It's about time!

After a very long sabatical (pretty much, the entire holiday season) I've started up my pre-school again. Lizzy was just DYING to get it started again. This time, I've actually partnered with my neighbor who was a 1st grade teacher until she had her first baby. She is so awesome and I'm so excited about it. We will each swich off teaching a week. We do it on Tues, Wed, and Thursday for about 2 hours a day. So, the week that I don't teach, I get a 2 hour break 3 days a week! I taught this first week and the weekly theme was "Shapes and Colors". We also learned the letter "A". - By the way, I purcased a Leap-Frog DVD from Target called "The Letter Factory" (Thanks to suggestions from Memory and Violet) and it has done WONDERS for Lizzy and Ryan. It teaches them phonics in a fun way that they can remember. I was having a hard time teaching them why letters make sounds and they were having a hard time remembering the sounds that the letters make. I let them watch this video one time and they just "got it". It was amazing. Now, everytime I introduce a new letter, they remember the sound that it is supposed to make. Lizzy and Ryan can now read two and three letter words. Seriously...I have never been so happy that I spent $9.99. Here are some pictures from my little pre-school that my hubby built me downstairs. I went a little crazy at the school supply store and have all these amazing posters that the kids can learn from. I think it's my favorite area in the house. :)

This is us playing the Color/ Shape cakewalk. They had a blast. When the music stopped, I pulled out a shape from a bag and whoever was on that particular shape, got a sticker. And, yes, our little friend IS picking his nose...

They lLOVED learning that they could mix the primary colors to make other colors. Finger painting is so much fun!

Standing in front of the color graph that we did from magazing clippings. All their work from the day is displayed on these cute, colorful magnet clips that I got from the dollar store and glue-gunned to the chair railing.
They made "creatures" out of various sizes and shapes. Lizzy's was "kicking" the wall - as in the letter "K". (She got that idea from the Leap Frog video)

Thank You...

My neighbors are the best! (Excluding the neighbors across the street, of course) While Jacob is gone, they treat me so good! They always ask me if I need anything from the store, they shovel my driveway and steps, they offer to watch my kids and they even take my trash out for trash day. They are the best neighbors a girl could ask for. I guess they all know that Jacob spoils me and I'm not used to doing those kinds of things. :) I appreciate them so much so I made them these cupcakes (vanilla with bavarian creme filling and bavarian creme buttercream). As much as I appreciate them, I'm glad that Jacob is back home. :)