Bluebonnet Time (every Texas spring)

In case you haven't noticed yet, I'm a native Texan... and we Texans have a little crush on our state. Especially lovely are the things we think make Texas wonderful: like bluebonnets, which happen to be the state flower.



This year's bluebonnets were THICK, y'all. Maybe it was the drought last year? That's what we were guessing. I wondered if we would ever see green again after being in the worst drought in Texas history last summer.



Anyway, whatever the reason, we were delighted to get out and enjoy them... and to do a little science and research lesson about our bold, blue floral friends with Lucas Miller's book: Bluebonnet Time



I love a good Texan picturebook... especially one with cute illustrations and lots of fun facts in the margins. This one came with MUSIC, too!



There's a CD that has fun bluebonnet hunting (and photo-taking adventure) music for your drive!



The book is an Evan Wilder science journal - and it includes everything you might want to learn about bluebonnets. Fancy that!



The author of Bluebonnet Time is also a singer-songwriter that goes by the nickname "the Singing Zoologist". In fact, you can listen to his bluebonnet theme song in the little movie above.



Bluebonnets are awesome - who wouldn't want to learn more about them? If you are a Texas educator, a Texas parent, or just a bluebonnet lover, I'd say this book would be a perfect fit for your library.



As good as the book was, though, the flowers are what took the cake on our bluebonnet photo field-trip this year. I thought we might lose a three year old in the deeper spots.



The rain has been awesome this spring... and things are lovely here. Now that these pretty blue flowers are gone, there are fields of yellow in their place.



I'm still remembering the blue. See you next spring, bluebonnets!







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disclosure: I was provided a free copy of this book to review, but the opinions are my own.

The Pros and Cons of a Farmish Field Trip on Friday

I missed my blogging deadline yesterday at the Homeschool Post. I was supposed to say "The polls are closing" and few other fun announcements... but I was busy all day from the time I woke up - hardly stopped to eat. The day was so eventful, that I wanted to recap it for you. It was worth sharing.



The big event was a field trip to a dairy farm where they make raw milk, cheese, yogurt, and sell other good foods like jam, salt, soap, and maple syrup. I'll review the field trip for you on my Field Trip Foto Friday series later. For now, just sit back and enjoy the photos and have a little laugh at my expense.



Friday Cons

1) Getting everyone ready for the field trip took forever.
2) I rushed around cleaning up for the in-laws to visit before we left.
3) When giving my daughter her antibiotic, I absentmindedly TOOK it myself.
4) McDonald's drive-thru was renovating, so I had to go in and carry everything out.
5) We got there 45 minutes late and missed the trailer ride.
6) Had to drive 20 minutes out of the way coming home because I was so low on gas.
7) The gas hose malfunctioned and sprayed my entire arm with gasoline at the pump.
8) I had to smell gas the entire way home on a long drive and my arm was stinging.
9) When I got back in my car, the tea spilled on my leg.
10) My inlaws beat me home and had to wait outside for 20 minutes.




Friday Pros

1) The outhouse made me so very thankful for running water and indoor plumbing.:::
2) It was grey and not too much sun (makes for great photos and less sunburn).:::
3) Very thankful that the vehicle got us there without excitement; boy those dirt roads were bumpy!:::
4) The farm was awesome and all of us enjoyed being out in the fresh air and seeing the animals.:::
5) Oh, my - the goodies we brought home are delicious.:::
6) My in-laws bought us pizza, so I didn't have to cook.:::
7) Payday came early.:::
8) The iPhone Mapquest and Gas Buddy apps work like a charm.:::
9) I got some fantastic iPhone pictures with the 4S (it was worth the upgrade just for the camera).:::
10) The baby looked cute in the shirt grandma got him (Kaden called him the "Techno-color Sith Lord"):::
11) I found a Four Square location called "Middle of Nowhere" and checked in - gave me a chuckle!:::




So, the day was not a loss after all. Even if you can still smell gasoline on my arm despite the scrubbing.

