1st Day of Pre-K (Plus a FREE volume of Signing Time!!)

"Oh my gosh, it's happening...  Like right now, this is it!" I excitedly whispered to my husband as Ellie held up her "1st Day of Pre-K" sign proudly, unicorn backpack strapped to her back.

We had lived up this past summer.  I especially wanted to make the most of each day together, knowing these days weren't forever, and I kept tucking away little moments in my heart.  We excitedly counted down the days to September 1st (with alphabet cookies and everything), when Ellie would get to start her first official day of "real" school.

We searched high and low for the perfect little backpack (yay for Skip-Hop!).  We hit up Carter's for the first day of school outfit.  I even got a new lunchbox for E, even though she wouldn't be needing it at school just yet. (Can you tell I love this whole school thing??)

We got a postcard from her teacher, and she eagerly wrote a letter back.

Sounding out each letter as she writes.

We went to see the new classroom and meet her teacher (even scoped out the bathroom), and talked all about what school would be like.  I asked if she would want her to teacher to call her Ellie or Elizabeth, and she decided on Elizabeth. :)

We got "first day of school" books from the library, and read her favorite Berenstain Bears one again, too ("The Berenstain Bears Go to School").

I printed out the classic sign for her to hold for pictures, and got her morning routine all ready so she could practice a few times before the big day.

Then last night arrived--we laid out her clothes, made sure her backpack was ready, and went to bed.

When my alarm went off this morning, I smiled thinking, "It's really here... Ellie's first day of school."  I got myself ready before she was up, and David whipped up the pancake batter.  I had some playdough on the table for her to play with when she got up, and spelled out a special note for me "I LUV YOU." :)

She was so surprised when we started singing "Happy 1st Day of School to You," and brought out the special red plate with a candle for her to make a wish.  (She wished we could go to Sky High again--since we'd just closed out our summer break with it yesterday.)

I couldn't resist making "Pre K" pancakes, since my mom got me this fun pancake pen a while back that's been just too fun.  And I really wanted to make this day special for her.  I love family traditions, and I always loooved back to school as a kid (just ask my mom), so this mama has seriously been beyond excited for this big event.

Ellie asked a few times how many more minutes it was till school, so we didn't need to ask twice when it was time for her to put on her shoes and get her backpack.  As David helped her into her backpack, it just became that much more real.  Kind of like when you first find out you're pregnant, but it doesn't really hit you until you see that little gummy bear in the ultrasound and hear their little heartbeat??

So as we handed her the sign and I saw her beaming at me through the camera's viewfinder, my heart just melted.  It was happening.  Her first day of school was here.  And I couldn't be more proud.

Walking to school from our house.

We cracked up that she even drew a little picture of herself above her name. (Right above the second L)

The first thing the students do is get a book from the bookshelf and sit on the rug to look at it quietly.  She asked me where the books were, so I walked her over, helped her pick out an I Spy book, and then she was good to go. :)

David and I walked back to the house together (we're just 3 minutes away--love it!), and it felt so weird being in there without Ellie.  After I kissed him goodbye and he left for work, I sat down on the couch and thought... now what?  It feels so strange not having my chatty little buddy at home with me, asking constantly, "Mommy, would you like to play with me?"

I'm looking forward to the days I'll have where I'm not teaching classes where I'll get to just run errands quickly or get some house cleaning done, or work on Little Sign of Mine stuff, or exercise.  But it's definitely going to take time to adjust!  I always thought I'd have some one-on-one time with our next little one while Ellie was at school, so there's a sad emptiness there...  But I'm grateful for each season God is giving us, and I'm ready to go make the most of it.

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I love that Ellie's class will be practicing the alphabet in sing language--that was how I first came across my love for signing (in Kindergarten)!  I absolutely love how signing helps little ones learn and remember so many things.



So I'm excited to share that Signing Time is giving away a FREE episode!!!!  No loopholes or gimmicks, it's just yours!!  "Welcome to School" is Volume 13 from their first Signing Time series, and you can get it for free by entering your name and email here: http://www.signingtime.com/free-video/

One of the best things about this video is it has the ABCs at the end after the credits (which is how Ellie learned her ABCs before she was two!).  And even while Ellie was still one, we used a ton of signs from this video--like CRAYONS, PAPER, CHAIR, TABLE, NAME, PAY ATTENTION (when I would say, "Look at mama's eyes"), QUIET, READ, REST, PAINT, DRAW, and so many more!  Plus I love the song, "Hello Backpack." :)

Hope you'll enjoy it as much as we have!!

