love bug

There's no other place I'd rather be than in the classroom on Heart's Day. Oh, how I love visits in Miller's class...really any classroom full of little love bugs.  What a pleasure to be able to plan with my neighbor across the street who was also a former teacher. We think alike...and ooh and ahh together over different ideas. She's got bins & bins full of scholastic books for each holiday. And, she's paved the way as a pro on the preschool circuit as she's already conquered the PreK scene with her oldest. What a fun duo we make:)

In case you are curious, Miller is now an expert at sharing his mommy with his friends. Although, he must remind himself out loud to the group during set up time that he is planning on letting me help out with his friends at a different table than his. I think those verbal announcements prepare his little heart to accept the burden of watching his mommy give attention to his classmates. He really has matured this year! No more tears or whines. He's been told that mommies can't come back to help if there are tears instead of smiles. And, he can see that I still shower him with attention when he visits my center. Extra hugs and a little whisper in his ear that I really love his craft seem to do the trick.

Really, it makes all the difference to work with a teacher who welcomes us with open arms. I love her willingness to let us run her centers for the day. This go around, we read the book "Valentine Mice" and made a Hershey kiss craft. The kiddos loved crafting Love Bug polka dot Valentines for their first loves...their mommas. And, every mom of a preschool aged kiddo knows it's all about the frosted cookie decorating with sprinkles galore that really wins the prize in this age group. Ms. C melted my heart with the gift of Miller's handprints in the shape of a heart. Something about a handprint craft makes my heart flip. I snapped a quick picture of Miller and his friend "W" in the hallway between centers. I love how they store all of their weekly projects in their cubbies outside the room. They are learning responsibility, finding their belongings and keeping up with important papers. In a blink, this little Valentine of mine will be posing in front of his locker, so I just had to capture his four year old innocence in front of his nap mat.

And, I'll leave you with our three googly eyed Valentine mice!