And, while I didn't get my blogging done, I enjoyed a busy day of IRL. You know - you won't have much to blog about if you aren't really living. Our farmish field trip fun inspired me to get back to my homeschool series in here. Nice to have a field trip to review for a change. The babies both behaved perfectly, so maybe I will venture out more with my two under two. Helps to have teens around for sure... (another Pro I forgot to list).

How Does a Blog Conference Relate to Homeschooling?

Blog Conferences and Homeschool
Are you tired of hearing about Relevant? And just how does a blog conference relate to homeschooling? How do homeschool and blogging fit together? Those are really great questions. Did you know that there were so many homeschool mom bloggers at Relevant that there weren't enough prizes for them when Jenn did her Homeschool Meet and Greet? 

Rumor had it that there were over 70 women there who were homeschooling (out of the 200 attendees). That's a huge amount! Wouldn't it be grand if there were that large of a ratio of homeschoolers out there in mainstream America - 40 percent of American kids?! How great for the kids if their moms were able to be home with them - and to feel empowered and capable of nurturing and educating their kids from diapers all the way to decimals - and beyond.

Field Trippin'
Homeschooling provides a way for you to do a lot of things with your kids that wouldn't be possible in traditional schooling methods - freedom to travel (hello Relevant!), to field trip, to explore, to GO. There's a lot to learn OUT THERE.

Like for instance: Chocolate World (hello field trip!). Who knew all those wonderful mysteries about where the dark stuff comes from... or that you could make your own chocolate bar and design the wrapper?


Keeping a Record, Connecting with Others
One of the many things that makes blogging so attractive to homeschool moms is the journal aspect - the passion of sharing the journey that you are on with your kids. It is like a huge "school project" this blogging thing. A timeline of sorts. Living history. And of course, the homeschool kids can write their own chapters - on their own homeschool blogs. Writing is one of the best skills you can give them - so they can communicate well and shape the world.

Sharing the journey also means connecting with others - encouraging them on their own path, helping those who are struggling, answering questions... being a tiny part of the bigger picture: an online teacher's lounge for homeschool moms.

Blogging Income and Perks
Another great thing about a blog for a homeschool mom is that it can be a source of income (which might equal more field trips - or books). Granted, for most of us, it isn't a large source of income... but a little extra mad money, Amazon book money, or grocery money is worth it if you would have been spending the time "digital scrapbooking" or checking email anyway, right?

And what "funner" way to make money than blogging? Blog conferences are helpful in showing bloggers how to take their website and build on it so that the income streams are possible - and more profitable. Life after Yahoo Email groups for some of us extends to blog posting the best of our ideas - and sharing with an even larger community online. No harm in making a little money for the effort you put in to your online space.



Then there is the 'swag' or free stuff you can get blogging. Usually, the free things come in the form of the type of niche your blog falls in to: homeschoolers usually get educational materials (ie: curriculums/books/etc). If you are smart, you won't let your review box get as full as mine did this past year. [I'm in the learning to say no stage.] I'll be digging out far in to 2012. Note to those waiting on my reviews: I'm on it!

Free stuff is fun - and blog conferences are a way to get in on the goodies - even if your blog is small. Companies want an honest review - because word of mouth is the best kind of advertising. Free stuff WITHOUT deadlines for reviews (like the swag from conferences) is even BETTER.



Life and Learning = Worth Writing About
So... let's recap. Here it is in a nutshell: blogging and homeschooling are great together.

The Relevant Conference was a wonderful source of encouragement that spoke right to my Christian homeschool mama's heart. You don't have to let go of your passions when you take on homeschooling - you can find a way to merge them in to a mixed media masterpiece. Think... art, photography, digital scrap, writing, video, education, field trips, travel, learning - a big blog smorgasborg!

Everything fits in to this thing we call life (and life for us is learning) and that's worth blogging about.



