Lower Camp's Evening Activity Spirit Night

Tonight's evening activity for lower camp at Emerson was SPIRIT NIGHT. All the Daisies, Azaleas, Rangers and Mountaineers gathered in the camp theater for a range of different games. Shayna's favorite two were "doughnut eating from a string with no hand" (see picture) and "marshmellow shooting". The other booths included mini-golf, face painting, tatoos, "handless pudding eating", gum drop building (with toothpicks) and knocking cans with tennis balls. The kids who completed the challenge received a token. If a child collected two tokens they got to toss a whip cream pie in the face to a staff / counselor of their choice. Shayna loved "pieing" her counselor Hannah. She somehow "found" 2 more tokens and attacked her father, Donnie. We ended the night with smores before sending the kids to bed ! What fun !

First Full Day at Camp Emerson

Hello from the Azaleas bunk B and C at Emerson ! Today was the first full day at Camp Emerson and boy were the kids FULL of energy ! They had swimming tests, health check ups, Wilderness activities, signing up for activities, yearbook photos and more. They were running around so much that when the day was over they were exhausted !

Shayna has signed up for water skiing, auditioned for the play - Beauty and the Beast, jewelry making, pottery, gymnastics and survivor. The kids are so ready to dive into their "regular schedule" tomorrow.

Her bunk has two returning kids from last year that are good friends (Gemma and Chelsi) and three new friends (Elena, Peg and Katie). The Azaleas group is a larger group that they split them into two small bunks; however they eat all meals together !

It is wonderful for Shayna to be back where she has so MUCH FUN !

Soccer "All - Stars" Surprise

Shayna left camp on Friday afternoon to go back home to participate on our town's "all star soccer team" in this weekends Metro DC tournament. The teams who participated each played 2 games on Saturday and 1 game on Sunday. If your team was seeded 1st or 2nd they would progress to the "championship" game on Sunday afternoon.

I couldn't believe it - Shayna's team made it to the championship game... 2 games they "shut out" the other team 2- 0. The other game they won with a score of 2 - 1. Right now as I type this they are playing the championship game.

So there is a slight bit of guilt here that I am not there watching the game. I mean her father is her coach. I am working at camp helping get prepared for the kids. Donnie joked with me this morning when they called in to report the score that I should hop on a plane from Hartford to Dulles. However, realistically, that wasn't happening. I hope they win the championship, however, if they don't... they certainly did their very best in the tournament !

The School in my Head by Sandra Dodd

"Nobody's perfect," they say, and I have been challenged to reveal my own doubts and failings. I don't mind.

I still have a school in my head. Witness my total unwillingness to go to Disney World. That is a definite "nope" for me, and the only thing that would help would be more deschooling. That might happen, but I would rather settle for the more comfortable Disneyland.

Here is the true and embarrassing reason that I can love Disneyland and fear Disney World: I can score a higher percentage at Disneyland. I can do better than 80%, maybe 90% if I stay three days. I have heard from many people that one would have to stay at Disney World a week to see it all. So I don't want to go, because if I see any less than 70% that would not be a passing grade.

I see the world in terms of percentage grades. I have a "grading" overlay behind my eyes somehow that still hasn't totally faded out. It's sad but true.

For some people it's even worse, though. Some people can't leave school because they're carrying it around like a snail and his shell. They live there, still. School became an ingrown, hard part of them. They still define themselves by their school failures and successes.
How does a person who has gone to school for twelve years or thirteen or sixteen or twenty years get over all that programming and all those messages? Slowly, and with effort, and sometimes school can still flood back in or ooze around the edges. Can they find their school-less selves?

Last year I forgot school was out, and offered to help a friend of mine in one of her history classes. It was July, though, and she said, "Cool! When school starts." She needed to borrow some chain mail, but not in summer. That seemed like progress, for me to have been unaware of "school year" for a while.

Every September, "back to school" kicks in. I crave the smell of crayons and new pencils. I like to go down the school supply aisle at the store and admire packages of paper, and new binders. My kids still have the binders they've had for years and they don't need new ones. I don't either, yet I'm drawn there like a migratory bird that has to pass over familiar ground at the same time every year.

I like the appearance of the letter "A" much better than I like to see a "D" or an "F." My maiden name started with "A", and my married name starts with "D." "D" is not as good. Those letters are branded into my brain with their "values" from school.

But little scars like that are only irritations or curiosities. I regret scars and imperfections and little sorrows, but though they slow me down, they don't cripple me. I can see through and over them.

