Wednesday, May 20, 2015

TK Graduate



So proud of this handsome little man.
And so happy to have been part of the Y Family.
Alekzander grew so much and was well loved 
by his teacher, Ms. Meaghan,
and the preschool director, Ms. Celeste.



His teacher shared a personalized speech about Alekzander and his classmates.
I hope he never grows out of his enthusiasm for life!

We are all well aware of the poem “Everything I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.”  What the author didn’t know is that an equal amount can be learned in TK.  Here is what I learned this year from my wise students:

From Addie we learned to sit up straight and sing loud and proud!
Alekzander taught us to bring enthusiasm to all we do.  Even a trip to the across the teen center can be very exciting for Alekzander.
The always virtuous Alivia encouraged her friends to do their best and to always be honest.
From Brooks I learned that it is appropriate to start sentence, “Do you know what?”
From Carden we learned friendship.  We could never lose Carden in a crowd as there is always someone shouting his name to say hello.
If you are having a bad day, seek out Charlie and make her giggle.  It’s contagious.
It was hard to choose just one thing about Cole but one of my favorites is that he would tell me he loves me because I’m pretty and I’m nice.  So, from Cole we learned flattery will get you everywhere, kid!
Jonah taught us that we you see an open field you should run.  Fast.  Really fast.
Lowery taught us that everything should end with jazz hands.  It just makes things more interesting.
Lucas was our local TK expert.  Instead of asking Siri, we could just ask Lucas.
Should you ever need a lesson in getting back up after you fall, you should come watch Marco play on the playground.  He gets back up everytime!
Neve brought spunk into the classroom everyday.  And should you ever have a Taylor Swift dance party, you should definitely invite Neve.
Riley taught us there are two ways to end a conversation: with a snuggle or strike a pose, both equally successful.
From sweet Sally we learned to share.  If your child ever came home covered  in stickers – from head to toe- you have Sally to thank.
And finally Tristan taught us the ins and outs of Lego ships.   Should they be Star Wars or not, Tristan can help construct the perfect ship to fit your mood.
I love teaching TK.  The beginning of the year is like a family reunion and by the end of the year, although the kids fight sometimes like brothers and sisters, they have all have grown and learned so much.  I’m so proud of all of them and know they will shine in kindergarten! 

Monday, May 18, 2015

Mixed Emotions

Such mixed emotions as we close out Alekzander's first school year. 
We were so blessed by the Harris Preschool Academy,
Alekzander's teachers, friends, and the director of the preschool.

From day one, the director {whom Alekzander adored}
affirmed me that Alekzander could jump right in 
with this crew of Y kids who had known each other for years. 
Sure enough, he inserted himself into the culture and was truly a friend to all.
I was so proud of him and so thankful for her believing in him.

His teachers embraced his enthusiasm {and volume}
and let him grow and develop and just be a boy.
They taught him how to read popcorn words, 
Taught him songs and nursery rhymes,
Showed him love, and even learned to spell his name correctly!

His friends challenged him to races, taught him to build with Legos,
drew him pictures and love notes, swam, danced, 
tumbled, celebrated birthdays, and learned with him.

While we are excited and nervous about Kindergarten next year,
we are so sad to leave behind such a wonderful year in TK.




Saturday, May 16, 2015

Twenty-Two Months


Making new friends,
making a statement
making us laugh ...
that's what twenty-two month olds are made of.



Wednesday, May 13, 2015

TK Lemonade Stand



Alekzander's precious class and teachers hosted a lemonade stand 
to raise money to buy Popsicles for their end of the year field day.

Such enthusiasm and volume from this group as they pitched their goods
 to people pre and post workout at the YMCA.  
The waving ribbons and offer to "pay whatever you want" 
went perfectly with the sugar buzz shared by 15 five year olds 
who naturally had to sample their product before selling it.

Thursday, May 7, 2015

A Funny Kid

This kid...



We may be in trouble with this one.
We thought Brother would do anything for a cheap laugh, 
but at almost 22 months, this kid is trouble... and hilarious.



Thursday, April 30, 2015

Beginner's Day


A day of anxiety and excitement. 

My brave boy overheard me and Maya talking about her first experience with Beginners Day.  Nothing bad, just surprising and a little traumatic for a five year old and a new-at-this mama. He internalized his eavesdroppings and had a minor freak out nights before the big day.

"I do not want to be separated from you!" 

"Buddy, you are away from me a lot and you do great. Remember how brave you were when you went to VBS last summer and did not know anyone?!  Remember when you started TK and did not have any friends? Now you are friends with everyone.  Remember when you went to Gopher Buddies at a different church?  You love Gopher Buddies. Not to mention you know the principal at the school and know where the stamps are for visitors..."  
Turns out he was not the one that needed reaffirming.  Even though he had a little hesitation in the car, when he walked in the school and was approached by a safety patrol wearing a lei who asked his name and then told him it was a cool name, he grabbed her hand and followed her to the gym to 'play fun games' and didn't look back.  On the other hand, I teared up as soon as we walked into the school and I heard the second grade choir serenading us from bleachers in the hallway.  I tried to put on my brave face for Alekzander and my friend, but I had to choke back an overwhelmed sob when a friendly face from the neighborhood welcomed us and asked if we were doing ok acknowledging the overwhelming feeling.  I cried and laughed when the nurse explained that if you send a child to school with a belly ache and tell him to go to the nurse to call you if he gets to school and it still hurts, he will 100% go to the nurse to call you the second he steps off the bus.  I had tears when the assistant principal explained how she fights for our kids and argues with the state board over the definition of "chair" for those children who are more comfortable doing standardized tests on a stability ball.  My tears turned from overwhelmed to overjoyed and thoroughly impressed at the environment facilitated for the well being of my child.  For sure there will be more tears in mid August when all of this becomes a reality, but after an hour and a half, Alekzander and I were reunited, and he was happy that he had a poem in his pocket and had made a rainbow fish craft and played in the gym. And I was happy for him.

 

Friday, April 24, 2015

One Family Celebration

A perfect birthday for a 30-something...
A half day at work.
Museum discoveries.
A city exploration.
Dinner at a favorite spot.
Family time.

Perfection.