What a little goofball this one is.
The night before she was to have her first ever "school pictures" I asked her if we could have a practice round. These are the result when asked for her to give me her very best smile...
"Mom, take a picture of me like when I'm saying 'hello' to my friends"
Fortunately... School pictures were going to be outside and were cancelled due to the rain.
Luckily, we have more time to practice.
School update: Audrey LOVES it!
In fact, almost each day either before or after or even on days off she will say
"I just love school!"
It is darling, and something we would much prefer to hear.
Her teachers are such sweet gracious kind ladies, and I can tell each day that Audrey feels safe and cared for by them.
We chose this school initially for two reasons.
1. It is only 5 houses away from us, making it an easy walk now and when Baby comes.
2. A few neighbor friends have sent their children there and have nothing but good to say about it.
After exchanging a few lengthy emails back and forth with the Teacher, I visited the school once by myself as an "observer" watching a typical school day. We then exchanged more lengthy emails calming all my fears, anxieties and just random questions that had to do with sending my first born to her very first school. Audrey & I visited once or twice on non-school days just to get a feel for the school room and teacher. And we brought our whole little family over to meet with both of the teachers this summer to ask more questions and again see how comfortable Audrey was. That may seem silly, afterall she is only 3, but this was an important decision for us. Just because it was close was not going to be reason enough to send her into the unknowns of being away from Mommy! So, we did our research!!!!! :)
Aaron & I have talked about homeschooling, and we are not opposed to the idea for the future, nor are we by any means opposed to it now just because we have decided to send Audrey somewhere for 3 hours, 3 days away from me. We look at ithis year as simply another "tool" in her learning. Another social outlet, another adult outside of the home to learn from, listen to and respect, and basically a more structured/organized play group then I feel like I could offer right now. I don't feel like I have stopped teaching my own child by any means. She just now has another outlet for her learning.
The Montessori Method of teaching is basically a practice of encouraging the strengths of the child through independent learning. It is structured and organized, but the children have freedoms to choose the activities they wish to do, always remembering to put things away before beginning a new project. (!!!) A lot of the projects are skills to build upon a future skill. I.e. Using only one hand to grasp small objects and organize them according to size. This builds finger muscle and "pincer" grasp motion for writing. Some of their other "work" includes counting games, or stacking blocks according to size or using scissors to cut out shapes or pins to poke out shapes...etc They have an "asking stool" in which the children can go sit and wait if they have any questions or need assistance. Another thing I love is that they do practical learning like sweeping, slicing food, collecting dirty hand towels for the laundry, serving themselves snack, cleaning up after themselves (!!!)..etc.
They also incorporate a Catholic curriculum. Aaron & I weren't opposed to Audrey learning about Catholicisms, but we weren't exactly sure what that would mean at such a young age. We knew there would be a bit of integrity and of course traditions, which we were okay with.
As of late, we have both been impressed with the skills she has learned from her school. She was already doing some of these things, but now insists on showing us she really can do these little helper things around the house like:
She insists on slicing her own fruit carefully, buttering her own bread and also pouring her own juice or milk. (She is also eager to help clean up spills) She helps me to fold hand towels and place them in the correct drawer. She always puts her playdoh away when she is finished with it. And as far as the Catholicism teaching goes?
So far, she has greeted us with "Peace Be With You" In which we are instructed to repeat back
"And Also With You".
She sings us a beautiful greeting they sing each morning, complete with hand motions:
"Good morning Dear God, I offer to you,
my thoughts
words
and actions
And all that I do!"
She has almost remembered all the words to a Latin hymn they sing. She is also proud to show us the latin version of "Father Son & Holy Ghost" marking the traditional crossing of her chest.
But the other day took the cake for the funniest thing she has said yet.
I was in the kitchen tidying up and she had ran to the bathroom.
All of a sudden Audrey called out:
"Hail Mary, Full of Grace!"
I don't know if she was having some trouble in there or what, but it uh, ahem, apparently helped to call upon the Big Mama! ;-)
**This pregnancy has been accompanied by it's fair share of constipation, I may just have to use that little Hail Mary trick...
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