Alleluia!

We didn't say this word during our season of Lent - but today we made a joyful noise when we shouted it out during class. Alleluia He Is Risen! On our first day back from Easter break we had to remember all that we talked about during the past 40 days and boy were we excited. "He's alive and I'm so glad about it...gonna clap my hands today...."

Popsi's Cool Car

It is done! Popsi has spent countless hours carefully restoring each piece, but his masterpiece is finished. I am so amazed by this. When he bought this car it was in a million pieces and looked like a pile of junk - but in his eyes he could see this beautifully restored car. These pictures do not fully capture the "magic" of this car. When he drives it down the road people can't help but look. It almost looks like the car of a superhero - well in reality it is because my superhero is my dad. Great job Popsi!!!

He's ALIVE

Happy Easter! JESUS IS ALIVE! Can you believe the good news of the Easter story? Early in the morning they went to the tomb and found that the stone was rolled away. Where was Jesus? He is risen! If you have been following our devotional for "Benjamin's Box" you know that Benjamin was so excited that he ran all the way back home to share this wonderful news. Easter wishes for a wonderful day.

Resurrection Biscuits

You should have found a biscuit in your child's bag. It was a treat that we made to celebrate Jesus' resurrection on Easter Sunday. (Please don't wait to eat this until Easter - this was prepared to enjoy now.) It is always a fun cooking project for the children because our treat that we hide inside the biscuit disappears when it bakes. The finished product is yummy and sweet and empty - just like the tomb on Easter morning.

The Easter Egg Hunt

What a gorgeous day for an Easter egg hunt! It wasn't too hot or too cold - just perfect for searching for colorful eggs. We made some great Easter baskets from recycled coffee cans and couldn't wait to get outside.
The eggs weren't hidden - just scattered - but finding your 6 eggs out of the 96 laying all around was a lot harder than anticipated. The children did a great job, but our friend below was the first to find all of her eggs. Great job to everyone for a wonderful day. We had so much fun and everyone showed their best behavior.
At the end of the day the children couldn't wait to get into their treats - but some of us took a few minutes to share a book with a friend. Happy Easter!

Show & Tell Day 3

Our last day of show & tell for this week was just as fun as the first. (Especially since it happened to be the same day of our Easter egg hunt.) Our friends brought in stuffed animals and action figures.
The friend below brought in a ribbon for dancing. She showed us hot to make a tornado, raindrops & wind.
We also had a toy dog that walks & barks.
And our friend below brought in his prayer box. He was so excited to tell us how he & his little sister use this every night. Isn't it so comforting to know that God's love is all around?

Goodbye Sparkles & Princess

When we first met Sparkles & Princess - they were very small, not so cute, caterpillars. They came to our room for us to watch as they grew into bigger caterpillars and developed into their cocoons. (We also think they came to our room for an extra dose of love!) Well - they did what caterpillars do - they transformed into beautiful butterflies and we had to let them go. On Wednesday we left chapel and went outside to release all of the class butterflies. It was a gorgeous day - with inviting blue skies and a huge sparkling sun.
Mrs. Becky opened the Pavilion and away they flew. Some weren't so sure about leaving the safety of the netting, but eventually they all flew away. Goodbye Sparkles & Princess!

More Show & Tell

Day number two of show & tell was just as good as the first. There were lots of soft stuffed animal friends with names like "Chocolate Chip" & "Snowflake." We also had a Barbie dentist & patient - complete with an x-ray. Stay tuned for pictures from day #3.

A Peek Into Our Classroom

Working & playing ... these boys and girls are so smart. They are all ready for the big move to kindergarten but I am not sure if we are ready to let them go. Each one has grown so much this year that it is hard to start preparing for graduation. When we look around our room on days like this - it is very obvious that God is with us. He blesses us with His love to share and kindness when playing with others. Here is a tune that frequently plays in my head..."I've got that joy, joy, joy, joy - down in my heart...."

S is for Sunny Sunflowers

Our last letter of the alphabet was Ss. There were so many possibilities for a picture, but these sunflowers were perfect. This little picture is so bright and cheerful. Think sunny thoughts.

Show & Tell

Today was our first day of show & tell for the week. If we wait to do this later in the day, the children can hardly stand it! Today we had three boys and they did a great job sharing their goodies. Our friend above brought in a fishing game. This was fun because the weather is perfect for real fishing and this little game is great practice. (Without all of the smelly "fish cleaning" that accompanies real fishing.) Our friend below brought his sock monkey named "RJ." He even showed us how "RJ" likes to dance.

This friend, pictured below, brought his favorite "baby toys." They came to visit us in this little box that he decorated for them to live in. Their names are "Louie & Sparky." He said that he sometimes puts blocks in their house for them to use as furniture. How fun! I love to see imagination at work. We even took some blocks in our classroom to make some furniture for these little guys. Happy Show & Tell Day 1!

Hummmmmm.....

"Love stretches your heart and makes you big inside." Margaret Mead

Spring Fling!!!

Every year this is my favorite post. Waiting on Spring Fling is always the hardest thing to do - even harder than Halloween & Christmas. Well this is it. We had our totally work free day and played outside all day long. The "Fun Bus" made the annual visit and, I believe, exceeded every one's expectations. There was fun music, climbing, bouncing and sliding - and the best part - all of our friends were there. Yeah for Spring Fling 2011. We started with a fun "adventure/treasure" walk. Thanks so much to our parent volunteers who helped us with some tricky questions and for working hard to give us our "punch" on our name tag.
Even with the adventure walk, we still had time for some games - like the hula hoops, bowling & ring toss.
Then it was our time for the FUN BUS!!!!
We ended our day outside with a great "tug of war." It was epic for our class because it was girls vs boys. (come on - you would have done this too. 8 boys/8 girls - this was a "no brainer.") Although it was close - the girls were victorious. I love these pictures. You can see the determination on their faces.
It was a wonderful day and many thanks to all of the parents who helped make this so successful. As an aside, for the successful completion of our "nature/adventure walk,"the children did earn three sweet treats that started with letter s. We talked about asking for permission to enjoy these treats and that it would be best to enjoy them at different times. It was a little reward for a job well done for all 16 of these precious, smart children. Happy Spring Fling 2011. (PS - everyone should have enjoyed a great nap this afternoon or will be asleep early this evening. Some of us could barely hold our eyes open during carpool.)