My Big Girl

Well, it's about time I brought myself together to write this post. My big BABY girl started Pre-School three weeks ago. SAY IT AIN'T SO! Maybe I'm not ready to write this post, but I'll try. ;)

On August 25, 2014, My baby went to school for the first time.  She goes three days a week until noon each day.  She LOVES it! It took a lot of prayers and thought for us to finally decide to send her, and I'm sure it was the right decision.  She has thrived.  She has wonderful teachers, and a fun group of classmates.  The pre-school is at the school that I taught at before I had her.  I worked with her teachers so that is nice.  I know that they are great!

Where have the last four years gone?

Super Super Excited!

And just plain silly!

For my records, so I can see how she progresses throughout the year, I am going to list the things she knew before she went to pre-k. So bear with me, it's time for me to be a proud mama. ;)

• She knows how to spell her name (since she was about 12-18 months old).
• She knows how to write her name.
• She knows all her shapes.
• She knows all her colors.
• She can count to 100 and over when she wants to.
• She knows her alphabet.
• She knows the sounds the letters make.
• She knows how to write almost all the letters.
• She recognizes most of her numbers, especially to a little over 10.
• She has begun to read small words.
• She has an OUTSTANDING vocabulary.
• She knows how to spell, Mommy, Jody, Lainee, Papa, Elise, and Madi.
• She holds her pencil correctly.

That's all I can think of at the moment.  She is a smart girl, and we weren't as worried about that as we were about her knowing how to sit in a classroom setting.  Of course, she still needs to learn, and we really never stop learning, ever, but our biggest concern was her ability to sit and listen.  We make her sit and listen at home, but it's not the same.  She has improved by leaps and bounds though since she has been at school.

• She has been sitting for longer periods of time and focusing on one task.
• She has really taken up coloring and drawing.  I have never been able to get her to sit and color.  She has had no interest.  Now, that's nearly all she wants to do.  She gets her colors and some paper and goes and sits at the table and writes all sorts of letters and the names she knows how to spell, and draws pictures constantly.  
• She is learning a letter a week at school and numbers too.  
• She is learning about lines.
• She is learning to listen to a teacher.

I'll keep updating the more she learns.  Like I said, our biggest concern was her ability to sit and focus and listen.  Her improvement has been amazing! I am just floored at the difference that 3 weeks has made.  She will start Kindergarten next year, and we didn't want her to be the child that wouldn't sit still.  Our baby is active, but she is very bright.  And active isn't a bad thing, there is just a time and place for it.  We wanted her to learn that.  We are adjusting to our slight change in schedule, and so far it has worked out great.

First Day os school!!!

Always my baby!

Her sweet teacher, Ms. Connie, sent me this in a text  just to tell me she was having a great time! So sweet!

Our feelings that we had to work through were tough.  Neither one of us was ready to let her go, and I thought I was going to take it the hardest.  I could only see it as giving my baby up before I absolutely had to, I had one more whole year with her.  Jody looked at it as us easing her and all of us really, into having to let her go for 5 days a week all day.  I may fall apart next year, but this year I held it together. She had a wonderful first day, and I didn't shed a tear.  Actually, I think Jody took it harder than any of us. Now, he didn't shed a tear either, but his daddy heart could barely take it.  The saying about Daddy's and their Girls is so true!

She had a great first day!

And was ready to tell me all about it. ;)

Showing off the things she made. 

We are super proud of our baby girl, I have only heard about one day where she got into a little trouble, and didn't get a treat before lunch.  She couldn't quit talking, and it took her to long to finish her work.  If you know my girl you know how surprising this is, or not. ;) But that's the only thing her teacher has said! Woo-hoo! Brailyn has told me all about having to do "heads down" but it's only because when the lights go out, you have to.  She's a sweetheart and we love her to pieces! God has big things in store for her and we pray that she allows Him to do it!