Dandelion Nursery School

The torment that I went through deciding where Mimi would go to preschool ended after spending an hour and a half at Dandelion Nursery School.  It probably could have ended within about 10 minutes...
She spent a day at public preschool (and thought that it was pretty grand) and was hesitant about trying something else out. I don't blame her. I like sticking with things and not trying new things all the time too. She told me public preschool was her favourite. She didn't want to try something new. However, I told her that I would be with her for the entire time while she was seeing what Dandelion was all about.  We went for a "new kids" introduction to Dandelion for 1.5 hours and after that Mimi said. "Mumma, THAT was my favourite!"  When we were trying to leave she said " Mum, Mum, Mumma Mum, can I just spend 5 more. . . . hours in the kitchen?" She was so delighted with all the wonderful things to play with and the fun friends and the total freedom to play with anything she wanted. I kept trying to whisk her around to show her all the possibilities for fun. She was so engaged in anything she put her hands on, - marble run, blocks, creative play in the kitchen and dress-up areas, etc etc etc. We made the decision that this would be the place for the Meems.
Mimi goes three mornings a week from 9-12 and I can also extend her day by 2 hours at an additional cost if I need some extra time. We can also drop in on extra days if there are any other kids missing on Wednesdays and Fridays when we are not scheduled to be at Dandelion.

She has adapted marvelously well. Some of the other "first year" kids are very hesitant and find it difficult to leave their parents (the parents find it hard to leave sometimes too. . . ). Mimi just marches in and gets busy playing. She is making lots of friends and is finding it quite easy to manage all the new relationships. She has most recently made it "in" with the "big" girls (who were at Dandelion last year). There is one girl who has taken a big liking to Mimi mostly because her older sister has a friend named Mimi and she wanted her own Mimi too!! Her name is Juliet but everyone call her Ju-ju! Maybe Mimi wants her very own friend named Ju-ju too!!
There is a parent who is a "Music Together" teacher and when she has her participation day she does music with the kids. Apparently Mimi is very involved in it and loves it. I would expect nothing less!!

Meems on her first day at Dandelion 

 

 

Mimi said something very cute the other day. She was expressing to me that she wanted to go to Dandelion at night (which is something that really doesn't happen).  When I pressed her for details as to what that would entail she said that she wanted to "go there in the evening and have prayers for each other and then play!"I think she wants a mash-up of Dandelion and CDSP Community night! Not a bad idea!!!

Dandelion is a Parent Participation/Co-op so we have 2 hired teachers and every day there are 4 parents making the day go smoothly. The space is beautiful and large with both indoor and outdoor place space and there are about 25 kids every day. It never feels crowded or out of control. The great thing is that it is a community of like-minded parents who want to have an active involvement in their child's experience. I have been on duty for two days now and I am getting to know the kids and other parents.

I have been using our Xtracycle a lot and I have mostly been riding there in the mornings.. . . the hill back up to our house is a tad daunting.. .  more about the Xtracycle in another post. .

not really wanting her picture taken. .