THE PITTMANS...

Last weekend there was a wedding! :-) I was a bridesmaid and well, those duties made it a little hard to be a mom too! ;-) Lucky for the kids and I...Nana and Papa took care of them for one night and two full days! We drove up there last friday and I left Saturday morning. Then, my parents drove them down to the wedding Sunday night. Needless to say, Monday morning...we were all exhausted! Josh decided that feeding the ducks(and fish) would be a good thing to do...so...off we went to Coffee on the Rocks! It is a coffee shop/cafe in Estes Park with a pond out in front......My mom took some pictures for me and well, this summer the ducks and fish will be going on a gluten free diet! ;-) (that's the bread we used...although I think it may not last long because the kids kept eating the ends of the loaf too....) It was one piece for fish, two bites for them...or something like that....

Oh yeah...by the side door there was a nest....this one little guy just peaked over the edge at me and I snapped his picture...this got me intrigued and fortunately there was a bench right there I could stand on...then I got some shots of the little guy with his siblings...I felt bad, I wasn't their mom with any worms...just someone else's mom with half eaten gluten free bread crumbs in my pockets....

ooooo....there's Nana!!! :-)

Josh's pre-school and all that it encompasses was an incredible blessing to all of us. The founders of Preschool Partners, Jim and Mary Kretchman(who founded The Classical Academy) have created a school that fits Joshua, perfectly! When we were in the process of moving here last year, obviously one of the hardest decisions to make is where kids will go to school. I thought that the best fit for Josh was a traditional Montessori school because he'd be able to stand and work if he needs to or sit on the floor to complete a task, etc. However, for Josh it was too overwhelming with too many things going on at the same time. Anyways, our realtor Benjamin Day recommended Preschool Partners to us. His 3 boys actually d0 go to a montessori school, but he had friends whose kids went to PP. It is definitely not your 'traditional' preschool these days but, like I said earlier, it is perfect for Josh.

I went and observed for an hour last spring and was VERY hesitant because these 3-4 year olds were sitting on their spot on the rug for 20 plus minutes...not moving, engaged with the teacher, raising their hands, etc....I was thinking, there's NO WAY Josh can sit like this...he'll go crazy or chew either his hand, collar or sleeve off!!! I expressed my concern to Jim who was with me and then talked with me afterwards. Jim reminded me that this was April and the end of the year...and that at the beginning of the year it's not as "still!" I learned that he fully knew of Sensory Processing Disorder as well as the Star Center!! He spoke my language as he talked about the developing brain and the vestibular system and the proprioceptive system and how they try to incorporate their teaching with these ideas in mind! It was a God appointment I tell ya!! So...here we are a year later...Ms. Clayton, Josh's lead teacher and Mrs. De la Roche, the aid, were simply fantastic!

Their name, Preschool PARTNERS, comes from the idea that that's what they do! They come along side the parents and partner with us to help our children during these 2 years to grow and learn to the best of their ability!! With summer starting now, I feel a big hole! I did not realize how much this notion helped me while Eric has been gone. The school DID partner and help me immensely teach Josh and be there for Josh during the year with his dad gone. By the way....I'm not being paid or anything to write this post! HA! I'm truly that grateful for them. On Josh's last day of school I was the one with tears in my eyes when we said bye to Ms. Clayton...they weren't tears of sadness but of joy and thankfulness.

They took pictures throughout the year of the kids and gave us a cd with copies of them all...here are some that I uploaded!

Oh yeah...the best thing that I forgot to mention is Josh will be in the afternoon pre-k class next year and he will be with Ms. Clayton again and his friends from this year! This is something they try to do is have consistency for the kids! This....is very good for Josh(and his mom!)

at the beginning of the year....

look...he's sitting....Ms. Clayton did give him the back corner so he could have a little bit more wiggle room without bothering the other kids....

they'd have spanish and/or chinese come in once a week...they also had music almost every week too...this...he loved!

the way they helped the kids use their imagination while learning about history was awesome!!

every week there was the 'line leader' that got to use the big stick and point to the calendar days, hold the flag, lead the songs....

the boys...

snack time after their recess time

they had a pajama day and this stuffed bear was the classroom bear that would help you feel better and snuggle with you if you needed some!!

these pictures they were re-enacting the Boston Tea Party...and dropping tea bags into the water below! HA..you can see this loft they are on...this loft was a space ship, a viking ship, and who knows what else...down below is their reading hideout....

Ms. Clayton....last summer during the open house she knew of josh's sensory issues and instead of asking me what that meant...she goes on to tell me that for her sensory kids she's had she uses heavy work and asks them to help her carry things, push things, etc. or gives them fidgets etc....I mean, seriously, I was in shock. I didn't have to explain it to her...she knew, she already had tools in place...this is because Jim and Mary have extra training for the teachers in the school and educate them on SPD and then they can help identify and support those children and families! Awesome!