Farm livin'

Somehow it's mid-November already and I'm not even sure I realized Halloween was fully over. How does that happen? Why does it feel like each year fall gets shorter and my nosedive into the holiday season begins before I've even thrown out the rotting pumpkins? Well, yesterday I had a chance to indulge in a little more autumnal fun (including a--you guessed it--pumpkin patch) with Elisa's Kindergarten class on their first field trip to Green Meadows Farm in Queens. It was a good, if frighteningly chilly day, and the kids were really pumped for their big outing.  Now I must admit at first I was a little confused about the location. This is actually the same place we've been before since it's part of the Queens County Farm Museum.  And if I recall, that visit too was on a chilly day in November, so I suppose I knew what I was getting myself in for. 

Except that I'm always overly optimistic about these field trips. I was looking forward to tagging along, thinking it would be fun to see Elisa out enjoying her classmates on a fun little excursion. One of her teachers wrote me a nice message a few weeks ago about what a great example Elisa was setting in the classroom. It was wonderful to hear and I was hoping to see a glimmer of that on the trip.  But alas, we were back to the Elisa that I know. The one who saves her frustrations and her snark for her mother. There was no fun to be had--at least not for her. Almost from the minute we piled on the bus, Elisa was clingy and possessive, competitive with her friends and whiny to me. Oh joy. I tried to cajole her out of it, but nothing seemed to work. She was cold and hungry, complaining of a tummy ache and wanting to go home. Not back to school, mind you, but home. Her teacher Ms. Z leaned in to assure me that this was not how Elisa acted at school and I smiled and said, I know.  We went through this a few times before with school trips and I suppose it's a testament to how much she likes me that she wants me all to herself. But at this age, I was really hoping we'd moved past it--like we could just enjoy the day together and I could be part of her class trip without making her crazy. The bus ride home was probably the sweetest she was all day and that was only because we shared an orange and cuddled on the ride. Ahhh, this kid kills me.

Nevertheless, I was glad I went. I probably won't volunteer for the next one since I think it's a pattern that is all too likely to repeat itself. But it was neat to see the kids in action and to chat a little more with Ms. Z. We attended her wedding ceremony last weekend and she's a lovely woman and a very devoted teacher. I think Elisa is extremely lucky to have made it into AoC this year for her first real school experience and no doubt, Ms. Z has been a big part of that smooth transition. And who knows, maybe by spring time I'll brave another field trip. It's always possible that Elisa will evolve enough to let me be part of her school life without eclipsing it. At least I still have hope.