Wildflower

This week Eliot started his first day of the last class at Hand In Hand (Wildflowers). They will be doing some things that are a little "older" than the other classes. Like, they still have Circle Time, but they call it Class Time. They will be doing more guided class activities. Also, Eliot has noted that their nap time is shorter. As in, if you don't feel like napping you can go to the Quiet Center. Quiet Center is not to be confused with Book Center. In the Quiet Center you just, "relax and enjoy yourself." It should be noted that this is a quote from Eliot, not the teacher. The other thing that they are doing is called Handwriting Without Tears. The whole class sounds like New Age Feelgoodery to me, but I suppose if he comes out of it with proper handwriting skills and an earlier bedtime then I can look over it.
At any rate, all of his friends are in this new class, too, and they are all very full of themselves. Even at the tender age of 4, they all know that they are the Big Dogs, so to speak. We didn't buy a whole bunch of new school clothes except for these really awesome new sneakers. Naturally, they make him run faster than any other shoes in the whole store, and that's something that I can certainly support.














So we are all really excited about the new class. Even with all of the New Age Feelgoodery I think he'll be prepared next year when he starts Kindergarden.

Geography and Animal Cards

We have a history of interesting Grocery Store Games (as seen here, here, and here). The newest game is very very hard. Brian and I are sorta good at it (thankfully still better than Eliot, although I'd bet that Eliot might be better than YOU!). It goes like this. He looks through the atlas in the car and chooses a state. Then everyone has to name a STATE or a COUNTRY that starts with the first letter of the state. So, if he chooses Alabama, we all have to name countries and states off the top of our heads - Arkansas, Arizona, Alaska, Afghanistan, Albania, Austria, Australia, and so forth.

The other new game is not as hard. It's more like 20 questions, only with animals. I mention it because it's called, for some completely unknown reason, Animal Cards. It is not played with any sort of cards at all. I have no idea why "cards" is in the title. Although I will say that an interesting question came out of our Animal Cards game this afternoon. The animal in question was a pelican. Eliot wanted to know how a pelican gets rid of the "salt water" after it eats the fish. Does it spit it out or swallow it? According to Eliot, both ideas are ridiculous because a) it can't swallow it because it's salt water and b) it can't spit it out because pelicans don't have lips. So, if anyone knows the answer please feel free to let us know. I could Google it, but I really don't feel like putting that much effort into finding out.

sweet little cherub from heaven

It was getting very late last night and I was fed up with Eliot getting out of bed. The excuses had worn thin, and here he was... for the hundredth time. I told him, in no uncertain terms, that this was IT! No more getting out of bed! He held his hands up to me, palms facing upward, with sheepish eyes all a-water, and said, "...But Mommy... I have hurt my precious little hands.." Was I played?? Yes, absolutely! But it just hurts so good that I don't even mind!