Grandparents Day at Preschool

At the beginning of September, we they had Grandparents Day at Preschool where Grandparents came to lunch (Preschool is so awesome). Wow, September has been busy. I am so thankful for my babies grandparents. Today, my parents met me half way (Gaffney), and took Jackson to get his hair cut and to see the Lion King at the movie theatre. We are so blessed!

Abigail's First Day at Resurrection!

Monday was Abigail's first time going to Resurrection Lutheran School (Mother's Morning Out). I am so thankful that GOD provided for her to be able to go two mornings a week. This means mommy will have two mornings off...wow.

One of Abigail's favorite phrases is "I can't want to." She did not say it on Monday, she was so excited to go to school, and of course picked out her outfit. I love her SO MUCH! God has richly blessed us with eternal blessings!

Jackson's First Day of 4K Preschool

Teachers said he has matured a lot from last year, and we are so proud of him! He will be going Monday through Thursday 9 to 12:30, and Abigail will go Mother's Morning Out Monday and Wednesday mornings.

It has been so busy the last couple week (I picked up two more precious babies). Look for a blog post tomorrow on lots of exciting news from the Wallace Family!

Preschool Wise Schedule

Micheal and Kaitlin's Schedule Monday, Wednesday, Friday:

· 7:30-8:15 a.m. Get children up and dressed; PJs put away, beds made; enjoy breakfast

· 8:15-9:30 a.m. Structured playtime with siblings

· 9:30-10 a.m. Roomtime (Kaitlin); reading time with mom (Micheal)

· 10:00-10:30 a.m. Roomtime (Micheal); reading time with Mom (Kaitlin)

· 10:30-noon Free playtime with siblings (possibly one half hour of video time)

· noon-1:00 p.m. Lunch, clean-up, read books until naptime

· 1:00-3:00 p.m. Naptime (Kaitlin)

· 1:00-2:00 p.m. Rest time (Micheal)

· 2:00-3:00 p.m. Free playtime (Micheal)

· 3:00-4:30 p.m. Free playtime (Micheal and Kaitlin)

· 4:30-5:00 p.m. Video time or structured playtime

· 5:00-5:30 p.m. Pick up house before Dad comes home

· 7:00-7:30 p.m. Time with Dad (Micheal); Mom gets Kaitlin bathed and ready for bed

· 7:30 p.m. Kaitlin in bed

· 7:30-8:00 p.m. Micheal gets ready for bed

· 8:00 p.m. Micheal in bed

Wow! I do like the Baby Wise Books and this Preschool Wise book because I like to have a plan, but in reality with kids nothing goes as planned.

A few weeks ago, I decided that I want us to only have the T.V. on twice a day. No real reason, just sick of the T.V always being on. Then, I remembered I had not read Preschool Wise, and I have and LOVE Preschool age kids. I am also a little nervous about what we are going to do all summer not being in Preschool.

I am going to work on my schedule which will look different than the above schedule. Jackson has done well with not a lot of T. V except for first thing in the morning when he wants to eat breakfast and watch T.V. I have replaced it with his Tagger book and a new tagger book to work through.

Additionally, I have just been making them play in the den for 15 minutes and setting a timer (or Jackson’s room, etc). I try to play cars and blocks with them on Mondays, bubbles Tuesdays, puzzles Wednesdays, Animals on Thursdays, and art and crafts on Fridays.

Free playtime- is putting him either outside or in his room, but allowing him to decide what he plays with.

Structured playtime-Place is determined by mom. It might be playing with puzzles at the kitchen table, coloring, playing with the kitchen play center, etc.

Structured playtime with siblings-Two siblings can be coloring at the kitchen table, playing in the backyard together, or sharing reading time.

Your afternoon routine might look like this:

• Lunch
• Naptime/Rest Time
• Roomtime
• Structured Playtime with Siblings
• Video Time

Preschool Wise also recommends the book, Simplify Your Life with Kids: 100 Ways to Make Family Life Easier and More Fun, Elaine St. James.

What about you? What are your plans with your kids at home this summer? We did join the Y for the summer with an outdoor pool and treadmill for my first real big 5k in July. We plan to go to the Y three times a week or so this summer.

May 2011 Pictures

Wow, May has been busy and so much fun! Birthday parties, strawberry picking, LOTS of being outside, swimming in the neighbor's pool, going to "Gigi and Grand's" pool for the first time. My kids loved every minute of it, and I did too. I LOVE being outside...just really puts you in a pleasant mode. Also, listening to the Bible using the Bible Experience through itunes has made a huge difference in my day. I have listened to 1 and 2 Samuel, Psalms, and now I am on Matthew. Psalms was over five hours of listening and each book of the Bible is $3.99 on itunes through the Bible Experience.

I was a little nervous about what I was going to do with the kids this summer, but things are falling into place. Now, June looks pretty full. I am VERY tired of TV constantly on at my house. I am now limiting "TV Time" to just two hours a day (trying to get a schedule where we watch TV for 30 minutes to an hour in the am and 30 minutes to an hour in the afternoon). I am reading Preschool Wise and it is helping a lot with getting a schedule down for this summer. Hopefully, I will post weekly on what I have learned from Becoming Preschool Wise (same author as Baby Wise). Some of their stuff is too strict; probably not enough grace. But, I love to plan, and really enjoy planning fun things for my kids to do!