Happy 4th Birthday, Ellie Joy

I got a tripod for myself for Christmas with the hope of making more signing FAQ videos and such--without having to play a balancing Jenga-esque-type game with my camera on top of some shoe boxes, on top of a chair, perched on a coffee table. :)

Fast forward to May... Since Ellie's birthday decorations were still up from her party last Saturday, I had an idea for a video project that she could help me with.  She has become quite the little teacher, having gone with me to all my Little Sign of Mine classes for the past 2 1/2 years, and I knew she'd love to take the spotlight to teach some birthday signs for this one.

I shared our little video with other Signing Time Academy instructors, and Rachel Coleman shared it on her Facebook page, too--commenting that Ellie could be an Honorary Signing Time Instructor. :)  She'll take it!!

At the end of the video is some info to enter a giveaway that I'm hosting through Friday, May 29th.  I'll send the Signing Time "Happy Birthday To You" DVD to one lucky winner, and all you have to do is send a clip of you (or your little one) signing the two words, "Happy Birthday," to Ellie. :)  Email me at littlesignofmine (at) gmail (dot) com or tag me on Instagram with @littlesignofmine and using the hashtag #happybirthdayellie.

So without further ado, here's my little Peanut teaching a few birthday signs!

P.S. These signs are great for attending parties as well, and beginning to explain to your little one what birthdays are like.

Signing with Preschoolers

Once Ellie turned three in April, my thoughts about preschool leaped from the back-burner to the front of my mind.

As a kid, my sisters and I didn't go to preschool (we were at home till kindergarten), and I remember being proud of myself for learning how to read before starting school (thanks, Mom!).  But now it seems like it's the norm.  What kids once learned in Kindergarten seems to be what they're expected to know already before they start. (Or is it just me?!)

It's pretty amazing how much our little ones are capable of.  I didn't think Ellie could be reading at this age--and whether it was sign language or just her own interest or iPad games or what--it's been fun seeing her learn and grow. :) 

Some friends and I have banded together to do a preschool day once a week for our little preschoolers.  We introduce some concepts to work on at home for the next week, and it's been really cute seeing them learn and play together.

My goal right now is mainly exposure.  I try to surround Ellie with fun ways to learn, and try to go with what she gets excited about or what her interests are.  With her starting to read, I can already see her expressing frustration with herself when she can't sound out a word.  The little perfectionist. :)  So my hope is to keep it light and enjoyable so it stays fun, and only do little bits at a time.

With fun in mind--and for this sign language loving mama--I get excited about how well sign language and learning go hand-in-hand.  It makes sense after all--it taps into all the major learning modalities of our little ones--tactile, kinesthetic, auditory (since you say and sign together), and visual.  AND it helps with memory (so all that learning will stick).  AND it gets our silly energetic ones moving and staying engaged!  So basically, two big thumbs up all around. :)

This is why I'm absolutely thrilled that the creators of Signing Time have come out with a preschool program, called Rachel and the Treeschoolers!  Ellie has gotten so excited each time a new episode has been released (the fourth one JUST came out!).  I still remember how she'd ask me to sing  "tiny tiny" every night before bed after she first saw it a year and a half ago. (Click link to see a preview of this song from the "Rainy Day" episode.)

 

The themes so far have been about weather, plants, insects, and now the human body.  They're full of cute animal characters (the "treeschoolers"), who are taught by Rachel as she leads them through the steps of wondering, searching for answers, learning, and then sharing with others.  I love that the episodes all have a free Activity Guide to go with them as well--which has been perfect to include in the homeschool preschool we're doing!

Each episode includes a few signs, along with a game, learning from an expert, and a handful of energetic songs.

That's probably Ellie's favorite part--following Rachel's and the kids' dance moves, and singing along to all the songs.  The energetic peanut doesn't even realize she's learning as she's busting out these songs. :) Her favorites that she always hops up to dance to are about thunder & lightning, how a seed grows, photosynthesis, the parts of a bug, and now a funny body-twisting extended version of head-shoulders-knees-and-toes.

