Daycare to Preschool!!!

Linnea started daycare just over a year ago and started preschool a week and a half ago!

The time sure flew by!

Here she is just over a year ago on her first day of daycare...

And here she is on her last day with Karen and Jenny.

We also needed to get a picture with her fav teacher on the baby side, Julie. She did not go here as a baby but whenever she would wake up early from her naps she would go over there (just down the hall) to spend some quiet time together. The toddler and babies were also outside together sometimes too so all the teachers get to know all the kids.

And below she is all set for preschool in her Tink shirt and new easy to get on and off pink boots!

We were so happy with the daycare she received at A Child's View so we are sticking with them for preschool. Even though it's the same company, Linnea is at a brand new to her bigger building, with two new teachers (one from Russia, so she may pick some of that up soon) and about 10 or 12 new preschool kid faces! She recognizes three or four of them from about 6 months ago when they moved onto preschool so that has definitely helped. We really used them to get her excited to go and I truly think it helped!

She made it to the breakfast table and was happy to be there.

And maybe a little embarrassed I was taking a picture ;)

Here she is after her first day at preschool with her good job big cookie surprise from mommy and daddy!

When I dropped her off the first Monday which was the Monday of Thanksgiving week there wasn't a tear in her eye or any signs of nervousness! She walked in, took her boots and coat off on her own like a big girl and seemed so comfortable. It was great! However, I was sort of expecting that because I knew she was excited and really wanted to go. She was the oldest by about 6 months at daycare and getting bored there and being naughty which means some unfun time in the corner. She also is potty trained, which is a requirement for this preschool so yay Linnea!

She was pumped to move on but a little sad to be leaving her friends and teachers. We made her friends some little gift bags full of gummy bears and teddy grahams with a note saying, "here are some bear hugs from me. Thank you for being my friend. I will miss you and hope to see you in preschool." Her teachers got homemade cards, gift certificates to the movies and some soup in a jar and M&M's in a jar with a nice little poem I found on Pinterest about being marvelous and magnificent.

So anyways...back to the first week or so of preschool. We decided to do it Thanksgiving week so it would only be three days to start with rather than a full week. The first two days she did great but got a little shy on that third day and tried to cling to me and wanted me to carry her to the breakfast table. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving which you will read about in a different post. She made it through her first full week as of last Friday, she made it, but it wasn't without tears this time. She cried at every dropoff, but I did get a call from the owner who visits each of his daycare facilities daily. He called Wednesday to tell me she was doing just great and stopped crying real quick after I left so I shouldn't worry and should just have a good day. He said he gave her a hug and comforted her and she perked right up.

They have a music person come every Wednesday who I guess Linnea loves! She shows off her dance moves, which are really something to see. I will try to get a video. Chris meanly compares her to Elaine from Seinfield but I think she is better! So she loves that part, loves the older toys, new art projects, new puzzles, books and new friends. What she does not love is walking. And they go on LONG walks. At least a mile. I don't think she has ever walked that far. So if you can picture a line of 15 or so kids, the one hanging out in the back whining/crying hopefully not sitting down would be ours. Oh well. If that is all we have to deal with for now, I will take it. We can easily practice walking with her. And once she figures out where it is they are walking to I think she will enjoy it more! Because the destination has always been fun...either a book store, library, bank where they get suckers (her fav candy in the world) or a park.

We are so proud of our big girl and can't wait to continue watching her grow and learn!