When you think “homeschool convention” you probably think about Starbucks latte’s, relaxing conversations with friends, inspiring workshops and endless hours leafing through curriculum. Somehow, no matter how many times I am faced with reality, I still think of homeschool conventions with a warm, fuzzy feeling. But let me show you the reality of a homeschool convention for our family:
Ok, before ya’ll feel too sorry for me, the first day was wonderful and my hubby watched all the kids. I DID get a taste of homeschool convention bliss at the BC Convention this year. But this was day 2 when I decided to let him have some time and take the kids out by myself. BIG mistake. If you are planning on heading to a homeschool convention, do yourself a favor and get a babysitter!
Do yourself a favor and bring a wagon!
The Aftermath of a Homeschool Convention
But the real fun is once we get home! I gather my stacks of books and resources and carry them with gentle, loving arms down to the school room. I lay them all out in a beautiful array and spend a day or two just admiring the new goodies I have. And then I realize we can’t do school because my school room has become a flood of books we can’t even walk over.
*Reality check!*
So then I get CRAZY inspired and pull every single book out of its spot so I can reorganize all our books. Take a look at what this looks like mid-organization:
It’s pretty bad actually. For one entire day I am hiding out in my school room pulling books off the shelves, literally SURROUNDED with books. My poor husband comes in and just walks away, in his eyes it is utter chaos. But I have a plan! Take a look at the “after” once I get everything arranged.
Now, I feel like I must mention that there are 2 massive bins full of school books to be stored for later years. Part of how I manage this kind of mess is to fill bins for storage and boxes for giveaway or to sell. I also feel like I have to say that this took me from 10am to about 6pm without stopping once for a break! It was a huge job, but now I have all my new school books for the year set up and it forced me to go through everything on the shelves.
So there you have it, what a homeschool convention looks like for our family. It is chaotic, I’m pretty sure my husband thinks of them with no small amount of frustration, it is a ton of work… but it is one of the highlights of my year and I LOVE it!
So try to find childcare for your littles, or at least a helping hand, pack a wagon to house all your great finds, and head on over to your local homeschool convention!
