Pumpkin Patch

Yesterday we went with our Neighborhood Preschool Group to a Pumpkin Patch! We had a great time!! Jessica especially loved having all of the space in which to run around!! She also enjoyed all of the many mechanical things there are to be found on a farm!

Jessica with all of her pals in the Sunflower patch!

Hanging out with her buddy, Jackson.

Sweet photo of Jessica in the Sunflower patch!

Then Jessica discovered the goats!

Trying to find just the right pumpkin in the Pumpkin patch....one of many she considered!

The pumpkin we picked out for Mommy to carve.

Best Friends!

Photo Op with all the kids!

Mommy and John

Mommy with both of her babies

Jessica enjoying rocking on the porch.

On our way to enjoy a hayride!

Jessica with her new friend, Melvin the farm hand.

Enjoying our hayride all the way around the farm!

The girls after a tumble in the hay!

All of the kids checking out the peanut plant Melvin pulled to show them!

Jessica trying to decide if her peanut was edible (it was actually too green).

Disembarking from our hayride.


The best part of the trip for Jessica....Melvin let her climb up on the tractor!!!

The perfect end to a perfect day (in Jessica's opinion)!

Bible School

Like most parents there are things we feel it is important for our children to learn before they leave home. Things like: how to cook, how to do laundry, basic sewing skills, how to use a gun, how to defend yourself, how to drive a car, how to fix a car, how to fix a computer, how to manage money, how to clean, a good academic foundation, etc. We also think it is important to have a firm grasp of both the Constitution and the Bible. The Constitution is the guiding document for how we live in this country, and the Bible is the guiding document for how we live in general.

We have really enjoyed our one-day a week Preschool! I have been meaning to add a Bible component at some point, and I finally did it this week! Jessica, John, and I had a lot of fun doing it!! We are using some church nursery curriculum that my mom wrote on the Creation in conjunction with some hands-on activities and crafts. I plan to continue using nursery curriculum and focusing on what God made until Jessica is ready to move on to doing a different story every week using storybooks, videos, felts, puppets, etc. I used to love writing Sunday School curriculum, so I am having a blast with this!! I don't know who is having more fun....me or Jessica!!!!!

Preschool Passover

Lighting the Candles. You will have to excuse my hair...I meant to be wearing my head covering to avoid showing off my awesome hairdo!

It has been about a month since I last updated you on our neighborhood preschool group, and yet again we are up for anything wild and crazy!! This month we took a spring break and an extra week off as we will be loosing 2 students due to their dad being deployed very soon. We spent time this month learning about the letters F and G, St. Patrick's Day, the color Green, the shape square, and sequencing. This week, we had a Preschool Passover! We had a total of 6 kids ranging in ages from 2 to 5 and had a great time!!

Blessing the children and tasting the bitter herbs dipped in salt water to represent the tears of Israel.

One of my hobbies is genealogy, and as I have mentioned on here before, some of David's family is Jewish. While we attend a church, I have spent time studying Hebrew and Jewish beliefs and holidays to better understand my genealogical research. One thing that has struck me over and over is the excellent teaching methods used in the Jewish faith. While Christianity does use some hands on learning, it is not anywhere close to the extent the Jews go to. Everything is all about eating, drinking, moving, participating, etc in learning about your faith. There is very little of the "sit down, be quiet, and listen" approach that is so very often prevalent in churches today. As everyone in our preschool group follows the Christian faith, we used the Preschool Passover to teach some of our own beliefs, and the kids seemed to have a great time!

Breaking and hiding the matza. Getting ready to color and do the sedar plate!

First we had the kids clean up the toys for Passover. Then I hid piece of bread around the house for them to find, and we made a big to do about throwing all of the bread out of the house! (As you are only supposed to have flat bread during the 8 days of the Passover celebration.) Then we lit the holiday candles. (I actually got to use the candlesticks a relative had brought David's grandmother back from Israel!) I recited the candle lighting blessing in Hebrew and English. Then we had our first glass of grape juice. Then we blessed each child present. That was the last of the blessings we included (since most of our crowd was 3 and under)! Then it was time to wash hands and tell the story of why we celebrate Passover. I made a tent and dressed up in clothes similar to a Jew during the time of Passover (The costume wasn't exact, but it was as close as I could get in my very pregnant state).