School is part of me, and I am part of the school memories of many people, whether as a schoolmate or as their teacher. But school is not a part of my children, nor they of school.
Sometimes people say to me, "You're patient with your own children but pushy with unschooling parents." I don't go door to door asking people if they know about unschooling, and whether they'd like to know more. If they come where I already am, though, I might press. And when I do, it's because of the possibility that they will run out of time.

My kids have their whole lives to memorize 7x8 if they want to.

The mother of a twelve year old has VERY little time if she wants to help her child recover from school and spend a few unschooling years with him before he's grown and gone. She doesn't have time to ease into it gradually. If she stalls, he'll be fifteen or sixteen and it just won't happen.
If the mother of a five year old is trying to decide how much reading instruction and math drill to continue with before she switches to unschooling, I would rather press her to decide toward "none," because "some" is damaging to the child's potential to learn it joyfully and discover it on his own. And "lots" will only hurt that much more. "None" can still be turned to "some" if the parent can't get unschooling. But if she doesn't even try unschooling, she misses forever the opportunity to see that child learn to read gradually and naturally. It will be gone forever. Forever.

That's why I don't say, "Gosh, I'm sure whatever you're doing is fine, and if you want to unschool you can come to it gradually at your own pace. No hurry."

People say jokingly (though it's true) of their late-reading children, "I'm sure he'll be reading by the time he goes on a date." The same cannot be said of unschooling, though, if the parent is attached to thinking she needs to teach things.

Until a person stops doing the things that keep unschooling from working, unschooling cannot begin to work.

It seems simple to me. If you're trying to listen for a sound, you have to stop talking and be still.
Some people want to see unschooling while they're still teaching and putzing and assigning and requiring.

They have to stop that first. And then they have to be still. And then they have to look at their children with new eyes.

If they don't, it won't happen.

I still see "subject areas" everywhere, but I haven't taught those categories and prejudices to my children. Science has much more to do with history than geology has to do with microbiology, but in school geology, biology, astronomy and physics are all "the same thing," and history is different altogether. Yet the best parts of history involve the knowledge cultures had and how they put it to use, whether in shipbuilding or iron tool use, medicine or communications.

Holly asked yesterday about when people discovered the world wasn't flat. I told her there was no one date or century because people discovered different things at different times, and some were shushed up when they said the world was round, or that the sun didn't orbit around the earth. I also told her, "Ask your dad, because he's really interested in the history of science."
I noticed when I said it that I had "named subject areas," but I didn't feel too bad. She's twelve, and reading, and after all "the history of science" was never part of my schooling. A science teacher wasn't certified to teach me history, and vice versa. Only outside of school did I figure out that scientific discoveries were history, and that music was science, and that art was history.
School served to prevent connections for me, but I overcame that, with difficulty. It is a problem my children never had. If Animaniacs completed a circuit for them between Magellan and WWII, well it's a circuit school would never have completed for me under any circumstances. If learning for fun creates more connections than "serious learning" did, I can no longer look at "serious learning" seriously.

The best function of the school in my head, as it turns out, is to remind me where not to dwell. I did my time in and around school, and learned things painstakingly and grudgingly that my children later learned while laughing and playing and singing. I have guarded my children's freedom and given them happy choices that I didn't have.

I know from school that the best way to end an essay is to tie it back to the beginning, but these birds cannot nest where I started. They are a generation removed and have flown freely out and about without a school to return to in September. But wait: if I take 10% off the essay for a weak ending, I do indeed tie it back, and so might yet get an "A."

Quite pathetic, but it makes me feel better.

Sandra Dodd lives in Albuquerque and has three tall young people in her family who have never been to school. A former teacher, former good student, Junior Honor Society member and one-time officer of the safety patrol, Sandra will probably never recover from school in this lifetime.
This was the Unschoooling column in the March/April 2004 issue of Home Education Magazine.

How Shayna has kept herself busy at "Pre - Camp Emerson"

We are still in "Pre-Camp" mode at Emerson. For me, this means a lot of time on the phone with parents, going through forms, setting up camp etc..... For Shayna this means TONS of playing time with her buddy Gemma.

So what have the girls been up to ....

They love, love, love that they have been "hired" by many of the staff to clean out offices, collate papers etc.... They are working for cash and Starburst ! (cheap enough !) They have been to the movies to see CARS.

And they have had the "run" of camp. During this time, Shayna has made maps of camp with secret trails and routes around camp. It is a pretty detailed map and her thoughts include hanging it up in her bunk to help the "newbies" ! They have been in the pool for several hours. They have wrestled with the Asst Director and won (according to them !). And they have played games & watched some DVDs.

The girls are immensly enjoying the time alone at camp. We don't see them from 8 am - 9 pm except at meals. What independent souls.

