time shopping than I did listening to speakers because you spend a lot of time asking questions and learning about the curriculum before you can make a wise decision.

I found a Grammar, Expository Writing, and Creative Writing curriculum that I think we will really like.  I also purchased a Greek & Latin roots Vocabulary program that I’m excited about as well.  I’ve never seen either of them at APACHE so if you are looking for something in those areas I’d be glad to show them to you when they arrive.  Those are the two areas I wasn’t satisfied with in our school, everything else I was able to just order and be done with it!

 

 

Jolene looking out across the exhibit hall.

I read a report that said over 4500 families participated – I don’t know if that is actual participation or if it included registered families that may have no showed.  There were people everywhere.

 

I wanted to go to this conference for a number of reasons.  Homeschooling our children is such a big part of our life that more than anything else (except seeing family), I look forward to the homeschool convention each year.  I always come away refreshed from hearing encouraging speakers, perhaps finding answers to areas we need help with, or just the fellowship with so many others who have been led of the Lord or simply chosen to educate their children at home.

The convention allows children of all ages at no extra cost.  I was excited to share this with the children, APACHE only allows 12 and older to attend and I knew that more than Jesse would enjoy the workshops.  We allowed the children to have a say in what they wanted to listen to although they didn’t always get their choice.

The Mally family does work shops on encouraging children in their relationships with each other.  One of the children, who will remain unnamed, told me after the “Making Brothers and Sisters Best Friends” workshop “Mom, that was a really interesting session.”  To which I responded “yes it was, do you want to try doing some of the things they said?”  He didn’t hesitate with his reply, “No!”  Well, we’re working on it.

Here is Jared sitting on the floor watching a speaker.  He did have a seat, but he could see better from here.

The icing on the cake was having the Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar family sharing in two sessions on Saturday.  It was also what kept the younger children excited about being there.  We did see the Duggars walking around the exhibit hall on Friday evening.  As Todd Wilson put it “the Duggars are the rock stars of the Homeschoolers.” 

For those who don’t know of the Duggar family, they are a family that has allowed the Lord to determine the size of their family and they homeschool them as well.  They currently have 19 children and one grand child.  The Lord orchestrated a series of events several years ago for them to be brought into the attention of the media and have since been asked to have a “reality show.”  It is a show that just records how they live and they are able to share with the world why the live the way they do and give God the glory for it.  We have watched old shows that have been uploaded to YouTube.  Oh yeah, they have all J names as well!

Michelle Duggar had an encouraging talk From One Homeschooling Mom to Another.  She started off with the question - where do you go when things are difficult?  The answer of course was to God.  She stressed the importance of being in God’s word daily even if it is only for a few minutes.  Our strength comes from God.  Then she shared her experience with God convicting her of responding to her children in anger and how God helped her to overcome that sin.  She shared how they go about teaching their children about character and encouraging them to develop good character. 

I can’t remember all that she said, I had to take someone to the restroom and I had other distractions as well.   It was just what I needed, I hope to order the CD so I can listen to it again.

The evening session with the Duggars started out with the family singing and the children playing their instruments.  They really should make a CD, they are very good.  The talk was mostly their testimony which I have already read in their book.  So when children needed to use the restroom I went so Chad could listen without distraction.  My first trip out I noticed some of the Duggar children out at the table where they were going to sell some of their resources.  So my second trip out I took my camera and tried to convince the child with me to take his picture with a couple boys but he was too embarrassed.  Later when someone else found that out they wished I would have told them, but I didn’t want to take unnecessary trips and distract those behind us.

The second highlight of the trip was when a certain child asked me to purchase a couple books he wanted to read!  How can the teacher not delight in the accomplishment of a child that has to work so hard!

Thank You Lord for a safe trip and providing the encouragement and resources I was looking for!