Preschool

For about the last month and a half I have been doing preschool with my girls. It has been a really great time for them and for me. I love using the preschool training and experience I have on my own little ones. Who better, right? It is nice when I put forth the time and effort to see them get excited for our activities. Here we are making bugs out of Ritz crackers, cream cheese, stick pretzels, and raisins. Those things individually my children don't eat, but call it an insect and Wallah! They eat them up and ask for more.
We have had some fun weeks about bugs and insects, pets, alphabet and numbers, and we even had a cookie day. I am hoping to get a group together from playgroup that we could go on field trips with so the girls are getting those experiences in as well. I decided I wanted to teach them myself because Headstart was just not sitting well with me. Eliza was accepted at Headstart, but I didn't feel right about it. I taught Headstart in Utah, but it was very different. There was a 1:5 ratio teacher to child and here it is 1:10. Here at home it is 1:2 since I do it when Nathan is sleeping. I like those odds better. Headstart was also 15 hours a week and there was no need for her to be gone that long. I also decided that since they have 2 playgroups a week and a ballet class starting in 2 weeks they aren't home bodies so they should be okay socially. I was a little concerned about how Eliza would take to me as her teacher since she would love to "go" to preschool. She and I are so much alike that at times we butt heads. This has been so great for both of us. I think part of that has to do with the different ways people perceive love. (You know, from the book the Five Love Languages.) Preschool hits all 5 of them even if only in small ways. This gives us more times together, more words of affirmation, and more quality conversation during our craft, snack, and free play. It does sometimes allow for the gift giving in small doses when I give them a special treat that has to do with the lesson and of course the physical touch is also met because she is here with me so I can hug her when she does well or let her sit on my lap, etc. Overall, I think this is such a great thing and I am SO happy to have 2 close together so it feels more like a class. They love playing together and laughing at each other when we do silly things. They still have to learn to share and cooperate so I couldn't be happier with the two of them.
Today after preschool we were talking about elementary school and how the children eat their lunches at school. Eliza loves to pretend so for lunch I had them bring their "tray" to me and I put their "ham and cheese melt" on it. Eliza thought it was so fun that she asked if she could call me the lunch lady. I just laughed because I have never wanted to be called a lunch lady (if you have seen Adam Sandler do his lunch lady impression you will know why), but when it is for your daughter I told her of course she could. So, while she prayed over lunch, she prayed that the lunch lady would be healthy and strong. I was laughing a little and when Eliza finished the prayer Kate asked me, "Why were you laughing?" How could I not be? Her imagination becomes almost real to her. Sounds just like me when I was a kid.