Jessica coloring her sedar book, and me explaining the sedar plate.

In the tent we told the story of the 10 plagues and how Pharaoh finally let the Israelites go. I have to say, you don't realize it until you are telling a bunch of two year olds, but it has quite a few gross and sad details. We also had snacks and tried bits of parsley (that was not popular). We also broke the matza and hid a piece for the kids to find later. Then it was time to wash our hands again and head back to the table for coloring our Passover booklets, snacks, and yet another cup of grape juice! At this point we also went over the different parts of the sedar plate and what each symbolizes. Then the kids got up to search for the hidden piece of matza in hopes of earning a prize! Then we had a little outside play time while lunch was finishing. We had Matza Ball soup, Israeli couscous, Mediterranean crackers, matza, as well as an American appetizer platter. The kids were a little unsure about the Jewish food, but it was a good experience. Finally we had the after dinner prayer, more grape juice and matzah, and all shouted "Next year in Jerusalem."

More pictures of the kids attending so well!

It was a lot of fun and a great way to teach Christian children about the Bible and the Jewish traditions/holidays they read about so often in the Bible. It is also an excellent opportunity for me to teach my children about the traditions and beliefs of one side of our family. Preparing for our Preschool Passover also further impressed on me the significance of the Passion Week events. For example, Jesus (Yeshua in Hebrew) came into Jerusalem (the Triumphal Entry) on the day that Jews would have been selecting their lambs to sacrifice. He was crucified at the time of Passover (exact times tend to be up to interpretation). He rose from the dead on the Day of First Fruits, when the first of the harvest is coming in, and His Spirit came to dwell with his disciples after the Counting of the Omer, on Shavout, which commemorates the giving of the 10 commandments. If you are interested in learning more about Passover or Christian beliefs relating to Passover, I read information from many different sources and many different branches of Judaism; however, from a Christian perspective, my favorite site is www.hebrew4christians.com

Disclaimer: I am not an expert on Judaism so there may be errors. I would also like to add that there is no disrespect intended toward anyone.

Preschool Weeks 4-6!

Wow...I can't believe it has been 3 weeks since I last posted about how preschool was going! Since the last time I posted we have started a new theme! This month we are studying the 5 senses and introducing colors. Most of our themes for the year are science related, which works out well since you can see, touch, and experience science. History and Social Studies are really too abstract for preschool. At this age, they are still very self-absorbed. It is all about what I can see, what I can touch, how I feel.....get the picture?


We also worked some review weeks into our schedule at the beginning of the year so one of the last 3 weeks was a review of what we have learned so far. The other two weeks we introduced the letters D and E as well as the numbers 1, 2, and 3. We have also been working on colors and the heart shape. Our Focus Wall (or window shade) is really beginning to look more like a learning wall and less like a white vinyl shade!


We have continued going through a box of items that start with the letter we are studying as well as creating a page for our Alphabet Book. We have also created a Numbers Book in which we glue, stick, etc the number of items we are studying. We also create patterns by gluing two different colors of paper over the number. Jessica is quite the perfectionist! This last week she had to peel up the stickers because she felt that she had placed them in the wrong place!! She most definitely gets that from her father!!! Who knows she may have the makings of an engineer! However, she also seems to have spark of wild and crazy....definitely from my side... :-)


Obviously, this week we celebrated Mardi Gras!! I learned a lot....for example Mardi Gras is French for Fat Tuesday which basically means "Eat, Drink, and Be Merry for tomorrow is Lent" (ok...I changed the words up a bit from the original)! The kids really enjoyed it!! Obviously...


In case you are wondering why there are never any adults in the pictures.....while we have made a valiant effort to get the kids photo ready and start reasonably close to on time, half the time we actually teach preschool in our pajamas!! This is actually no big change for me as I frequently went to my college classes in my pajamas!! Preschool has further reinforced for me that I am an experiential, edible, and casually dressed learner!!! Thankfully most preschoolers are as well!!!!

