First School Project

When we went to Madelyn's Open House, they gave us a special project to work on together. We had to add some pictures to a sentence strip and let Madelyn decorate it.

We tried to include pictures that showed the things she loves most. She had a good time deciding which pictures to use. I would show her several pictures of Bunny, for example, and she'd pick the one she liked the best.

Then we glued them to the sentence strip (I did most of that to make sure they would all fit on the strip of paper.) But, then came the fun part. The part Madelyn was most excited about... STICKERS!

I found some stickers that matched the theme of some of the pictures (cooking, the beach, dogs, etc.) and she got to put them where she wanted them. She thought this was really cool.

When the project was finished, she also added her name, a rainbow, and of course, her very favorite thing to draw, a smiley face on the back.

Her teacher will be laminating each child's project so they can hang them in the classroom and talk to each other about them. What a fun way to get to know each other!

Preschool Visit

Today Madelyn's teacher had an open house where all the kids where invited to come check out their new space and meet their new friends. During our home visit, Mrs. B told Madelyn that she thought Marissa would be her new friend. ALLLL last night Madelyn kept asking, "When do I get to meet my new friend, Marissa?" When she woke up her first words were, "Do I get to meet Marissa today?" I quietly thought to myself, "I sure hope so or we're going to have one disappointed kid."

When we got to the classroom, Madelyn was surrounded by lots of little munchkins and their parents. She was eager to get into the classroom, but was a little shy at first. She quickly wondered the room (holding either my hand or Chris's). As soon as we made our way to the kitchen (Madelyn was most excited to see this), guess who we met? Yep. Marissa. The first introduction was a little shaky, however. Two shy girls not quite sure what to do in this new place with all these new faces made for an interesting conversation. Well, okay the conversation was all of about three words, but it was a start. :)  So we moved on to other things like shaving cream, bugs, dollhouses, and books! Oh my!

It was fun to get a chance to play with Madelyn in her classroom. It seems like they have a well thought-out plan that gives each child the opportunity to gradually adapt to a new environment, and I really like that.

Before we left Madelyn had another opportunity to talk with Marissa. This encounter ended with a hug, so we had marked improvement. :)

Madelyn was really mad when we had to leave. We told her we had to beat the rush of the school buses outside (truly not a lie because I was not interested in fighting that traffic). We told her after the school buses left the school closes. Wrong answer, Mom. Madelyn cried almost all the way home from the school because she didn't want it to close. She wanted to stay and play with her new friends. sigh

I only hope she as is excited to go on Monday, and has such a great time during the day that she doesn't want to leave. That would be the mark of a successful day. We'll keep you posted...
   

Home Visit

Every time I tell someone that we just had a "home visit" they look at me a little strangely. I have to quickly explain to them that CPS did not pay us a visit, but rather, Madelyn's preschool teachers came to meet her.

First of all, preschool. How did that happen? How is our little punkin getting ready to go to preschool? Boy the time sure does whip right by you when you're having a blast! We spent some time last spring discussing some of our preschool options, and ultimately, we decided to put her in a school in the district where I work. I felt it was my obligation to do some research and find the place that seemed to be most suitable for Madelyn. I have to say, I think doing your homework really pays off! Now, I know she hasn't started yet, but Chris and I (and Madelyn, too) are so excited about her new teacher.

Back in May, Chris and I paid a visit to one of the schools on our list. We were sold from the minute we walked into the classroom. Her teacher was so accommodating and answered all of our questions. She gave us time to wonder the room to look at everything and I must say, pulling Chris away was a challenge. He was like a little kid, wanting to play with all the cool toys! :)

We didn't spend anymore time visiting classrooms because we felt very confident that this one was right. So off we went to fill out our paperwork, and then played the waiting game to see if we would get into the class. And we did!

So today Madelyn's teacher came by to do a "home visit." This is an opportunity for them to meet in Madelyn's environment where she feels most comfortable. I LOVED this idea! Not only did her teacher visit, but both of her assistants came, too! Madelyn was so excited that she was going to have THREE teachers! Both of the instructional assistants, Mrs. B and Mrs. W., spent some time playing with Madelyn while we talked with Ms. M. Auntie Kim would be so proud because Madelyn insisted the three of them have a tea party. And that's exactly what they did. :)

We were both impressed with this wonderful opportunity, and told everyone we couldn't wait for school to start, especially Madelyn! Tomorrow we get to take Madelyn to visit her classroom, and she can hardly stand it she so excited! Stay tuned for a report from the classroom...

Our Little Fish

Madelyn has been taking swim lessons since May 2010. She would go to a small class (4 kids or less) once a week. We were so amazed to watch her grow over the course of a year.

This summer, we decided to enroll her in the city's Parks & Rec program figuring it would be a great way to get her out of the house, while at the same time improving her skills. What a great decision! The Parks & Rec program was fantastic! The classes were still small (no more than 6 in a class, although there were typically only 2-4). She swam four days a week, Monday - Thursday for 30 minutes each day. We owe Rachel, her summer babysitter, a huge thank you for getting her there every day, even on days when Madelyn was less than cooperative. ;) THANK YOU, Rachel!

Today we spent the morning swimming in our pool, and I decided to take some footage of our little fish. She has come a long way with her swimming skills, and we are very proud of her!

Special Gift from Grammy

We have been telling Grammy that Madelyn needed a new apron to use for all her time in the kitchen. Grammy made everyone matching aprons for Christmas a few years ago, but I was thinking it might be nice to have one for her for all the other days of the year. :) Grammy said as soon as she got home from her summer travels she'd whip something up.

And boy did she ever! Not only did she sew an apron for Madelyn, she made a matching apron for me, and one for her dolly, too! We are so blessed to have the most talented Grammy in the world who always goes above and beyond.

  THANKS, Grammy! We love you!