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A Bit of Conference Talk and Dayspring Winner

So I went to that conference again, you know ... the Relevant one. And I saw all these great people - my peeps - again. It's hard to get back in to the REALITY of here and today when you have so much information to process... so many wonderful people that your heart misses. So many photos to edit and emails to check...
 

Remember the (In)Courage give away I did before I left? Well I have a winner. Number 27! #WOOT

Julie Ann of Whimsical Words won the DaySpring loot! Wish I could give away a Relevant 12 conference ticket to go with it... but no cigar.

I can't wait to tell you all about our little adventure (the baby, the big girl, and the crazy blogging mama) in Hershey and Harrisburg. But first... there are orthodontist visits, homeschool assignments, piles of mail and laundry, chicken to fry, and many thoughts to sort out. Until then, you can take a look at the few photos I actually snapped in my flickr set for Relevant11. This year I was carrying the baby around with me at the conference for more than half of the time I was there (last year his brother was already weaned and stayed at my friend Beth's during the day). It made for a very BUSY time, but I still enjoyed seeing all my blogging friends.

Now for the bumpy re-entry in to "life"... and putting some of the wisdom I took home from Relevant in to practice.

Oh, HAI. I'm HEATHER.

Hi, my name is Heather and I have a blog conference addiction. I also have a blog addiction. And a photography addiction. And a baby addiction. I'm pretty OCD all around, actually...

God worked it out again that I could attend the Relevant conference in 2011. I thought there would be no way to top last year (since I not only went, but Chevy leased me a vehicle and my entire family got to travel with me all the way from Austin to PA - with a stop over for a few days in DC so the homeschool kids could "field trip"). [Relevant 2010 was awesome, by the way.] There's no way to top that, right? That's what I thought. God had other plans.


I entered the (In)Courage sponsorship contest after all the tickets were sold out and they picked me to be their Dayspring photographer!!! I had a ticket, and no idea how I was going to get there. God wasn't finished showing off. He brought me Maggie. She and Bright Ideas Press offered to help me get airline tickets to attend the conference! So all that to say - I'm only hotel funds and food expenses away from meeting my Relevant 2011 sponsorship goals and I haven't even started praying hard about it.

I take that as a "God wants you there" kind of miracle. Have no idea what He has up His sleeve, but I know it will be GOOD.



So here I am, introducing myself to a bunch of invisible blogging friends that I either have met yet - or maybe not... some old, some new - but all SISTERS in this craft and in Christ. I can't wait to give you an IRL hug when we meet up in Harrisburg. I'll be the girl that can't put her camera down... the one who is chasing her tail trying to keep a nursing baby happy, her tweenage daughter fed with snacks, and her heart from bursting with joy at being able to be around her online friends AND take photos at the same time.




About me....

I love my kids:  a teen, a tween, a toddler and a tiny 7 month old teething baby.

I'm a crazy homeschool mama.

I've been known to say "If I can homeschool, ANYONE can." That's just flowery language for my secret blog tagline, which is: "I suck at homeschooling so you don't have to."

I live in Texas.

I blog about everything under the sun. From a homeschool mom's perspective, of course. Which is a very eclectic viewpoint; almost as eclectic as my curriculum. But not quite.

I ponder deep things while juggling the domestic.

I make lists... and can't stop organizing things. Which doesn't mean I have it together.

I'm the queen of long road trips.

My goal is to try and live in the moment... and to find joy in it.

I come from a long line of black sheep.

I steal french fries.

Sometimes my blog is blank.

I love my iPhone.

I cook gourmet meals (when I feel like it).

I take peekshurs.



I have been blogging (and trapping Google searchers) since 2005 and am pretty much the last ancient dinosaur blog that hasn't migrated to Word Press where all the cool people are. I threaten to do it a lot, though. Just to keep people on their toes.

I write at the Homeschool Post (which is running its 7th annual blog awards for homeschoolers right now); with another 19 amazing bloggers you might already know:



I don't use proper grammar. Unless I'm taking a test.

