Attending the Great Homeschool Convention last weekend in Greenville, SC was an investment in our homeschool, my growing business with SQUILT, and this homeschooling mom's mental health!
I would encourage everyone to attend a homeschool convention if at all possible. The speakers, chats with other moms, and time out of your normal routine are just GOOD MEDICINE at this time of year.
The homeschool community is blessed with many wonderful conventions - choose one and GO! You won't regret it.
Favorite Homeschool Resources from Convention
*This post contains affiliate links
While most of our curriculum pieces are part of Classical Conversations, I did have a few booths I wanted to visit. At this point in our homeschool journey, I didn't roam the vendor hall looking at every booth - I know myself and knew I just needed to "stick to the list"!
I just love the Hero books from YWAM. Since Cycle 3 next year focuses on American history I decided to take advantage of the convention special and stock up on biographies of famous Americans. I wasn't aware there is a new section on their website with bonus materials to go along with the books. Nice!
I had a long conversation with a dear man working the booth and he also gave me one of their new audio books to try for FREE.
It was fun to meet the Classical Historian at convention, too. This homeschooling father of 7 (who also teaches public middle school full time) is developing a classical curriculum for middle and high schoolers. He also has developed many fun history card games, which he was happy to share with me. We've been playing them and the kids LOVE them!
I really lost all restraint at the Memoria Press booth! I picked up the Henle study guides for Latin(for Anna) and also got some literature study guides for Grant (remember when he did Lassie, Come Home this year?). It was especially helpful to have an in depth talk about Latin with Martin Cothran's wife (who is a former CC Challenge tutor, by the way!)
Great Friends and Speakers
Since I was mostly talking about SQUILT in Professor Carol's booth in the exhibit hall, people knew where to find me. I was so happy to have several readers and blogging friends stop by to chat!
Meeting Julie, from Nurturing Learning, was exciting for me. Julie has been a long time reader, commenter, and also a loyal supporter and affiliate of SQUILT. When she stopped by the booth and introduced herself I was so happy - we chatted a couple of times during convention and I felt I made a FRIEND in real life.
{Blogging is really great like that.}
I hadn't seen my friend, Jenn, from Daze of Adventure, since the BEECH Retreat last year. She's just a smart lady and a good friend.
Hearing Matt Walsh speak was AWESOME! I could not believe he was just 27; he was poised and very wise. He talked a lot with us about the advantages of keeping our children free from government control. AMEN. Thank you, Matt. I'm a loyal blog reader and will continue to support him - even if some criticize him as a "media bully" - I believe he speaks TRUTH that so many people just don't want to hear!
My favorite quote from Matt : "Our children's education will either serve God or some other god." Amen.
Another treat was listening to Heidi St. John (the Busy Mom). Heidi is genuine and real and lives a homeschooling life just like you and me. If you ever get a chance to hear her - GO! What struck me about Heidi's talk was the fact that homeschooling is just as much about MOM as it is about the CHILD. We are constantly being refined through this endeavor and if it's not about Christ we're wasting our time.
Finally, I met Michelle (The Holistic Homeschooler), who is also in iHN with me. It was fun to finally meet her.
Testing SQUILT at Convention
I am beyond thankful to Professor Carol for carrying SQUILT for these conventions. Carol was a professor of mine at Southern Methodist University and it's fun to be working together now to bring the homeschooling community music across a broad age spectrum.
Trying to explain an eProduct in a convention setting is difficult, but I got a lot of practice! I learned so much and developed new goals for SQUILT over the rest of this year.
God is full of surprises. I never imagined I would be thinking about self employment taxes, marketing materials, affiliate commissions, SQUARE credit card readers, and learning the ins and outs of homeschool conventions. I am thankful that I can use my passion for music education in this way. I firmly believe music NEEDS to be a part of all children's educations, and I also believe SQUILT is a great tool for the elementary and middle grades homeschool parents.
It was all I could do at the end of a day to make it back to my hotel and collapse into bed!
An Evening With Ben Carson
The end of the convention was a special treat.
Dr. Benjamin Carson spoke to a packed hall - and the amount of new homeschoolers in the room was astounding.
"A well informed person is a formidable ally of truth."
Throughout Dr. Carson's talk I just kept thinking about what an amazing person he is - the good he has done for so many children - and the important leadership role he is taking on now.
After shaking his hand I became quite choked up. He was so unassuming, quiet, and humble. His hands are TRULY gifted, and he spoke passionately about our children's education.
I purchased the YWAM Ben Carson book for him to sign for my kids. We had watched Gifted Hands the night before I left for convention, and to hear him speak was SUCH a great experience. I wish my husband and children could have heard him speak, too.
Honduras, etc...
Getting back into the swing of things this week - we schooled all week as normal and also got dad ready to go on his mission trip to Honduras!
I'm so excited for him - he is going with a group from our church. They will be working in a hospital and orphanage on the coast of Honduras. Please pray for safe travels, and for God to be working in them while they are away. The kids and I will miss him, but I suspect we will have some fun outings while he is gone to keep our minds busy!
(I'm secretly very jealous - my time in Ecuador had such an impact on my life, and I wish I had signed up to go on this trip, too!)
One last thing! My Anna got a TON of hair cut off this week. I think she looks so much older, don't you?
I'm thankful for the chance to come to this place each Friday and read so many encouraging words from all of you, and then visit your blogs and read about your weeks, too. It's my favorite time of the week.
I hope you'll join me!
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