Preschool, Art Classes, and beyond!

             The past year and a half, I have had the chance to teach preschool twice a week for four 3-4 year olds.  When we first arrived, I researched the pre-schools here and found out that they expect your kids to attend the schools much longer hours than I was used to.  It's also not cheap and you usually send your child half day (til 1 or 2) to full day (till 5).  For that and some other personal reasons, I realized that I wanted to do a little homeschool preschool for Elli.  Some friends found out about it and before I knew it, I had my own "World Wonders Preschool" as I call it.  It's been a fun way for me to teach and spend time with Elli and use the teaching skills I have to help other kids too.  I really enjoy it and it's just enough teaching without being overwhelming.  Sienna even gets to join in when she is behaving (otherwise she gets to hang out with our helper Nerissa).  Here are a few pictures of some of our fun times.  I don't have many pictures, since I usually run a one-woman show. The first ones are from when I first started.

Fine motor development: Marbles on golf tees

Sorting and finger strength practice 

Letter Name cars

Here is Elli and Sienna practicing balancing, something we worked on in preschool.

Here are some more recent pictures of my pre-school on Wacky Wednesday and another day when we did Dr.Suess's Ten Apples Up on top.  For Wacky Wednesday (Dr. Suess book too), my house was wacky all over, the kids got to dress wacky, we ate our snack UNDER the table, painted with our toes (with water), whacked our letters, and walked backwards among other things!  They had a great time and especially were amazed at the shoes on the wall (notice the shoe on the picture to the right!  

3M tape is awesome. 

ART CLASS: Messy Masterpieces

I have also been taking Elliana to an art class off and on at a place called Parents' Place nearby. It is an awesome place with classes for kids and adults, but there is a play area so you can always bring your kids even to adult classes.  I really love it, especially since finding all these materials (much less the space in our apartment) to do this messy art would be quite the trial for me.  Here are some of the great art she has done there this year.

 chinese caligraphy or something like it

Body Art Beach Scene

 Rainbow Fish

 Food Art with Paint and Real Food

 Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Tree

 Mask work and Trick or Treat bag for Halloween

 The Hungry Caterpillar

 Owl Babies

 Wall painting

Easter Cotton ball and glitter fun (sorry I'm too lazy to turn this picture around)

Rainbow fun (First picture not Elli's-here to show what it should have looked like).  Elli was really into expressing her creativity this day.

  Foam Snow Men with glue and Shaving cream

 Sienna was always around participating in her own way! 

As Sienna has gotten bigger, she has been much more inclined to get into the mess with Elli which has made it much more difficult for me to take pictures, thus the lack of further pictures of the art.  However, we will continue to have fun and I know Elliana loves her art class. 

I know I did a separate Playgroup post earlier, but here are some cute pics from a couple recent playgroup excursions.  

Fine Arts Museum 

Totally weird cigarette display-- YES cigarettes!! It smelt awful.  Left the room quickly.

At one of the FREE parent play places around town.  Elli is such a climber- got all the way by herself.

 At the children's recreational area near Yuanshan MRT.  

A really fun place that we only recently discovered-- and not too far from us! 

 Sienna loved these guys, she kept hugging and kissing them!  So funny.

They had hula hoops out and all the kids had a great time *even the adults showed some great moves!

Here is a fun day at this new Fun place near our house called Fun Kid Fun!!

(some of you may have seen this on facebook)

We like to play hide and go seek in here! 

The girls even made the cutest fish craft there!

And Here are some pictures just because they don't fit in another category and they are really cute!  Some of them are from a while ago that I never got up!

1. Elli's outfit to go to the store complete with tap shoes.  (she wasn't even riding her bike this day)

 2.  It is dress up time non-stop in our house.  Elli often chooses what Sienna will wear and Sienna normally complies momentarily.

 3. This just shows how much Elli loves dancing.  She was standing right up front to watch this hawaiian dancing show despite the rain.  Everyone else was seeking cover from the sides. 

 4. My little Chinese Doll

5.  Elli playing the piano and singing at church, notice Sienna throwing a fit in the background- doesn't disturb Elli though.

6. Sienna getting some nourishment while her sister is in a photoshoot. (quite a while ago)

7. Look at my Sienna growing up so fast!!

 

9. Strawberry Picking.  Elli was being a punk for the pictures.  

10. Just playing around in Mommy's boots!! 

11. Sienna drinking hot chocolate and loving it! 

12. Reading children's scriptures together.  I love family time!