My First Homeschool Convention ~Day 1

Oh my GOODNESS!  I have so much to say and not enough hours to do it in, or fast enough fingers to express it all.  I attended my first Home School Convention today!  What an awesome experience!  I have notes, and fliers, and books and so much more than I thought possible.  My mom got to go with me (which made it even better, I forget how much I love spending time with her she is an amazing woman and I am so lucky!)  We walked through the curriculum fair and they had an overload of ideas.  I got a subscription to Sonic Dad, you gotta check it out. This guy makes things and tests them and perfects them, then gives you the blue prints (so to speak) and you can make COOL THINGS with your kids!  My Buckwheat is gonna be in 7th heaven!!!  Speaking of... quick funny story. So yesterday I told Buckwheat that I was going to learn all about homeschooling at the convention.  I said "I will be gone tomorrow to the home school convention".  This morning as I am getting ready he says "Mom, where are we going" I said "Remember I have the home school convention?"  He says "IT'S TOMORROW ALREADY?"  LOL!  No buckwheat it's today, but yes it's tomorrow because of yesterday... oh dear, I think we need to learn a little more about time and days! He cracks me up!  Back to the convention.....the curriculum fair had TONS of things! Herbs, toys, games, books, ideas, anything you could think of.  I met up with an old friend from Discovery Toys which I use to sell when Buckwheat was little.  They have AWESOME games that grow with your child, and their warranty is great, they also have educational things so you aren't just buying JUNK TOYS!  Love them! So then the real fun began, my mom and I attended the first workshop "Home school built on love not on a bankroll" meaning you can home school for little money, you don't need to buy elaborate curriculum if you don't have the funds.  Becca Evenson was the speaker and she runs a website.  She was great, she has home schooled reluctantly at first (hint hint little friend who thinks she can't...yep you!) for 20 years.  The second hour we attended the same gals' work shop on Learning Styles.  It is so important to know how your child learns so you don't waste money of things that aren't even going to appeal to them.  Also important to know so you can help them relate to others, if you are auditory and you talk non stop (we have a few of those at my house lol!) And someone is a kinesthetic learner and the auditory person wonders why the kinesthetic person isn't listening.... it's because they can't they physically can't listen to that much noise :)  We may have found our problem here at our house...gee golly!!  It was very informative!  The last session of the day was "The Power of Calm" by Nicholeen Peck oh goodness this was my favorite of the day!  The presenter was fantastic, and she was real! We got her book!  I have.....forever been trying to find my center, my calm from the storm.  I think this program and her book will help me be able to feel calm and be able to be "prepared in any crisis to be calm".  I can't say enough about what she talked about.  It spoke to me!  I want my children to learn these things, to be able to master themselves and to be calm in the face of any crisis.  Nicholeen described calm not as, "you are happy, reading a book on the couch eating grapes while your children are happily playing around you", but as "You are in the grocery store with all your kids and everyone wants something different, or you are at the pool and you lost the toddler" LOL!  She was so funny!  But that is really what Calm has to be like, we chose to react instead of be proactive.  We have to train ourselves to be calm when the toddler is lost at the pool (heaven forbid) or when the 4 year old won't stop WHINING ALL DAY LONG!  I too often let their actions determine my mood, or my level of control.  I can't wait to implement this in my home, to find peace, harmony and the power of Calm!  Well, there is much more to share, but I will save that for tomorrow because I get to go back!!!! EEEKKK! I am squealing with delight (which is a big deal for me, I don't squeal often HA HA!)