Homeschool Book Fair

Why do you go to the homeschool book fair year after year?
1. To see what is new out there. We started homeschooling in 1993 and the choices were very limited. That first year I was homeschooling an 8th grade (my little brother) and my sons were 3 and 1. When going to school to get my teaching degree, although we were taught about different personalities we were pretty much taught that all children could learn the same way…. Sitting in a desk for hours each day with a few hands on things sprinkled in to stretch their legs. I now know that different kids learn in different ways and some have a hard time with just a few minutes sitting at a desk but can learn a wealth of knowledge when you think they are not even paying attention. I have learned that some of the smartest kids have ‘learning disabilities’. And I have learned that I enjoy something new being added to our schooling to keep me going as much as to keep them going. This year there were several new venders and sadly a few I am use to seeing were not there. My favorite new booths:
Generations of Virtue (Got the kids purity rings from here this year.)
Corps of Rediscovery (Oh, what fun, will be doing a unit study on Lewis and Clark this year)
Hank the Cow Dog (Who doesn’t love Hank? Can’t wait to go to the THSC conference and have him read to the kids.)
And my some of my favorite old booths are:
Championship Chess
Jim Hodges Audio Books He reads to my boys most nights
Joyful Living We are loving using what we have learned from Kristy these past two months.
I better stop there because I have lots and lots of favorites (I could mention: Konos, Teaching Text books, Institute in Writing Excellence, Doorposts, Eagles Wings, Grace and Truth Books, THSC, Lamplighter Publishing, Mantle Ministries, Texas Tech, Miller Pad and Paper, Sing N’ Learn, Rosetta Stone, … I better stop for real because the list goes on.) Now you see why I need two days to see it all.

2. To see old homeschool friends that I have not seen in a while. Some, I only see once a year at the bookfair. (It was great to see: Miriam, Janice, Alese, Marty, Kristy, Tim, Cindy, Cappy, Angie, Jeana, Karen (though she was on a mission and was not to be interrupted. Hee hee), Peterson, and more.

3. To see extended family that I haven’t seen in a while. Is it terrible that sometimes it is months between seeing family and we meet up at the bookfair. It was great to see Michelle and what a surprise to see Sherry. And wonderful to have my first Homeschool student, my little brother, John Mark and his wife, Nicole and daughters there.

4. To be reminded yet again, why we are doing this. To get excited again about another year. Do you not love the two 9 year old boys who run the registers for Lifetime Books and Gifts, completely by themselves for hours on end. Amazing!

5. Because my amazing and wonderful husband got us a hotel room with a pool so we could spend a family weekend away and they kept the baby so I could go to the bookfair! Now that is amazing and wonderful! We loved the baseball too!
So I guess I will see all of you homeschool bookfair junkies next year! Because it is not all about what you need.