A Christmas Program

December 21, 2012

At the end of the semester, Dale's preschool held a wonderful Christmas program at the church.  We got all dressed up and went downtown for the fun.

Dale looked so handsome that he got several compliments from the teachers.  He was very proud of himself.

I swear it was the best preschool Christmas program EVER!

Dale was absolutely adorable on that stage.  He did all the actions and sang all the songs.  His favorite song was called, "There's room in my heart for Jesus," and he still sings it at home today.

Once the program was over, the kids got to decorate and then eat cupcakes.  What a treat it was for Dale.  He picked his spot at the table right next to his best friend, Benen.

This is the only picture I got of Dale with his teacher Mrs. Armstrong, because he got all shy when she approached us.  Although Mrs. Armstrong swears Dale is the opposite of shy in class.  Hmmm.

Once we got back home, the kids played for several hours.

Eventually everyone pooped out.

Cone Christmas Tree

It's always a treat to see what Dale will come home from school with.  On this day it was clear the teachers were trying to pay the parents back for something.  

All the mothers sat quietly waiting.  Some had already picked up the art their child had made, while others pretended not to notice it.  I couldn't ignore it, that messy green pile.  There it was, with Dale's name written on it.  It was all I could do just to keep little sister from destroying it in the five minutes we waited for Dale.  Then many discussions about our new discoveries began:

"Is this edible?"

"What in the heck is this thing?"

"How are we supposed to get this home?"

"Do the teachers hate us?"

When all the little ones started appearing from behind the doors, they were all very excited about their new Christmas trees.  Dale could hardly wait to get home and eat his creation.

"Darn," I thought, "Now I can't pretend like I accidentally left it at school."

The drive home was fun, and by fun I mean horrifying.  Every turn I took, every step on the brake pedal was slow and calculated, as I eyed the bright green mountain of frosting sitting next to me in the passenger seat.  I swear it was laughing at me.

It was also fun trying to get Dale to eat lunch before the frosting cone, but eventually I caved, and Dale got his treat.

He allowed Rose to eat a few M & Ms dipped in frosting, and then he began to lick away.

Since Rose had a tiny taste of the green treat, she spent the next several minutes trying to get Dale's tree.  It was great entertainment for me.

Dale also came home from school with a few other art pieces that day.  They were much cleaner.

The Kids in My Car

You never know what you're going to get when you put two toddlers in a car together.  Some days Dale and Rose are as happy as can be, and other days I feel like I'm trapped in a screaming oven.  Thank goodness most of the time our car rides are peaceful.  There are even days when the smiles are overflowing.

 

The smiles have nothing to do with the candy.  Nothing at all.

 

It was hat day at school, and when given the choice of any of his hundred hats, Dale chose this one.  He didn't even hesitate.  He wanted his cowboy hat, so he could be like his friends at school.

The Dude was feeling pretty cool with his hat on.

These Kids Make Me Smile

The week before Thanksgiving, Dale came home from school with some pretty cool accessories.  The head piece with bright yellow feather became Dale's new favorite toy at once.  He wore it for days and played various imaginary games with it.  The gorgeous stunning necklace immediately became my very favorite thing anyone has ever given me.

 

 

Generally the first thing Dale does when we return home from school is put his jammies back on and start to play with whatever it is that he brought home that day.  Dale is crazy creative. He has been known to come home from school with pieces of yarn or feathers or other small bits and then make unusual creations with them.

 

Don't bother taking it down.  He'll just rebuild it somewhere else.

 

Dale's creativity often extends to his wardrobe.

 

 

Never a dull moment with these two!

 

Dale's Fourth Birthday

November 8, 2012

Dale's fourth birthday

 

On Dale's birthday, he got to be the special birthday kid at school, which meant he could bring a favorite snack and a favorite book to share with the class.  Our snack choice was homemade cookies with extra messy sprinkles, and our book choice was "We're Going on a Bear Hunt" by Oxenbury and Rosen.  We made a big deal out of Dale's day at school and even got all dressed up.

 

Cute kid.

Pretty school.

 

Once school started, Dale got to sit in the special birthday chair, where everyone sang "Happy Birthday" to him.  Then he got to pick a little gift from the birthday box and show the class his pick.

 

Ms. Armstrong and Ms. Grogan are Dale's teachers.

Rose entertained herself with all the toys.

Where on earth does he get this from?

 

Once we left school, Rose, Monga and I ventured to Starbucks for some coffee, treats, and chatting, and then we shopped for new dresses at The Gap.  Rose is unbelievably adorable in the mornings after dropping Dale off at school.  It makes me want to buy her things.  I'm in big big big trouble.

 

Community Helper Day

October 30, 2012

 

The week of Halloween at Dale's preschool was celebrated with a nod to community helpers instead of scary masked creatures.  I had to scramble to find Dale a costume that represented someone in the community we respected.  Not that I had a gory bloody monster picked out already for Dale, but because what I was planning just didn't jive with the theme all that well. 

Enter Monga.  Our savior on many an occasion, Monga happened to discover the perfect thing at an estate sale just a few days earlier.  She put it in the mail, and off Dale went to school, donning his surgical mask and cap.  Doctor Dale sounded pretty awesome too.  Normally I would have thought, a doctor, really?  How boring.  But since my grandfather was a doctor, I have a soft spot for those dudes.

 

We don't go to the church where Dale's preschool is, but it's so stunning to behold twice a week.

The teachers generously paraded the kids in front of all the grinning mothers outside in the courtyard.  Four year old kiddos are cah-ute!

Turns out no one else could think of anything on such short notice either.

 

Looking back at these pictures now, I can see the scene really wasn't all that spectacular, but I was certainly beaming with pride as Doctor Dale walked with his class that morning.

 

Dale's First Day of Preschool

September 13, 2012

 

Dale's first day of preschool!!!

 

And Rose's first day alone with Mommy.

Dale was feeling super cool and confident with his new haircut and new shoes.

Since the preschool building is still under renovations, the school has moved into the church for the time being, which means we get to walk up super cool stairs every day.

"Can I please go sit on the stairs, Mommy?  Pleeeease?"

Preschool models.

Once we finally got inside the school, Dale got comfortable quickly.  He was slightly concerned that Mommy and Daddy were going to leave him there, but the teacher grabbed the kids' attention immediately, and all the parents slowly left.

Nobody told the kids where to put their name tags.

Are there any brunettes in this town?

 

I cried the whole way home.

New Beginnings

The day before Dale's preschool started, we went to the open house to explore.  Dale gave his new teacher one huge smile before hiding behind Daddy's leg.

 

A smile and a crotch grab, that is.

Rose was already firmly planted in her spot between my legs.

Once we got inside the building, Dale went nuts exploring all the new toys.  We chose a play based preschool for Dale, because we wanted him to grow socially.  Plenty of time for all the other stuff later.

 

On the same day as the preschool open house, Dale's new dance class began.  Dale was super excited about his dance class.  He entered the building like he owned the place, changed into his ballet shoes, and walked right into his class with his new friends.

 

 

Dale appears to be the youngest in his class.  The teachers invited Dale to join the 4-5 year old class, even though he would be three when the class started.  Yay, Dale!

 

And the tap shoes!!!  When Dale puts those shoes on his feet, he gets a new burst of energy and a sparkle in his eye.

Future tap star.

Meanwhile, little sister Rose entertained the other mommas with her loud demands for everyone to say "Hi!" to her.

Even the mannequin was greeted by Rose.