Preschool

Erik just "graduated" from Mom Preschool. There were two groups from our ward and both met together each month for a field trip or party. This month the group activity was the "graduation" at the park. It's been a fun year teaching his friends and him. Here's some pics from the party  and the field trip in April to the farm (which seems like 6 months ago as opposed to just over one month ago!)

Hey ride

We got to feed lots of carrots to the animals.

Alpaca ( we had just gotten an alpaca puppet at the library that week, not knowing they would be there!)

Erik is the one hiding in the back. 

Steering the caboose. 

 Luckily, it was warmer the day of the graduation picnic.

Yes, they are the class of 2030. Erik wouldn't wear the hat...

He couldn't wait for the cupcake!

Diploma

A new turn of events has occurred. A job literally fell into my lap. My friend knows the owner of a well-known preschool around here. They were looking for a new 2/3 year-old teacher for the fall. After thinking it wouldn't work for me, I finally decided to just check it out. After one easy interview, they decided I was the one for them and I decided I liked the idea after all!

 I was hesitant at first because my education degree is very expired and it's not even for early ed. I don't have to re-certify in anything right now, but all teachers there are required to take 24 hours online each year and take a test at the end. We start in January.

I was also hesitant because I have four young-ish kids, how can I work? Well, I can drop my kids off at school and get to Red Bell by 8:45. Red Bell is a day care also. The assistants manage the kids until I get there and learning starts at 9. Erik gets to go for free, every day. It will be a great way to prepare him for full-day kindergarten the next year. He will be in the pre-k class. At 11:30 they feed us all lunch (if I want to eat there, or I can pack my own. My friend is the cook and she is great!) After helping with choice time and seeing the kids off who leave earlier, I get to go home at 12:45. Every day the public schools are off, so is Red Bell school, though they always have day care there. If I want to go take my kids so I can prepare something, I can and they get to participate in the day care activities, or help, as will be the case for the girls. The same for the summer. They have camps there that my kids can attend, for free, while I get my things together. If my kids are sick, I get a sub!

2 and 3 year-olds are pretty young, but I've heard they're mostly 3-year-olds since they have to be potty trained. I subbed last week and today so Erik and I can get a feel for it. It went well. I can tell these kids have been in preschool most days of the week (some go MWF, or other combination of days),  because even though they are young, they know the routine. Of course my little ones in September will need to learn it! It's a very affluent school. It's in a nice neighborhood and I know the parents pay good money for their kids to go there! The playground is awesome! My kids have been longing to play on it for years whenever we have passed it. I feel very blessed to have landed this job so easily. The owner is very family-oriented. He's hired about 4 other members of the church because he can see the value we place on families too. He knew Erik was going to need some adjustment and that he could possibly be a distraction, which is why I'm subbing these couple of times. Erik didn't want to go to his own class at first, but when he saw the room, he was hooked! He barley looked at me when we were at the playground at first and his teacher said he was "wonderful"! He still has yet to eat the snack or lunch, he just drank the milk. I guess he'll always leave really hungry, or, one of these days he might try the food they provide!

Red Bell, here we come!