When the "kids arrive" at camp their life will change greatly - but only for the better !

Follow Me to Camp Emerson

We have been at Camp Emerson for 48 hours ! I haven't seen Shayna at all except when she gets ready for bed. This is what I will call "Pre-Camp". She is hanging out with one of her camp buddies, Gemma... as all the adults are preparing camp.

Before we left for Emerson, Shayna decorated the van (see picture) ! It looked great ! The back said "Follow me to Camp Emerson". The two side windows said "Honk if you love Emerson" and "Camp Emerson... not your ordinary camp."

We had an uneventful drive from N.VA to Massachusetts. This is the type of drive I personally prefer. We got to Emerson and I haven't seen Shayna since. Seriously ! Gemma and Shayna are so independent.

I will be popping in over the summer to update everyone !

My Weaknesses

There are certain things I simply can't pass up in life.....

The Talboits Outlet in Springfield, VA.... shoe shopping at any shoe store and BOOKS !!!! Boy do I love books. I love it even more when book warehouses have their end of the year clearance sale !

About 2 months ago, I attended a bookfair at an Elementary School where my closest friends youngest child attends kindergarten. She told me it wasn't a "Scholastic Fair" and I needed to see the quality of these books. I went and spent over $100 on books that I didn't know I needed. The company was called BOOKWORM PLANTATION.

For the longest time, I kept meaning to look it up on the internet since I knew it was a Northern VA company; however didn't get around to it until this past week. While exploring their website I found out that they were having their "end of the year clearance sale" where books would be discounted up to 70 % in June. Bad news - I would of left N.VA for Camp Emerson when the sale begun. I got up my courage, called them, spoke with the MOST DELIGHTFUL person Midge and they invited me to come down early.

Yesterday, Amanda (my Talboits, shoe shopping, book shopping best friend) and I went with our kids down there ! It was absolutely AMAZING !!!! We spent a lot more than either of us intended to - but got GREAT QUALITY books and educational games ! The staff was more than welcoming ! Shayna was delighted with even more new books. Amanda's kids were thrilled. All three children were found sitting in a corner reading page after page.

Ironically, we both (Amanda and I) totally overspent what we thought we would BUT we spent within 5 cents of each other. Don't ask me how we do this !

Bookworm Plantation is opening its doors for its annual clearance sale - GO TO IT !!! It runs June 12 - June 23 in Manassas, VA from 8 am - 3 pm Monday - Friday. You can call Midge for more information at 703-367-0045. Tell her EVA gave you the information. And if you are a HOMESCHOOLER let them know ! They love homeschoolers ! You will get the royal treatment ! For more information you can also go to www.bookwormplantation.com .

Top 10 Answers You Should NEVER Give to the Question "What?! No School Today?"

10. Well normally yes, but this time of year I need help with the planting and plowing.

9. Goodness, no!!! I graduated 18 years ago, but thanks for the compliment!

8. No, we homeschool. We're just out to pick up a bag of pork rinds and some Mountain Dew, then we gotta hurry home to catch our soaps.

7. What?! Where did you guys come from?! I thought I told you to stay at school! I'm sorry. This happens all the time. (sigh)

6. There isn't? Why, you'd think we'd see more kids out then, don't you?

5. We're on a field trip studying human nature's intrusive and assumptive tactics of displaying ignorance and implied superiority. Thanks for the peek!

4. On our planet we have different methods of education. (Shhh! No, I didn't give it away... keep your antennae down!)

3. Oh my goodness! I thought that today was Saturday...come on kids, hurry!

2. Noooooope.Me 'n Bubba jes' learns 'em at home. Werks reel good!

And the number one answer we should NEVER give to the question: "What? No school today?"

1. "What? No Bingo today?"

Visitng with the Patriots who helped form our country ...

Last night was our living wax musuem, the grand finale of American Revolution War Coop. For the last four months the children have gathered together every Friday at 10 am to learn about the "road" to the constitution. They listened to lectures, stories, acted out plays, created dioramas, did art projects, worked on timelines, created lapbooks and went on MANY field trips. The class was only supposed to last three hours but at 1 pm, almost weekly, the kids begged for more ! We often went an extra hour or two !

For the living wax museum, all children had to write a "speech" and perform it on stage. The speech was about their life and what made them important. All children ranging in age from 5 - 11 got up on stage to "perform" and were magnificent ! The children also had to create a "story board" of their person's life. There were really no rules on what to do for the story board ! They had complete creativity. Finally, each child had to create a "3 x 5 baseball style" trading card of their patriot to exchange with the other children.