You can find out more about me at these links:
About Me
Faith
Homeschool Journey in a Nutshell

So how about you? Where did you surf in from? What's your blog link? How long have you been blogging? Have you been to any blog conferences yet?

I can't wait to meet you all!




I LOVE MY SPONSORS:

Texas Homeschool Coalition Conference 2011: I Heart Conference Photography

Once upon a time I took pictures. And then there was a conference (Type-A Mom); at which I took photos - for free. And another conference (Blissdom). And another (Relevant). And then finally, I was 'hired' to do it (THSC). Which is so much 'funner'. Because if you are going to drive insane distances to go to a conference, you might as well get paid back some of your travel expenses. Right?

And now, after all these years, I finally found my dream job. Right under wife, mother, homeschooler, and eater of dark chocolate. I think conference photography might even trump blogging. But that's too deep of a subject for tonight.



It was so much fun taking pictures for THSC. I'm counting the days off until next year when we can do it again! Maybe somewhere in-between now and then I can upgrade my camera. Playing with so many great cameras has extended my wish list. Jennifer and I both had 2 cameras dangling from our bodies all weekend. It was a photographer's dream come true.

Later this week, I'll share the slideshow that they made from mostly Jennifer and my photos of the event. 



And this is my new best girlfriend that hired me to take pictures. Did I mention that I love her? And one day she's going to be a famous blogger. She's like Pioneer Woman mixed with Ann Voskamp - just waiting to happen online. You should have heard her tell the story about the missing barbed wire fence. Southern women are the best of the best. I love me some Texas twang, too. I can't wait to introduce you to her as soon as Jenn and I talk her in to starting her own blog. Give me a second and I'll let you know when we convert her.

The nice dude in the picture above tried to fix my hard drive that crashed. You know that "what can go wrong, will". And it did. My week-old hard drive crashed - along with all the photos of Jennifer and my trip to San Antonio (the Alamo and Mi Tierra's), the Bob Bullock History Museum, and our twitter meetups.

Thankfully, we have a few Instagram shots for the memories:



There's no telling what else was on the hard drive that I lost. Family reunion photos from June -- I can't even bring myself to think back to what photos I took in the past few months. Partly because I haven't slept good enough for deep thinking in nearly three years. But I digress...

Oh, yes - lost pictures.

I'm still not talking about it. The trauma is deep, people.  DEEP and wide.

I made a vow to back up my other hard drive this week on two different computers. And I'm probably buying a subscription to Carbonite. It pays to have multiple copies of your photos. I learned that this weekend THE HARD WAY.



Blog conferences -- especially ones in which you must be everywhere at once -- are much easier to do with some assistants. These girls helped care for the nursing baby and kept us in stitches. And nearly made us pee our pants when they jumped out of the curtains in our room.



Blog conferences -- especially ones in which you must be everywhere at once -- are NOT much easier with milk ticks. But you might have guessed that a 25 lb chunk of slobber might slow down a photographer. However, they make great subject material when you are testing your camera settings. One of the other photogs took this picture with a dreamy professional Nikon. He didn't have a business card. Someday I'll come back in here and give him proper credit. The baby, of course is my own property - but credits go to the Big Guy in the Sky for his creation.



Isn't he cute? His mama, however, needs to go on a diet. Thankfully Jennifer knows to take photos from the waist up. God love her.



And then there was this guy. Some of you may know him. He's like a homeschool rock star. TIM HAWKINS - the comic: @timhawkinscomic on Twitter. I had so much fun photographing him - and enjoying the show at the same time. He's even funnier in person than he is on YouTube. I couldn't believe that Jenn's little girl slept through his show.



So did this guy. He and Maggie had their own laughs, though. They are the bestest of buddies. In fact, we tried to talk Jenn in to leaving Maggie in Texas, but she wouldn't hear of it. Apparently Maggie is a pretty good navigator - and Texas is a long way from Florida. I'm still crushing over the fact that Jenn drove so many thousands of miles to hang out and take pictures with me.



