Taste of Things to Come

Today the Bean took her first ride on a school bus. (Don't worry, it had seat belts. All the parents reflected on being tossed about as children in the back of a van or station wagon in the 70s and relaxed a little...)

She traveled all the way to nearby Florham Park with her preschool class to pay a visit to Imagine That!...an interactive museum/birthday party hotspot-type setup to which I myself have not yet been.

True to her vague distrust of new things (even fun ones), Ella looked sad as the bus departed, her small hand pressed against the window. (My thoughts: "I should be homeschooling. I should be homeschooling. Remember to breathe!" ) Upon return, though, she flashed a huge smile as the bus pulled in. She told me later that at departure she had wanted to cry but didn't. I told her later that she was "brave" to board the bus to a new place, but to be honest I feel caught in this grey-area of emotional space with her. So my question to you, now is: does one nudge the hesitant preschool heart toward the unknown or honor it with sameness and familarity?