Wordless Wednesday - Little Friends

Love is rarer than genius itself. And friendship is rarer than love.

~Charles Peguy

You may remember this adorable shot of handsome that I took back in August.  In that post I mentioned that I wish for these two what their big sisters have...friendship.

After spending a month in pre-school together, that wish is coming true.  They get along...finally. 

Handsome will say "May I have a bite?"  And Chloe will joyfully hand him over a Craisin...and another...and another...until her pack is empty.

And then Chloe wants to ride his scooter.  So, they switch and he rides her pink princess scooter and she rides his red Radio Flyer scooter...and nobody cries.

They are the cutest of friends. 

**Photos compliments of Handsome's Momma, Becky.

4.5 Years Summed up in 4 Minutes

I dropped Camdyn off this morning for her last day of Pre-School.  I left her with 15 cups of pudding to celebrate with her friends and parting gifts for her teachers.

Surprisingly, my heart is not heavy.  I'm okay with this.  This is life and progression; moving on and growing up is what this gig is all about. 

So, this is how we will sum up Camdyn's Pre-School career a 4 minute video of memories from the past 4.5 years.  It's been good....It's been really good.

***Edited To Include***
My apologies, Flickr did not load my entire video last night.  I will try and have the full version up later this afternoon.  This is only the first minute of it...dang it Flickr.

The entire video is now up :) 



...and we get to do it all over again with Chloe Belle.

Thanks for the Memories!

This I Know...

I'm pretty much dedicating this week to Pre-School.  It deserves a week on the blog, before we say farewell to this chapter and move on to the next.

I could watch this cuteness over and over again.  Cam is the 2nd from the right.

Wordless Wednesday - Smile Because

Camdyn & her beloved teacher, who has the patience of a saint, and the heart of an angel.

Camdyn says she wants Miss Carol to be her Kindergarten Teacher.

She is really going to miss her.

The Last Monday...Ever. Ever. Ever.

I can hardly believe it.  As I dropped Camdyn off in her classroom this morning the only thought racing through my mind was  - This. Is. It.  Her final Monday of Pre-School.  4+ years coming and going with her, through these doors, down these hallways, and it all comes down to this...her final week. 

Sure, I'll still be coming and going with Chloe, and we still come and go to Church every Sunday...but she won't ever have be a student here again. 

I spent hours this weekend organizing photos from school and compiling them in to a slide show...I found some treasures:

Baby Cam (in the purple) in the infant room...she was probably 15-18 months old.



Toddler Cam on Red day when the children were learning their colors - Chloe is in this room right now and about this age.

Camdyn and her Best Friend on Tea Party Day when they were 3.  Funny how I thought they were getting so big.  And now, I look at these photos and they still have BABY written all over them. 

This little treasure was just given to me this morning by Camdyn's former teacher.  I don't really know what she is singing, but she is singing by herself and her classmates are listening, and the 20 sec. clip is worth the click...well, if you are in to cute :)


I'm sure I'm going to spend a large part of my week reflecting on the last 4 years, wishing that time would just slow down, and that I could hold on to this a little longer. 

But, I'll do my best to do exactly what my 5 year old is doing...she's looking forward to the future; Horse Camp, a week with Gramma, a trip on a big boat (cruise) and Kindergarten are all on the horizon.  She's giddy with excitement about that.

She's probably not going to lament what she's leaving, she's only looking forward to what's lying ahead of her.   

I'll try...I'll really try.

I Gotta Feeling

That Tonight's Gonna Be a Good Night...

Nearly a week ago Camdyn graduated from pre-school.  The children wore the shirts that they tie dyed a few months ago, and they wore their smiles, and an overwhelming sense of accomplishment.

The teachers lined them all up on the stage while cameras flashed and moms waved.

Then a little voice boomed "Please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance."  My girl commanded every one's attention.  She projected her little voice and spoke with authority.  I was so proud of her.

Her teacher told me that this is the last year that they will be allowed to say The Pledge of Allegiance and being that this is the last time it will be spoken at a graduation, she wanted to make sure it was done right.  She is disheartened about that, I think, and I am too.  Our pre-school is at a church, you would think that The Pledge would at least have a place in church...

Then the big class performed their song and Camdyn sat and waited patiently until they finished.

Then, it was her class' turn.  All six children stood, the teacher turned on their music, and they began singing their song about the colors of the rainbow and they had sign language for the entire song.  Cam looked so cute as she concentrated on all of the signs.  She didn't miss a single one. 

