As I mentioned in an earlier post,
this was the first year that we've participated in
Joy School (think, pre-school) Co-op.
Owen was our guinea pig,
and after some initial trepidation he took
to it easily.
However Owen wasn't the only one being
thrown into the deep end of the pool,
I was too!
The Co-op portion meant that I would be responsible
for teaching approximately 6-7 classes,
organizing a class field trip and class party, and
assisting for an additional 6-7 classes for another teacher.
And all with Gabriel underfoot!
Whew!
I'm tired already!
Looking back though,
the experience was really great.
The time really did fly by,
and it was fun having this barage of little ones
invade the house each week.
I read, or heard in a movie,
children referred to as,
"Ankle-biters".
I really liked the term,
and that's exactly how I'd describe these little guys!
But in a cute and endearing way,
of course!
Meet the gang!
{note}
Owen was camera shy at the moment.
My lesson theme focused on
"Bugs & Crawly Things".
It was a perfect subject for little ones,
and luckily the weather cooperated
for plenty of outdoor exploring.
It still amazes me how often we hit the jackpot
in finding all kinds of bugs in the backyard.
We lucked out by finding a huge grasshopper, praying mantis,
and fuzzy caterpillar.
Granted,
I did help some things along,
like when I thought of the brilliant idea of purchasing live
ladybugs from Green Acres Nursery.
All was well
while the little guys were contained and snoozing
in a deep sleep in the fridge,
but of course I just had to cut open their packaging
to move them to a netted bug container.
How was I supposed to know ladybugs can easily
squeeze through tiny netted holes?
And that the moment they're removed from the fridge,
they wake up and start moving around like crazy?
Long story short,
I had another brilliant idea
and just shoved the whole mess back into the fridge
hoping everyone would settle down again.
They did,
but for weeks we found ladybugs
in odd places all over the place
(the vegetable drawer, the ceiling, etc.-)!
{note}
Did I mention each package of ladybugs contains
1,800 of the little buggers?
Busy bees!
For our class field trip we visited
Bishop's Pumpkin Farm!
We were a little stretched on time,
but if you're looking for a fall experience,
you can't beat everything this place has to offer.
You can't go wrong with any holiday party,
but come on,
Halloween is right up every kids alley!
P A R T Y I T I N E R A R Y
D E C O R A T E S U G A R C O O K I E S
G A M E S
P U M P K I N G U T S 1 0 1
M U D & W O R M S P U D D I N G C U P S
M O V I E :
T H E G R E A T P U M P K I N , C H A R L I E B R O W N
Later,
as an assistant,
we visited the Utility Exploration Center
and the Universal Playground!
All in all,
it's a relief to be done!
And though I do miss my ankle-biters,
now I get to drop off Owen and know he's having
loads of fun and learning so much too...
at someone elses house!
{smile}
