day 105 - Rodeo Day

Last Thursday was Rodeo Day at preschool! Libby declared it "the most fun day at preschool ever!" Her class had just ended a Texas unit. Another reason I love being back here...my kids are learning about their home state starting in preschool!

She got to rope a rocking horse.

And, after she had her picture taken while sitting in a saddle, she chose this picture of a longhorn to color. I tried to move a picture of a Mockingbird or a Bluebonnet in front of her. But, she insisted on coloring a longhorn and in orange. I don't know where we've gone wrong. :)

Moments after snapping that picture, she claimed I distracted her requiring her to scribble out "REAN" replacing it with "REAGAN". I wasn't allowed to take any more pictures after that.

Well, except for this one, but it was taken after we got home. Do you think she likes her cowgirl boots and cowgirl hat?

photos 54, 55, 56, & 57

Okay, so I'm cheating, a little. You and I both know it, so I'll just be upfront and admit it. We've had a crazy week. Crazy doesn't really do our week justice, but I don't think I have the words to elaborate at the moment. The crazy isn't over and most of you already know what's going on (the rest of you will as soon I as can find a way to record my thoughts) and there are still some people I'd like to tell "in person" via the phone before they read it on our blog. I'll just say, Wednesday was Crazy-Horrible, Thursday was Crazy-Better, and Friday was Crazy-a-Little-Better-Still. We're praying for everything to end up Crazy-Great and for peace about all the Craziness.

On to the pictures...

My Little Angel at her Christmas Program

Showing off her moves

Grammy and Grandpa came bearing gifts

Not feeling so angelic :)

No more 3 year old class

Reagan had her last day of preschool yesterday. Next year she'll be in a 4 year old class and I don't even want to think about the year after that. She's already asking who her teacher will be and where her class will be. She also says that she'll have to say hi and hug Mrs. Terri when she sees her on the playground next year. Reagan was blessed with a wonderful teacher this year and I will miss seeing Mrs. Terri's smile each morning as I drop her off at preschool next year.

first day of preschool
last day of preschool

Butterfly

"Little caterpillar

Wiggling up a tree

It wiggled long

It wiggled short

It wiggled right to me

I put him in a box

Don't go away, I said

But when I opened that box

He was a butterfly instead

I could never make one

Even if I tried

Only God in heaven

Can make a butterfly."

"Libby, what did you do at preschool today?"

"I sitted down after I did my Mr. T. Then Mrs. Terri had a job for me and then after she had a job to me, she handed me a cup. And then after she handed me a cup, I putted eyes on my cup and after I did the eyes, I did the nose, and I did dirt and I did seeds. Then after I did seeds, I did water and now I leaved it at preschool and I'm gonna watch it grow at preschool. Every day when I go to preschool. And I played. I don't know what else I did. I took a nap. I sat by Cole at lunch. And somebody else."

All this was said with much emphasis and drama. And, with taking only 1 quick breath.

(Most days,) I enjoy Libby's language explosion. She can go on and on and on when telling a story and sometimes adds voices to make it more interesting. :) It is unusual to get a "nothing" or one-word answer from my 3 1/2 year old these days.

When I grow up

"I want to be a chee-leader, a ballerina, a girl doctor, and a mommy when I grow up. Oh, and a girl policeman!" -Reagan Elizabeth, 3 1/2 years

"I want to be a veterinarian and a human doctor." -Addison Grace, 6 years

"MaMaMaMa! Aaaahm! Mmmm! Aaahhh! Baba!" -Levi David, 11 months

Friends are friends forever

After we registered Reagan to begin preschool this fall, she couldn't stop talking about getting to eat lunch with her friends. Lunch would be, in her most social mindset, the apex of her preschool days.

She went to preschool today, lunch box in hand, and I went home. Around 12:30, I realized all we had to eat in the house was "lunch box" food. Off to Sonic I went. Levi slept in his carseat while I read and ate until it was time to pick up Miss Reagan.

Back at home, she noticed the Sonic trash as we were unloading and questioned it. I told her that since I didn't get to eat lunch with my friends, I ate at Sonic. On her face, a grin spread from ear to ear. The kind that appears when the person fully expects you to burst out with "Just Kidding!" But, I didn't do that, so she countered my argument with, "Noooo, you don't have any friends!"

just like Addi

My little Reagan is at preschool right now. She is playing and learning and resting and eating lunch with her new friends. All things she was so excited about!

Before we moved here, I prayed for us to find a preschool for Addi. She was used to attending preschool and thrived on the routine. I put her on, what seemed like, a million waiting lists, but only one ever called us. It was honestly the one I wanted her to get into most.

It's about 10 minutes from our house, but there is no carpool, so I leave about 25 minutes early since I get the stroller out for Levi. That's a bit of a pain. They have a nut-free policy and my girls just about live on pb&honey sandwiches. That's also a bit of a pain.

But, this preschool is centered on God and His word. All the teachers truly love their students. Even though it's pretty big, the other parents are very friendly and welcoming. It has exceeded my ideas of a "perfect" preschool.

So, deciding where Libby would attend preschool was easy.

Deciding when was little more difficult for me. She's a young 3 and not as eager to please as her older sister. She doesn't care if Momma wants her to count to 30. In fact, if I ever do get her to count, she gets annoyed with me when I try and tell her that 20, not 21, comes after 19. She gets annoyed and ignores me, continuing with 22, 23, 24... like I never opened my mouth.

In the end, we decided she would be fine and would probably drive me crazy if I didn't let her go. She wants to do everything like Addi. Every morning last year as we walked her sister in, Libby would carry Addi's lunch box and talk about going to "presool and eating luns wit my frens".

I hope it's everything she ever dreamed it would be!