My crazy and wonderful life!

Good morning! The house is so silent everyone is still in bed. My wrist is killing me. Tentinitus I am guessing. I should be walking on ye ol' happy treadmill. But no way. I have my wrist brace on, an ice cold seltzer at my side and I want nothing but to blog away!

I love this time of the morning. I try to get up super early I need at least 1 hour alone to really be sane. Two hours is optimal but that is hardly ever realistic.


Well the last 9 days has been crazy. Crazy good and just plain old crazy!

The ice cream party that was last Friday was a success. Oh what stress that was. The night before I got 2 hours sleep. I need a root canal. Yep, at 3:00am there I was in shocking pain! I was mortified. What was I going to do? How could I make it through the day? But I made it with the help of a LOT of advil!

With Advil, decorations and loads of ice cream toppings I make my way to the hotel. First I was shown this room, YIKES. Those are some super ugly tablecloths. I was in such shock I couldn't even ask to have them changed. I was then informed that the ceiling is damaged in the other room where the talent show was to happen. NO way! It turns out that the room AC was not working. But no one told me this. The woman did not seem to think I needed to know that bit of information. But I took the high road and thought what can I do. I mean I can't fix air conditioning. I can't make this room comfortable for 200 in less than 7 hours.

So I went off to the "ice cream" room and worked some magic. I was able to get white tablecloths. That made the biggest difference. I also dimmed the lights so I didn't have to see the stains on the carpet.

So around 2:00, 5 hours to party time I walked into the big room with no air. I had been avoiding this room like the plague. Well I hear a drip, drip and then came a gush of black water coming out of the ceiling. Crap. I am trying to stay calm, I want to call the conference chair my buddy Parrish or call Lois who has been the person who had made the arragements with the hotel. But really what are they going to do? Freak out and have twice the stress. They are at the conference space setting up.









But never fear the wonderful workman came through! I even start thinking "next year I will do....". How quickly I can forget and forgive.






By 7 the place is wonderful! We have air. I have my great friends ready to help. Lynn, Kirstin, Heidi and Tracy were in the ice cream room scooping away! What do you think of the cute aprons that I made! I really thought they were fun. They got to take them home with them, the least I could do to thank them!























And then there is sweet and wonderful Kimmy! My friend that got me through it all. I was able to grip and complain and pass off work to. I could not have done it with out her. What did I do last year, I am crazy!



But don't think the "fun" stopped there. Nope with a now throbbing tooth I go and meet everyone at the Barnes and Noble. Yup Harry Potter. I have to admit I am a HP geek! I am really glad I went even with my tooth aching and my extreme lack of sleep. Don and the kids stayed until 11:30. He said that they were unable to finish the treasure hunt because of the people that were lined up through out the store. The line snaked around every isle. Kimmy works in the Cafe there part time, she said that they were open until 1:30 am that is when the last person in line bought their HP book. That is some kind of crazy! Kimmy said that the Manager spent the night in the store after cleaning up all the decorations. They opened back up at 5:00 am. They sold out of all the HP 7 by lunch that Saturday. Here are some picture of the fun!

Op for Homeschool Teens!!

VaHomeschoolers 2012 

Conference and Resource Fair
Excite, Enliven, Empower!

Give a Little, Get a Lot: Volunteer!

March 23-24, 2012

Cultural Arts Center
at Glen Allen
2880 Mountain Road
Glen Allen, Virginia

I don't know if you know or not, but I'm a Homeschooling Mamma! Now that my kids are older (11 and 14) they don't like to be included on the blog, I think they feel a little exposed (don't tell them about the snow day photos, or I'll be in big trouble). Because of this, I don't really chat too much about family life here anymore and that kind of makes me sad. At least I have twitter and Facebook on which to share the day-to-day bits. 

I've long been a member of The Organization of Virginia Homeschoolers. It's my go to website to learn about the in's and out's of homeschooling. And every year they host a conference, a conference I would not miss for love nor money. It's my annual homeschool booster shot, without which I would have quit homeschooling a long time ago. No lie.

Before Modern June got off the ground, I used to volunteer as a Key Leader for the conference. I was the Ice Cream Social and Talent Show hostess. It's funny for me to say that I was Key Leader, as throwing a party is not nearly as hard or important as all the other jobs Key Leaders are required to do. I am awe of these ladies and gentlemen that work so hard to put together an informative and successful conference each year.

Well, I'm back in the mix again. I've taken on a little job to help out this year. Maddie and I will be hosting the Teen Luau on Friday, March 23rd. We'll be planning games and making a limbo set up. I think we need to make a Tropical Photo Booth too!! How fun will that be? 

 

Here's the 411!! 

