preschool reanbean Tiny & Buba: family swim me time shopping playdates stamping project
by reanbean
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Just the Highlights
This past week was a bit rockier than usual. Tiny and Buba (but mostly Buba) had several days of early morning wake ups (one day it was 4:30am!) paired with loud talking, running around, climbing the sides of their beds, and jumping on their beds. It’s never good when the day starts off on the wrong foot, but we still had some fun moments here and there.
On Monday, I had a tutoring cancellation, so I made my first ever trip to lululemon athletica at the mall. It’s an upscale store that sells yoga, running, and workout clothes. I’d received a very generous lululemon gift card for Christmas, so I decided to spend my somewhat spontaneous free time browsing their collection. In the end, I walked away with a new pair of pants and a new top too. I know I’ve been working out just fine in TJ Maxx and Kohl’s activewear for the last three years, but now that I’ve added some lululemon pieces to the mix, I’m sure I’ll be going back for some more. Not anytime soon (unless there’s some sort of major sale), but someday.
Wednesday night, I had a parent education seminar to oversee (I’m the parent education coordinator for our town’s family organization). The week was already feeling long, and I would much rather have spent the evening at home relaxing. So to motivate myself to get out the door, I decided I’d stop at Starbucks on the way to pick up a tasty coffee treat. Now that the holidays are over, there are no more caramel brulee lattes, but the decaf mocha latte was a fine substitute. It wasn’t a huge splurge, but it was a nice mid-week pick-me-up.
Thursday night, I went to curriculum night at Buba and Tiny’s school. I went because I felt it was important, not knowing that I was actually going to have a lot of fun learning more about what they do all day and how it fits into the school’s philosophy. I hope to devote an entire post to what I learned that evening, but in a nutshell, it was all about the importance of creative play in a young child’s life. Fortunately, there is no shortage of that going on over here, and I was very please to be reminded of how this will help them to be successful in school and in life for years to come.
Friday, the excitement was mainly around the kids’ separate playdates that afternoon. They woke up exited for the playdates to come, and went to bed still talking about all the fun they had. Hopefully I’ll be able to arrange more of these types of playdates in the not too distant future.
Saturday morning was busy with chores and errands. But that afternoon, when T headed off the the Patriots playoff came with Grammie (in the freezing cold, I might add), Buba, Tiny and I went over to Michael’s to look for some new stamping supplies. During the holiday season we had purchased some Christmas stamps (a reindeer and a Christmas tree), and the kids used them to create Christmas cards for their teachers and instructors. We packed them up with the other Christmas decorations, but the kids were really wanting to do another stamping project, so I said we’d go look for some new ones. I was shocked at how expensive the stamps in the scrapbooking were. Fortunately, there were several $1 stamps in a bucket on display for Valentine crafts. They’re all sort of love themed, but that’s easier to get away with all year than the ones we bought at Christmastime. So we picked up 8 new stamps and some drawing paper to stamp them on. After a delicious gourmet pizza dinner (chicken pesto on wheat crust), the kids used their new stamps while I cleaned up the kitchen. It was easily 20-30 minutes of quiet fun for them, and the mess wasn’t too bad (the washable ink comes off their hands pretty easily). We’ll definitely be doing it again soon.
As an attempt to get the early morning wake-up shenanigans under control, I told Tiny and Buba early in the week, that if they each earned five stickers for being good sleepers (staying in bed and staying quiet until 6:30am when their sun light glows), I would take them back to family swim at my gym. They both seemed motivated by this activity, but only Tiny actually earned the five stickers needed to go. So, this afternoon, Tiny and I went off to family swim without Buba, and we had a great time. Tiny (with her floaties on) made several attempts to lie on her back and kick her legs. She also experimented with holding her breath and putting her face in the water. That evening, Tiny was very excited to report all that she’d done, which made Buba even more upset about the fact that he’d had to miss family swim. I’m really hoping this consequence might help us have better sleeping habits from him this coming week, but I’m not completely convinced that he’ll remember his disappointment if/when the opportunity arises for him to choose whether or not to stay quiet or make a naughty choice in the early morning hours. Time will tell, I suppose.