Preschool Week 3!

On Tuesday we took a field trip to the Naval Aviation Museum, which was a lot of fun! Click here to see pictures from that trip! On Thursday we had our regular Preschool class. We reviewed the calendar, the letter A, the letter B, circles, sorting by color, and added the letter C. We had a great time digging through a box full of things that started with the letter C. We also used a catapult to lay siege to the backyard! The kids really enjoyed that!!


For snack we had letter C cookies, crackers, cheese, celery, cauliflower, carrots, and cucumbers, quite a spread! We also colored letter C coloring pages with crayons, colored pencils, and markers. We made cereal necklaces out of Fruit Loops after sorting them by color! We played with toy boats in the water table and read a story about boats! We also placed stickers of cars, planes, boats, and trains on a picture! The kids had a wonderful time!


Today, our Preschool group took a field trip to the West Florida Railroad Museum . David got to come too, since he was off work (he took all of the pictures). The kids had a lot of fun!!! Jessica particularly enjoyed climbing in and out of all the cars!


Both kids (some of our group stayed home sick) loved riding in the child-sized train!!




Jessica's friend particularly enjoyed the model train they had set up!


The other teacher (who had to stay home) sent a snack of grapes and railroad cookies! She baked sugar cookies with a popsicle stick in them and then iced them to look like railroad crossing signs!

Isn't this a great picture??? It seems very artsy to me! Oh and Jessica accessorized herself this morning! She felt the hat just completed the ensemble! I find it simply amazing how well she can match clothes!

It is a small museum, but it is free and a great outing for kids!

Preschool Week 2!

David and I had decided about a year ago that we wanted to provide preschool for our children at home. One of the biggest factors that played into this decision was the expense of sending your child to preschool. We both hate the idea of paying someone else to do something we could do ourselves! Besides, we usually get a better quality product when we do something ourselves because we are personally invested! The other big factor that played into this decision was that by doing preschool at home you are able to tailor to your child's needs. We were also very fortunate to meet other parents with toddlers in the area, particularly parents with toddlers who had different strengths from our toddler! Not only are the kids getting lots of practice with academic and social skills, but they are also learning about areas they do not excel in as much by watching each other! I also like the fact that we have the opportunity to have siblings in class together. There seems to be a more open dynamic when brothers and sisters are involved!

I forgot to take pictures during preschool again so these are from free time right after preschool. Next time I WILL remember to take pictures!!!

Today, we started out going over our calendar and talking about how it feels outside in January (I think that is a bit of a lost cause as we are wearing t-shirts again!). Next we reviewed the letter A and introduced the letter B. We went through a box of things that start with B: a picture of a baby, a book about beavers, a blanket with a bear on it, a button, a ball, a bag, a toy bed, a Bible, a toy boat, a bowl, a book about bugs, and a book about the Wheels on the Bus. Next we had a snack of apples, bananas, and letter A and B cookies! We put bug, balloon, and letter B stickers on a letter B coloring sheet, and then we went outside and played with a bucket of dried beans and bubbles!

Jessica's best-friend enjoying some puzzle time! (Jessica didn't really sit still long enough for me to get a descent shot of her!)

For the second half, we came back inside and talked about things that go in the air. The kids loved sticking the airplanes and helicopters in the sky! (Once again Jessica felt all things that go should be in the sky! I think we may have a buddying aerospace engineer on our hands!!) We plan to laminate this poster and the pieces so they can be used next year with stick on velcro! Next we read a story about things that go. Then we made airplanes out of foam, colored them with washable markers, and flew them around the room while singing flying songs! Finally, we sorted blocks by color and built an entire town!! I wish I had gotten a picture of Jessica's skyscraper! It really did look like a skyscraper! We had a wonderful time at preschool today! It is amazing to see the kids really excel at things they love and slowly catch bits and pieces of things they find less interesting!

First Day of Preschool!

