Today was Conference Day at M&A's school. I took a lot of notes.

A:

A's teachers say she is loving, thougtful, and comes to class with a big smile. She makes a lot of eye contact with them, and is helpful. (Though when it comes time to clean up, A spends more time overseeing the other kids and pointing out what needs to be done, rather than doing it herself). She is showing a lot of confidence in the classroom and the environment. She loves being with her friends, but she also does what she wants. Many times the girls will be playing with something,and A will go off with the boys and play with trains.

They say A is an observer – she likes to see what everyone else is doing before she commits to an activity. She uses the whole room – the sensory table, the trains, the kitchen. A is very expressive and can be silly and funny.

Sometimes A doesn't eat her snack or have drinks. She used to go off to the book area while the others were eating, but she was missing out on key social time, and now she sits at the table with the other kids even if she doesn't feel like eating. 

A's fine motor skills are good, but she is having trouble with scissors and needs to work on that.

A loves the playground and also movement class. Her main interests are: manipulatives, animals, dramatic play, the easel and the book corner.  She is getting to be a lot more independent and doesn't hang out with M that much.

M:

According to her teachers, M has a very sweet nature and is poised. She loves when her teachers notice her outfits (same with A). she is caring and maternal. She has a great smile.

M is cooperative and gets very involved in activities – easel, sensory table, art projects. She loves to be with her friends. She is careful and detail-oriented.

M loves having a job. She is responsive and transions well. She is good at cleaning up, does it happily.

The teachers have been working with her on using her words, rather than being shy and withdrawn when she wants to express something. They say she is doing well in this arena. Sometimes she talks too softly.

M too is having trouble with scissors. But she is VERY good at the monkey bars.

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I got some great ideas for projects when I was there – gluing pieces of pasta to paper to represent numbers 1-5; cutting along straight lines, making patterns with shaped wood pieces.

How cute is this? Both girls are asleep in my bed – a special treat while Daddy is out of town. I didn't hear a peep from themsince putting them down! They were tired. We went to Buppie's house for dinner and didn't have a bath.