Miss Jamie...

Preschool makes me feel young again... maybe it's hanging out with 4 yr olds doing 4 yr old activities (coloring outside the lines, fingerpainting, etc...). But I think it's mostly because everyone calls me "Miss Jamie".

"Miss Jamie" just makes me feel young. For some reason it has me remembering the first time after I was married that someone called me "Sister Dietz" (probably at church that first Sunday) and I suddenly felt very old (I mean "Sister Dietz was my mother-in-law, right?). And then there was that time several years ago in the grocery store that a couple of cute little kids bumped into my cart and I heard one of them say "Watch out for that lady"... it took me a whole minute to figure out they meant me. I still thought of myself as a "girl" I guess.

So naturally, I've decided to start up a preschool in my home - just to feel young again (and maybe because I'm a little crazy - just kidding). I'm so vain.

Well, there were a few other factors that I took into consideration...

... I get to keep my two youngest near me for just a little longer. (I find this kind of funny because with the older two I was always so focused on the "next" step and getting them all grown up... too fast, I realize now).

... I get to be at home (my comfort zone).

... I get to remodel the basement (if you know me at all, you know that this is BIG for me).

... I get to help little ones learn the basics (I found an awesome program for teaching the basics of reading to pre-K children - more on this later).

... I get to pay off that giant truck parked in my driveway.

There's more, but that you're probably bored already.

Anyway, I've been volunteering/observing at Miss Nada's Preschool here in town. It is run by a woman named Nada Wilkins who has come up with an amazing program for teaching children to read ( here are a couple of links with more info... link 1 and link 2). When I first found out about her program I called her up to ask a few questions and she invited me right over to her place (it turns out she lives just down the street from me) and filled me FULL of information. I started volunteering at her school right away so that I could see exactly how she implements her program.

I feel like things are finally coming together now with the remodel, the licensing, and now (most importantly) the curriculum. So I guess it's time to start advertising. Here is my business card (front and back)... you can pretend to put it in your wallet if you want to. (The website is still under construction, so if you try to go there now you won't be able to... coming soon). PLEASE tell everyone you know! I'd appreciate it...

Lots of Love, Miss Jamie