For the "living wax musuem", Shayna was Nathan Hale. She did an awesome job ! Nathan did an enormous amount of "living" in his short 21 years of life. He was the first American to be caught and hung during the Revolution.

The kids did an awesome job !

For the living wax musuem, Shayna was Nathan Hale.

Other reasons on why we homeschool....

A few reasons, in no particular order, certainly not all-inclusive (some pirated from other people's lists published on the net that I totally agreed with):

1. Because I think schools damage a child's self-image, ability to make unassisted decisions, motivation, trust in him/herself.

2. Because I think I am more intelligent and more capable than many teachers my child might have in a school. (How's that for elitist? ) AND Because I think my child is more intelligent and more capable than many teachers they might have in a school.

3. Because I think schools shortchange girls in science and math education and encourage violence in boys.

4. Because I do not value traditional measures of success.

5. Because my school experiences were boring and useless.

6. Because I don't trust people who don't love my children to have their best interests at heart.

7. Because I don't want my children's socialization to be hampered by being stuck with a random group of 25 agemates for 7 hours a day, 5 days a week.

8. Because I don't believe in traditional measures of "appropriate" child behavior. (aka "I've seen normal, and I don't like it.")

9. Because I want my children to have the freedom and flexibility to learn what, when, and how they choose.

10. Because I think schools are enormously ineffective places for learning.

11. Because schools are fundamentally anti-intellectual, emphasize peer acceptance over moral values, and promote all the most trivial aspects of socialization.

12. Because we believe a strong family life is important. This is impossible when families are separated for most of their waking hours. We *like* being together.

13. Because spending most of the day indoors with two dozen kids the same age is unnatural, unhealthy, and very, very limiting. Children need to see much more of the world than that.

14. Because schools promote the status quo, conformity, obedience to authority, passivity, intellectual dependence, emotional dependence, group identity, intergroup conflict, hostility towards achievement, and antipathy towards thought. Oh, yeah, and they are a colossal waste of time.

15. Because we do so many interesting things, I don't know how we'd fit in time for school.

16. Because I think homeschooling helps my child be more secure, happier, and more accepting of others.

17. Because I don't like the idea of a school trying to teach values.

18. Because I don't trust the gov't with my money. Why would I trust them with my children?

19. Because I think learning is more meaningful when it is intrinsically motivated.

20. Because our children can be exposed to more of the world by being with me than by being in a school.

21. Because I adore my children. I intend that they have the widest, most broadening experiences I can provide.

22. Because homeschooling allows long, uninterrupted blocks of time to work on an activity (which might involve daydreaming or planning or brainstorming).

23. Because children can spend more time outdoors.

24. Because children will have time to pursue interests such as sports, art, music, drama, dance, etc.

25. Children will become more responsible for their own education. They will not be passive recipients of subject matter selected by their teachers (actually administrators or government committees), but will at least have input into designing their own education and eventually take over full responsibility.

26. Children learn how to learn, not just how to be taught.

27. Children will learn to relate to people regardless of gender.

Virginia Time Travelers

I just had to share this spectacular program that we enjoy so much ! If you haven't heard of the VA Time Traveler Program please read on and check out the website at www.timetravelers.org.

Here is how it works !

Families can either pick up or download a passport at www.timetravelers.org . You take this passport with you when you visit musuems and historic sites between March 1 - November 1, 2006. When you have six stamps (they stamp the passport when you arrive - be sure to ask !) you mail in a PHOTOCOPY of the passport, no later than November 15th and your child will receive a certificate !

On the back of the passport, there is a LONG, LONG list of participating museums, sites etc that participate in Time Travelers. MANY of them are FREE and others are discounted. The map has them divided by regions of the state.

Colonists to Countrymen 1607-1799

The years 1607 - 1799 were filled with changes for the people of Virginia. Time travelers invite you to learn more by visiting at least two musuems associated with this time period. On the list of site that participate it indicates which are from the years 1607 - 1799. Visit two of these sites and your child will also receive a free patch when you send in the passport !

Master Traveler

Visit MORE than six sites and get a special seal making you a Master Traveler ! Last year over 570 children were Master Travelers.

There is no additional cost in the Time Travelers Program ! It is EASY and FUN ! It gives children a passion for history ! It helps them become responsible for planning their learning !
If you haven't checked out this program - do so ! It is an awesome gem !

Surviving the Exhibit Hall by Tammy Cardwell

Exhibit hall...book fair...vendor room &... Whatever you call it, it's the place to be when you're ready to do your homeschool shopping. The exhibit hall can be the most exciting of places. It can also be the most intimidating and financially dangerous, especially for the new homeschooler. The quality of your exhibit hall experience will be determined in large part by how well you prepare for it, so I've compiled the following list of suggestions in hopes of strengthening your exhibit hall survival skills.

