"But is it hard to homeschool?..." the skeptical cashier asked me at the checkout counter.
"Girl," I replied, holding up my bag of newly-purchased astronaut ice cream and gesturing to the Air & Space Museum behind me, "This IS homeschooling!" Probably my most favorite interaction of our day, we also enjoyed sharing some of our resources with an enthusiastic saxophonist and receiving a private concert; stopping to help tie the sneaker of a young woman with a baby strapped to her chest; chatting with a group of elderly Chinese men from Toronto who were huddled over their hot coffee; offering an encouraging word to a frustrated city worker; and complimenting a bag-checker. (I considered it a personal challenge to bring a smile to Mrs. Wilson's face. She was one tough lady!) We left Williamsport at 6:00 am - phew, that's EARLY! I love that Trey and I are such seasoned travelers - we were up and out and at the bus in plenty of time. When we arrived in D.C. we were a bit surprised to see the lines to the Air & Space Museums (all four of them) were about a 90 minute wait! So we moved right along. While we were initially frustrated, we soon discovered that the most interesting items to Trey were all of the outdoor sculptures! We combed the National Mall for every garden and museum we could find that contained sculpture art. As the day progressed we narrowed down his interest to modern, abstract sculptures consisting of metal and glass. As a homeschool mom, I was thrilled to follow as Trey walked through the sculptures, explaining them to me, reading the plaques, deciding what he liked and didn't like, and why, and then moving along. I asked Trey to take the lead, and he took me from museum to museum. He actually had a better grasp of the city than I did, moving around with a confidence and sophistication that belied his inexperience. It was amazing to watch him navigate the streets and the lights and the traffic - and then inside the museums, navigate through the exhibits and mazes of halls. At one point, I got us completely turned around and we had to go back around and start over. Trey patiently pulled me into a corner and quietly said, "Mom, I didn't want to embarrass you, but we're going the wrong way. We need to..." Seriously, it was a surreal moment. LOVED watching him blossom while I just longed for a quiet corner and a cup of tea! Midway through our day, we were cold and tired and I saw the top of the botanical gardens in the distance. "I think that's a greenhouse! Let's go!" Trey loved the warm greenhouses and we sat quiet on a bench, his head in my lap for a quick catnap. My food-truck falafel wrap was outstanding, unfortunately, Trey's palate has been spoiled by the homemade pretzels from the Amish food stands, so he wasn't as impressed with his food. Eventually, with just an hour or so remaining, the lines shortened at the Air & Space Museum and we had a chance to go in. It was fun to wander around, but so full of people! We were both very tired, and ready for the day to end. We never did fulfill my dream of going to the White House, but we did get a chance to see it from the bus on the way out of the city. We've decided that we'll go back to Washington D.C. again, but we'll park the car outside the city and take public transit in. There is so much more we want to see!
6 Comments
Roz English
4/9/2018 03:48:59 am
It really was! I just loved watching Trey as he took us through the city, he really took to it! My little boy is growing up!
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5/4/2018 09:36:36 pm
I was heartbroken when someone accused me of being too lazy to drive my son to school or too inefficient to afford a more expensive school. They say all these cruel things to me just because I choose to homeschool my son. I moved to my in laws place right after I gave birth so his grandparents got so attached to him that they demand he spend a lot of time with them. I felt I am losing a lot of hours where I am supposed to be with my son. I choose to homeschool him so we can spend more time together. I think I am also a good teacher so I can teach him better because I am the one who love him the most.
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Donna motta
4/8/2018 05:44:31 pm
This is soooooo Inspiring!! Excellent points... and so much fun!
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Roz English
4/9/2018 03:50:42 am
As a homeschooling mom, it was heartening for me to experience the 'at home' portion of our educational philosophy come into its own in this kind of setting! I can't wait for us to go to NYC next month!
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9/24/2018 08:14:51 pm
I really admire your passion and patience. This simply shows that you are one of the incredible moms out there. I can see in you that you really make sure that everything is balanced. Whether it is academical issues, mental, educational philosophy and such. Honestly, there are lots of things that are not being taught in school. I hope that someday, the school curriculum will be changed and make it into a better one where both the teacher and student can take an advantage.
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