Preschool is in session!

I wanted to start doing a preschool with some other moms. But there are few 3 year old kids who were interested. There are a lot of 4 year olds who are doing a preschool, but I just don't think Rhylan is ready for that. Then I got to thinking. I want to TEACH more than Rhylan needs to be in preschool. So really, I was doing it for me not her. Then I wondered whats stopping me? I'll do a SHORT preschool every morning with just Rhylan. I have been busy ever since, getting things together and getting ideas.

1. I made a list of things Rhylan likes for our weekly themes. (ocean animals, princesses, cats, flowers, Pet Store, Dinosaur Train (TV show), etc etc etc!!)--These themes are a learning aid. Counting is fun, but counting Princesses...well you get the point.

2. I decided on 5 areas of study--once for each day of the week (Art, Language/Writing, Math/Matching/Sorting, Science/Sensory, Gross Motor/Field Trips)

3. Then I tried to come up with as many ideas as I could, I went to the library and checked out a bunch of books to gain ideas, got a bunch of ideas from this site. I really really liked this book, I was marking every page, so I decided to check out the price on Amazon...used for $0.23!!!!!!! Really twenty three cents, I ordered it:)

4. Checked out books about our theme for Rhylan.

5. Started right away. We started this Wednesday Our theme was ocean animals!!

How it works:

Once Gracin goes down for his morning nap we go to her room and sit at her table. I have created a little learning center in her room, we use that for preschool. We start by using her Alphabet chart singing the song and Rhylan pointing to each letter. Then we review the numbers the same way (she still needs to recognize the letters and numbers.) Next we sing a song. It may be a familiar song, a new one about our theme, or teaching her the Primary songs. Next comes story time. We read a book about our theme, or lesson for the day. Then lastly is the Learning activity.

This week (we had to combine a couple because we started on Wed)

Art: Make an aquarium. She used fine motor skills to color with markers, put faces on her fish, shake the glitter. Then she picked colors and 4 sea creatures to put in her aquarium. I think her favorite part was shaking the glitter!

Language/Writing and Science/Sensory: S is for Seahorse. First we looked at a nonfiction book about sea horses. We learned about their colors, size, and homes. We used a few different textures to make our sea horse. Then we made a S shaped sea horse and learned about letter S. Check out how well she wrote her name!
Math/ Field trip: We headed to the pet store for a scavenger hunt. I made this chart/check list for her to search for. She got to decided on the last ocean animal we needed to find. We really couldn't find any bubbles!!!! She also brought along her new dollar store magnifying glass and new clip board to help. This mini clip board is perfect for Rhylan, it was only $2.44 in the back to school section at Wal-Mart. Rhylan LOVES her "ma-fy-glass." Here she is exploring rocks, an idea she came up with all by herself. She started sorting them largest to smallest. Then she created a rock family, inspecting each rock carefully before it joined the group.

A little preview!!

I got to take some pictures for a friend!! Margaret wanted me to take pics of her two girls 1.5 and 3.5 years. That was tricky to get 2 sets of eyes open, 2 smiles, 4 hands to hold still, 4 legs to stay put, two little dresses to stay down. Pictures by themselves were pretty easy, they are so beautiful every pic looks great. I really liked this shot of the back of them. (I didn't have to time open eyes and smiles hehe) I also like the soft looking edit. I think it makes it look a little timeless. It will take me a long time to edit these but I always like a little teaser.

Playing in the rain

Playing in the big puddle!

Gracin may be the little brother...but I think only by age and height.

He was literally standing where all the water ran off the roof and onto his head.

This was a few weeks ago but got put on the back burner for a while.

When it rains, it pours here! {I'm from AZ ya know} Rhylan and Gracin aren't afraid of a little rain. It was really coming down one night after dinner, so we let them run free! After it started letting up, I couldn't help join in. The sudden down pour created giant puddles in our backyard, perfect for splashing. We all enjoyed the warm wet activity.