Know Your Homeschooling Style & and Needs

The new homeschooler's temptation is to "Get it bought and be done with it", but easy/quick purchases often result in the worst possible match with your homeschooling learning/teaching style.

Experienced homeschoolers face a temptation too. It's the "This was okay last year, so I guess we'll keep on," temptation. But you need to ask an important question. Was it only okay? If so, maybe your curriculum or methods need tweaking. Of course, experienced homeschoolers also face the opposite temptation - to abandon what they've been doing and seek out something new - but as much as you may enjoy change, you really need to take an honest look at what has and has not been working in your homeschool. As has been said before, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Learn enough about your basic options first, before compiling a shopping list. School at Home, Delight-Directed Studies, Workbooks, Unit Studies, Principal Approach, Computer-Based Education, Online Classes, Umbrella Schools... If these words and phrases are alien, examine the workshop schedule and exhibitor list to see if any can help you learn a little about the variety of options that are available before you decide what path to take.

Realize that not all needs are equal. Some courses require more expenditure than others. Some students' needs may also require more expenditure than other students' will.

Strive for balance. A history fanatic may be tempted to spend the whole budget on history products. This is not a good thing, unless you figure out how to make these new purchases work as the focus of your curriculum. (I, your typical history buff, did. All our high school studies are built around a chronological study of history.)

Consider whether extras really are extras. They may well be necessities in disguise. For instance, if you're using a dry elementary math curriculum you may need to purchase manipulatives; they're not fluff!

Set a Budget

Don't just decide how much you can spend. You should also decide where to spend it. Prioritize.

Make sure to allow for food and travel expenses.

Be flexible. Allow flex room for finding such things as that "perfect" math program - the one that is slightly more expensive, but worth it.

Remember sales tax. Some exhibitors include tax in the asking price, but not all do. Don't get caught off guard.

Don't just think curriculum. Sometimes we find things we especially like, but we wonder if we can really excuse buying them. Not everything need necessarily come from your homeschool budget, though. Do you have a clothing budget? Homeschooling t-shirts are a fun encouragement to your young homeschoolers and can be excellent, inexpensive conversation starters. You can also shop exhibit halls for birthdays and special events, thus saving yourself an extra trip to the store. Educational items make great gifts, and the recipient need never be told that he's learning.

Having decided how much you can spend, take only that much. Unless you have tremendous self-control, leave your checkbook and credit cards locked in the car so that you must think before you use them. If you do take your checkbook, keep your driver’s license handy for ID purposes. If you take a credit card, keep a sticky note on it for recording purchases and keeping a running total of your expenditures.

Know Your Schedule

If this is a conference, look at the workshop schedule first, then...

Block out time for desired workshops.

Block out time for lunch with friends (or alone).

Block out time to talk to specific exhibitors. This one step will help you avoid having an important conversation interrupted by an equally important workshop.

Allow for flexibility. You never know what will happen in a homeschool conference. You may well encounter an especially helpful person and not want to end your conversation early. If you're not overly regimented in your schedule, you will have more freedom for such things.

Have at Least a Basic Shopping List

Prioritize it. Time and money are both valuable; take time to establish your priorities before seeing foot in the exhibit hall and you will save both time and money while you're there.

If you know you want certain things, buy them first; they may have sold out later. They may be a pain to carry, but shipping adds up, especially on heavy items, and many conferences have book-check rooms or curbside pickup. And yes, the line may be long, but will it be shorter before the product sells out?

Know what you don't want. Don't waste time on sales pitches for things you can’t possibly get any time soon. If you think you might be interested in a product later, request a catalog instead.

Be flexible. (I've used that word a lot, haven't I? It's an important key to a good exhibit hall experience.) Exhibit halls are for exploration and discovery; you never know when you will find that perfect something that either wasn't on your list or is just right to replace another product that was.

Don't Go Alone

If you are new to this, try to take a veteran with you - someone who knows the ins and outs of exhibit halls in general and, hopefully, knows this particular conference. Even if you're an experienced homeschooler, consider taking a friend with you. There is something about being able to share the excitement that makes such a day much more fun.

Know the Exhibit Hall

If there is a map, mark important booths first thing; that's why you have it!

If possible, walk the whole exhibit hall one time without buying anything. Get a feel for the exhibitors and their wares before shopping.

Having walked the hall, go back and look at your schedule and exhibitor list again. Are there more exhibitors, now, who might require longer stays? Have you found that you can eliminate some exhibitors from your earlier list?