What a Texas sized bunch of conference photographer fun we had. I can't wait to take peekshurs with her again in October.

Field Trip Photo Link Up at the Homeschool Post

Remember my Field Trip Foto Friday meme over here that I started back when dirt was created? Yeah... the one that I never could keep up with (#storyofmylife)? Well, I've turned it over to the Homeschool Post -- and now everyone can play along since there are people there who actually know how to code linky link ups and stuff. And people actually blog over there regularly. Takes a village. Or at least a little free time.

I amaze myself sometimes -- the lack of skills. I'm proof that it pays to stand on the shoulders of giants -- it pays to have friends who have skills.

But. I did make that purdy graphic for the Fantastic Foto Fieldtrip Meme at the Post. I had this image in my head of a bright little iPhone map icon... and it might not have turned out THAT bright... but it's cute, none-the-less. If for no other reason, please click through and visit the Post so you can tell me what a Picnik diva I am.

And link up your field trip posts. Yep, even those old dusty ones from 2005. I did. The one I linked this month was from 2006, but I think the actual field trip was back in like 2002 or something crazy like that. My son was -- wait for it -- FIVE in the picture.

I took that same boy to the doctor today for his ear pain (he has a nasty cold that he's sharing with the other two kids in my house that can walk). Apparently you have to drink a LOT of water when you are going through puberty because his ear pain, dizziness, and possibly even fever were all attributed to dehydration. I thought he had an ear infection, naturally. He's happily guzzling Gatorade (the only good thing about being dehydrated, he would tell you) -- and gloating that he's now 1/2 inch taller than his mama. Gloating with a crackly voice.

Help. Me. My baby is 14!

I think I'll go find some chocolate now and stare at the picture of him poking his stick in the pond when he was five. Then I'll cry myself to sleep.

N is for National Cemetery

I'll be honest. I went to Arlington because I wanted to see where General Lee had lived prior to the Civil War. I've always been a Civil War buff... and visiting Virginia has been high on my list as far back as I can remember. Of course, we ended up going through the area when Lee's entire home was going through some remodeling and all his furnishings were in storage, but I was thrilled to be there. The view from his front porch was astounding. His land was like heaven on earth - and it must have been hard for him to never be able to return there. Virginia was a lovely state. I'm so glad we got to drive through and linger - instead of fly right over it - when we took our trip to Relevant in Pennsylvania last October.

Hang in there and I'll be posting more about the Relevant trip once I get my photos in order (there were many days that I didn't feel like carrying my heavy camera, so my son took point-and-shoot pictures)... and once I get my groove back.

More info about this alphabetical photo meme is below...

Join up for the Homeschool Post has A B See Meme (an alphabetical photo meme) for a chance to win a prize each month. Each week they put FIVE of the best alphabet pictures on their blog each week to showcase them and once a month, a random winner is selected from the best photos of the month. All you do is upload your photos to their Flickr Group - so you don't even technically have to be a blogger to join... you just have to have an alphabetical themed photo and a flickr account! By the way, flickr is free!

The meme is posted on Fridays each week and you don't necessarily have to start on the letter A or go in any particular order or at any particular speed... and you can skip weeks or not - up to you entirely.

Here are the links to the past few 'A B See' posts I have done here:
A is for antique.
B is for bugging big-sis.
C is for computer.
D is for digger.
E is for eat... and Elmers.
F is for fried rice.
G is for goofy girl.
H is for Heather.
I is for insect.
J is for joy.
K is for Kreative Spelling and Killer Homeschool Deals.
L is for live music.
M is for matryoshka.

Tip: Use the dictionary to get ideas if you are stumped on a letter. No excuses! Get clicking!

You have until Friday morning (early) to load your picture on the Flickr group and be considered for the top five that will be displayed next week. A prize goes out each month to one random participant!

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