Family Time preschool reanbean T and Me Tiny & Buba: babysitter bikes family swim mom's night out movie night
by reanbean
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Just the Highlights
Monday night I met up with some local mom friends to watch the season premiere of The Bachelor. I have never before watched even one minute of the show, but I really wanted to take the opportunity to connect with these moms. Many of them get together weekly as their kids are all part of the same playgroup, but I’ve never been able to join in because they meet in the afternoons when I am working. I can’t say that I’m hooked on the show, but I did really enjoy the girl time. They plan to meet weekly on Mondays to watch the season unfold. I know I won’t be able to make it every week, but I do hope to join in again at some point.
Tuesday was Buba and Tiny’s first day back to preschool after just over 2 weeks off. They transitioned back pretty well. Buba was a little whimpery at drop-off and was sobbing when I came back to pick them up, but his teacher reported that he was happy and having fun all morning and that he only started to cry when he realized it was pick-up time and didn’t see me within the first five parents who walked through the gate. He gave me a big hug (which I didn’t mind at all) and calmed down as soon as I got him into the minivan. When I told him it was okay that he missed me, he responded, “I was crying because I was cold.” Not even four years old and already he’s too cool to miss his mama.
Thursday Tiny and Buba had their first afternoon with our new babysitter. I had been using some middle school girls to look after the kids for about 90 minutes on Thursdays while I went off tutoring and T was still at school. The girls were great babysitters, but there were some transportation issues involved. So, I decided to hire an experienced high school girl who is able to drive herself to and from our house. Buba was tentative at first, but warmed up quickly once the sitter agreed to read 101 Dalmatians. T got home before I did, so I didn’t get a full report of how things went, but he said they all looked like they were having fun.
We had another gorgeous day on Saturday, so T and I took the kids and their bikes over to Grammie and Grandpa’s house. The kids played outside in the cul-de-sac for probably an hour or more while T supervised and Grammie and I chatted in the driveway. We all had lunch together and then we took our family home for quiet time.
Saturday night T and I had our weekly in-home date night. We like to wind down on Saturday nights with a movie and some popcorn. Sometimes we just watch something in our own collection or stream something from Netflix, but recently we’ve been renting some new releases from Redbox. It’s a good thing they only cost about $1.00, because most of the rentals have not met our expectations. However, last night, we watched The Change-Up and actually enjoyed it. There were definitely some not so great, eye rolling parts, but we had quite a few laughs, and it was definitely not a waste of our time.
Sunday afternoon, I took Buba and Tiny to family swim time at my gym. With my membership there, I can bring up to two guest to swim for free. This was not the first time we’d gone, but we hadn’t been swimming for several weeks. They were both beyond excited about getting to go swimming and asked repeatedly all afternoon when it would be time to go. I was both pleased and impressed to see that they wasted no time getting right into the water (with floaties, of course). And both were comfortable enough to do some jumping into the water. Tiny will only jump from the steps and does more of a horizontal jump, which keeps her head mostly above water. But Buba has recently learned that he likes to jump straight down and have his whole body under the water. He jumps right in front of me, and his floaty brings him right back up to the surface, but man, I was impressed with that kid today. He must have jumped a dozen times or more and just couldn’t get enough.
Another Great Morning at Preschool
Today was my 5th parent helping day at Tiny and Buba’s preschool. I love the days when I drop them off and get to have some time for myself, but I also truly love the days where I get to spend some time with them in an “unplugged” totally kid centered environment. I had a great morning watching them work their way around the classroom. There’s just something very, very special about their preschool, and I really am so glad that they get to be a part of it.
reading Abiyoyo
Tiny's scissor experiment: Can I cut a stream of running water?
trying out the new years party hat
playing with confetti decorated gak
Buba's water experiment: What happens if you put a dry paper towel into a bit of shallow standing water?
teamwork
Ostracized
Tiny and Buba’s preschool teachers recently introduced the class to the book Abiyoyo, and Tiny is completely obsessed with the story. She talks about it almost every day, and both she and Buba were very excited to have me read the story to them (and a few of their classmates who snuggled up with us) on my helping day this past Monday.
