First Day of Preschool (9.10)

Ella had her first day of preschool.  It's a parents observation preschool. Well now they refer to it as parent and child preschool. We signed up way back in March.  (March 17 actually).  We were even wait-listed for awhile first too.  I can't believe how full the class was so early.  They offered a Thursday 3-5 PM class and a Friday 9-11 class.  Of course I preferred Friday but said we'd take either one. I'm pretty sure we might have been able to get into the Friday one since we got in on Thursday so early. But at the time I wasn't sure. I'm glad we got in at all.

I explained what preschool was to Ella earlier in the week.  Then a couple days later, I mentioned preschool and asked her if she knew what it was. She nodded.  Then I asked if she wanted me to explain it to her again just in case. She shook her head but I told her anyway.

The basic agenda is you show up at 3 pm and you play inside or outside until 3:45. Then at 3:45 you have music time and then story time and snack time. Once that's over it is play time until 5 PM.

I thought I'd get some first day of school pictures before nap since her normal nap time is so late. Ella thought she got to go to preschool then. It was sad. Then she thought if she posed for more pictures she'd get to go to school.

I tried to get Ella down for a nap early but failed.  She knew preschool was coming.  Then she knew that she had to nap before preschool.  She didn't do well going to sleep. She got quiet and lied really quickly.   Then she got up and stood and cried and wanted out. She thought she napped.

It was pretty early. I asked her if she wanted to go to school early. She did.  We drove there but took the long way and also looped around a little bit.  We still arrived over 20 minutes early. I put sunscreen on her in the car and then we chilled there a little bit. We went in about 15 minutes early. Someone else went in right after us.   Ella made a friend right away.

Slowly people showed up. Ella had fun playing. She was very good besides when she didn't want to share the toy stroller. She had it but then was done then someone else was using it and she wanted it back.  She didn't need me for hand holding but I stuck close by because inside toys stay inside and vice versa. Plus she liked to try to drink or eat things from the water table.  The slide was blocked off with tape. I thought it was because it was hot earlier in the day. It wasn't hot then. Ella shimmied under the tape and went down the slide. I asked the teacher why and she was surprised it was taped.  So she took it off.  Well we mostly took it off. A little bit of tape seemed to make the kids want to use it more.

Ella wore her hat for over 45 minutes at preschool. I was impressed.

Ella was no dummy. When she first used the water table she squeezed water from the sponge on her to cool off.

She played with playdough a little bit too.

When it was music time, Ella had fun. She signed to go potty and pointed right to the kid's bathroom. I have no idea how she knew that's what it was. Nobody even opened the door to go in. We went in twice. She was so in love with it but wouldn't go. The toilet was a little kid toilet. She loved how low it was. There was also a toddler potty seat cover and she loved that. There was a little step stool too.

We went in twice during song time. I didn't mind missing out on the songs. She never actually went though.

Then at snack time, she was so good.  Since they are at a church now while construction is being complete, they don't have the tables to sit at. They put a tarp down inside to eat on. We sat in a circle and the teacher read.  We ended up sitting what would be 2 beside the teacher so it was hard to see. So Ella moved to face me and the teacher and enjoyed her snack. She also enjoyed some of the girl beside her's snack.  The tarp was also inside versus outside because it was so hot. The teacher said in all her years teaching, that was the first time she ever wore shorts.  It was in the upper 90s and felt hotter inside than outside. It was pretty miserable. Ella had pink cheeks.

Once story time was over, it was time to play again. Ella had a blast on the big play structure and the fast slide. She'd fly right off the bottom. None of the other kids liked the slide. It goes really fast. They'd go down once and not go down again. Some hit their heads too.

Ella used the water table again. She soaked the sponge and then put it in the sand and tried to eat it in a matter of seconds. Some other mom took the lid of her son's sippy cup and let Ella rinse her mouth with it. I had Ella spit like she does when she brushes her teeth.  She got a lot of sand out.  I can't believe how much sand she got.

When playing on the play structure she did sign to go potty but then changed her mind so she could play more. She wouldn't have gone in that bathroom anyway. But she did pee a tiny bit in her pullup after this. There were less than 15 minutes left in preschool so she did pretty well.

When it was time to leave, there was a goodbye song. We were to sit in a circle and Ella went and sat right beside the teacher. Someone else brought a book to the teacher and I guess Ella got jealous because she then went and sat right on her lap. She was on her lap during the entire goodbye song.

During each preschool session parents have pages from a book to read. For day 1 it was pages 1-4 and 1-3 were given to us at orientation so there wasn't that much to read. The 4th page was a poem. I never went to look at it. I will have to catch up next time.

Once we got to the car, I took a little video of Ella asking her if she had fun and stuff. She'd nod or shake her head to answer my questions.

Since Ella missed her nap, she fell asleep on the way home. We were only 2 minutes from home.  I was able to transfer her to her bed she was so tired.  I immediately called my mom to tell her about it and then got off the phone as soon as Dave and his dad and step mom came in the door.  I told them all about it then showed them some pictures.  I think I was more excited than they were but I saw Ella rocking it so I was just so overly happy about it all.

She woke up Friday wanting to go to preschool. She was bummed she'd have to wait an entire week. The 2nd class I'm in charge of an art project so I hope preschool goes as well.

All clean getting ready for school

 At first Ella didn't understand posing with the sign and sat down to pose.

Then she had issues with holding up the sign.

Then she thought she posed enough so she thought we got to go to school.

But then she started to get it!

Then I took too many pictures so she stomped on my signs.

She tried putting on makeup! I was putting on lipstick and eye shadow and she tried to copy.

 We killed a little time!

 I took some pictures with Ella. It's my first day of preschool with Ella after all.

Look how nice Ella looks here and then I'm blurry and in the next one I look good and she's not looking at the camera.

After our failed nap we actually got ready and this is her getting ready. The hat and purse were all her!

Now we are actually ready to go and she is taking her tooth fairy pillow too that she wears as a purse.

As soon as we get in she's climbing.

She sits right beside someone and makes a friend when they are the only 2 there.

The potty that she asked to use but then didn't use.

Sitting in the song circle.

 Sitting on the snack tarp.

Leaving School

Tired

I took many more pictures. Some were blurry or grainy. But most have tons of other kids in them and I didn't want to post those.