Covil Preschool: Days 14,15,16

Covil Preschool just wrapped up its first semester, and I must say, it was quite successful! For a recap of the past three lessons, click on over to Eli's blog. There are no pictures because my hands always seemed to be covered in glitter and glue or filled with books and children. Maybe soon I will be able to get back to taking pics of the completed crafts, but no promises! I am constantly thinking and considering what we should study next. I think next year we will do a unit on space, and maybe something on fairy tales. I try to keep my ears open to the kids' likes and interests of the moment, and currently that remains knights and pirates. Maybe we'll do some lessons on knights and pirates, but it's pretty unlikely.

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things..

An interview with Chloe, age 5.

Foods: Pizza, Meatloaf, Watermelon, Strawberries, Dessert

Books: My Little Pony Books, Care Bear books, Strawberry Shortcake books

Toys: Microphone, Ponies, My Little Pony Ferris Wheel and Roller Coaster

Friends: Ella, Ryan, and Samuel- he's really sweet, and Hannah, and Rebecca, and Melanie

TV or Movie: My Little Pony, Toy Story, Care Bears

Things to Do Inside: Play Games like Thomas cards and Horton, do schoolwork, play superheroes with Eli

Things to Do Outside: Play games, Draw with Chalk, Ride Bikes, Go to the Park

Places to Go: to church, Myrtle Beach, the beach, the pool, Mimi and Grandpa's house, Grandma's house

Favorite things to do at Christmastime: Open presents, look at Christmas lights and drink hot chocolate, peek in our stockings, stay up and watch Christmas shows, sing Christmas songs, be a shepherd

Things That make Me Happy: Dolly, Mommy, Daddy, Eli when he be sweet, game time at Sparkys, Mimi, Grandpa, Grandma, even all my Great Grandmas

It's a Wrap!

Fall Photo Shoot: Siblings

Fall Photo Shoot

Happy Halloween!

Cheer Bear

Pumpkin Day Finale

"I want my pumpkin to be sad. He's sad because he's not with his Mommy and Daddy anymore, and he doesn't even know where they are!"

The Worm Today

Who Chloe is today:
An emergent reader
A ready soccer player
A 100-piece puzzle putter togetherer
An excited Sparky
Future baker
Kind and gentle
A patient teacher
A gift giver
Painter, colorer, and overall crafter
Pizza eating machine
Beautiful both inside and out
Brother's best friend
An exerciser
A reluctant eater of vegetables
Owner of the world's largest sweet tooth
Biker (of the 4-wheeled variety)
Only ten months away from school
A neck-breaking hugger
Mommy's favorite student
Neat and tidy
Possesser of a heart 10x bigger than average
Logical
Thoughtful
Weather geek
Map lover
Presidentially obsessed
Loves her family, and can't bear to leave them
A singer, dancer, and songwriter
Too much tv lover
Mommy and Daddy's little girl
A precious child of the King.

Happy Birthday, Chloe!

Chloe is 5 years old today. Five. I just can't believe it. I've spent the day filled with all kinds of emotions. I've laughed and loved. I've cried some tears. I've reminisced, and I've settled myself back down into the present. I feel so blessed to be her Mommy, and am so incredibly thankful to have had the opportunity to spend the past five years of my life discipling, disciplining, and watching her grow. I pray the Lord will watch over her and keep her all the days of her precious life.

A Special Visit

We had the opportunity to visit with my Grandma and Grandpa Millikan from Indiana this weekend while they were vacationing in Myrtle Beach. Chloe got to play putt-putt for the first time and loved it "almost as much as soccer!" We had a great dinner followed by a nice, long walk on the beach to wrap up our day. The kids had a wonderful time, and Chloe, in her sweet spirit, is devastated to know it will be a long time before we get to see them again. I'm thankful for the wonderful day we were able to share with them!

Fall Means Fair!

It was state fair time again, and per usual, the kids and I made it out two times before the fair packed up and moved on. Chloe would have nothing to do with the animals (mine and E's happiest part), except of course the mules which had signs indicating they were biters. She has seriously taken the My Little Pony fan thing to the next level. Chloe's favorite part was the rides, and I don't mean the kiddie ones. That girl loves to spin! The first day we rode a lot of younger type rides along with the Merry Mixer. We learned our lesson for round 2, and spent our monies on faster rides like the Tilt-a-Whirl and the Spider. I drug the kids' favorite babysitters along with us for round 2, to ride spinny rides in my place. I was so thankful they came!

