Oh The Places She'll Go...

The two week wait from Sam's first day to hers was hard on Annabelle, but we managed to have a lot of "girl days" in there and I was actually quite pleased with the schedule this year!  Plus, after seeing a school supply list that looked something like this, I knew there'd be all kinds of cool things waiting for her when she got there:

Why so many plates?  Because they empty their lunch containers and serve themselves every day.  Practicing table manners, utensils, etc.  Seriously.  Below is a picture of her clutching her "welcome back" letter she received in the mail.

The director of Annabelle's preschool works hard to keep classes/groups of kids together as much as possible as the move through the school.  I appreciate this so much, as it really helps to create a sense of community for both the parents and the kids.  This year that effort led or little lady to a wonderful set of teachers and a room full of familiar faces!

Ms. Kendra and Ms. Britten have been at this for a while now.  They've got quite the set-up for their room!  Their class theme is "Oh The Places You'll Go," based on the Dr. Seuss book.  The theme not only allows for an adorably-decorated classroom (guess what's behind the door labeled "stink, stank, stunk?"), but also conveys their international focus.  Each week the class "travels" to a new country where they learn about the culture, a new letter, perform a science experiment and even cook their own snack!  This class is cramming so much "extra" into their days - I wish I could go hang out sometimes.  And I kid you not, I have already learned a few things with the materials about the different countries that she has brought home.

She was not interested in a picture with her teachers on "Meet the Teacher" morning, but she was more than ready for her turn in front of the camera by the time her first day rolled around.

I'm happy to report that by this time in the year, she is already asking "why not?!" when I tell her that tomorrow is not a school day for her.

For the record, we did have sprinkle pancakes again on her first day but I did not take a picture.  Also, she has yet to nap even once at preschool.