Do you have a preschooler (or soon-to-be preschooler) of your own?  If you would love to win your own copy of the newly released episode, "The Amazing Human Body," fill out the rafflecopter below (a $22 value)!  (Shipping to the U.S. only.)  Feel free to email me at littlesignofmine (at) gmail (dot) com with any questions!  

Here's a preview for the newest episode for you to check out!  "The Amazing Human Body" Preview

And you can find out more about Rachel & the TreeSchoolers here.

*Disclaimer: This isn't a sponsored post from Two Little Hands--I purchased the DVD/CD for the giveaway myself, and the rave reviews are my honest own! :)  And if you'd like to purchase any of the TreeSchoolers episodes or any Signing Time product, feel free to email me to place an order. (As a certified Baby Signing Time instructor I'm also authorized to sell their awesome products!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If You Give a Former Teacher a Preschooler

If you give a former teacher a preschooler...
Chances are she's going to want to teach it...

And if she's going to teach it, she will need to make a curriculum plan.
She'll sit down with a cup of coffee, and start by pinning "The ABCs of How to Home Preschool" (#PNRL)

After getting bogged down by the bajillion preschool ideas on Pinterest, she'll need to take a break.
So she'll print the Homeschool Supply List, and focus on #1. Glue.  She can do glue.

She'll head to the nearest teacher supply store.

She'll probably faint from excitement at all the fresh school supplies and that new pencil smell.
She'll want to fill her cart with teddy bear counters and Do-a-Dot Markers, gallon sized paints and wooden pattern blocks.

When she brings home the new supplies, she'll realize she still needs to pick out the curriculum.
So she'll call her best friend/homeschool guru to ask which is the best.

Then she'll go online to order All About Reading and Handwriting Without Tears.
But they'll take 5-7 business days to arrive.

So she'll wander back onto Pinterest to scope out (read: get lost in) all the best homeschool preschool blogs.
She'll download 227 files in one day.

When the curriculum boxes are delivered, she'll tear through them like it's Christmas morning.
Holding the thick books labeled "Teacher's Manual" in her hands, the clouds will part, the angels will sing, and she'll know... she's arrived.

She'll want to run and put on the apple necklace her husband gave her when she first became a teacher.

On her way to her room she'll notice their tiny home and realize... crafts and sensory play were already starting to take over.
So she'll have to rearrange everything.

Mid-way into dumping the entire hall closet contents into the living room and getting learning materials somewhat situated in their new spots, she'll get inspired to start making the Letter of the Week packets she'd downloaded.

Before you know it, she'll be elbow deep in sheet protectors and low ink warnings, so she'll have to go to Walmart.
When she's at the store, she'll remember what another blogger said about a LAMINATING MACHINE (cue heart skipping a beat).

So she'll ask the store clerk if they carry them.  And if they do...
She'll decide it would be counterintuitive NOT to get one.

She'll probably want to try it out that same night.
"I'll just laminate one thing," she'll think.  "And then I'll go to bed."

But, being the night owl that she is, she'll get a second wind.
She'll need to print, cut, laminate, and cut again--FIVE WHOLE WEEKS of lessons.

She might even Mod Podge letters, hot-glue magnets to pom-poms, hole-punch lacing cards, and make play dough mats.

She'll be so excited that she'll want to set out the "T is for Turtle" activities for her preschooler to try in the morning.
She probably won't realize it's 2am.

After making 14 cute little learning stations, she'll happily step back to take a look.
But her eyes will spot all the laminating scraps, toys that had been left out, and some other things to put away.

She'll intend to do a quick tidy-up, but it will end up being a bit more in-depth.
When she's finally done, she'll feel ready to go to bed.  At 4...30...am.

The next morning, her preschooler will probably climb on her to wake her up at 7am.
She'll need to trudge to the kitchen to pour a cup of coffee.

And chances are, her excited preschooler will jump right in ready to learn...
While she curls up on the couch with her coffee, relishing the joy of seeing her little one learn and grow before her eyes.

And she'll be SO thankful God gave her this little preschooler.