field trip wreckage

so i had an irrational burst of energy this afternoon, and noticed that there was a special homeschool day at the history center (thanksgiving themed) going on right at that moment. despite the baby being tired and the kids sort of hungry and not all that interested (they voted 2-1 to go, but the 1 was extremely vocal in her anti-sentiment) i cheerfully packed em all into the car and headed off.

the first rude awakening was that despite us being members, there was a charge for entry to homeschool day events. darn it. ok, so after plunking down the discover card, i had that much more motivation to get something educational/enriching out of the afternoon.

having an agenda is generally a poor idea when bringing 4 kids ages 1-8 to any public event, but i was still feeling bold. we wandered through the exhibits, trying to find the "turkey trivia" or "harvest festival" areas. my 3 yr old ran ahead madly dashing into the pioneer cabins, entirely missing the point of just about everything. and stressing me out massively as i imagined losing the little guy entirely in the throng. my 8 and 5 yr olds wandered in & out a bit, enjoying seeing the other homeschool kids more than anything else. ok, so far, not getting much out of it.

but i pressed on optimistically:
"hey, how about the arts & crafts section? who wants to make a thanksgiving placemat or table centerpiece?!" grumbles from the older kids. 3 yr old screams his approval enthusiastically and runs ahead.

when we reach the art table, the 3 yr old climbs onto the stroller with the baby, who shrieks in protest. he refuses to budge, claiming to be tired and starving. the 5 yr old also realizes that his hunger is all-consuming and can no longer be overlooked. hunger and low blood sugar turn this generally sweet and cooperative child into a fuming ball of misery. the art table is nothing to him. sigh.

fine, at this point, im just hoping the 8 yr old will make a stinking placemat so we can get out of here.  i let her join the throng of kids clustering around the table. as i tend to the younger kids needs with the only lousy piece of string cheese i had stuffed into my bag, i look over to see what she is doing: she runs excitedly over, holding three pieces of yarn. "look! this yarn is perfect for my viking finger-weaving!!!"

at this point, i resign myself entirely to the fact that no one here is actually going to gain anything terribly much from this program, and its time to think about leaving before we actually lose anything much, in sanity particularly. so i smile, and carefully stash the precious yarn away. after all, isn't it all about being thankful for what we have?

im thinking organized programming is not going to be something i pursue again for a while. at least until my next irrational burst of energy strikes, and that tour-the-state-capital field trip (aka what-exactly-were-you-thinking-you-poor-misguided-woman?) beckons maddeningly at me from afar.