GHEA 2012

Another great event! Not as crowded this year, but we saw alot of our friends, and heard some good speakers.
Friday, I spent most of my day in the Used Book Sale, as usual.
These are my Used Book Sale finds.

Financial Peace Jr., Spelling Power books, Design a Plate kit, Writing Strands 4 + 5, Five Finger Paragraph,
Jump Start Typing CD, State Sticker book, Penmanship books, bird stickers, flag stickers,
and planet stickers (those we can use now in our Astronomy Notebooks).

It's alot of work being a volunteer at the sale, but I actually enjoy it. I get to shop an hour earlier than non-volunteers and I get to choose one free workshop CD.
I also sale some of the things we aren't using anymore and that usually pays for the things I buy each year in the sale, plus some.

We use to just give the kids a certain amount of money to spend at the conference. This year we did things different. The kids have been earning money doing things around the house, so they could spend their own money. Josiah bought some things in the Used Book Sale, too. He was so excited.

Animal books, stickers, and a windbag

In the Vendor Hall, he bought an eagle pen made of wood.

After finding what I could in the Used Book Sale, I went to the Vendor Hall and purchased our MFW curriculum for next year - Exploration to the 1850s. As soon as I get home, I like to open up the box and see everything. Well, not just that. I like to touch it and smell it, and organize it. Is that weird?

Teacher's Manual and history books

Science books

Read Alouds and Bible Study

Music

After a full day Friday of shopping, working, listening to speakers, and the kids going to a children's program (oh, and eating and talking to friends), we come home, sleep, then go back again on Saturday. Josiah did the children's program again, while Hannah attended some workshops with us (her own choice). Then more shopping, eating, talking to friends. Can't wait for next year!

Southeast Homeschool Expo 2011

This is usually my kickoff encouragement before I start my school year, but this year things were different.
Number 1 - I had already started our school year, but you know what, it still was encouraging. It's always a good time for encouragement in homeschool.
Number 2 - We enrolled the kids in Kidzone for Friday, which gave Theron and I some time for just the two of us.

After dropping the kids off, we sat down in the Atrium with some coffee and discussed the workshops we were going to attend.

Cumberland Galleria

Head of the Rose Team

tools of the trade

Then we headed off to hear some great speakers.

Steve Demme of Math-U-See He encourages families in a witty yet also serious way and shared how God led him to create the Math-U-See program. It was my first time ever hearing him speak. We went to three of his workshops and came away full.

The Razvis First time hearing this couple speak also about their family and things that have worked for them and their large family. They have alot of wisdom for those who add to their families through adoption.

After some workshops, we picked up the kids for lunch and got to hear some of what they had seen, like the Lego movie from Shatterpoint Entertainment about the Israelites in the dessert, and cool science experiments.

Student 1

Student 2

After lunch, they got to go back and see a preview of the Dolphin Tale movie and critters from Zoo Atlanta, and hear a storyteller.

Part of that evening after we picked the kids and up, and the next day, they got to go through the vendor hall with us.
The Atlanta History Center had a nice exhibit.

"I can't see you very well through this monocle, but I will still tell you a thing or two."

"I am so STRONG."

Then there is always the chess area.

The Thinker

"Hmmm, this looks like a good move."

It's fun to try out the samples.

"I'm all ears."

"Crank it up."

The kids also got to go to some workshops with us on Saturday. We also got to go by the Dolphin Tale booth and see one of the actors, get a signed movie poster, and get a dolphin balloon hat.

The Hat

 We always let the kids get something that is around $5. Hannah chose a horse color by number picture and modeling clay, and Josiah's choice was a book on How to Draw Dinosaurs.

Until next year!

The Roses are leaving the building.

ReCap of Last Weekend at GHEA

First of all, the conference seemed much more crowded this year. I think it was due to the fact that the keynote speakers are so well-known. Many people came to hear Voddie Baucham Jr.  www.voddiebaucham.org/ 
and
Ken Ham
www.answersingenesis.org/

They did not disappoint us either. They gave some good talks.
Also, they added a Teen Track this year, which drew in more of that age group than previous years. There were special speakers just for them. One in particular interested us, because we have been enjoying his movies,  following his blog, and anticipating the next one.
www.johnmoorefilmmaker.com

We visited him at his booth

And he autographed our DVD covers

We got a real shock when he said he had heard of Theron Rose. People had mentioned that's where they first heard of his movies from our very own movie lover. He frequently shares family -friendly movies that he likes with others. They talked for a while (they both have the gift of gab), then he gave Theron two DVDs for free, I guess because he's such a good promoter.

Hannah and Josiah took part in the Little Patriots program for the first time this year. It is a program for 6 to 12 year olds. Each small group is led by two homeschool teens (one boy and one girl) They play games, do crafts, sing songs, and have their own speakers/entertainers on Friday night and all day Saturday. Saturday afternoon, they sing for the parents.

This is the group they were in

They both enjoyed it and had a great brother/sister team to lead them.

As always, I wore myself out in the Used Book Sale. Saved some money. Made some money.
Can't wait til next year!

GHEA Conference 2010

Next year, Hannah will be studying Creation to the Greeks (My Father's World ). Can you believe she will be in 4th grade? Whew! I bought the basic package and found the English, Math, Handwriting, and some of the Reading, Art and Music in the Used Book Sale. It is so much fun to shop and find deals.

Josiah will begin 1st Grade in the fall. His curriculum will go nicely with what Hannah is doing, but on a less in-depth scale. I only had to buy the student consumables, since Hannah used the same program when she was in 1st Grade. I also found a recommended Music book in the Used Book Sale.

It seems that going to this conference gives me the boost I need to make it to the end of the year. I hear some inspiring speakers, observe other homeschoolers, see science experiments, and talk to fellow homeschoolers. It's an exhausting weekend, especially when I spend 3 hours helping with the Used Book Sale, but it is worth it. I look forward to it every year.

Southeast Homeschool Expo

45. I am so thankful for the encouragement and new ideas

I come home with after a homeschool conference.

46. I'm extra thankful for the new shoes that my husband

got for me just before this expo, that helped with a

heel pain I was having.

. . .

Sorry, you'll have to wait for 48.

. . .

It's always fun and tiring going to an expo, and this one was no different.

Josiah was able to sit quietly during a workshop and color and draw.

We went to one on Lego robotics (something for Theron and the

kids) and one on math with the human calculator, Scott Flansburg (he

taught us some interesting things about numbers).

Josiah really liked this booth (Cochran Mill Nature Center).

We hung out there for a while looking at the alligator and snakes.

I told him that I had been to an alligator farm one time and held an alligator that was about the same size as the one in the cage. Scary, huh?

Hannah loved this workshop on making your own books. She's been trying to do this for some time. Today, we learned how we can create and bind our own books from Valerie Bendt.

Knight's Bookshop always has these cool science things. Today I got the kids some rubber sea urchins that were marked down.

They had fun tossing them and squishing them.

Theron's Finds

We've been talking alot about character in our home. It was great to find some good resources for teaching on this at the conference we attended. The Power of True Success is a book by Bill Gothard covering 49 character qualities -alertness to wisdom - with scripture references. Achieving True Success is a more simple straight forward book good for teaching children, but without the scripture (so it can be used in the public school system). We got them both to use in our devotion and family time.

The Backyard Homestead - Looks like an interesting book. We've been sitting on the idea of having chickens. I guess this is the first step.

Then last but not least is Theron's great buy at the Used Book Sale - GeoSafari - a fun learning tool. $15, an unbelievable price considering it came with two sets of cards.

Josiah and Hannah both love it. It has a one person or two person play mode. Here they are playing it right after we got home on Saturday.