Feet Day Fun

Today was feet painting day at preschool. When you hear this, you probably get an image of each child dipping their foot into paint and making one or two footprints. That is what I would have imagined before meeting Mrs. Brown. But Mrs. Brown does things just a bit different.

I think Nora's facial expressions pretty much sum up how she felt about the day!! Becoming a human paint brush is a fun experience and that is what preschool should be about EXPERIENCES!! 2 weeks ago they made mud pies, complete with "baking" them with baking soda and vinegar. Or how about they day they each made their own vehicle out of a box complete with a ride down the hallway. And these are just a few of the many, many experiences Nora has been given.

I have to admit, that as a mommy I have been feeling a bit of "co-op burnout". Working in the classroom every other week, creating work schedules, working the plant sale, constant fundraisers, attending monthly parent meetings, helping with auction projects and baskets..... And then there is the big annoyance of the parents who don't pull their weight and fulfill their commitments. So lately I have felt a bit resentful of preschool and wondering WHY am I doing this.

But then I am allowed to work on a day like today and all I need to do is look at Nora's face and be reminded that I am doing it for her! For her to receive these unique and amazing experiences, to make special friendships in the classrooms, to not sit at a table and create craft projects that look just like her classmates or trace the letter A ten times. But instead have the experience where she is taught the importance of playing, creating, making messes, inquiring and experimenting. Or having a teacher that takes the dead baby bird that is found on the playground and turn it into a spontaneous 15 minute lesson, even if it is supposed to be time to go in for snack. It was much more important for the students to see the bird, talk about it and be involved in the burial process.

So as much as I may have grumbled about it lately, I am starting to feel a great sadness that we only have 3 more weeks of the preschool years left in our lifetime. And I feel blessed that I have been able to be an active part in Nora's experience. That she looks forward to mommy being a helper at school, wanting me to sit beside her at the snack table and that I was able to dip my feet in the paint and feel the freedom of being a human paint brush too!!