Winter Planning

Christmas and the other winter holidays do a good job of getting us through the first part of the cold, dark winter. This year they kept me so busy that I'm just now getting around to planning and thinking about the season. It's almost as if December is its own holiday season, and ordinary winter begins in January with the new year.
I spent way too much time last night perusing class offerings. I have already decided not to do Music Together again for this Winter. We have enjoyed music class, but our nearest location just moved further away. I used to be able to walk there in 20 minutes, but now there would be a bus and a longish walk as well. We'll reconsider in the spring. I did find a toddler gymnastics class a fifteen minute walk from here. But that class doesn't begin until mid-March. What I'm looking for is activities now, to help us through cold, short days. I think I've found something just right.
I mentioned in this post that there is a farm-based preschool I'm interested in, but Ladybug wouldn't be enrolled there until at least Fall 2014. Who knows if I'll still be as excited by the place in a year and a half. I've decided to take advantage of as much other programming as they offer this year. Maybe we can reap the benefits of learning at the farm sanctuary without enrolling in their preschool. It's a relatively affordable preschool, but still costs a few thousand dollars per year.
So I've signed us up to go feed and brush the pony tomorrow. I'm also planning on enrolling in a six week class where children can feed the sheep, collect eggs, make bird treats, and assorted other fun farm activities. There are several other courses for older children based on winter books, and I'm picking through those for winter story book ideas.
Speaking of books, we had a nice trip to the library yesterday. Ladybug is really getting into it. On Monday we took a shortcut through the library without stopping, and she was furious with me. Oops. So we went back Tuesday and came home with several winter books, and one more dinosaur book. I think Bug's interest in dinosaurs deserves its own post. There are so many dinosaur books and toys she's enjoyed.
The winter books we picked up yesterday include Winter Song, which is an excerpt from Shakespeare. It's not too much complicated text, but Ladybug wasn't so into it. I think it will be better for elementary age, when a child can understand who Shakespeare was, and benefit from learning a couple archaic turns of phrase. But the favorite book from this library trip is Cat and Mouse in the Snow. It's simple and a little boring to me, but Ladybug is charmed.

So I think I finally have a rough sketch of how we'll spend the rest of the winter:
Mondays: Farm
Tuesdays: Library
Wednesdays: Regular play date
Thursdays: Indoor playground
Fridays: Open/floating