Tonight, Tiny and I had the following conversation…
Tiny: And Mommy, the magician and the boy were ostracized (using the word from the book)!
Me: Oh, really? What does that mean? (I ask, testing to see if she really knows.)
Tiny: The people in the town were mad and they said, “Go away and don’t live near us anymore!” (Her summary, not word for word from the text.)
Yep, she knows. That’s one smart cookie I’ve got!
New Friends
Today, Tiny and Buba had their first playdate with a preschool classmate. Both the little girl, MK, and Tiny had made requests for a playdate weeks ago, but it took a while to schedule (and then reschedule due to illnesses) before we actually got the kids together.
Because of the way our school varies the kids’ schedules, MK, Tiny, and Buba only have one school day in common. But that seems to be plenty of time for Tiny and MK to maintain a nice, little friendship. The day the two girls requested the playdate, I watched all three kids playing in the sand- working together to make one very big pile of sand. And in the days that have followed, I have seen the girls walk hand in hand around the classroom and share big hugs before parting ways at dismissal time.
Needless to say, all three kids were very excited to have a playdate scheduled for this afternoon. We arrived at MK’s house a little after 2:30 to find MK waiting for us in the driveway. Buba was the first out of the minivan, and MK ran right over to him with a big smile and a big hug. Tiny quickly joined them, and soon the three kids were sharing MK’s bike and ride-on toys and riding all over and up and down the long driveway. The fun continued as we headed inside to the playroom. There were a few issues with sharing here and there, but for the most part, the kids worked things out very nicely.
Buba and Tiny were not at all interested in leaving when it was time for us to go, but they politely thanked our new friends (with some prompting, of course) and gave big hugs before we headed home again. We’ve promised to have MK over to our house once the holidays are over, giving us something fun to look forward to in the new year!
preschool preschoolers reanbean Tiny & Buba: lost parent/teacher conference Santa
by reanbean
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The Day We Saw Santa
Two weeks ago, Tiny, Buba, and I went to visit Santa at the mall. It was definitely the highlight of our day, but there was much more to our morning than just a photo session with the big guy in red.
First up that day was a parent/teacher conference with Buba and Tiny’s teachers. I ran plenty of conferences back in my classroom teaching days, and it was really interesting for me to be on the other side of the table this time. The teachers had written up narrative progress reports on each child, and it was fun to see what they chose to point out.
From Buba’s report: Buba explores the room freely. He loves the moon sand and playdough and spends good amounts of time manipulating these materials…His teachers have noted his long attention span and ability to concentrate on the task at hand…Buba has a terrific sense of humor and is well liked by his peers…Buba is well able to occupy himself independently…
From Tiny’s report: Tiny is an incredibly happy child who comes into the classroom with a huge smile and a hug for the teachers each day…Tiny is happy playing with friends or working diligently on an art project alone…Tiny is a kind and thoughtful friend to the other children…Recently she was overheard in the kitchen area saying to a friend, “What do you want? I’ll cook it for you.”
Needless to say, I was very pleased to hear how well both Tiny and Buba have transitioned to preschool. We are all loving their school and their teachers, and look forward to seeing how the kids continue to grow as the year unfolds.
After the conference, we headed down to the mall for our annual visit with Santa (year #4!). Both Buba and Tiny were very excited to see Santa, and went right up to him when they were called to sit on his lap for photos. After they’d had their pictures taken, Santa asked each of them what they would like for Christmas. Tiny responded that she would like Tinkerbell, and Buba answered with, “Um…toys.” Santa chuckled and reminded them to be very good for their Mommy and Daddy (something we’re constantly working on, of course), and then sent us away with a candy cane for each kid. Fortunately, Buba and Tiny do not yet know about candy canes and did not protest at all when I took them away and explained that I would keep these fragile decorations safe until we were ready to hang them on our Christmas tree.