Covil Preschool: Days 12-13

Since my last update we have had two very special sessions of Covil Preschool. Since Autumn is a favorite time of year in our house, and since every preschool in America celebrates apples and pumpkins, I decided we would have Apple Day and Pumpkin Day.

For Apple Day, I was completely unable to check out any apple related books from the library, since, as stated earlier, every household in America was celebrating apples. I found two fun printable books for the kids to cut and color, and took the opportunity to talk about authors and illustrators. The kids were thrilled to illustrate their own stories, and took every opportunity to read them over and over throughout the week! One book was about the seasons of an apple tree, and the other was a rhyme called Five Apples Up On Top. We also made apple pie pops like Bakerella, and cut apples in half to reveal the star pattern, talk about the apple's parts, and dip them in paint to make prints on canvas bags. It was a wonderful day of fun and learning.

Today was Pumpkin Day, which was quickly revealed to be Chloe's "favorite preschool yet." We read a couple of books on pumpkins that I got early from the library (and am now paying daily fines on,) and then got down to business. We described the outside of an official Holden Brothers pumpkin, then cut the top off and dug in! The kids were fascinated by the strings, slime, and seeds that were found inside. Chloe insisted that the strings were actually cheese. She did a great job digging around and pulling out the innards. J hated it, and refused to play with us, disliking the feeling of slimy hands. After our hands-on pumpkin station, we headed to crafts. We made paper plate pumpkin pies with cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg sprinkled on them and completed with a cotton ball dollop of whipped cream. Earlier in the morning the kids and I made Pumpkin Pie Play-Doh, and after our first craft, they spent awhile making Halloween cookies and pies out of the yummy smelling dough. Then, we ended the morning with one more craft, a pumpkin inside and out, complete with real seeds and yarn for strings, and a few fun pumpkin songs. It was a fun and exhausting day!

I would LOVE to show you pictures, but for that I would need an assistant! Any volunteers??

Covil Preschool: Days 10-11

Day 10

Book: Have You Seen My Duckling? by Nancy Tarfuri

Emphasis: Counting, Repetition

Game: Memory Match- match the Mommy Duck with and uppercase letter to her Baby Duck wearing the correct lowercase letter

Craft: Paper plate ducks

Snack: Duck food (aka Honey Nut Chex Mix)

Letter: E (for eyes.. I know it doesn't work phonetically.. it was the only thing I could come up with to stick on)

Day 11

Book: Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney

Emphasis: Sizes, Love and Kindness

Game: Bunny Hop, Stop, and Hug

Snack: Skipped for McDonald's lunch :)

Craft: Bunny Hugs cards (aDORable!)

Letter: G (is for glue)

On Nutrition

Chloe comes to me after we return home from a fun day at the mall, with her stomach audibly gurgling and rumbling.

"Mommy, I think my tummy is saying, I don't want that chocolate drink! I like water and ice best!, but my mouth is saying, More, more chocolate drink! That's yummy!"

I think that pretty much sums it up!

Soccer Saturday

Chloe started soccer today. We've talked all week about how it's okay to be scared to do something new, and that it's okay to cry, as long as you can stop after a few minutes. I, admittedly, was equal parts nervous and excited about diving into this new feat. I was never any good at soccer, but I always loved it, and hoped Chlo would get into it as well. When we first arrived, she was excited about finding the right field and meeting "new friends," yet as we inched closer to Field #2, the shakes started, and eventually the tears just had to fall. Chloe clung nervously to my leg as other kids played on the field, kicking their balls around and shooting five inches from the goal. Several other girls were clinging to their mommies and daddies appendages for dear life. We only had to wait a couple of minutes before Coach Lindsey arrived. The sweetest little soccer coach I've ever seen. It turned out Colonial put all of the girls on one team, and assigned them a wonderful, young lady as coach! I was so excited to see this from the beginning, but, by the end I was breathing a huge sigh of relief. The girls were flanked on either sides by boy teams with big, swarthy men coaches who were yelling and running complicated drills the first day. The girls practiced running with their balls and played several fun games to get used to each other and to practice listening to Coach's instructions. When it was time for water break, Chloe didn't even want to leave the field to get some, she was having so much fun! At the end of the hour, Chloe ran from the field, gave me a high five, and yelled," Mommy, I LOVE soccer! It's my favorite!" Score.