Well, today was our first day of our neighborhood preschool using our own curriculum! I will admit I had very low expectations of how this was going to go! I expected Jessica's best friend to enjoy it, but I was very surprised at how much Jessica enjoyed it!! Many of her friends are very verbal, and Jessica is not. We do not find this surprising, since both David and I are also very spatially oriented; however, it does bother me when people comment on it or think there is something wrong with her because she is not terribly verbal. As a mother, it is always great to see your child excel at something, but it is even better when you have already seen at such a young age just how much differences can bother people. Not only did Jessica seem to enjoy the experience, but her mother received a much needed dose of confidence! Here is more about what we actually did:

It's a little empty now, but that will change over time! See the paper doll with her hat, coat, pants, gloves, and scarf I placed on the picture for January?

This is a picture of the vinyl shade I had David install in our dining room to use as our "focus wall!" The awesome part is that this can be used for years to come with multiple groups of children and multiple academic levels! I bought the shade, some foam letters and numbers (because they were on sale), and some stick on velcro. I printed out a calendar, used a picture from an old calendar, cut out some paper dolls I found for free on the internet, and cut out a circle using some extra foam sheets we had from another project. Overall, very low cost but very high durability! Also the shade can be rolled up once you un-velcro all the pieces! This was our lesson plan for the day:

Time	Activity
9:15-9:30	Calendar, Dress Paper doll, Introduce Letter A, box of A things
9:30-9:45	Letter A Rubbing with Sandpaper
9:45-10:00	Snack Time: apples and letter A cookies
10:00-10:15	Story about Trains, Poster for Types of Transportation
10:15-10:30	Sing Wheels on the Bus, play with electric train
10:30-10:45	Sorting circles by color
10:45-11:00	Cut and paste wheels on a roller skate

I went over the calendar as well as what the paper doll was wearing today. Then I showed them the letter A, and we explored a box of things that start with the letter A: alligator, anteater, ape, airplane, apple, avocado, angel, apron, and a letter A. We also took letter A's cut out of sandpaper and made letter A rubbings (Jessica really got into that)! Then we had a snack of apples and letter A cookies! I made the cookies using a recipe of my great-great-grandmother's for Tea Cakes. They are really good for using with small children because they are low sugar but high fat, which is great for developing brains! Click on the picture below to enlarge the recipe. I am guessing the recipe is older than that and was brought by my family to the New World from England.


Next it was my kindergarten teacher friend's turn to teach. First we talked about things that go, and she let the kids place pictures of different types of transportation on a poster of a landscape. Jessica insisted that all transportation belonged in the sky (We moved it later)! I told my husband we may have a budding Aerospace Engineer on our hands!


Next we sang the Wheels on the Bus song, and played with an electric train set! Finally we played a math game and created a math craft! My friend handed out colored circles to everyone and before she could tell everyone what to do, Jessica was already sorting the shapes! Next we did a cut and paste worksheet. I cut out the circles, but Jessica made sure to cut fringe around the edge of the page! (She is very into scissors right now!) Then without anyone telling her what to do, she took the circles and placed them exactly where they were supposed to go! I put the glue on the page and let her press them into place (I did not want any more mess than we already had!)

A picture from her first time using scissors!

I am teaching early reading for the rest of the month, and my friend is teaching math for the rest of the month. Tuesday we are going to see the Blue Angels practice! Friday we will have class again, and next week we are planning to go to a train museum! It should be fun!!! Sorry there weren't any pictures of the kids this time! We were a little busy figuring out how this was going to work!! Hopefully next time!

Preschool

Today, I spent some time with a friend of mine planning a preschool curriculum for our daughters and potentially some of their other neighborhood friends! She is a kindergarten teacher who is currently staying home with her daughter. We plan to start it in January, and I am very excited about it! We are going to do it Tuesday mornings from 9:15 until 11:30. We plan to cover: colors, shapes, letters, numbers, early math skills, feelings, animals, plants, families, safety, health, calendar, and a wide variety of other themes over the course of the year. We also plan to take a field trip or two each month on a different day. The field trips will be related to the theme for the month. I plan to periodically post updates on what we are doing and how it is going, complete with pictures! Right now, I need to get some initial supplies ready and a couple activities planned for January!!