Then the two classes sang a song together that they wrote themselves to the tune of The Twelve Days of Christmas...only it was called the Twelve Days of Summer.  It was really cute! 

Then it was time to receive their certificates or "cer-tif-li-cates" as Cam called it. 

And in less than 30 minutes, the sum of 5 years spent learning in pre-school, came to a close.  I got choked up a few times...and it was mostly just pride that was lodged at the back of my throat.  But, really, I was happy for her.  Happy that pre-school has been such a positive experience for her.  Happy at how much she has learned and grown, and how loved she has always felt at school over the past 5 years. 

We then went to the church courtyard and had cake, cookies, and juice.  Cam wore her corsage that I bought her to mark the occasion, but she by-passed on the cake.  She just wanted to run around with her friends.

Then, most of the parents packed up their kids and we headed down the road to a pizza joint that also has a mini arcade and an ice cream shop.  The kids played games, ran around, ate pizza and played, all while the adults lamented about the Pre-School years over a beer. 

As much as Cam will miss the teachers and her classmates as she heads to Kindergarten in the fall, I think I'll miss the friendships that we've built with the families in her class.  We'll still get together, though, I think I'll have to host a "reunion" party once a year. 

At about 8:45 I headed home with two very sweaty and sleepy little girls, who bypassed the tub, and went straight to bed and didn't bother to wake during the night. 

I couldn't imagine a better to close to this chapter.

I gotta a feelin' that tonight's gonna be a good night...



PS:  V - Thanks for running my video and helping me watch Chloe.  This night wouldn't have been nearly as enjoyable without your help!

Wordless Wednesday - The Next Chapter

"I hope your dreams take you...to the corners of your smiles, to the highest of your hopes, to the windows of your opportunities, and to the most special places your heart has ever known."

~Author Unknown

She graduated from Pre-School yesterday.  In eight weeks she will be an official Kindergartner.  I don't know what exactly I was doing when she did it, but she grew up this year... a lot.

If I could re-live yesterday, like Ground Hog Day, I would.  Everything about the day was wonderful.

Happy Wednesday, Friends!

What a Tangled Web We Weave

Well, it's Tangled...but not like that.

Last Friday night, Camdyn hosted her first ever "party" which was not related to a birthday. 

We had ourselves a Tangled in 3D pajama party with two of Camdyn's pre-school friends.  Cam's uncle JJ pre-ordered the Tangled DVD as part of her Christmas present last year, and when the box arrived from Amazon we couldn't wait to let her open it.  She watched the regular version over and over that weekend, and then the party planning began, so we put the movie away for a week so she would be excited to watch it with her friends on Friday night.

And, boy were they excited.

We started the evening off with playtime until the sun set, because 3D movies are that much awesomer in total darkness. 

Then, we opened a gift from Miss Becky.  She bought all of the girls tiny Rapunzel dolls, which they LOVED and played with all night long.

Then, Chloe went to bed, and the lights were turned down, and our living room transformed in to a movie house. 

The girls ate popcorn, and drank lemonade out of Rapunzel cups with purple bendy straws.  They giggled, and sang along with the movie.  They cheered, and covered their eyes, and comforted each other when things got a little scary.  They ate ice cream sundaes and stayed up way past their bedtimes.  They enjoyed themselves to the hilt.

I'm looking forward to more times like these, times spent with older kids who carry on their own conversations, kids who are building friendships, discovering the world, and exerting true independence.  I'm looking forward to more play dates, and sleepovers, and being the Momma that is down for that in a moment's notice. 

With every age and stage there are perks....and this is one of them.

My Kid Learned How to Play Spin the Bottle

AT PRE-SCHOOL!

Y'all I don't know if this is hilarious or disturbing...probably a little bit of both.  So, I share this with you for laughs and input. 

Last night we were sitting around the table eating cereal dinner.  The conversation went like this:

Me:  Cam you must be hungry that is your 2nd helping of Chicken and Asparagus Rice Krispies.
Cam:  I'm having seconds.  Daddy?  Have you ever played spin the bottle?
Daddy:  ::falls off chair::
Me:  ::wide eyes, mouth gaping::  What kind of game is that?
Cam:  You know, the kind where you spin the bottle.
Me:  Oh.  Who do you play this game with?
Cam:  I play with "sally" on the carpet at school.
Me:  Hum...
Daddy:  ::still on the floor::
Me:  How do you play the game?
Cam:  ON THE CARPET.  It's impossible to cheat at spin the bottle. 
Me:  Oh.
Daddy:  ::looks at me:: I think we are thinking of two very different games...