I love how she holds her hands when she runs.
The girl behind her has amazing hair.

Stopping the ball while keeping her balance proved a little tricky.

So happy!

Covil Preschool: Days 8-9

Day 8:
Book- Mouse Count by Ellen Stoll Walsh
Emphasis- Counting, Predicting, Collaging
Craft- Mouse in the Meadow collages
Snack- Snakes in the grass breadsticks with cinnamon sugar
Chloe really liked this book. She caught on to the cleverness of the mice, and loved how they used their brains to trick the greedy snake. She has read it over and over, and acted out the scenes. I love to see my little ones get excited about literature! I pray their love of reading grows with them.



Day 9:
Book- Lunch by Denise Fleming
Activity- Make Lunch books of our own. They are SUPERcute.
Craft- Sponge paint different colored mice and add details with markers
Snack- Cheese sticks and crackers
Game- Picky Eater Mouse
Letter of the Day- E
(sorry there are no pics for today. sometimes it's hard to be teacher, assistant, and photographer at once!)

Answer to Chloe's Code from last Saturday:
Puzzl- Puzzle
Pllo- Pillow
Clrg Bg- Coloring Book (don't know where the g came from!)
Cri- Camera
Blp Bio- Bunk Bed

Birthday Wishes

Her list is getting lengthy, so I thought I would share it with you all. I dont expect her to get all or any of this stuff, but I promised that I would make a list for her, and that she could use her birthday money to buy whatever she wants provided she saves and tithes first. Without further ado:

Strawberry Shortcake's Berry Cafe Playset

My Little Pony Sweetie Belle's Gumball House

Play Doh Magic Swirl Ice Cream Shoppe

Any of the My Little Pony playsets that come with tiny ponies and a billion little accessories, esp. the pizza party or cheerleading ones.

Anything at all My Little Pony (the theme of this year's party)

Anything crafty

Yesterday we saw a My Little Pony/Play Doh combo that was supercool

And that's all. For now anyways. I have a couple of things that I bought 75-90% off after Christmas at Target. Cool because I save lots of money. Uncool because I can never get what she wants at the time of her birthday. The savings most definitely wins out, though!

While at the Park

Mommy, I wanna be a boy because I'm hot, and then I could have short hair. Also, I really don't want to have to have a baby inside my belly one day.

Saturday Morning

Chloe despises yardwork. She likes to hike and play in the woods. She loves to go to the lake or the park or the mountains and just be in nature. She really seems to enjoy being outdoors, until, someone produces a rake. Then she's as scarce as a good, cool breeze in the middle of July. She just completely disappears! Today when I got home from a Ladies' Secret Sister Breakfast, I found my two boys working hard raking the yard (we filled two big trashcans with leaves just from the front yard!), but Chloe was nowhere to be seen. I went inside to get changed, and found my little sweetie working incredibly hard in her own right, planning Strawberry Shortcake's birthday party. She was creating decorations and cards, and was in the middle of writing a list of all the things Strawberry hoped to get for her birthday, perhaps inspired by her own impending birthday and the evergrowing list of requests she has been formulating. When I walked into the room Chloe excitedly said, "Look, Mommy! I sounded them out. Wanna see?" The list said:
Puzzl
Pllo
Clrg Bg
Cri
Blp Bio

Each item had a line next to it, and ones that had been "purchased" had check marks. In the end Strawberry received everything she wanted. This gave me the perfect opportunity to explain what the word "spoiled" means!

Wondering what the list said? Leave me a message with your guesses, then I'll let you know on Tuesday when I blog again. And just so you know, Chloe couldn't even read the last two a bit later. They're not even close.

Covil Preschool: Day 7

Day 7

After a little holiday, Covil Preschool resumed today right on schedule! As usual, the craft was fun, the snack was weird, and the treasure box was the best time of day!