Teens
Teen volunteers must be 13 years or older and come ready to work. As a heartfelt thank-you to all our teen volunteers for your wonderful support and hard work, we offer you food and fun. Volunteer at the conference and get free admission plus access to the Volunteer Hospitality Room (stocked with complimentary snacks, drinks and a yummy lunch) on the day of the conference.

Teen Luau
Aloha Teens! Teen volunteers get free conference admission and entrance to the Teen Volunteer Luau.  Join us Friday night from 4-6 p.m. for a luau with food, music, games and the chance to mingle with other homeschooled teens from throughout the state. Mix with old friends, and make some new ones! This party is separate from the ice cream social luau and is only for teen conference volunteers.

Earn Certification Hours
We’re happy to provide certification of service hours and/or letters of reference for your participation (these look great on college and job applications) for teens that volunteer. You deserve it!

Sign-up to volunteer today! Click below to send an email to Volunteers@VaHomeschoolers.org.

Hellish week

I am knee deep in the final details for the Virginia Homeschoolers Associations Annual Conference talent show and ice cream bash. (FYI ~ I home school our two kiddies.) Yours truly is the hostess with the mostess. I am trying to be positive but I remember how hard it was last year. I am dreading it. I am wasting a lot of energy on that dread too. I mean I have to do it right? So I should get over it.

We have about 200 guests coming for ice cream sundaes. And as of today we have 23 talented kids performing. Yikes, I have to emcee.

I have some of my great friends from our SHARE Homeschool coop lined up to scoop and Kimmy has been so helpful over the last few months listening to me rant and getting donations. I love my buddies. I hope you all have such great friends. I don't throw this word around willy nilly but I am blessed.

What was I thinking. I will learn to say no, I really will. But you know how it is you want to give back to those that help you but you know that you are stretched thin. You are all ready to say no and then your great friend Parrish asks you ever so nicely to do it again. Then she tells you how much everyone enjoyed last year. How they just can't stop talking about it. You start to think how hard can it be you did it last year... you know what to do and what not to do. You then start thinking that your Martha and you can do it all! Ha! I am a SUCKER!

It really is going very well even though I refuse to admit that in public! Oh this is a bit public, dang it. No one is allowed to tell "them" you know them the people that will ask me again next year. : )



Last year I packed everything away really nicely. There I found that I have 138 spoons and 200 cups ready and waiting to be used up. I have tons of left over luau themed napkins serving pieces and decorations all just waiting for another party. I also thought way ahead and I have 400 leis and gift bags for those talented kids. I even made some oilcloth book marks for the adults that are entertaining us. I made these for me a month ago and I thought they would be fun in here too. I will post a tutorial not that they are the least bit hard to do. But none the less I will whip that up later.


But this is really funny I used they inflatable's to decorate the room. I can not get my kids to stop filling them up. I can not get them to the hotel conference room all filled up. Oh well they are busy, right?



A whole lot of fun! I need to remember to bring these out on a cold winter day when we feel like shut ins. They played with these for 8 hours. love it.

Well this was a self help, pep talk. I feel much better! Thanks for listening!

What a weekend!

I am so exhausted from my wonderful weekend! Three and a half days of learning, mayhem and fun.

It all started out with me shutting down the studio early Friday afternoon, no internet was to thank for that! (totally my fault) Dear Husband arrived home early too so it was all "yeah, it's the weekend!!!" So Dear Daughter and I headed off to Target for some shopping! We really needed to reconnect with some good old fashion girl time, we have been having tween-temper issues. Three outfits later we headed for a yummy dinner for two.

This weekend was the VaHomeschoolers Association's big conference and to kick it off we attended the ice cream party and talent show. It was really nice to just participate and not organize the event like I had done the two previous conferences. All I can say is HS kids are so very talented. It was a great chance to hang out with old friends. It is always amazing to see just how much a child or teen can grow in a years time.

The next day I headed off to the conference alone, the family would arrive later in the afternoon to enjoy a Barefoot Puppet show, the story tellers story and the Science Museum of Virginia itself!

Let me be honest here, I didn't want to go, I have been trying to ditch my role as teacher for months now. Every night I would lay awake in bed searching for a better solution for my children's education. This all started last fall when we had our kids tested for learning differences, we found out that we were dealing with dyslexia and dysgraphia. This was very upsetting to say the least. As a parent we want to do what is best for our children, so all of a sudden I was in agreement with the professionals, I was told that I need to do things totally different and to do it fast before it was too late. Now you must now by now that I don't often do what I am told, I never have and shouldn't even try!

