Preschool

This summer we spent re-doing pretty much everything in my preschool.

Things I DID NOT like about the re-do:

• Sore arms from painting all the walls and the ceiling.
• Standing in my garage painting baseboards-BORING!
• Dust on ALL my furniture and toys.
• Staying up way too late every night so that now my sleep schedule is completely ruined.
• A new complication every day.

Things I DID like about the re-do

• Realizing what great neighbors I have that were willing to help me for little payment (or really none whatsoever).
• Remembering what great friends I have that were willing to help me for little payment (or really none whatsoever).
• Remembering what a great family I have that were willing to help on short notice and with really non-fun jobs, for little payment (or really none whatsoever).
• The BEST thing about the re-do? IT'S DONE!!!

So here are a few after pictures-I didn't take before or during pictures because the whole thing was just too overwhelming for me.

(Warning:there are a lot of pictures-I guess I am just so proud)

The block area is in the center with the art/snack tables on either side of the photo.

This is the "library" and behind that is the math/manipulatives table.

This is the dramatic play area featuring the play kitchen (which is probably my most favorite thing I ever bought for the preschool. The 4 year-old me was THRILLED with it. :)

Our class-time area (notice my preschool shoes that made it into the picture-oops. But they sure are cute huh?)

This is a shot of the art/snack tables and in the background some of my storage/organization.

This is where all the kiddos hang up their backpacks.

The math/manipulative table from a different angle-with a bathroom shot to boot!

The NEW door. I love my new door and I have to say that the money I spent on having the store install it was the BEST money I spent all summer.

As far as closets, storage and organization goes we have a couple different options:

Option #1: The good

Isn't this beautiful? All of the matching containers and their perfect, pretty rows really make me happy.

Option #2: The Bad

There is some organization-and I am REALLY trying...but I still have a little work to do.

Option #3: The Ugly

The Really, Really, Ridiculously Ugly

Now you all know what "labor" I will be doing this labor day weekend. :)

And just to clarify--no one can see "the bad" and "the ugly" so they are my little secret. (except I guess not anymore.)

Too Late!

The other day I was tending Emma and Pratt when Emma and I had the following conversation:

Emma: "Auntie Dawn, I want to see the picture of you in your pretty white dress." (She indicated to one of Cami's wedding pictures.)

Me: "Emma, I don't have a picture like that because that picture was taken when your mommy and daddy got married, and I am not married."

Emma: "Oh. Do you want to get married?"

Me: "Um, if someday I met someone who I really loved and they really loved me, then maybe we would get married."

Emma: After thinking about it for a moment, "Well, isn't it too late."
(I didn't know that 6 year-olds knew how to ask rhetorical questions.)

Me: (answering anyway) "No, I don't think so. I'm really not THAT old you know."

And with that Emma shrugged and trotted off to play.

Wemberly Worried

Tonight I am trying to finish up all the loose ends to be ready for preschool to start tomorrow (like writing 40 names on 10 different things) and I realize that I am feeling sort of nervous.
I don't know why I should feel nervous. This isn't my first year teaching preschool, I'm not going to high school worrying about trying to impress some guy, and I am basically ready.
But I can't seem to talk myself out of it. I try to think about something else and eventually my mind returns to worrying about what to wear tomorrow,(which is silly because I wear the same thing everyday) that I might oversleep (if you know me, you know this is a fairly valid fear) and that something semi-catastrophic will happen (like paint being spilled on my beautiful new floor).
If only I (like Wemberly in one of my favorite picture books) had a bunny with soft ears to rub to calm me down....oh well I guess I will just try to put my nervous energy to good use finishing everything up. :-)

Question: Who's In Charge?

The following happened at the child care center where I worked** on Thursday morning:

Two Boys: "Teacher Dawn, can we go play outside on the hill?"

Teacher Dawn (thinking it is way to early for questions-I mean it's only 8:00am!) "Well, ask teacher Cherish."

The boys look at Teacher Cherish expectantly.

Teacher Cherish: "Why ask me? Who do YOU think is in charge here?" she gestures to me and herself.

The boys look back and forth between us, obviously weighing the importance of their answer. Then in perfect unison they reply, "Teacher Dawn!"

