Evan counting 1....2.....3...splash!

Parade at Preschool

Friday at school was the Purim Parade. Ellie dressed up as a queen! James and Evan got to go watch. We are both very proud of Ellie for helping a friend during the parade. She wasn't asked to help, she just helped! We (all of us, not just James and I) must be doing something right! 

Just another Saturday afternoon activity with the Duffy kids.

Typing a message on fb

This just cracks me up....

The Music Studio

Today Ellie's class got to take a little field trip to a place called The Music Studio in Albany.  (Evan got to go too!) Both kids really enjoyed playing instruments and dancing around! Here are three quick videos from the trip.  

The first is my favorite. The teacher asked for a volunteer and right away Ellie's hand shot up and she exclaimed "pick me!!!!".  Here she is working on a rhythm with the teacher. 

This is the teacher telling the kids about different beats and rests. Watch Evan! haha

They were pretending to be airplanes.  When the notes were high they were flying and when the notes were low they had to land.

Each night before she goes to sleep, Ellie (knows exactly how to manipulate me into letting her stay awake) asks me to tell her about my day at work. "How was work?" she asks, and genuinely wants to know.  She remembers certain kids and asks if I saw them that day. She asks if the kids made good choices. I think it's great because I completely model for her how to talk about the day so it isn't just "it was good."  Then it is her turn to talk about her day at school. First I ask her how she felt during circle time. She remembers and can express why she felt happy, angry or whatever. Then it's like a faucet turns on and she tells me (in detail) everything she did that day. I'm pretty sure she just wants to stay awake, but I love hearing her stories (some of them are even funny! She knows how to make a story funny!!!) She reports back about her art projects, and tells me the steps she took to create her work (meanwhile I'm taking mental notes for my kindergarten kids). Then it is song time. My musical learner teaches me the words to new songs "Repeat after me, Mom!" I love it and our pillow talk.

Here is a long video but it's fun to watch. She is singing songs from her preschool, which happens to be Jewish as well. (We are not Jewish, so she literally teaches me new sounds, which is why she giggles when she makes the ch sound). The second video is of her pretending to take her pups to school.