Gracin opens his presents

The day after his party, we let Gracin open his presents! They were all a big hit. Rhylan loved helping him open them, and sharing them as well. He got a few little things, some tools, a toy bus with buttons and music, and a Cars cell phone. But, his big present was a water table! HE loved it. I researched forever trying to find just the right one. Then I found out they were out of stock every where online and in local stores! But I guess they missed a few, while browsing Target we came upon one!!! And it was $20 off. I was one happy mommy. Both kids love playing in the coolest water table ever!









If anyone is looking for a good water table it is Step 2 "Sand and Water Transportation Station." It is sturdy, has great costumer reviews, 2 areas for sand and water, boats, train track and a train, and tree towers with funnels and and moving...things. It even has a hole in the middle to put our beach umbrella!

Summer--not over yet

My friend found a slip and slid on clearance. She knew how much I wanted one, and gave it to me...well she gave it to Gracin but he is sharing:)







Here in Mississippi, summer lasts forever!! We will still be playing with the hose, baby pool, sprinkler park, slip and slide, and water table for 2+ months! Yes it is hot! Too hot in fact. At least we have a backyard to play.

Swim lesson are over

Mr. Susan...That's what Rhylan kept calling her;)

Rhylan started swim lesson, knowing nothing about water and swimming. She was eager to learn and loved going to swim lessons. She learned to blow bubbles, kick with straight legs, monkey walk on the wall, climb out of the pool, jump into the pool, swimming safety, float on her back, use her arms to swim, and put her eyes under the water! After she learned to put her eyes under water, she started getting scared. She stopped saying "me first!" She would actually run away, ask everyone else to go first, and scream and cry! There was such a change. But Mrs. Susan was so good with her. Rhylan is super independent, she would put her eyes under when she was standing on the steps "ALL BY MYSELF!!" That is the way she is with most things. She always wants to do things all by herself. So Susan had to find ways to help Rhylan do things by herself. I am so glad she took swim lesson, I think she learned a lot, and got a bit more used to the water. She will actually lay down in the bath now for me to wash her hair. Before swim lessons, she would never do that. She even had to have a wash rag over her eyes when I put water on her head. But she is much more brave. We play a lot in our backyard water toys. And she will even put her eyes under in our baby pool...as long as it is all by herself!!

1 year photo shoot!

I was able to get a few good pic of Gracin during his 12 month photo shoot. Not a ton but a couple. He was hot and cranky but the lighting was perfect so I had to do it. And now, I don't feel like doing it over again. I am happy with these. I will post more when I edit more. These are my favorite, one has a few different crops.

Grammy Sue and Grammy C, I want to hear your #1 choice and your #2 choice. (You will get both, one will be 5x7 and the other 4x6.) Let me know soon so I can order them:)

Everyone else you can tell me your favorites too:)

#1

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#6

Gracin is 1!!!!

Thursday was Gracin's birthday! We had a party here for him and his friends. A few friends had big sisters, so Rhylan had some friends too. And well, the kids had parents, so we had friends as well!! In other words, we all had a great time!

Gracin had a pool party. We had two little pools, our sprinkler park, and a slip and slide all in the back yard. Gracin loves water, he was having a great time. He enjoyed splashing all his guests, and running around. His cake was made to look like his orange swimming pool (see the beach balls, floating rings and water slide?) He loved every bite and even stole some from the trash. I think it was a great party for his first birthday.

I also had some yummy food and drinks.

Gracin got all wet helping daddy set up the pools for the party
Silly girls! I didn't get pictures of all the guest...I was pretty focused on Gracin.

The cake

Thank you Caleb, Alden, Rachel, Mary, Eliza, and Louisa (and parents) for coming!

MORE TO COME...BIRTHDAY PRESENTS!

I am a very proud mamma right now!!

As I said before, we have been working on Rhylan's name. But we haven't actually gotten down and written it out. Then the other day I was busy with something and suggested she use her Magnadoodle to write out her name. Since it was the first time ever, I wrote it out for her first and she coped my writing. She did it easy!!!!!!! I couldn't believe it, she was also pretty excited about it. After the first time, she erased it and wrote it over and over all by herself without help from me!!! Now 2 days later she is a pro. These are all pictures from her first couple times.

FIRST TIME EVER!

SECOND TIME, FIRST TIME W/O HELP