Book- It Looked Like Spilt Milk by Charles Shaw

Emphasis- Shapes, Repetition

Craft- The kids created Cloud illustrations very much like the ones in the book. They measured and poured and stirred by themselves to create milk paint with water, powdered milk, and blue food coloring. The kids chose a shape to tape on plain paper, and painted over the entire sheet with milk paint. Then the shape was removed, leaving a fun cloud behind!

Snack/Activity- The kids made "Cloud Puff" out of powdered milk and marshmallow fluff. It was the consistency of old PlayDoh. They had fun molding their fluffball into a fun cloud, and then chowing down on it.

Game- Cloud Charades

Letter of the Day- D as in Diamond

Chloe's cloud painting- a birthday cake!

Molding her Cloud Puff

It's a doughnut!

After preschool, we had a picnic lunch and two hour "recess" at Kidstown Park in Apex. The kids had so much fun playing with their friends!

Chloe loves the balance beam.

Covil Preschool: Day 6

Day 6
Emphasis: Colors, Numbers, Opposites
Book: Freight Train by Donald Crews
Activity: Fill a colored "freight car" with items of the same color from throughout the house
Craft: Make a Daytime painting of a Freight Train and a Nighttime painting of a Freight Train
Snack: Use Sweet and Salty Chex Mix to make a food train
Game: Each child got the chance to be the engine and called out colors to the others who would be freight cars. If a child was wearing the color called, they would get in line behind the engine. When everyone was in line, the engine led the cars in a trip around the house
We also went outside for recess to enjoy the beautiful weather and because Chloe asked, "Mommy, can we go outside and do recess just like real schools?"

Daytime Train
Night Train

Playing with our food.

Covil Preschool: Day 5

Day 5
Emphasis: Zoo Animals

Books: 1,2,3 to the Zoo by Eric Carle, Noisytime for Zoo Animals, Splashtime for Zoo Animals, and Mother and Baby Zoo Animals by Caroline Arnold

Activity: Create Zoo maps with construction paper and markers. Draw animals in four corners and use black strips to create roads on the map. Discuss shortest routes to get from one place to another. Practice finding things on the map.

Craft: Animal headbands

Game: A variation of "Mother May I?" and then "Pretend Zoo" per Chloe's request.

SuperGrover navigates his way around the zoo on Chloe's zoo map.

Chloe's zoo map. Clockwise from top left: Lion, Monkeys, Giraffe, Tiger

Chloe chose to be a giraffe because they have loooooong necks.

Close-up giraffe

One Sunday Morning

Covil Preschool: Day 4

Emphasis- Color
Book- Mouse Paint
Activity- Overlap ziploc bags filled with colored water to see different colors
Craft- Make colorful scarfs by dipping straws in colored water and dropping drops onto paper towels
Snack- Crazy Colored Pie made with Fruity Pebbles
Letter of the Day- B

Ready for students!

\

Red + Blue= Purple


Color drops. Chloe had lots of fun dropping different colors on top of each other to create new shades.

Fruity Pebbles Pie

Lazy Daze Festival

Firefighter C

Decorating her shaker

We made a cornhusk doll.

An ice sculpture. No idea what it was once supposed to be.

This pirate had the whitest teeth in the history of the world. Seriously.

We didn't get to see their show because of the thunder and rain.

Covil Preschool: Days 2-3

Day 2:

Emphasis- Shapes

Book- Brown Rabbit's Shape Book

Activity- Find objects in the room that match the shape in student's present

Craft- Dip shapes in paint and make shape prints, then add a cover and bow to make a present like Brown Rabbits

Snack- Sweet Brown Rabbits

Fun and Games- A rendition of Duck, Duck, Goose called Color, Color, Shape that didn't really work for E and J. Balloons from book time proved to be great amusement.

Letter of the Day- A

Solo Time- Bob Books

Day 3:

Emphasis- Alphabet

Book- Eating the Alphabet by Lois Ehlert

Activity- Place toy fruits and veggies to plates labelled with their starting letter

Craft- make placemats by dipping veggie and fruit slices into correct color paint and placing them onto paper (we're laminating them at Staples this afternoon :)

Snack- fruit slices and PB

Solo Time- Bob books and BJU K5 math workbook (B gave it to us because she decided not to homeschool. Chloe is already on page 120/320 and hasn't needed much help yet!)