Charlotte & I kicked off our homeschooling adventure yesterday with our first day of classes and socializing at the homeschooler’s co-operative. On the drive in, we did vocabulary: cooperative vs. Co-operative; economics and a smattering of law. By design? Hardly. To unwind, Charlotte & I are taking the “unschooling” approach to our lessons which means we learn wherever her curiosity takes her.
The economics talk was driven by her concern after she saw the prices listed for the classes she will take. They are extremely reasonable, and to explain that I put it in contrast to other activities she has done and had her do the sums of these: Homeschoolers co-op vs. Shorewood Pool membership vs. Gymnastics class vs. Summer Drama. This led to questions of why things are differently priced (hence the economics lesson in how an organization can alter behaviors through pricing structures) and why a theater group needs to pay for the use of a script and score beyond the original purchase (how we got into the legal field of royalties and intellectual property). And all this while I navigated rush hour traffic in a city known for bad traffic. Whew!
Upon arrival, we whisked off to Theater, Period 1; Bellydancing, Period 2; Lego Movie Making, Period 3; lunch and free time, and Robotics, Period 4. Then several people met across the street at a large park where the children played and the moms chatted. I feel so welcomed into this ready-made group of moms who are oddly like me (crazy analytical and with a never ending thirst for reading and learning). While Charlotte was at classes and at the park, I got the chance to talk with a great many of them who happily shared what they’ve learned in their years or months of homeschooling. At one point, I gathered something Alice had dropped under the table and before I resurfaced, I realized that they sounded like my friends in Madison–easy chatter, laughter, and bold personalities that were unique but clear from first encounter. It was all I could do not to show tears of relief on my face to find a group I can see weekly that fills me up on this much needed commodity of humor, sharing and intellectual banter.
On the drive back, Charlotte filled me in on her classes, and I tried to gauge in a way that she will soon grow tired of with my obsessive, “How do you feel, Charlotte?” We stopped off at the organic farm where it is our job to pick up the weekly share, and she so enjoyed weighing out our turnips and carrots and each of the other items set out for members. I had to promise we would return to the farm soon to volunteer as manual work is so soothing to her as is time outside and in an environment like the farm. Add it to the list.
We made it home in time for me to do a quick turn around, cleaning myself and Alice up from a day of outside fun, donning yoga clothes and heading out to teach. But upon my return from class, Jason and I heard her humming the theme from Harry Potter and saying, “I don’t know why, but I really feel like watching a Harry Potter movie (we celebrated Friday pizza & a movie last night as today is a school holiday).” I looked at Jason and we remarked on how she was actually humming a song and expressing her interest in something. Both things she has been short on for quite a while.
So maybe I did get an answer to my question of “How are you feeling?” And the answer is “a little bit more like Charlotte” which is the whole point of this exercise. 
Apples to Oranges: Moving from Wisconsin to Florida 
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