Miscellaneous Suggestions

At two day fairs - sleep on it. (Note: This does not apply to things you know you need.) We usually need time for our thoughts to gel; waiting until the second day to make our purchases gives us this time. Get information (catalogs of interesting items) on day 1 - then dig, read, talk, pray...

Practicalities

Wear comfortable walking shoes.

Bring a calculator.

Grab your preprinted address labels; they're perfect for catalog requests.

Keep all money in your pocket or a fanny pack and leave your purse in the trunk of your car. (Yes, sad as it is, there are even thieves wandering homeschool conferences.)

Backpacks or canvas bags are great for carrying purchases. Rolling luggage bags can be good, but can also be in everyone else's way

Don't lay purses, packages, etc. on vendor tables. They tend to get in other customers' way, they're more easily forgotten when you leave and they are more easily stolen. I tend to place my packages on the floor between my feet. That way they're in no one's way, harder to leave behind (I'll trip over them), and harder to steal.

Warnings

Watch out for brain fry and exhaustion. Do not underestimate how much a homeschool conference, or even just a visit to an exhibit hall, can take out of you. Conserve your resources! Take periodic breaks; even sitting on the floor in a wide hallway helps. If brain fry sets in, stop - sit down in the quietest spot available, nibble on a snack (or real food) and drink some water, "Check out" for at least a few minutes.

Your biggest potential enemies are low blood sugar (from lack of food), dehydration, exhaustion and frustration. Frustration may not seem like a real enemy, but it can lead to strife between us and our neighbors and the Bible says that "Where there is strife there is every evil thing". Evil things do not make for good exhibit hall experiences.

Beware of impulse purchases. Consider these questions... It's wonderful, but will it work in my home? It's wonderful and would work, but will we use it? It's wonderful, will work, and we'll use it, but is it really a non-essential toy that I want? Now, buying non-essential toys that you want is not necessarily a bad thing, but first make sure there's room both in the budget and in the house. Also ask yourself these questions. Can I afford to get it today? Would it displace a legitimate need? Is it worth credit card debt (if I'd have to use a card)? Would I be better off ordering it later?

Don't let an enthusiastic exhibitor/workshop speaker sell you on something (either a teaching method or product) you don't need. The speaker and what they're sharing may be wonderful and their curriculum or methods still not work in your home. Again, know your needs before you shop.

Thoughts From the Exhibitor's Side of the Table

Let me preface these thoughts with this. I began homeschooling in 1991 and have been working around homeschoolers and homeschool conferences ever since. I run a booth for my publisher at least once a year and work in friends' booths at other conferences just because it's a thing I love doing. In all my years of working conferences, I have seen that certain things happen all too often, things that make life harder on everyone. If you will, seriously consider the following notes and suggestions.

Please remember that you are not the only one needing attention. Yes, this sounds simple, but when you're frustrated or in a hurry it is very easy to forget.

Wait patiently; no, he may not know you've been waiting longer than the woman who just grabbed him.

If he leaves to get an item and doesn't come return quickly, he probably got nailed by another customer and is doing his best to get back to you. If he has forgotten you, a polite reminder is usually sufficient.

Save your life story for later. The exhibitor is there specifically to help you and he can do this more efficiently if you stick to telling him what you need and why, rather than going into extra details like how you got into homeschooling, the long route of reasoning you took before you chose your homeschooling method, or how frustrating it is that your Aunt Jane just doesn't understand. Exhibitors really do care, but they are also well aware that both you and they are short on time.

"The worker (exhibitor) is worthy of his hire." If an exhibitor sells you on a product, buy it from him; it's only right. You may save a dollar or two at a different booth or by ordering from a discount catalog, but isn't his time worth at least that much? Frankly, exhibiting costs a small fortune and product markup isn't as much as you might think. Where the exhibitor is concerned, time really is money.

Returns are bogus. Conferences are where many exhibitors make their living and having product returned hurts. Also, checkout lines tend to be long enough already; returns make them longer. Most importantly, if you obey Rule #1, "Think before you buy", you will almost never find yourself having to make returns.

Regarding "I'll take it now," vs. "Ship it please," many vendors offer free shipping on items ordered at the book fair and this is an excellent offer to take advantage of. If they have an item at the show, however, you need to take it with you unless they ask you to let them ship it. This sounds obvious, but every time I run a booth for my publisher I have several people who ask us to ship everything they want instead of taking what we have in stock and leaving us to ship only the out of stock items. This makes sense to the customer because they don't need it today and will avoiding having to carry the product around, but if those in stock items don't sell before the end of the show the vendor is then stuck having to get everything back to the home office and then back to the customer. Since my publisher has always shipped books to me at the fairs I've worked, that would mean them paying shipping three times - to the fair, back from the fair, and then to the customer. As I mentioned earlier, the profit on books is not what most people think it is (even if you are the publisher); this type of multiplied shipping can literally consume every penny of profit, especially if you are not the publisher.