Next the kids picked out one ornament each to add to their personal collection of ornaments that we started their very first Christmas. Tiny picked a fire truck, and Buba picked an ambulance.
Our last stop was to be at the Apple Store to pick up a gift card for a cousin’s birthday present. One interesting, but sometimes difficult, thing about this store is that there is no specific are for check out. A team member comes to you and completes your transaction on the spot using (I believe) an iPhone that is able to run a credit card (not sure if or how they handle cash transactions). So, we picked up our gift card, and then I let the Buba and Tiny sit down and play on the kid computers while I waited for someone to come to ring up our sale. The woman who came was having trouble getting a good signal where we were, so she stepped away from the computers towards the back of the store. I started to follow her, but then explained that I needed to be able to see my kids. She nodded, and I turned back towards the computers to see just Tiny sitting on the little stool in front of the computers.
“Where is your brother?” I asked her. No response. Panic creeps up my spine. “I’m sure he’s just browsing the store,” another team member offered, but one quick sweep and I knew he was no longer in the store. Major panic. I grabbed Tiny and tried to run. I’m sure I looked absolutely crazy, and for good reason. Fortunately, the team member remained calm. “What does he look like?” she asked. 3 feet tall. Brown hair. Bright yellow rain jacket. No sooner had I spoken those words and she was on her head set communicating the same information to every team member in the store. By the time I got out to the mall walkway, I could see an Apple member about three stores down with Buba, who was sobbing. It had only been about 45 seconds from the time I realized he was gone until we found him, but they were the longest and most terrifying 45 seconds of my life. I was shaking and crying as I picked him up and squeezed him tightly.
We paid for our gift card, and promptly left the mall. I felt horrible, absolutely horrible. The magic of the Santa visit was gone, replaced with guilt and disappointment. Buba and Tiny recovered quickly, but it still kills me every time I think about this. My kids are usually so good at staying right by me when we’re out and about, but this recent scare has made it necessary to have even more rules and consequences for behavior when I need to take them shopping with me.
Fortunately the magic of Christmas has prevailed. I won’t forget that horrible experience, but I can’t dwell on it forever either. We’ve got Christmas music playing daily in our house, and soon we’ll be baking and addressing Christmas cards. It’s a happy time of year, and it should feel happy. But you’d be right to think that I hold Buba’s hand extra tight whenever we go into a store, even if it’s just a quick trip. Lesson learned.
Is It Christmas Yet?
Tiny and Buba are so excited and eager for Christmas Day this year. From the moment they started seeing pumpkins in September (yes, I had to remind them that pumpkins are for Halloween and evergreens are for Christmas), they’ve been asking about when they’ll see Santa and when they’ll open their Christmas presents. I keep telling them that it won’t be Christmas for many more days, but it’s really hard for them to understand.
In the last few days, we’ve had their Christmas photos taken,
and we’ve gone to visit Santa.
I would have loved to have delayed both of these experiences until at least after Thanksgiving, but I just can’t handle the mall crowds and business during the post-Thanksgiving shopping days.
Now, of course, Buba and Tiny think that Christmas morning is right around the corner. Too bad our Christmas countdown calendar doesn’t start in November. However, it won’t be too long until I’ll be ready for Christmas music and holiday baking. I’m planning to have both kids choose a gift to donate to Toys for Tots, and I imagine they’ll want to make some holiday cards of their own this year. Hopefully that will help the next several weeks pass quickly for them.
Soon it will be Christmas Day….
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My Morning at Preschool
Last Monday was my first parent help day at Tiny and Buba’s preschool. They’re going to a co-op preschool that follows the Reggio Emilia approach. Parental involvement and sense of community are both a huge part of the school’s philosophy, and parent help days are just one way that bring the children’s families/homes and school together.
