My Classroom!!!

  I have spent the last two weeks solid fixing up my preschool classroom.
I will be the only teacher in my room of 3's, five days a week...with 12 children a day.

 

I am looking forward to it and wanted my classroom to reflect my JOY in teaching preschool.

It was a bare slate to work with.
Thankfully I had all of the furniture a teacher could wish for at my disposal.

 Lots of space and a split room/ half carpet and half tile. PLUS a supply closet, a sink and a kids bathroom! AND a window...who could ask for more?

With the help of Dollar Tree, Hobby Lobby, Mardel, and Michaels...I was able to get my room ready to welcome young children!

This shelf is what you see when you walk in. It is for teacher touching only and has bins to organize all of my lesson plan activities for the week.

 

The rest of these photos are pretty self explanatory!

I think it is important to offer books in EVERY corner of the room. There are truck books in block center, children's cook books in home living, a class library near the rug, and books in writing center!

 
Next to circle time is a tent I set up as the "calming corner". This allows children to have a little time away from the group if they are feeling overwhelmed. There are activities of a sensory nature to do in the tent to calm down.

 

 

I am very excited to be teaching 5 days a week.

Jasmine will be right next door in 2's preschool.

 

Our first two weeks are themed "Going to school and I make friends at school".
There are lots of apple activities and school buses at the first of a new school year. :)

First Day of School!!!

The kids headed off to school today!!

Keishun is starting his junior year, Isaac is in 3rd grade, Vivianna is in Dual Language 1st grade and Jayden began Dual Language Kindergarten!

 

Jasmine will be at my preschool beginning Sept. 4th in the 2's program.

 

Here is Jayden with his Spanish teacher! 

 

 

Here is Vivi's gorgeous Spanish teacher. Her English homeroom teacher is the same as last year with practically ALL the same kids! So fun.

Isaac's teacher seems really nice and his closest friend from 2nd grade is in his class.

 

Not sure how Keishun's first day went!

He was asleep when we left and raced home after for 2 seconds to grab his Taco Bell clothes.

We will see him around 10 tonight.

The life of a teenager!

August

Where on earth has August gone? And why have I not blogged ONCE. This may be an all time record for me since becoming a blogger in 2005. I don't mean to be neglectful, I promise. But life has taken such a turn for the busy!!

 

Things are happening at such a rapid pace that all I have time for is to hit "share" on my cell phone and post to facebook.

 

Here is a rundown of our August via FB photos so I apologize once again for the bad quality!

 

We finished up bedrooms in the house in time for Billy's family to come in for a weekend. Keishun's bedroom doubles as the guest room.

 

The girls also have to give up a bed! This room and closet took me almost two hours to complete. They have way too much stuff!!

 

But we got it all done in time for family.

I LOVE having a full house.

 

They came in from Houston and Florida to see Isaac's musical debut. He has been working for two months, 4 nights or more a week to perfect this part.

How To Eat Like A Child and other lessons in how to not be a grownup.

 

My parents and a family friend came to opening night.

 

The play made the local newspapers online and in print!

 

 

He has 6 performances total with the last three happening this weekend.

 

In other news...my dear friend Maile had her baby boy!

He is adorable and already very loved...

 

 

Vivi started cheerleading...her first game is in two weeks.

 

And I took Keishun back to school shopping with HIS money!!

 Having a summer job has worked out well for us both!

 

 

 

And finally....I got a job!!!

A very well respected and popular local preschool hired me to teach 5 days a week!

I am so excited. I have spent the past

two weeks getting my room ready.

Just wait until you get to see the before and after pictures. Wow!

 

As an early birthday present and with some housewarming gifts from family...Billy and I went to Ikea with his sister and boyfriend. That night, Billy put together a desk that I have had my eye on since we moved in to our house. 

 

I could not love this more! Both Billy and I can fit on either side together. Plus we can put all of my school supplies, craft supplies, and our financial stuff all in one place. It is fabulous!

 

I might even start blogging more again!

 

Right now it is covered in binders, folders, and files from my class list that I have to organize and prepare. School starts for my family on August 26th and then for me on September 4th.

 

It is fast approaching!!

 

Soon we will say goodbye to another hot Texas summer.

The Child Who Changed It All

 

Those who know this little fire pistol know that God has given me a particular challenge when he gifted me with this child.

 

I had gotten quite cocky in my parenting style.

People would praise how well behaved my children were when we went places. I smiled in pride and thanked them.

 

I judged other moms whose children were out of control.

Tsk...if only those mothers were strong enough to stand up to their children. If only they understood the importance of discipline and boundaries in a child's life.

 

 If only they were as good at this mothering thing as I am.

 

Okay, maybe these thoughts were not so strong...but it was certainly the underlying belief system I held.

 

Well...not anymore.

This child tantrums and hits and pushes and bites.

She pitches fits about having to take a bath, and then pitches the same fit about having to get out.

She wants to buckle her own seatbelt, sit in only a double cart at the grocery store, and eat off my plate instead of the exact same food on hers.

 

She pees her pants when she is mad at me.

She pitches a fit if the tv is displaying anything but Barney.

She tripped me at a restaurant and caused dark bruises all down my knees and legs that are still healing.

 

She pushes her friends and siblings.

She is generally naughty.

All. The. Time.

 

She is the classic Strong Willed Child, according to James Dobson.

 

She has changed how I feel about parenting.

 

When I see a child in a store raging, I am no longer annoyed at that mother. I now try to make eye contact. To smile an exhausted smile of sympathy back that says, "Yeah. Me too."

 

I try to remember this quote:

 

Maybe your hard battle is your child, like mine is.

 

Maybe your battle is in finding joy in the mundane drudgery of raising children and managing a household, while trying to take care of your husband and yourself.

 

Maybe it is financial, been there.

Maybe it is relational...been there too.

 

Whatever it is, lets remember our fellow sisters in motherhood are fighting their hard battles too.

 

May the Father who created us and saved us, sustain us in fighting the good fight.

 

Our families depend on it.

 

In the meantime, I will continue to wage war with my daughter's will.

For her benefit and God's glory.

 

One day, we will sit around and laugh about the havoc she brought with her in toddlerhood. And we will admire how much she has grown and changed.

 

One day I will miss her little two year old body, her broken sentences and obsession with a big purple dinosaur.

 

One day she will grow up and be gone.

On that day, I will give anything to have one more wild fit. To hold on a little longer to the squirmy, strong body that so wants to have her own way in this world.

 

A friend said to me, "she is destined for greatness".

 

I will claim that and believe it.