Later that night I emailed "Sally's" mother to share this conversation with her, mostly because I found it hilarious...AT THE TIME.  It turns out when "Sally" was picked up from school yesterday another little girl ran up to her and said something about spin the bottle and then kissed her on the lips. 

WAIT A MINUTE.  I thought we were talking about a board game...this sounds like the same spin the bottle game that I was imagining....

After further discussion, it turns out that there is an Arthur game on the computer in their classroom.  In part of the game Francine daydreams about playing spin the bottle, the bottle lands on Arthur and she kisses him.  I believe the computer game is tied to this episode. 

Hum...so the girls in the class saw that and decided to start acting it out.  It's not like they were actively taught how to play the game, and it's innocent as can be.  I just don't know how I feel about a 5 year old talking about playing spin the bottle.

So, my quandary is...Do I bring this to the teacher's/director's attention and request that the kids don't play that game anymore or Do I just let it go and figure that if I don't make a big deal of it then the kids won't make a big deal of it and they'll forget all about it?

What would you do?  Either way, I guess this is preparation for what the future holds.  I'm sure she's going to be exposed to a lot more when she enters the wide wide world of elementary school next year.

And, here are a few photos taken at the park last weekend.

Happy Friday, Y'all!

My kid gets pink slips....a lot.

"So what I told you was true...from a certain point of view"

~Obi Wan Kenobi

Yesterday, I spent 13 hours driving to, sitting in, and driving home from a training class.  It was a long day to say the least.  I was about half way home, singing to the radio and trying to enjoy the commute when the phone rang and I heard the Hubs' voice through the car speakers.  His first words, "Cam got another pink slip today."  Me:  "WHAT?  ANOTHER ONE?"  Yes, that makes two in a row this week.  Me:   "FOR.THE.LOVE.  For What?"  For stepping out of line and shutting the door to the closet while the teacher was inside of it (I'm guessing half of you will ::gasp:: and half of you will ::snicker::)

Here's the problem:  My kid is guilty of not always making the best choices.  She doesn't think of consequences before she acts.  I'm not making excuses for her, I recognize that it's an issue and I'm hoping as she matures it'll lock in to place for her.  But, if my kid is going to get a pink slip every time she makes a poor choice or doesn't follow directions, then I might as well buy the school a ream of pink paper, because they are going to run out! 

Isn't this what preschoolers do?  Is my child the only one getting written up for stepping out of line?  Is she the only one that gets written up for poor choices?  Historically, pink slips are used for incidents when a child hurts another child, kicks, hits, bites, or suffers some sort of injury.  In this instance, the injury was to the teacher.  Was she so upset she wrote her up?  Was she embarrassed that Cam shut her in the closet?  Did the other children laugh and wound her ego?  I really don't know but I'm tired of signing those pink sheets of paper.  I'm tired of having "the talk" with Cam about poor choices.  I'm tired of a school that is so rigid and strict with its policies that it leaves little room for children to behave like children.  I'm tired of the overwhelming feeling that my kid is perceived as "the bad kid." 

Thankfully, this is the only year that Cam has had a less than a positive experience at our school.  For whatever reason, she is not gelling with her teacher, or her class, and the result is that she's taken several steps backwards socially, but has soared academically.

For those of you that are Faithful Readers you may remember this post about the drama with classroom assignments for this year or this one on how orientation went..  As I read back, I find my intuition to be almost eerie....this year has turned out to be exactly the way I hoped it wouldn't.  As positive as I try to be, as much as I wished things would pull together this year, I realize that it's not going to happen. 

I really don't think it's going to get better, we are just going to get through it.  So, while I hate to wish time away, while I hate to look forward to the next step, I am...just like I predicted in August. 

Kindergarten has to bring better things for my bright, energetic, little girl, who absolutely bubbles over with excitement and curiosity.  School life for her (as much as she absolutely loves it) has to get better than this.  She needs to be engaged more, challenged more, praised more for good deeds, she needs a teacher with endless patience and a more credentials.  I am wishing on a star that Kindergarten brings her that.

This rant isn't the way things usually go around here, but this situation has caused me astronomical amounts of stress this year...It finally deserved a spot here, in my online memoir.  My hope is that next year, I'll look back at this and wonder why in the world it had to be so difficult...