I’ve been told that some co-ops require the parents to act as teachers or teacher’s helpers on their parent help day, but at Buba and Tiny’s school, the parents are mainly there just to experience the school day with their child(ren). It was my job to bring a snack for the class (we brought green grapes and string cheese sticks), to set up the snack while the teachers read books, and then to clean up the snack when snack time was over. All in all, my helping responsibilities took about 20 minutes. I spent the rest of the time hanging out with Tiny and Buba and letting them show me all the things they love to do at preschool.
Soon after all the kids had arrive, one of the teachers announced that they would be making gak that day, and anyone who wanted to help could do so. Both of my kids rushed to the child-sized table, but not every kid made that choice. And that was okay. It was perfectly acceptable for others to continue doing their own things. The kids who did come to the table got a little lesson about the various ingredients needed to make gak, and they all got a chance to stir the mixture, both with the big spoon…
and with their hands.
After all the mixing was done, the gak needed to sit for a bit (I think to dry up a little more, so it wouldn’t be so watery). Both Buba and Tiny went to wash their hands and then decided to stay and play at the sinks for a while.
Then Tiny did some painting while Buba made some bead necklaces with a teacher.
We also read books, sang song, checked out their caterpillars, used scissors and tape for self-directed art projects, and eventually made our way back to the gak.
The morning ended with outside playtime (the second of their two outdoor “recesses”), and I could hardly believe it when the clanging bell rang, signaling that pick-up time had begun. The day flew by even more quickly being at preschool than it does when I’m off trying to get other things done.
Because I spent three hours at preschool Monday morning, I didn’t get to my exercise class at the gym. And no shopping trips or errands were accomplished either. But on the flip side, I got to spend three whole hours being with my kids- playing with my kids!-with no phone calls, or emails, or laundry or other chores to interrupt or come between us. It was an incredible experience, and I could clearly see how we all benefited from having that kind of playtime together. It was a great morning for all of us!
Backtracking- September 12th: First Day of Preschool!
September 12th- Buba and Tiny were very, very excited about their first day of preschool. Tiny assured me that it was not necessary for me to park and come into her classroom, but given the amount of things we needed to bring in, I insisted that I was going in. Still, I didn’t stay any longer than was necessary, and not a tear was shed from any of us when I said my quick good-byes. On day two, I let Tiny have her way, and I just pulled up to the curbside drop off area in front of the school. Both kids went willingly with their teacher, and I don’t think either one even said goodbye to me. Since day two, we’ve done curbside drop off every morning, as well as curbside pick up a handful of times.
I don’t get a ton of information from the kids about what they do at preschool, but I do know that Tiny is loving that she gets to cut with scissors, and Buba enjoys playing with two girls (fraternal twins) most days. Tiny is usually the one to report which of her classmates cried or made naughty choices, and Buba is usually the one who shares the new songs that they’ve learned. They’ve both loved doing art projects and have come home covered in paint and/or markers more than once.
- Buba’s artwork from the first day
- Tiny’s artwork from the first day
- using foam paint
The first week of preschool, their school days were just 2 hours long, but on the 19th, they began their usual 9am-12pm schedule. On Monday, I will have my first day as a parent helper. We are all loving this!
Backtracking- September 11th: Getting Ready for Day One
September 11th- I spent the better part of this day scrambling to get everything ready for the kids’ first day of preschool. I needed to make sure I had a bag of extra clothes for each kid, a box (shoe box size) decorated with photos of themselves and our family for each kid, as well as one framed 4 x 6 family photo. The clothing part was easy, and the framed photo wasn’t too tough, but the box decorating project took a considerable amount of time. In hindsight, it probably would have been much easier and faster to just do them myself. But I wanted the kids to be as involved as they could be. I let them help affix the tape as we wrapped the boxes with colored tissue paper (much easier said than done for a 3.5 year old), and I let them look thorough the collection of photos I’d printed and choose which ones they wanted on their own boxes. Buba was happy to let me crop and tape the photos on his box while he was off playing, but Tiny wanted to be involved every step of the way. This was especially tricky, because the photos needed to be arranged just so in order to fit them all on. It was also very tricky because she was quite resistant to my guidance. But eventually, we got the job done.