there are so many things to say about the CHAP (Christian Homeschoolers Association of Pennsylvania) convention....good and not-so-good. first and foremost, we have a great time every year. it's a good thing to learn more and more about what you're passionate about doing with your family (whether that be homeschooling, private-schooling, public-schooling, cyber-schooling, etc...) and not go blindly into any decision. i appreciate everything about what CHAP does for PA homeschoolers, and have nothing bad to say about the organization itself.

once again, we were encouraged and energized to go into a new year of schooling with our boys. we feel privilaged to be able to teach them at home, in the world and neighborhood around us. i went into CHAP with big plans for next year. but a day or so before getting to the convenvtion, i changed all of my plans. i realized that rowan and sawyer are still of the typical kindergarten age, and one of the reasons we're schooling them at home is to let them be kids for as long as possible. so my big curriculum plans were replaced with mid-sized ones. we're having lessons, but nothing earth-shattering or award-winning. we're going to have fun learning about math, more on reading, and some fun memorization of facts and verses.

the sessions...  there were some great speakers there this year. i was impressed with maggie hogan as i went to two of her talks. she encouraged women in their roles as mothers and wives. it was all common sense to me, and i was glad to see so many women attending. only if we could all just encourage each other on this walk of motherhood and wiving (okay, so what's the word i'm looking for there? anyone?)!

she also did a talk on "early learners" and that was especially encouraging to me as we have three of them in the house! by "early learners" she meant young kids, not "ahead of their age in learning" and she encouraged moms to keep the littles in their house busy with fun activities to keep them occupied when teaching older kids. again, common sense parenting, but esepcially encouraging was that i'm not the only one who has a 2-year-old who is into EVERYTHING if i'm not paying attention. :)

i also attended a homeschool support group leaders townhall meeting which was more of a time of encouraging leaders to keep leading. since i've been organizing get-togethers for the newly formed butler homeschool group, i've been wondering just when the real leader is going to show up. i guess that's me, since nobody else is jumping at the bit to take control. i'm happy with it now. i'm enjoying getting together with other homeschooling families in the area, and i love to organize events. so i'll keep on keeping on. it's good that CHAP is so supportive of the pennsylvania-area homeschool support groups.

the vendor hall...   i could spend hours walking around in the vendor hall...and i did, both days! it's a dream come true for curriculum junkies like me. there are used book stalls, new bookstores, large curriculum distribitors, small-scale ones, and great little gems like the victory-egg-garden booth.  i spent a lot of time in the veritas press booth and walked through the used book sellers for susan wise bauer's material (didn't get any at this time...as we went with a different spelling/reading curriculum.  i was intrigued by the science booths, especially the one that sold frogs and worms and dissecting tools. kenny was able to stock up on some insect materials (magnifying glass, insect mounting board) for what he's doing with the boys now. there is something for nearly everyone in the vendor hall.

there was a farmers market in the parking lot of the convention hall on friday, so we had a cheap lunch outside (that included an amish-made gob! although out east they call them "whoopie pies") as opposed to the EXPENSIVE lunch we were forced to have last year. and the weather was much nicer this year.

we plan to take the boys with us eventually. in a few years' time, i think they'll love the booths, love the materials, love to hang out with all the other kids running around.