Wacko hippie mom attempts nature study with an independent minded child who would rather draw and/or dance

I like reading all kinds of things about homeschooling, but sometimes I wonder why in the world I ever try to implement some of the stuff I read.

I keep learning this lesson over and over again : "Duh! You idiot! Your child is a farm kid. Just let him be that and he'll learn more than your books can teach him."

I also keep forgetting that lesson.

So... I like reading all that Charlotte Mason crap. Well, maybe it isn't crap, but I like so many of the ideas she has that it beguiles me into thinking, "Hey, we should be doing that." I think what appeals to me the most are the outdoors-y, nature-y, arts-y parts of it.

Things that I have incorporated that are worthwhile are taking time to appreciate good music, and taking time to appreciate good art. T. loves to draw(and paint and sculpt), so part of his art appreciation is attempting to copy great works of art. He doesn't really copy them, but he will create his own things in the style of _____. "See Mommy, I did lots of smooshy swirls and dark lines like that Kandy man" (Kandinsky).

Now, wacko hippie mommy has an undergrad minor in art appreciation and a grad degree in fine arts history, so she thinks T. should look at more than just Medieval tapestries, Byzantine mosaics and the fucking Impressionists. Oops. Did I say fucking Impressionists? I think I meant to say "famous" Impressionists. Yeah. Anyway, wacko hippie mommy does spend time on the above mentioned art forms, but only barely. She likes to show T. examples from Miro, Picasso, Mondrian, Chagall, Rivera, Rodchenko, etc. etc. T. thinks it is totally cool.

Lately, I was thinking maybe we ought to do that nature study thing à la Charlotte Mason. I thought that the whole nature notebook thing would be very appealing to T. So, I sat down and came up with a sketch of how we should go about this.

I. Nature Study
A. Nature Walks
B. Theme for the nature walks
1. Winter birds
2. Trees
3. etc. etc
C. Recording our observations
D. Drawing examples

II. Discuss the results of I.

Oh, wasn't that a pretty little outline? I thought so. We packed up some lovely sturdy paper and the favoured coloured pencils and set off. I explain to T. about our Nature walk today. He just looked at me with his little head slightly tilted to the left and said slowly, "Okay."

And, we were off. It was ridiculous to say the least. Here I am outside with a boy who spends a great portion of his every day exploring all over the damn farm yard, and I'm trying to tell him about the birds in the yard.

"Um, Mommy? I kind of know that already."

He must have said that 20 times before it really sunk in. Of course you know that. Well, at least we could still write and draw about the birds, right?

No, T. would prefer to show me the dance he made up that is "just like the magpies teasing the barn cats. I call it the dance where magpies tease barn cats." He launches into his dance creation and lo and behold! It is very much like the way the magpies tease the barn cats.

Then T. informs me that if I want to, he can show me how to draw some of the birds. He has them in a little notebook in his desk. Well... I... umm... didn't know that. Sure, he can show me his bird notebook. That'll be great.

And... we're back to "Duh! You idiot! Your child is a farm kid. Just let him be that and he'll learn more than your books can teach him."