Open drink containers don't belong in booths. How many times have sodas spilt and harassed exhibitors tried to be nice about it? I couldn't even begin to count that high. It can be hard to smile and stay gracious when you're watching your product's value drop like a rock due to soda, or even water, damage.

Final Notes

Courtesy rules in all situations - "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

Put that book back where you found it. Keeping everything in its place makes for much less mess. It also ensures that the exhibitor doesn't think he's sold out, leaving him to disappoint someone else and possibly experience bodily harm. I type those words with a smile on my face, but I'm actually serious. I worked a fair last year where the end-of-fair story was about the exhibitor who had to tell a customer that they'd sold out of a book (because there were no copies where the book was supposed to be), only to have another worker stumble across a copy while she and the customer were speaking. When the other worker called out that she had found a copy, the customer hit the exhibitor. In fact, the customer hit her so hard that the bruises were big, ugly, and stayed for days on end. Yes, the customer was seriously in the wrong, but taken back to the beginning of the problem, we're talking a potential assault case (No, the exhibitor did not even consider filing charges) that would never have come about if someone hadn't carelessly buried that one book.

Look out for the other guy. If you bump into someone, apologize (right, most people don't), and don't fight over the last item; it's not worth it.

The exhibitor is your friend. Ask the questions you need answers to. Listen to the answers. Ask and listen more if necessary. The exhibitor really is there specifically to serve you and is more than willing to give you everything he can.

Your fellow homeschooler is your friend. Talk to the homeschoolers around you and listen to what they have to say. Lunch and break fellowships can also be invaluable. Be open to striking up conversations; you never know where they will lead.

I love exhibit halls, both shopping and selling, and meeting all the wonderful homeschoolers who fill them. I sincerely hope that your exhibit hall experience is a great one!

Tammy Cardwell is the editor of the EHO Product Reviews Department and the author of Front Porch History, a guide to researching and sharing your family's heritage.
Copyright © 2002 Eclectic Homeschool Association

A Wonderful Day in Alexandria !

We just got home from a WONDERFUL "mother - daughter" day in Alexandria, VA. Shayna and I decided to do some more "history hands on learning" (as she puts it) and we chose to go to "Old Town Alexandria" which neither of us have ever visited.

We had "our game plan" before leaving but found parking right in front of the Visitor's Center so we decided to stop in for some "ideas/advice" we might not know !

So, we began our day going to The George Washington Masonic National Memorial. Neither of us knew what to expect but we were plesantly surprised. We began in the lobby that had an amazing 17 foot bronze statue of George Washington. We arrived just in time for the 11 am tour. The first stop on the tour was about George Washington and his life including his service as a Mason. Shayna loved learning more about George Washington. Our favorite exhibit on that floor was a trunk that George Washington used on the Revolutionary War battlefields. It made it very "real" to us. The next three stops on the tour were about the Freemasons. I learned an incredible amount !

Then, we went back to Fairfax Street & King Street where a store called "The House in the Country" has a scavenger hunt for kids you can buy for $4.00. I thought this would be perfect as we walked the city to different sites to keep Shayna entertained ! It proved to be better than imagined !

Next stop while doing the walking scavenget hunt was the Torpedo Factory Art Center (which Shayna had little patience for today as she was focused on history). On the third floor of the Torpedo Factory is the Alexandria Archaeology Center. I am not sure what I pictured, but I was a bit disappointed here. Shayna did have fun "masking tape" together some china to understand what archeologists. I was under the impression that there was a "mini dig" there. However, there was not. Also the archeologist on duty today was not "child friendly" and basically sat there and ate her lunch ! Oh well - you win some - you lose some !

Walking to our next stop we found a few GREAT stores ! Shayna and I explored the "Discovery Store" and "Why Not?". Yes, there is a store called "Why Not?" !!! Shayna bought some books and I bought her a few strategy games for camp care packages ! I even got Shayna to agree for me to sneak for 5 minutes (no more than 5 minutes, mom) into a shoe store (she knows we are in trouble when I go into a shoe store !)

