Making Friends

We have officially been in school for three whole days. It is amazing how fast time flies when you are having fun. Since we will be here for a full preschool week but have a holiday on Monday, we make this first week about learning the routine of the classroom and practicing our rules. I remind myself frequently that we are a class of four year old students and that there are actually 13 whole years of public school ahead of these little learner... so this classroom should be a fun learning environment. You can see from our friends that we learn in play centers, as well as, at work stations on the table.

Chester & The Kissing Hand

Did you find a little raccoon hat in your child's bag? It was a prop for the story we read to start off our year. It was about a little raccoon going to school for the first time and his secret to keep his sad feelings away. Of course our room was full of excitement, but at some point we all miss our mommies and daddies. Chester taught us about the magic kissing hand and we made this little hat to help us tell the story at home. These little raccoons were too cute not to share.
If you have some time, ask your child to share their memories of the story. I"m sure that it will be more entertaining than our book and probably a little bit different, but I'd be willing to bet they all get the kissing hand part just right. Your children love you very much and were beaming when they saw you arrive at the end of the day. Thanks for a wonderful first day!

Welcome Back!

It is finally here!!! Our first day of school and it was GREAT! New shoes were all around and I am happy to report that they were all playground approved! (Not to mention they were all so cute and "sparkly." Some of them even light up!) New shoes always seem to start the year off just right and they are a wonderful way to do class introductions. Children love to show off new shoes and on the playground they love to show how fast they can run.
Everyone came in with beautiful smiles and lots of excitement to make new friends. We will take adjusting to the schedule and rules pretty slow so be patient as we work through these new "four year old" expectations. If you didn't know it already - coming upstairs is a really big deal and now we have to show all of the younger children how to behave. (Because we are the "big kids.")
We had so much fun getting to explore our classroom, taking pictures and making friends. This year will be filled with excitement and it will seem like it happens in a flash. Before you know it we will be practicing for graduation! Enjoy these wonderful blessings from God and absorb every word they tell you. Childhood moves so fast these days and our classroom embraces every minute of it.

Goodbye Summer

This picture was taken at sunset at Lake Junaluska. Even though I have seen it so many times, it is always more beautiful. As the sun peeks out from behind the clouds as it descends behind the mountains it creates the most beautiful shadows on the lake. God is so amazing because He gives us the opportunity to enjoy His beautiful creation over and over again. Goodbye summer!

Back To School

Here are my two handsome sons on their first day of school. They look so thrilled about the 2011-2012 school year. Emerson looks especially happy with his dramatic "eye roll." Waking up early, doing homework and going to bed on time just isn't something that he has been planning to do. Hopefully their day was wonderful because we started with a prayer for smiles and fun. Thanks be to God for another year of learning and growing.