1 of 10

I'm sitting down to eat my breakfast (oats, nuts, ground flax seed and yogurt - my favorite!) in front of the computer. It is the first time I've slowed down enough to eat breakfast outside of the car in more than a week. Even last Sunday, I brought my bowl and spoon in the car on the way to church. But I digress...

...the end of things (and the beginning of somethings)...we're at that time of year when activities are wrapping up and new adventures are just warming up. I realized this morning, if I don't take a moment to sit down and write about them, they'll be lost - mostly because my memory is just not so good anymore. So for the next 10 days, I'm going to do a small post a day. To catch and bottle up these memories.

Here is 1 of 10.

The End of Preschool. Not just for Charlotte and this academic year. But for me too. Next year Charlotte will start Kindergarten. And since she's my last child, this was the last time for me to teach preschool.

We ended on a high note. Thanks to some incredible insight, effort, and zoo-phonics, we took this group of five kids from non-letter-recognizing status, to reading. Quite an accomplishment.

 

 This year's group of preschool moms is probably one of the most over-qualified collection of "teachers" I've ever had the pleasure of working with. One of the moms even has a PhD!  (Matched only by the year in College Park Maryland when Madi's preschool teachers consisted of a lawyer, a nutritionist, and a masters in early education). So to preschool teachers past and present - Chelisa, Lyndi, Julia, Cherylyn, Lisa, Shannon, Shanadee, Karen, Corinne, Jenni, Jodi, Erin - Thank you, thank you, thank you. I love these ladies. I am indebted to them for the gift of their time, talents, and nurturing. I get misty-eyed just thinking about these incredible ladies.

The truth is, I've always kind of had to resign myself to doing preschool (I've never been a good babysitter) and so I've appreciated the example of my fellow at-home-preschool-teaching moms. But this year, I really tried to embrace preschool and enjoy my time with Charlotte and her friends. And as we completed our last worksheet and took our last walk to the park as a preschool group, I realized how many things I love...

glue sticks and construction paper

round-edged scissors 

playdough 

walks to the playground followed by pink lemonade 

circle time with flannel board nursery rhymes 

Giggles

sharing and kindness

mid-craft-hugs from my brown-eyed girl

"One more book please!" (my favorite request)

Yes, I will miss these things.