Recent update
- PumpkinAnkles has gone dotcom!
- Wisdom from the refrigerator
- Ye Tragical E-maile
- Which would be an awesome name for a band
- Murder at the Castle
- Non Sequiturs and the People Who Love Them
- Kids, don’t try this at home
- Meditations on Christmas
- Ask not for whom the bell chingeth …
- 25 bottles of bubble bath
Homeschool Conference Madness: “Children in Bulk”
June 25th, 2008 by witherow
My sister Heidi once expressed how she didn’t like classroom teaching. It wasn’t because she didn’t like children individually or in small groups. She said she just didn’t like children “in bulk.”
Well, Heidi, now I understand what you’re talking about.
On June 20 to June 21, some friends and I headed down to Sumpter, South Carolina (a place I didn’t even know existed. Apparently it’s about an hour from Columbia). Our mission: run the children’s program for a homeschool convention taking place that weekend.
Here I am with Melissa on Friday morning, all smiles as we get ready to head out.
Mel, Allison and Brian were likewise cheerful.
It seems only Kevin, here looking armed and dangerous (with a SuperSoaker) had any idea of what we were getting ourselves into.
After arriving in Sumpter and setting up the stage and making approximately 63 gallons of instant lemonade, the children began coming. And coming. And coming. It was kind of like in the old movie The King and I when that goofy music is playing and the dozens of royal children keep coming in, except there was no music and they weren’t Siamese and they didn’t have those goofy hats. But other than that it was the same.
We tried to keep the 97 children at bay with puppet shows and songs and Bible stories and outdoor games. But it wasn’t quite enough. Things got to their lowest point about 3 hours into the program, at the dreaded craft time.
150 pipe cleaners.
97 children.
6 adults.
2 bottles of glue.
Let the madness begin.
Here Mel, me and Allison demonstrate how we all felt at this time.
After that, we had a short (very short) break. By that time the rest of our party came, bringing the adult count to 10, and we figured out how to get a little better organized. Things went a little more smoothly after that.
Karen takes over checking kids in and out.
Puppets Elmer and Ralph were always a big hit. Even when Ralph coughed up a puppet frog out of his throat and showed it to all the kids. Later he coughed up a puppet alligator. (By the way, Brian Tojdowski, you have a twisted imagination.)
During Fun Night, Kevin performed some amazing magic—I mean, illusion—tricks (which were pretty amazing—how does he do that?), and we also had skit time.
Here, in the classic “Superheroes Who Never Made It” gag, Say-Everything-Twice-Man (played by Allen) fails to stop the thug (played by Todd) from stealing the money from the hapless victim (me).
After the children left on Friday night, the group split up and spent the night in host homes. Allison, Mel and I were treated to a beautiful cabin home that our host himself had built for his family.
Here’s the room I stayed in. Floors, walls, ceilings—throughout the entire house, everything was beautiful stained wood. I can’t get over how amazing the whole thing was.
On Saturday, we geared up for another day. We played water games, did more crafts, fed the children snacks, did puppets and illusions and skits, then went out and played more water games, did more crafts, fed them more snacks …
Lorna (in green) led the outdoor games. Yes, the bullhorn at her side was necessary.
Here Allison, me, Brian and Todd perform the infamous Rhyming Song.
“The stars are twinkling in the sky,
The Rhyming Song, the Rhyming Song
There’s no hot water in my hotel!
Uh … the Rhyming Song??”
And then, at last, the children (some of whom we actually had become somewhat fond of) all went away. And there was much rejoicing!
Well, it was kind of a subdued rejoicing, because none of us had any energy left to exert on such frivolity. We were lucky to drag ourselves to the restaurant.
After stuffing ourselves at Outback Steakhouse and drinking all the water and sweet tea we could manage, we all piled into our respective cars and prepared for the two-hour trip back to Greenville. I guess we could have thought that one through a little better.
Actually, the trip back was fine. Blessings on Allison’s head for not only driving us back, but actually staying awake the whole time. This is not something we take for granted.
And the country we were going through was absolutely gorgeous.
Finally relieved from our duties, and enjoying the pleasure of sitting and resting in the car, there was only one problem. Every time I tried to close my eyes all I could see were children, children everywhere, crowding around me and asking me for more glue …
Posted in Hijinks, That's life | tagged children, friends, Homeschool, puppets, South Carolina, travel | | 3 Comments
Create a free edublog to get your own comment avatar (and more!)
on June 25th, 2008 at 7:24 pm
I love it!!! And you even mentioned me
on June 25th, 2008 at 9:06 pm
Ah, so this is why I got 39 reply emails from you last Friday.
on June 26th, 2008 at 5:40 am
I’m sworn to secrecy on my illusions. I’m glad the children liked them (and even a couple of adults, too).
thanks for your help with the kids.