In better news, I've been working with Camdyn on a computer based Learn to Read program.  She beams when she gets answers right.  I think it's really wonderful for her self esteem as well as her listening skills.    Well, last night, during story time she read her first word...G-O, GO!  ::Head explode::

Preschool Drama and a Movie

Date night was awesome last night!  Hubs and I got to spend 5 solid hours together sans kids.  He opened doors for me, said he wished he was more dressed up, and held my hand like we were teen-agers.  We had dinner and saw a movie, but not before we went and visited a brand new squishy pink baby.  To be honest, I felt a twinge in my ute, my ovaries itched a tiny bit, watching Hubs hold that tiny bundle in his hands made my heart flutter.  I was starting to feel fevery, but, then at dinner I gulped a Shocktop and the feeling passed.  I do not have baby fever.  I do not have baby fever.  There.  I convinced myself.

Moving on. 

The orientation for Camdyn's VPK class did not measure up to my expectations and left me feeling underwhelmed.  If you are new here, or suffer from pregnancy brain, or mommy brain, then GO HERE and read the back story on our Pre-School drama.  Okay, maybe it is MY preschool drama.

Orientation started off with all of the parents of the children combined in to one classroom.  Cool.  It appears that it is a good turnout, there are lots of parents here.  Then, a mere 5 minutes in to the orientation they separate the classes, which basically means me, the Hubs, and one other parent stand, walk across the classroom and head down the hall.  In that moment, I felt the way I imagine my kid will feel everyday, as she is pulled from her friends at 8:30 in the morning and brought down the hall to another classroom. 
I felt like the oddball
I felt ostracised
I felt like I was being separated from the popular group. 
I felt like that kid that nobody wanted on their kickball team. 

So, we walk down the hall and we see the room that Camdyn will spend her days in for the next year.  It's smaller than the classroom she is in now.  The bulletin boards are bare (her teacher had a reason for this, but still....not a good start).  And honestly, coming from the giant, bright, fully prepared room that the rest of the parents are still sitting in, this room is down-right depressing.  Ugh.  My heart sank.  I just can't shake the feeling that Camdyn is in the slow group, that this group of kids was hand selected because they need more help, or don't get along well with others. 

Dear Director,
I realize that there has been quite a fallout this year over classroom assignments.  You've dealt with several sets of irritated and irate parents who are upset that their children are being separated from their best friends.  You've dealt with parents like me, who are concerned that their kid is behind or has a behavioral problem and that she has been designated to a classroom with other children that have similar issues.  Although you have assured me that is not the case, I still feel like it is.  Why is that?  Is it because there isn't a good mix of kids in the smaller class?  You claim that you separated by gender since there are fewer boys.  Why does the small class have 4 boys and the larger class only has 3?  That doesn't make much sense if we are talking statistics and percentages.  Seems to me like your theory isn't holding weight...it makes me not trust the reasons you gave me.

Here's a piece of unwarranted and unsolicited advice.  In the future, when you are assigning children to classrooms if you don't divide them according to ability and temperament, then why don't you just draw names out of hat.  That seems to me the only fair way to separate the children without alarming their parents, causing them grief and worry, and thereby causing the children grief, and it will save you from this entire scene.  Seriously, this is weighing heavy on my heart, and I don't think I'll rest easy about it the entire year. 

Every day when I march my child right past the big, bright, cheery room with ALL OF HER FRIENDS in it, I will feel this way.  Everyday, I will silently fight my gut feeling that my kid is behind, or isn't capable of functioning in a group with her friends.  And, everyday, I will be thankful that we are one step closer to Kindergarten.  Because at least there, I will feel like she is on even ground with the rest of the children.  When she's there, I will feel, again, like she has a chance at being viewed as the bright, charismatic child that she is.  I will wish the entire year away....everyday.  And, I hate that I have to feel that way each time I walk past room 114.

(please note this has nothing to do with the teachers - love them.  Just the classes, and how the kids are mixed up)

Sincerely,
One overly concerned, extremely sensitive, and some-what dramatic parent

And, that's all I have to say about that.

Because I believe in balance, taking the good with the bad, and finding the upside in a situation.  Here's a slideshow of pictures I took last Saturday. Maybe through them you can see just how important this school has been in our lives over the past 4 years.  Maybe you can see just how happy Camdyn is with her friends, and maybe you can understand a little more about why I'm so bothered by the classroom scenario. 

So, here are the kids, enjoying the playground, enjoying cake, enjoying the water.  And, just enjoying being kids!  I love them all, and their parents too!

**I realize that some of the pictures are out-of-focus, but they still show the moments, so I included them.

If Jumping to Conclusions were Jumping Off Buildings then I just Jumped off the Sears Tower

Splat. 

