Change---not as scary as I thought

At the end of the school year I found out that my principal was making some changes in the building.  I had a beautiful classroom inside the building, and was going to move to a portable classroom (double wide trailer cut in half).  I was sad, upset, nervous, etc.  I don't like change.  I loved how I set my room up and it was finally the way I wanted it.  So, I boxed up all of my things and left wondering what it would be like to teach in a trailer.  I had always had a classroom inside the building.  All summer, I was thinking of ideas to maximize space since the classroom I was going into was a good bit smaller.  Thank goodness for Pinterest!

Last Monday, I dropped Georgia off for her first day of daycare. I cried like a baby, but that's another blog writing session all together.  :)  And Lily and I set off to Copper Ridge to get started.   I set out unpacking boxes, sorting through things, and making piles.  I arranged desks, tables, and computers.  It was starting to look like my room again.  Finally on Friday, Lily and I dropped Georgia off at daycare again, which by the way she had an awesome week,  and rearranged the tables, desks, and computers one more time.

Walking in on Monday

My room is smaller, so I had to get rid of my teacher desk.  I never sat at mine so I figured it would be good just to get rid of it.  I am using my small group table as a 'desk'.  I organized my desk supplies into a shoe organizer and I love the change.   I love the blue walls in my classroom and the fact that there is a bathroom in the trailer is the best thing ever.  I decided to change my classroom theme too.  New room, new theme.  I had a bumblebee theme before, and now am changing to a dog theme.  I think it will look great and the kids will enjoy it.  Although I did enjoy calling myself the Queen Bee at times! As I closed the door on Friday, I realized that change isn't always so bad...if you have a positive attitude and try to make the best out of your situation.

Desk Supplies

Small group area/ teacher "desk"

How are we made?

Lily has turned into a super curious girl.  She needs answers and wants answers to everything.  It seemed to start when I was pregnant and has progressively gotten more intense.

Here are just a handful of her questions over the past few months...
-How did the baby get in there?
-How does the baby eat everything you eat?
-How is the baby going to get out?
-Is the Dr going to put an apple on a string and put it down your throat and the baby will grab it and come out that way?
-What happens when we die?
-Did God dig up dinosaur bones and collect them to make Adam and Eve?
-Exactly how did he make Adam and Eve?
-How do bees make honey?
-Why did you marry daddy?
-Do I have to get married?
-Can I marry Daddy?
-Did God paint round rocks like eyes and put them in our head?
-Where does the sun go at night?
-How come the moon and sun are out at the same time sometimes?

Lily keeps me on my toes for sure.  She continued to question how we are made over and over and I would tell her that God made people.  She wasn't satisfied with that answer because she wanted to know exactly how did God make us.  I read from Genesis one morning and then told her the Bible doesn't exactly say how He made us and that God is just that awesome that He created everything.

Today, we made a creation book.  Each page tells what God created up until the last day when he rested.  Lily had so much fun picking through my stash of scrapbook paper, cutting things out, and gluing them down.  Then we put the book together and read it.

I'm sure the book we made won't stop her from asking questions about all sorts of things!  How fun it must be to be five.

The Summer Jar

The Summer Jars

Summer's Here! 


Being the mother of a newborn, I was ready for Georgia to settle into a routine by week 1.  This was not the case, as I remembered, that newborns eat all of the time no matter if the clock says 8:00 pm or 3:30 am.  (By the way, 3:30 am is a time where no one should be awake in my opinion!)  By week 9, Georgia was settling into a routine.  Enter the Hallelujah chorus....
Georgia started sleeping 5-6 hours at a clip at night, then would wake, eat, we'd play, then she'd go down again until lunch time.  Yes...I love routine.

Georgia Drew napping

Friday was Lily's last day of preschool.  As Monday crept closer, I started to think about how I needed a routine for Lily as well.  She can turn into a major grumpus if she doesn't know what's happening next, or isn't motivated by a schedule or routine.  Hmmm~ wonder who she gets that from?!   If it was left up to Lily, she would watch TV from sun up to sun down.  Not happening!!!  I want her to remember all that she learned in preschool too, so each morning, we have "lesson time" after breakfast.  We practice sightwords, work on simple math, and usually play a game.  Then she can watch two shows of her choice, then lunch, and nap time.  Ahh...routine in place and one happy preschooler and one happy mommy.

I love, love, love, Pinterest.  I saw this idea and realized this was just what we needed.  The Summer Jars.  Two jars with labels "Do" and "Did" to keep track of what you want to do over the summer and what adventures you did over the summer.  Each day, you pull a stick out of the "Do" jar and that is the adventure of the day.  When I say adventure...I use that term loosely.  Going to the mall, painting, and baking cookies are all adventures to my sweet Lily.  So yesterday, we created the jars and brainstormed what adventures we wanted to do.  We put a few in there to do with Daddy too, so he wouldn't feel left out.  Right before bedtime, Lily pulls a stick out of the jar and we see what we are going to do the next day.  Last night, she pulled the stick that says "Go to the mall"...she jumped up and down and clapped her hands together when I read it to her.  She loves to shop and look in all of the stores...hmm wonder who she gets that from?

Lily working during lesson time.