Tuesday's Tip: The Kids' Favorite Book Right Now Is...

One Duck Stuck (Root)

Just thought I would share that with yall. This was one of Jackson's Preschool books of the month he did in speech and one that is definitely worth buying. Abigail is loving this book, and we are reading it every day before her nap.

What is your Preschooler's favorite book right now?

Also, this week is the Letter "S" in Preschool and we are working with him writing the letter S and the theme is Dr. Seuss. I heart Preschool.

For the Month of March:
Next week is Circus week
Week of March 13th they will work on the Letter G
Week of March 20th is the Letter U (Outer Space Theme)
Week of March 27th is the Letter K (Weather Theme)

Jackson is in a 3k Preschool Class two days a week, and next year he will go four days a week to a 4K Class. Email me if you would like to know what Preschool he goes to (emilywallace80@hotmail.com). I really have been pleased with all they have taught him and it is VERY affordable (it also helps that his best bud is in his class)! Abigail will not go next year. I am not going to put her in one until she is in a 3k class.

Please also keep us in your prayers. Saturday night a TV feel on Jackson (somehow he only got a cut on his knee). Monday night a class bowl broke on me and I have a cut on my thumb, and then tonight a class bowl broke on Abigail (she is fine). This is a new type of demonic attack that we are experiencing. However, any suffering we have for His name sake, is so worth it. Living for eternity, is so worth it. Jesus is so worth it.

David Baptist Church will be voting March 13th on going to two Sunday Schools and two services. Every since the expansion committee has met we have gone through spiritual warfare for sure. David Baptist church has never gone to two worship services (and Sunday school hours) in the entire 70 years of its existence, so this is pretty major. Click here to see Charlie's great post on why 2 services on his blog. Thank you for praying. and just continue to pray that our family and our church will be all about Jesus and reaching/discipling people for Him!

This week marks our one year anniversary at David Baptist. We are loving it here, and love the people so much!

Jackson's First Time Giving out Valentines

Jackson was so excited to exchange Valentines at his Preschool last Thursday. Since this was his first time doing so, mommy went a little overboard. Charlie was able to go to this Ollies Bookstore in Gastonia and get Toy Story Valentine's cards for .50 with a pencil (for 12 of them!). So I also got little wallet pictures of Jackson ordered from Kodak galleries and put on the back of the picture that "Jackson Wallace is thankful for you." Lastly, in the envelope I put a lolly pop (that we already had), and a piece of heart shaped chocolate. All and all, it did not cost a lot and I know it meant a lot to his friends and to Jackson.

I was overwhelmed last week with thankfulness to God for putting us here in Kings Mountain now. Whenever you move, you definitely are concerned more with your children, than yourself. I was concerned that Jackson would not have close friends for a while when we moved and prayed about it a lot. God answered my prayers greater than I could ever hope for. He has so many boys that are his close friends, and his best friend goes to church with him and Preschool. We are all really loving living here in Kings Mountain, and are so thankful for the close friends God has put in our lives here.

Snowed in All Week=Time to Get Organized!

I got sterilite containers at Walmart before we got snowed in which I am so thankful for!

What I did to clean out the junk drawer:

1. Went through it all and put everything in piles, and threw away a lot.
2. Organized everything into three main piles. Tools, writing stuff for the kids, and miscellaneous. I do still have one zip lock bag for a game we take to play at restaurants.
   
3. After I dumped everything out, I did clean the draws really well.

Now, that I have all their "Preschool" worksheets organized, we were able to have "school" time two times this week while snowed in. The school lets me know ahead of time what they are working on, and this week they would have been working on the letter "X".

Do you have any suggestions on how to help Jackson write his letters on his own, beside worksheets, and a chalkboard?

Do you have any organizational tips for organizing your house? The sterilite containers were key for me being able to organize this drawer (the big ones were $3).

Christmas Pictures: Part 1

Abigail got Jessie for Christmas but somehow Jackson is managing to sleep with her at night...He told me that Woody and Jessie needed their picture taken in the above picture.

The above picture is of cousin Zach. We are so blessed that they are only a couple month apart in age.

Jackson loved the Toy Story 3 toy solider's he got from Mimi . I think all the kids enjoyed playing with them.

Daddy and Abigail having a tea party with the "fake" food Mimi got her for Christmas.

Charlie's uncle (mother's brother). Don't yall think they look alike?

This year we celebrated Christmas in Columbia (we went to Spartanburg on Christmas day because of the snow), and went to Rock Hill Christmas Eve to see all of Charlie's family. Jackson was very excited to see Santa there at Geemaw's house! Jackson was also so excited to open his presents Christmas morning and kept on saying, "I love it, I love it! (about his big Buzz Lightyear).

Jackson's favorite gifts were: his Buzz Lightyear (we gave him), the Toy Story 3 movie (Pop Pop's and Mimi gave him), and his leapster explorer (Grand and Gigi got him). Santa got him Toy Story 3 zippty game. We are so blessed!

What was your Preschooler's favorite toy that they got for Christmas?