We left there continuing our scavenger hunt towards Wise's Tavern where George Washington was called "Mr. President" publically for the first time on April 16, 1789. Then we continued to Gadsby's Tavern Musuem. We took the 30 minute tour here. Our guide was amazing and we had a personal tour (how much better does that get !). The coolest thing was seeing the "Ice Well" they used ! They literally cut up ice from the Potomac River and brought it to the well to use. Amazing ! The tavern (which is still in use !) is absolutely beautiful (make note - take husband for dinner there !).

Our final stop on our day was Christ Church built in 1773. Shayna sat in the pew of George Washington and Robert E. Lee ! We also found the grave of a 152 year old lady ! Seriously - that is what the headstone said !

When walking back to the car, Shayna said today was offically the "best mother daughter" day ! I had to agree - it was amazing !

Great Quote !

"Thank goodness I was never sent to school, it would have rubbed off some of the originality" -

Beatrix Potter

Author's Celebration for Our Writing Group !

Last night we had our AUTHOR'S CELEBRATION to celebrate all the hard work that our children did during the past year in Writing Class. We had about 24 young author's come from our class to read their work aloud in front of family and friends. We awarded the children with certificates of completion. In Writing Class, we use INSTITUTE FOR EXCELLENCE IN WRITING as our curriculum. I have used this curriculum for teaching writing now for three years and I have found it the BEST out there. It is flexible enough to "coach" a variety of children at different levels and bring them to the next level in their writing. IEW alternates going from fiction to nonfiction "styles" of writing. IEW focuses on adding in "elements" called "dress ups" to increase the form and maturity of the writing.

In addition to IEW, in our writing group, the children participate in Wordmasters Challenge ! The wordmasters challenge is an exercise in critical thinking that first encourages students to become familiar with a set of interesting new words (considerably harder than grade level) and then challenges them to use those words to complete analogies expressing various kinds of logical relationships. Working to solve the challenging analogies helps students llearn to think both analytically and metaphorically. Though most vocabulary boosting and analogy solving activities have been created for high school students, the Wordmasters materials have been specifically designed for younger students in grades three through eight. They are particuarly well suited for able and interested children who rise to the challenge of learning new words and enjoy the logical puzzles posed by analogies.

In wordmasters, we awarded all children with their certificates. We had five children reach the "second honors" level for their grade level and six children "reach the "first honors" level for their grade level. Way to go children !

Stepping Back In Time

Homeschool Day at Gunston Hall Plantation !! What a treat ! The kids were on docent led tours in small groups to visit several "time period" stations.

They began visiting the spinner, proceeded to make "beaded necklaces" similiar to those the slaves wore, continued with colonial games, went to the "schoolhouse for lessons", listened to storytelling from that time period and then went into George Mason's house as the were re-enacting the "time period" of when the Redcoats were heading up the Potamac River to "invade" all the plantations on the river. George Mason and his wife were at the house packing up their belongings because they didn't know how long they would be away from their "home on the plantation".

The kids had a great time !

Why WE Chose to Homeschool

There are so many reasons my husband and I decided to homeschooling our daughter. We never intended to homeschool. Before Shayna, we were both teachers. We actually believe in public education; however, we do NOT believe in public education in its “current state”. My husband has continued to teach; because he loves working with his students and public schools need good teachers. However, since Shayna’s birth, I have not taught in public schools. Shayna had been at home with me during her toddler and preschool years. We played, we read, we took field trips, we had a GREAT time. As she approached her fifth birthday, I was getting ready for her “kindergarten screening”. At this point, my husband and I knew that Shayna was different. She had a passion for learning that would get squashed in the “typical classroom.” She would never survive in a classroom of 30. And the typical teacher would not know what to do with her. And if her teacher knew what to do with her, typically they didn’t have “time” to teach Shayna.

We investigated private schools. We quickly realized these would not meet Shayna’s needs. I mentioned that Kindergarten was not required in Massachusetts. My husband and I agreed to keep her home during Kindergarten, thinking that the gap would slim down during the Kindergarten year. However, Shayna soared at home, mastering reading and moving at her own pace in mathematics. Shayna has a curiousity and general love for learning. Anything that interested her she learned about. However “the deal” was that Shayna would attend school in first grade. When we realized the difference in the “average first grader” and “Shayna” we knew in our hearts we couldn’t send her.

Presently, chronologically, if Shayna was to attend traditional school she would be entering fifth grade in the fall of 2006. However, she is working on a variety of levels and subject matters. Homeschooling has worked for our family. We aren’t sure how long Shayna will actually homeschool. We hope she wants to forever ! But, the arrangement in our house is that we take one year at a time.

Many people homeschool for so many different reasons. We have chosen to homeschool our daughter because we know we can reach her needs, where we are not sure the “typical school” will.