Nothing good ever comes from jumping to conclusions, you know, before you have all the facts.  That's exactly what happened to me last Thursday. 

The backstory:
At our pre-school there are two classrooms dedicated to full-time VPK (voluntary pre-kindergarten) both teachers are awesome and I love them both.  You can't go wrong with either one of them.  On August 23rd the children will move to their new classrooms.

The Story:
On Thursday morning, while dropping Camdyn off in her classroom, I ask her current teacher which teacher Cam will have for VPK.  She tells me that Camdyn will be with Miss C.  Sweet.  I love her, she's known Cam since she was 9 months old.  That's awesome.  Then, I ask her which of her friends will have Miss C too....NONE OF THEM. 

This is where, my head starts to spin.  How is that?  She's being separated from Madie next year, and Nicole?  They've been together since they were 1!  I was floored.  I felt like I was falling through the rabbit hole like Alice in Wonderland.  My head was spinning.  So, I start asking questions and I learn that one class has 18 kids (yes - 18) and the other only has 8.  Camdyn is in the group of 8.  Okay, so now I start trying to figure that out and my mind ventures to that terrible place where I start trying to breakdown that decision.  Is she in the smaller group because she needs more help?  Then, this comes out of my mouth, "OMG - She's in the "slow" group!"  Sweet Jesus.  She's behind.  They have already labeled her as "low" and she's going to be pigeon-holed for the rest of her academic career.  I know, it's dramatic, but that's where my mind went.  And then I took this turn.  Or, maybe she has a serious behavior problem.  Maybe, she is unruly and it would be easier for her to be in the smaller group because they can't control her, heaven knows I have a hard time at it too.  My kid must be THAT KID. 

When, I left the pre-school that morning, I was sick to my stomach, near tears, and I was angry that Camdyn wasn't with all of her friends in the bigger class.  I was that stereotypical "my child does nothing wrong, why is she being singled out, I'm going to put an end to this" parent.  Now, I swore I would never be that parent, the parent that was every teacher's worst nightmare because they refused to recognize a problem, and defended their kid regardless of circumstance, but here I am. Another of parenthood's "don't judge me" lessons.  And, then I started thinking about what this means to me, how I was feeling now that Cam would be separated from MY FRIENDS, the Mommas that I love hanging out with and meeting for playdates.  I couldn't figure out if I was more devastated for Cam since she'll be separated from her besties, or for myself. 

I stewed on it all.day.long.  By the time I spoke with the director about it, I was nearly in tears.  Okay, I was in tears.  No one enjoys thinking their kid has a behavior or learning problem.  I confirmed that one class has 18 kids, and one has 8.  They were separated based on age to obtain a mix in both classes, then they separated the kids that had been together the longest, and separated the girls that "feed off each other."  This was interesting to me.  I know that Madie & Cam fight like sisters.  They love each other, but the two can also find themselves in screaming matches.  I was assured that they were not grouped by ability (that would be ridiculous at this age) and that Camdyn does not have a learning or behavior problem that needs addressing.

I gathered from the director that they thought Cam was a good fit with Miss C because they have a relationship already (Miss C runs the nursery room at church) and that Cam would adjust easily (compliment to Cam). 

So, my feelings began to change.  This is a gift.  Being in the smaller class is a good thing.  Camdyn is going to get more attention and hopefully a hand-up in preparing for kindergarten.  She's not going to be lost in a sea of 4 year old faces...she'll be 1 of 8.  How could that be a bad thing?  Plus, I love her teacher, she is experienced, and if anyone can get Camdyn to finally recognize the letter "W" Miss C can.  Plus, I'll still have my momma friends, Cam will still see her friends on the playground, and it'll be okay. 

It turns out that I'm not the only Momma who was traumatized by classroom assignments for next year.  There are a handful of other Momma's who are royally pissed off....still.  I shared my perspective with them, their thoughts "They are 4.  They aren't going to college, they are going to kindergarten.  Let them be with their friends for one more year."  I get that perspective, but would much rather my kid learn what she is supposed to learn, so that she can be at the top of her Kindergarten pals instead of struggling, feeling behind, and possibly losing interest in learning in elementary school.  The adjustment from school being entirely play centered and social centered needs to begin in Pre-K, otherwise Kindergarten is going to be a reality check.  This is the first step.

And, I learned - again, for the zillionth time in my 32 years - that Jumping to Conclusions always ends badly.  One day, I might actually think of that before I'm free falling into conclusion-ville. 