(The question just seemed SO Dwight that I couldn't help phrasing it the way he would. :)

**Friday was my last day of work at Kid Stop (IHC owned child care center in American Fork). I was an emotional mess, there may have been a moment (or 20) when I was laughing and crying at the same time. I am excited to be able run my preschool at full capacity, but I will miss so many of the teachers and children that I worked with there. Thanks to everyone at Kid Stop for all the fun and memories! (and great blog stories!)

Two Great People

Two of the greatest people I know are my cousins Tera and Kevin Jeffs. I have learned so many lessons from them both and love them so much. Kevin, and the example he set through the way he lived his life, have had a powerful impact in my life. Also, I will never be able to walk down a cereal aisle without thinking of him. Kevin passed away this week after a very long battle with cancer. I will miss Kevin. My deep condolences to his sweet wife, Tera, and all of his family.

And The Not So Big City

So I got home from my trip to New York City on Wednesday night (around midnight) and left for our family vaca to Cedar City on Thursday morning. (No I really didn't sleep that night).

I always look forward to this trip, spending time with my family, being in Cedar City (which is a really nice place even if it is small-ish), seeing some good shows, etc. We had fun this year. I saw 3 shows my favorite of which was Fiddler on The Roof. I thought it was a really touching story (no my eyes did not tear up at the end....okay they did) and it was really well done.

Quite possibly the best part of it all is being with the niece and nephews. Here are some pictures of them.

James really liked the new fake Dolce & Gabana bag I got Lindsay in New York. He NEVER wants to hold still and he has the most infectious smile and laugh ever. (check out lindsay's blog to see James laugh.)

Pratt was playing with my sunglasses at the Greenshow. He was dancing up a storm during the greenshow-and yelled when the music stopped or switched to a slower song.

Emma watching the green-show. She really does enjoy watching the dancers and eating the treats that you can buy there. She also had a great time with a little photo shoot she produced. I went looking for Emma and Eric and my camera and I saw them by the "swamp" as Emma calls it. (Really just a little water-feature). Anyway I watched as she directed Eric to the right places to stand in order for her to take pictures of him! (Eric would do ANYTHING for her.)

Please to enjoy:

I am just so glad that she used MY camera so that I can own these pictures forever! I wonder how I can use these to torture him......

Emma also directed herself in a couple of shots that she made Eric take.

The Big City

Saturday: "I was MADE to live in a big city! I LOVE EVERYTHING about this place!"

Wednesday: "I REALLY want to go HOME! I NEED to see my mountains again."

These are the bookends of my super-fun trip to New York City this last week. So here is the whole stroy. I have some great friends-The Boyer Family-that I have known for like 13 years now. My friend and their daughter (Samantha) got married in June and is living with her new hubby in New York City for the summer. So my friend Donna (sam's mom) decided to go visit for 10 days. And joy of joys she invited me along! I obviously couldn't stay as long as Donna but I sure wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to visit New York with a free "hotel." I got there early Saturday morning and left on Wednesday morning. I saw so many things; museums, statue of liberty, world trade center site, brooklyn bridge, empire state building, everything! I was a classic tourist and I loved it!

My favorite part: Seeing the Broadway production of Mary Poppins. It was absolutely magical. I mean Marry Poppins actually flies! And that is only one tiny part of the magic in the show. There is really no other way to describe it than magical. I highly recommend it. It was amazing. (Thanks to Donna)

My least favorite part: Being completely disoriented. Without my mountains surrounding me I honestly had no idea which way was which. Where was north? I don't know! It was very frustrating because I usually have such a great sense of direction and can get almost anywhere. (I know this may seem a strange choice considering such un-fun things like urine smelling subway stations and sticky humidity heat but this is me. :)

Coming home was a bit of a joke and I ended up spending like 7 hours in the Long Beach "Airport." (I use the word airport generously...more like an elementary school satelite trailer with a secruity checkpoint). It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, I found a little restaurant and I made some great new friends while we were all sitting around for hours and bonding every time they announced our plane would be delayed AGAIN! Thanks for the fun Nicole and Jenny!

It was such a great trip! Here are some of my pics.
This is Donna and Sam only moments before Sam threw up her Garretts carmel and cheese popcorn over the side of the boat! That was a real highlight for me....becasue I didn't throw up. :-)

The city with Central Park smack in the middle (I loved the park, it was so peaceful and beautiful) as seen from "The Top of The Rock" observation area.

Dylan's Candy Bar-quite possibly my favorite store that we went in. Shocked? I didn't think so.