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