preschool field trip

{Sophie, Aidan, Eden}

As I mentioned once before on this blog, we did a neighbor preschool (aka-“joy school”) for Sophie and a few other kids of our friends who are of the same school year.  Myself and the other moms each took turns teaching, preschool was held bi-weekly.  We started out with 4 kids (we miss you Brinley!) and 1 moved away.  It was really nice for a few reasons: 1. it was free, 2. we also took turns babysitting the younger siblings so every few weeks I would get 2 hours to myself to do whatever, 3. I got to be involved in Sophie’s education directly.  Anyway, as a sort of end of the year thing we took the kids to the Museum of Nature and Science once morning/afternoon.  I sure love these kids!  They are so great! (the cutie in the yellow shirt is Kathyrn, she came along with her mom just because, eventhough she wasn’t in our class.)

Sophie enjoying the big blocks, Tessa really enjoyed waiting for her to make a tall tower and then running up and knocking it down infuriating her sister (not pictured), little stinker.  Tessa is painting on the big touch screen, such a cool toy.

Here’s the kids checking out the bronze animal poop, always a pleaser.  Sophie in the space exhibit doing some work in the box.

My girls are so musical.  They sing most of the day long, literally.  Sometimes it’s like a running musical that they just work in whatever they are doing, for example, “I’m going to go put on my shoes and go to the store!”  I think they get it from their dad who can be found singing all hours of the day, at the dinner table, in the shower, and especially while shaving.  I thought this 2nd picture was cute how Tessa “saved” Sophie’s spot when she stepped away to do a puzzle.

I had to throw in this picture of part of a totem we came across in one of the exhibits.  Sophie was so disturbed by it.  She kept saying over and over again, “That animal was eating that man, and it hurt him!” While staring at it without blinking, it was hard to get her to walk away.  She hasn’t forgotten either, just passing the museum reminds her of the scary animal that eats people.   On a lighter note, here’s another picture of the silly preschool “grads” (who have another year of preschool before kindergarten).

We loved doing preschool at home but plan to do a formal preschool through the school district this fall for Sophie as do the other parents.  My little smartie doesn’t need to learn anything else before kindergarten except how to sit in a class and listen (and learn that every thought that crosses her mind doesn’t warrant interrupting the class to inform them).  It will be good for her.

Speaking of Sophie and school, it’s worthwhile to mention for my own remembrance that she can now write her name and all the other letters (with encouragement, her first response is always, “I can’t!”).  Sophie is also reading small books, she can sound out pretty much any 3-4 letter word and surprises me by reading signs and packaging all the time.  She can count to 20 except that she likes to skip 15.  She loves to learn new things, we get books from the library about different animals and areas of the world she asks me about, and she retains a lot!  Her latest interest in owls, since seeing the “Legend of the Guardians,” movie.  We love you Sophie!