Well that was the biggest mistake, I buried all my intuition and my beliefs while I struggled to adapt a new way of teaching. Let me tell you, it was an uphill battle to no where! We all hated it, it was a horrible year for all of us. Basically, I just couldn't do it, I just could not do it their way so I was left feeling worthless and ready to call it quits on homeschooling all together. Basically if I had an extra $40,000 laying around they would currently be enrolled and a very fancy private school!

I have said for years that the VaHomeschoolers Conference is my annual HS booster shot, but this year it was that and so much more. This weekend I found my voice again. After this weekend I am ready to go back to my old ways with my improved set of tools and get to work. It is time for us to learn to love learning again and follow the path that is right for myself and my children.

To say the least is was a very long and emotional day for me and I was looking forward to a dinner alone, I needed to look over my notes so I could reflect and plan. I had just told my family that I would be home later, I told my BFF I need to have a good cry before getting home. But what do you know, instead of dinner alone with my handy notebook, I spent the next couple of hours in the ER! Dear Son broke his nose just outside the museum.

While playing on and around the giant granit Kugel of the earth he "smushed his face" right in to it and broke his pretty little nose. OMG, I have never seen that much blood in my life. Thank goodness there was a medic in the crowd and she helped up stop the bleeding. Once the bleeding had stopped we were able to see his nose and it was VERY clear that we needed medical attention. He was such a trooper, he really manned up! For such a traumatic and painful event he was actually very calm, despite the trembling, the trembling really freaked me out!

Mamma drama never stops does it? He is doing really well, with his big blue nose. The fracture seems to be best case scenario so I am not worried about it needing any more attention beyond a second set of x rays.

As for Sunday, I really don't remember Sunday! I attended the last session of the conference, a casual brunch with the key speakers. I was able to chat with my favorite speaker, Cindy Gladdis about where to go with my Right Brained Dyslexic child. Now that was advise I could follow!

Basically the rest of Sunday was filled with naps, ice packs, gaming and note reviewing. I have a plan, watch out! Oh, how can I forget the science supply catalogue? Dear Husband brought home a catalog from one of the vendors, and Dear Son has not put the thing down. He has been looking at all kinds of stuff. I didn't know I had a science guy, sweet!

super cool rubber stamp image

Yesterday, I needed to attend to some work, man, emails and convos sure do build up fast don't they? I also got started on another round of chalk cloth banners and then I did my trip to the two local Hancocks for their 50% off notions, with an extra 10% off entire sale! You just gotta stock up on days like that... trim, needles and buttons!

We topped of the weekend off with a cookout at our neighborhood pool! I grilled while the rest of the gang frolicked in the frigid pool! I couldn't bare it, that was a cold that hurt! It was fun to catch up with old friends and relax pool-side! I could really get used to that! I decree that Wednesday supper is pool cookout night! I just might need to trick out another vintage picnic basket for myself!

I hope you all had great weekends too, but without broken noses and trips to the ER!

I am still with out a camera so I have shamelessly stolen these fun photos from here, there and everywhere!

Homeschooling Conference!

 Homeschool teen party decorations

My family spent the last few days attending the Virginia Homschoolers Conference. It's my annual homeschooling booster shot. It always comes around just as I'm running low on steam and filled with doubt. Thankfully, I leave feeling energized and self-assured. The conference makes me confident that our eclectic/unschooling style of homeschooling will not render our kids ignorant and destitute. (Thank goodness!!)

It was also my second year of hosting the teen party. OMG!! 52 homeschool teenagers is a lot of wonderful and crazy energy!! I finished up Friday night by serving about 200 people ice cream and cake, I haven't been that physically tired and mentally fried since Country Living Fair! 

Every year I pick up a few pearls of wisdom to help guide me through another year and this year was no different.

#1: Do what you love and do what your good at!
#2: Our main job as homeschooling teachers is to teach the kids how to learn.
#3: Are you doing what it important or what is URGENT? (Yikes!)
#4: There are no educational emergencies!

I always go to the feel good sessions, sessions like Unschooling Unzipped and a Homeschool Mom Looks back by Jeanne Faulconer. Meanwhile, my hubby went to a few sessions that were more technical. Oh course, it's that ying and yang thing again! He went to sessions on real world math and teaching aps!

After the conference Don and I went out to pick up dinner alone and compared notes. My take away from his sessions are great as well.

#1. Mathalicious
#2. Evernote, I am so excited about this! Man, I hope it finally gets me on top of it all. PLEASE!!

At the end of the day I was part of a panel of working/homeschooling parents. The panel and the room was filled with a working moms and dads that are or are planning to work while homeschooling. I loved it, they are my people, a bunch of fellow crazy people that are willing to conquer it all! I'll be back tomorrow with more.