The First Day of PreSchool!

Well I'll just start by saying it was pretty fantastic and I hope it continues!  Five children ages 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 and their mommies joined Jamie and me at our house this morning at 8:30am!!!!!  Whoa that is stinkn' early I know!  As everyone came in Timmy and I took their pictures.  Everyone headed down stairs to play and have "opening"  before we head out to our first field trip to the apple orchard.  (Shouldn't every first day of school start with field trip?)  As the children came downstairs they found their names and matched them up with their pictures on the chart. Then they could choose a "morning activity." At 9am I gathered everyone over for opening. We opened with a prayer asking Jesus to be with us and show us what He wanted us to learn. We sang "Rise and Shine" .... Rise and shine and give God the glory glory (repeat) Children of the Lord. Then we sang "This is the Day"... This is the day that the Lord has made let us rejoice and be glad in it for this is the day that the Lord has made. Then we all said "Good Morning Jesus!!!" (Perhaps if I could have started every morning like this with my public school kids I'd still be teaching.... well probably NOT!!!) Next we did the calendar and weather. Then there was more singing and dancing!!! Finally I read 2 books about apples and everyone went potty and we were off to the orchard!!!!

in our wagon train headed to the orchard

checking out some other crops on the way to the orchard

The whole rowdy bunch!

silly big brother to be Jimmy!  He and Jamie make quite a team!!!

Timmy takes everyone to see a tractor!

T'was the Night Before Pre School...

and all through the house not a creature was stirring... except for me who stayed up past 1am perparing!!!!  Well I wanted it to be perfect!  I have become very passionate about this whole deal.  I LOVE being Jamie's teacher and I really really want the other children coming over to "school" to gain a lot from the experience.

Fall books!  I love myself a theme!!!

Not that I'm a worksheet person, but I just couldn't resist this fall coloring sheet and it just looks so cute sitting on the tables!!!!

Just for fun!!!!

Jamie has been out of a diaper (except for overnight) for quite sometime, I guess since May of this year.  I really dislike the phrase "potty trained" because I didn't "train" him to do anything as he is not a dog.  He decided he wanted to use the potty and so he did.  He had a few "setbacks" especially with number 2, but he did it all when he felt like it.  And yes as you can see he liked putting stickers on the wall when he was successful at number 2.  I guess some might call that training, I call it fun.  I just think it is hilarious that he loves to read on the potty while having a poo.  Here he is reading a toy catalog that came in the mail today.  I guess he's picking out what he wants for Christmas, although he has no idea that that is an option (I'll keep it that way as long as I can!)

I really don't know what goes through his head when I take his picture.  I mean he's having a "private" moment and here crazy mommy is with the camera, AGAIN!  He doesn't seem to mind!

Leaf Rubbing

I love to do "school" with Jamie.  So even if it is not an "official" preschool day we still love learning.  Today Jamie did his first leaf rubbing and we cracked open a walnut we found at the park.  I know every kid does leaf rubbings, but this was so special to me because I was there with him when he did it.  Usually this kind of stuff happens when they are in school and I'm just so dag on happy he did his first leaf rubbing with me.  I really try to make an effort to treasure every moment I have with this child.  He is my gift.

earlier in the week we went to the park and collected leaves, acorns and walnuts, here we were sorting them

yes, i cracked this baby open myself with a knife and a hammer, lets just say it was "one hard nut to crack!"

yes, its blurry, but its the only picture i got of him "planting" his walnut tree.

FYI shelling walnuts stains your hands, for a long time!!!

His first leaf rubbing.

He got the concept pretty quickly.  We talked about the front and the back of the leaf.  How it felt (smooth and bumpy) and that the back of leaf has veins.

Ta Da!!!!

Tis the Season for Festivals!!!!

And let me tell you, I love myself a fall festival  our list this year is ...

• The Stepping Stone Museum's Fall Harvest Festival (see pictures below!)
• The Darlington Apple Festival
• The Harford Fall Fest
• The Herferd Fall Festival (not to be confused with the previous!)
• The Jerusalem Mill Fall Festival

Yes I am all about it!  I don't know if we will make it to all of them but we WILL try! 
Last year we took Mom Mom to the Stepping Stone Festival.  This year we took Ga Ga.. in the RAIN no less!  It did clear up after about an hour or so.  We had lots of fun!!!!

decorating his pumpkin

the "farmer" showing Jamie how to de-kernel his corn

and after all the kernels popped of the husk he got to dig a prize out of the kernel bucket!

making a doll out of his corn husk

and then he saw this and nothing else mattered!

the first of our FOUR tractor rides!

This is the tractor driver... Jamie-"Are you Old MacDonald?"
The driver- "Well I'm old alright!"

everything is right with the world when there is a tractor nearby!

more talking with "Old MacDonald"  I guess it would be like if I got to talk to oh I don't know, Prince William maybe?

In the farm house... she's making butter

bath time anyone?

making apple cider

his first time bobbing for apples!!!!

tractor ride #2

mmmmmmmm I love myself some festival food, especially the spinning potato!

more apple cider making

me trying to be a photographer... not so much I know, but I tried

me-"Can I see your handsome smile please?"

 

no, your HANDSOME smile!

ok now we're getting close!

oh well good enough!

"Holy smokes here come the tractor AGAIN!!!!"

waiting in the really long line for the 3rd or 4th tractor ride of the day!

and we're back on the tractor!

Jamie was all about the band!  He is watching them intently here with Ga Ga.