And because jumping to conclusions and jumping in general is so much fun.  Here is Chloe jumping too...well, sort of.

My PreSchool Is Better Than Yours

Dear God.  Have you ever been here?  You know, in that awful place where moms start comparing pre-schools, claiming, mine does this, and mine does that.  They have German, and Gymnastics, and my kid can even multiply fractions.  Well, I've been there, and for about a week, it had me contemplating whether or not my kids are in the best school.  Seriously, by the time they graduate to Kindergarten, I will have already invested $44,720.00 in their education/babysitting....however you wanna look at it.  And, yes, that is a REAL number, and only for ONE kid....we could so be driving luxury cars for that amount....

Two reasons why I began to question the quality of the school:

1) A certain momma briggity-bragged a little bit about her school, so I thought that I should see it for myself

2) 9/24, 9/28, 11/9, 12/2, 12/9, 1/19, 3/1, 3/15, 4/15, 4/23.  Want to know what that is?  All of the fargin dates that my baby girl has been sent home "sick" from school since August (and I do believe some dates are missing)  Yes, on several of these occasions she was really sick, Roto Virus, Noro Virus, The croup, and on some of these occasions she was just being a baby...you know, low grade fever for no reason, crapping liquid more than twice a day.  It's down right annoying, and cumbersome the number of times I get the sick call at work.  So, honestly, I wanted to see if maybe she would be healthier at another school.  I was at my breaking point with the sick thing, and I was soo close to pulling her out of our school, it scared me.

So, I checked out that other school.  I wasn't overly impressed.  The classrooms were newer and brighter, and maybe the walls looked prettier.  Our school is not brand new, it has been educating the young for over 30 years.  The chairs and tables are wooden and older, the toy shelves are a bit worn.  If you are in to aesthetics, our school does not have the edge.

Well, then this happened.  The Teddy Bear Picnic.  Camdyn's classroom had been working on the letter "B" all week.  On Friday, they brought their bears and blankets to school, and had a picnic in the courtyard.  I made them pb&j's shaped like teddy bears, other mommas brought them chips and juice boxes.  Oh, and then I invited myself along to take some pictures.

Dear Job, Thank you for being so flexible and for not caring when I come and go, so as to let an over stretched momma take part in her kids' school activities.  I love you, please don't lay me off because of the sucky economy. Love, Me.

So, as I watched, and smiled, and enjoyed every single second of the kids enjoying themselves.  I realized that, sucky sick policy or not, my girls are happy, and they are exactly where they should be. 

Now, allow me a minute, to fall from grace (and briggity brag, if you will), and show you why My School is Perfect for My Kids:

1) Miss V directs the children to the courtyard on the church campus.  This little plot of land is gorgeous with a giant oak tree, planted flowers, green grass and park benches.  Does your school have a courtyard? Oh, no?  It's in a retail center surrounded by concrete with a teeny tiny playground out back. Sucks for you.

2).  Miss V helps the children set down their blankets and their picnic (brown bag) lunches and then gathers them together for Teddy Bear games. 

1).  They pull out the parachute and put all of the Teddies in the middle and fling them up in the air.  Now, some kiddos were upset that their bears got "hurt" and dirty, but most of them loved seeing them fly through the air. 

2) The kids line up for a Teddy Bear Race with their bears.

3) They race with their bears, running as fast as they can, then they line up again, and walk side-ways all the way back.  Kids have to have room to run and play, don't you think?  Where do they do that at your school? Oh, in the parking lot?  Safe. 

1) Then it is time to read "The Teddy Bears' Picnic"

2) And eat lunch outside on their blankets.  Do your kids get to eat outside?  No. Well, maybe they can reserve a stall or two in the parking lot so that the kids can do that every once in awhile.

3) And then pose for a class picture with their bears.  Does your school have a momma like me?  No.  Sucks for you (hehehe, funny, cause writing that doesn't even sound like me, and it totally isn't).

After the picnic they play ring-around-the-rosy with the bears and then they do the Teddy Bear Teddy Bear nursery rhyme, and then they get to free-play and enjoy being kids, on a beautiful day.

While our school might not be a perfect fit for you, it is for us and I don't think I'll question that again.  I adore moments like these, when the children play and learn, and experience life outside of the classroom and playground.  And, I am thankful for teachers like Miss V, who dedicate themselves to what they do.  So, although my Pre-School may or may not be better than yours, it really doesn't matter, cause it is perfect for us!