Children's playroom and a cake

Last year the side room dedicated to young children's play had a nylon tunnel, dinosaurs, and a few other things.

Since then I've thought of other things we have that would be fun and not noisy, so that room might be the best of the three. :-)

Related to having bought a cake for the second anniversary of Just Add Light and Stir, we're planning to get a cake from ABC Cakeshop, a local bakery that makes beautiful and great-tasting cakes. We plan to have the snack table as last year, and at some point we'll have an Always Learning cake.

Cakes...

In case you haven't seen my cake page...
Musings about the Meanings of Cake Eight hours after I thought to myself, on the way out to water the yard, "I really should put up a webpage about cake as a sacrifice," I was looking at unschoolers' blogs with a "next" function on a blogring, and came to this photo...

Something old, something(s) new

Here is Heather Booth's review, with photos, of the 2011 Albuquerque Symposium. http://todaywasamazingsf.blogspot.com/2012/01/always-learning-live-2012.html. She called it "2012" because she wrote it in early 2012, but it was a review of the end of December 2011.

I was really excited to have Deb Lewis last year, but she asked (strongly and politely) not to be bothered any more. I'm kind of joking, but she's not a travel-and-speak kind of personality, and I'm glad she allowed us to impose on her in 2011! It was really nice. I'm glad she still writes regularly on Always Learning, from her cosy, peaceful home.

So to the news:

Julie, James and Adam can't make it from England this year. I'm hoping they will in 2013. They are planning to run another LiTTLe Conference in Ashford, Surrey, in July 2013, where Joyce and I will speak.

In Albuquerque, Renee Cabatic will be speaking, perhaps a short session, perhaps two short sessions.

Kirby Dodd (my oldest) will be here from Austin, so my whole family will form a panel on the last day. Before that time, feel free to seek out Kirby, Marty or Holly d and talk to them. They're there to be examples of having grown up unschooled.

Rose Sorooshian's session last year got the best feedback, so she is our star speaker for 2012. Joyce, Pam, Jill and I will be back. Luke will help his mom (Jill) with her presentation on online gaming.

And a request:

For anyone reading who can't attend but might be wanting to help, I have a fundraising project in the works—a gift exchange in honor of the second anniversary of Just Add Light and Stir, and you would get something in the mail, which is always fun. (Those attending are welcome to donate, too, but don't if it will cut into your conference budget!)

That cake is from a local bakery called ABC Cake Shop, and they taste as good as they look. I'll get one for the symposium.

Nearly Autumn!

It's time to start making plans and reservations soon, or asking for the Christmas (or other winter holiday of your preference) gift of a trip to Albuquerque!

We have the same rates at the hotel as last year, $51 for a basic room (and they're nice), or $56 for a room with a microwave and refrigerator.

The background of this page looks boring, maybe, unless you scroll down and see the mountains. It's just one of those regular plain-sky days in New Mexico, in a photo of the mountains, by Holly. Last year one day it was 64 degrees. We can't guarantee this year will be as warm, but the hotel is warm and secure in any case, and you would hardly need to leave it.

Someone last year left a board game, "Sequence." If it's yours and you want it back, let me know and I can mail it; otherwise, I'll take it back to the conference site.

Read at the tabs above (or at the top of the blog page, if you're reading this by e-mail; click the title of the blog post in the e-mail to be transported to the blog) for information and if there are questions unaswered there, let me know.

Registration is open for December 2012

http://sandradodd.com/all/registration

Notification of two things

If you attended last year, you should receive an e-mail from me soon. If you haven't heard from me by Monday the 27 of February, please e-mail me.

If you live in the northeastern U.S., or would like to visit briefly, here's something completely new:ALL in May
May 18-20, 2012
Always Learning Live Unschooling Symposium,
a short session in Massachusetts!
YMCA Harrington Outdoor Center (near Worcester — map)
320 Sewall Street
Boylston, MA 01505

With twelve pre-registrations in 24 hours (plus organizers and speakers), it's hoppin' already!

The possible final schedule

Maybe the possible final schedule, and maybe the first draft:

http://allunschooling2012.blogspot.com/p/schedule.html (one of the tabs above)

If you're interested in attending, please try to be there and unruffled in time for the Thursday night session, and if you're leaving on Sunday afternoon, request a late checkout if you can so that you don't miss the third session that day.

It's not too early to start saving and planning! (But it is too early to register.)

Again, again!

December 27-30, a Thursday night through Sunday morning, December 2012

Same site: Ramada Albuquerque Hotel and Convention Center on Eubank just north of I-40

Fewer speakers this year, but more cross-talk. There were requests for round tables and panels, and more things to stick on the wall. We can do that!

Start saving money now. It's too soon to register, but please subscribe if you're interested so you'll get an e-mail when registration is open.

The background art is from a photo of the Sandia mountains Holly took by climbing up on the roof of our house. It's the same angle you see them from the hotel, but we're a mile closer to them.

I like that shadow of my neighbor's tree, on the cul-de-sac, but what I really wanted was the mountains and the sky. Holly has been very helpful to me all kinds of ways on the symposium, and I appreciate it!