Pre-School Progress!

Brody, Baxlyn, Kylee & Korbin just started their second semester of preschool. They just KNEW they would be in kindergarten after the Christmas break and were pretty bummed to learn that they were STILL in pre-k! They only go for 3 hours Mon-Fri and, although they enjoy it, they feel like it’s such a loooonnnng time before I return to pick them up. I’m anxious to see how they handle next year when they attend all-day kindergarten at the same school. Dude, they were just born and I’m already blogging about Kindergarten?!

Kylee & Mr. Brody are in the PPCD program while Baxlyn & Korbin are considered general education but they are all in the same, small class with the same teachers. At the beginning of the year I was a little worried about the special bond Korbin and Baxlyn have and how it would play out in the classroom. While they are definitely two independent individuals, I know they think the world of each other and rarely does any other kid compare to their BFF’s awesomeness. To my surprise, their teachers tell me they do great, split up willingly and that sometimes you wouldn’t even know they were siblings. All four have done good academically and are making progress at their own rates. Because of Brody & Kylee being in the PPCD program, we meet often with their teachers and other staff to discuss their progress and any struggles they may be having. They both have individualized plans that are designed specifically for their needs and their teachers do a great job at working with each of them closely on certain things. Brody & Kylee are also receiving physical and occupational therapy through school as well. Although therapy is VERY different in the public school system than it was with ECI, I am thankful they’re getting some extra attention when they can. We’re currently working with a company to start receiving in-home therapy again which I feel is MUCH needed. As a mom who has been thrown into the medical world and learned a little here and there over the past four….umm…FIVE years, I know without a doubt we need the professionals!

My sweet Brody enjoys school as well as his teachers. Each morning while waiting in the carpool line he asks what day it is. It’s important to him to know if it’s a “gym day” a “computer day” or a “playground day” and he likes to know BEFORE he walks into the school what the agenda is. He is smitten with a precious little girl in his class and talks about her constantly. He’s always the last one out the door when I pick them up, insists on hugging his teachers goodbye, waving through the window at all of his friends and loves it when he get’s a chance to say hello to his little friend-girl’s mommy :] During the 20 feet walk from the school door to our car he has already told me what he did that day, what color his teacher’s shirt was and asked multiple times if I want to take him to Shogun for lunch. Brody is still my BIG TIME NON-STOP TALKER but is sweet through and through. Here’s how he currently writes his name – HUGE HUGE HUGE progress over the last couple of months…

He is for sure my least artistic of the bunch. He would MUCH rather be playing outside, picking up sticks, building a fire or riding four wheelers than sitting to color, draw, play games or watch TV. This is a picture he brought home from school that he drew of Bret’s work…

   

I *think* this is his person…

I try to do little learning activities at home with them. Although 99% of the time I feel like a failure in this area, I give myself the credit that I do try. Here’s a little craft thing we did last week. After coloring the “N” we sat and wrote out words that started with “N”. He did the best of the four at thinking of “N” words!

Kylee Mae. She too likes school and is impressing me everyday with what she is learning. She always arrives with a huge smile on her face as she JUMPS (even though she’s told not to) out of the car into the arms of the teacher(s) helping unload them in the carpool line and is the loudest to yell “MOOMMMMYYYYY!!!” when she sees me return to get them. Her teachers tell me that each morning one kid get’s to help with roll call. They say that Kylee can recognize almost everyone’s name and call them without assistance! It’s hard to see, but here’s her name that she wrote…

 

Kylee’s person…

Her at-home “J” project.

Practicing her “Z”.

Their teachers always take time to write a little note about each of them almost everyday. They always say that Kylee tries and tries, weather it’s writing or climbing steps she never gives up! Makes me so proud <3

Ahh…. Korbin Korbin. This guy has been quite the handful lately. He’s four, going on ten. He enjoys school but thinks that because he is smart he doesn’t NEED to go each and every day. It’s always a struggle to get he and Brody out of bed but when he does he’s good to go. He enjoys rockin’ out to the Beatles on the way to school each day and always requests Hey Jude or Yellow Submarine. My kind of kid ;)

Korbin’s person. I’m not sure if it is his name he is trying to write above it but he seems to always write the same “letters” when he does write. No matter what he is sure to write something on his pictures!

Another drawing by Mr. Korbin. Notice the sunshine, the tree on the left as well as the grass :)

Then we have Miss Baxlyn. I really enjoy watching her thrive in the classroom and am excited to see what she does, academically speaking, in the coming years. She is always the first one to pop right out of bed to get ready for school. She still LOVES to draw and color and her imagination is far bigger than her 35lb dainty body. Each day her little binder/folder has multiple pieces of artwork she created that day. She also talks a lot about a certain little girl at school she has befriended. I look forward to meeting some of these friends and learning what kind of personalities each of the quads are drawn to in other people! She writes her first and last name on a daily basis without having to look at it, does great at counting and loves to tell me everything she’s learning at school.

 Baxlyn’s person…

She brought this home the other day. Apparently she has mastered her own name and is moving on to learning to write everyone else’s!

Baxlyn’s rocket ship…

Not only in she big on coloring within the lines, she loves making patterns within her drawings as well. Love my artistic little B!

Oh what I wouldn’t give to be a fly on the wall and see them in action at school! Having them home their entire little lives I’ve gotten the privilege to witness almost every little thing. I’m sure most of you would agree it’s awesome to sit and watch little kids explore and learn and experience things for the first time. I’ll say I am super proud of myself for being able to let go as easily as I have as they’ve started to open their little wings and be cared for and led by other people. I can honestly say I am excited for them and despite the fact that they’re growing WAY TOO FAST, I’m looking forward to seeing my little babies off into Kindergarten in the fall.

Sniff Sniff… :]