Out in the Cold

So that's a dramatic title, but I was pretty bummed yesterday, and we spent a lot of time literally outside in the cold. Yesterday was the first day of the farm class I signed us up for. So we woke a little earlier and got out of the house by 8:00am, walked twenty minutes to the train and commuted to the 'burbs. After eating a breakfast/snack at the cafe near the station, we walked ten minutes to the farm. It was very cold yesterday. And when we got there Ladybug absolutely refused to go into the warm little classroom. I'm not sure what spooked her (other than my guess that she's a die-hard introvert like her father), but I couldn't bring her into the room without her crying. No use gently coaxing or promising that she would see an animal or be with friends.

So, I gave up. I was thinking again of my blog description about my best-laid plans and what happens when my toddler has a different idea. I mean, she's two. Maybe the class was lame, I don't know. I know it wasn't worth a big fight. It is so disappointing to work that hard, commuting on foot all over the county for something you think your kid will really enjoy--only to have it rejected. Is this how homeschooling parents feel when their kid hates a curriculum they thought would be a hit?

So instead of attending the class, we sat together on the steps outside. I figured we had come all the way out to the farm, so we may as well observe some nature. I told Bug that if she watched carefully she could see birds flying around in the distant bushes. And that's what we did, sat out in the cold doing our own thing while the other children (warmly) had circle time inside. And I asked myself if this is what homeschooling will feel like, doing what's right for your child even if you're doing it alone, out in the cold. I think that's a bleaker picture than I mean to paint. But the answer is yes, sometimes. And I think she had a nice time. She talked a lot about those birds she could see in the bushes.