Special Helper Day

Last Thursday was Will's first "Special Helper Day" at Preschool and he was really looking forward to it. Actually, I kept reminding him and hyping it up, mainly because I was so excited too!

There will be 4-5 days throughout the school year where Craig or I will go in to serve as the "Special Helper" in the classroom, take part in all the activities of the day and bring in the snack. On those days, Will gets to help with certain daily duties in the classroom and just get a little extra special attention in front of their parent and peers. It's a BIG DEAL to the kids and it's a nice way for parents and family to get a glimpse of the classroom routines and for the teachers to get a little extra assistance at the same time. Managing a classroom of seventeen 3-4 year olds can't be an easy feat!

I knew we'd be taking a field trip on this day to Fleitz's Pumpkin Farm again, so I wanted my snack to be super easy for eating out and about. And I also wanted it to go with the fall-ish, pumpkin theme. So... I made a trail mix. A little sweeter than one I would normally make for Will, I added chocolate chips, yogurt covered raisins, banana chips, Indian (candy) corn and those pumpkin candies too, in addition to the dried cranberries and peanuts that he normally gets. (I triple-checked there were no food allergies first!!!)

I picked up jack-o-lantern plates and paper towels, along with some apple cider to drink.

The extra candy corn and peanuts went into my new bowl on the dining room buffet. :)

Everyone met at school to start the morning. Will got to lead calendar and weather time and then wave the flag during the Pledge of Allegiance. He counted all of the students from 1-17 to make sure everyone was present and dressed the "weather bear" in appropriate attire. :)

Following calendar time, they sang the weather song:

Sunny day, cloudy day,

or rainy day so gray.

Look outside and tell us now,

can we go out to play?

Will stood on a stool and looked outside at the willow tree to determine that it was sunny with a little wind. :) He dressed bear in sneakers, pants and a jacket.

Following this, Will got to lead the boys to the bathroom for a quick potty stop before heading out on our field trip. Will has been very into "follow the leader" games at home since starting school.

Nearly every student ended up having a parent or family member come along to drive them in their own car. I don't blame them. They would have had to leave a car seat and trust someone else to install the seat safely and drive their child to and from the pumpkin patch. So we had quite a large group with lots of helpers!

Mrs. Fleitz met us there when we arrived and the kids split into their two groups - Frog Friends & Bear Buddies - to do different activities. Will is a Frog Friend and his group got to start with a hay ride while the other kids played in the big barn.

Will, having an animated conversation with his friend Austin.

Walking with "Mrs. Skees" to the hayride.

Some porch decor.

The hayride took us through the corn field and out through the pumpkin patch.

Before flip-flopping the groups activities, the kids gathered in the barn to listen to Mrs. Fleitz tell them about all the things they grow at their pumpkin farm.

She showed them the machine they use to clean the apples before making them into cider or selling them.

And then Will and the Frog Friends got to take a turn at all the barn activities. Will's favorite thing is to ride the International tractor around the "race track" set up with straw bails.

While the kids played, the parents chatted a little. It was really fun catching up with some people that I went to school with and meeting some others.

Snack time!

I know, I know. The cups were a downfall. They look like spring. But they were the perfect size and I already had them, so whatever. I'm sure the kids didn't notice or care. ;)

Following snack, the kids checked out the goats, gourds and all the pumpkins. They also got to choose a small pumpkin to take home.

This is Luke - one of Will's best buddies. Craig and I are friends with his parents, but Luke doesn't actually turn 3 until November, so he will go to preschool for 3 years and be a school grade younger than Will. Bummer.

Right before I snapped this picture, Luke's mom said "Say onomatopoeia!" Haha. So that's what they were saying. :)

Oh, and here was my name tag for the day...

It's the first time I've ever been called "Mrs."

Strange. ;)

After the field trip, I went to work for the second half of the day. Boo.

But it was a very fun morning that left me feeling cheery for the rest of the day. It's so neat to see our son so grown up and interacting with friends in a new environment!

I am looking forward to being "special helper" on a non-field trip day so I can enjoy a normal school day in the classroom. I believe Craig will be going next in early December? But even before that, I'm hoping to take an extended lunch from work and attend the Thanksgiving luncheon that the kids help prepare.