My Conferences!

If you are familiar with this little blog world, I am sure you've read a lot like I have about these blogging women who are jetting off here and there going to conferences & parties & shopping & dinners, ect.  It makes me feel uncomfortable.  All this stuff minus the families that are an integral part of their blogging.

I've quite a torn opinion regarding this.  I am happy for these women to "get a break." It just seems like they are getting a lot of breaks.  Lots of conferences.  I haven't "wished I was there" or been interested in what those conferences are about.  I am not envious of getting to stay in a fancy pants hotel or going to different restaurants and parties & having my picture taken (heck no on that one for sure).  I don't envy the expense or time away from the fam.  But it just seems weird. 

Anyhow, I got my first invitation to a conference since beginning to blog.
How exciting!
Here it is:

You are invited

to the 4th Grade

USA Convention

Thursday, March 11

3:00-3:30

4th Grade Classrooms

RSVP to: {I'm not telling you his name}

Come!

And I was asked to please bring some oranges by the invitee (& ok, technically, it was a convention & not a conference, but hey--they are very similar).

It rocked.  I got there early. I brought the oranges.

The convention presenters had prepared brochures on a specific state within this beautiful United States of America. They had a specific rubric they were to follow, so they all looked very similar, but had so many different details. Many choose to bring something to display or to share with convention attendees. (Oh my goodness--somebody's parent even went to Old Chicago and brought pizza. Guess which state that one was?)

I visited with many of the presenters and true to my nature, I asked them what they learned about the state they were representing.

My favorite answer came from this young person:

When I asked her what she learned about this great state the first thing she said was, "It is beautiful."

And I said to her,"That is the best answer I have heard all day and you are totally correct!"

I spent so much time with the various presenters in one classroom, I almost ran out of time to hunt down some of "my" other states.

I found them and with just minutes of the event left, I snapped these photos.  Here is a shout out to "my" other two states:

(It seems very appropriate that I can't get this state to the center--it really does lean to the left- at least the left side does.)

This presenter had cotton balls and beef jerky.

And this is why I was asked to help with the oranges:

When I asked this presenter what he learned he told me, "I should have put Disneyworld on my brochure."

I didn't tell him that the stickers on the oranges said, "Sun Pacific." 

                                                                                                                                                                   

I should really just stop writing right here, but there's more I want to tell you--

I got to go to another conference today.

A parent teacher conference.

It rocked.

These are totally my kinds of conferences.

The End.