Leila's House

Did someone order some cute????

2012-02-02T15:26:00.000-08:00

Our Block City

2012-01-18T16:26:00.000-08:00

We named our characters and had a fun time role playing.

Play dough and water play

2012-01-11T17:19:00.001-08:00

Our quiet activities today....

2012-01-10T18:55:00.000-08:00

We did some glueing....

Played some "CARS" dominoes....

Read books and put puzzles together....

Painting Snowflakes

2012-01-04T10:04:00.001-08:00

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Christmas at Leila's House

2011-12-27T07:37:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving Feast

2011-11-30T16:34:00.001-08:00

Thank you for your food contributions! We had a great time.

Now, on to Christmas!!!!

Painting

2011-11-07T08:24:00.000-08:00

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Happy Halloween!

2011-11-02T14:41:00.001-07:00

Pumpkin Patch - 2011

2011-10-31T14:40:00.001-07:00

I am back. Thanks for your patience. And, I am so sorry for the delay.

Enjoy!

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Water Table and Name Crowns

2011-09-14T10:59:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the delay! I have been having some trouble downloading pictures. But, I think we are up and running again now!

We are Back!!!

2011-09-06T14:04:00.001-07:00

Yay! I am so glad to be back in school! I love my job!

Here are a few photos from our first day.....

But first: We are still low on enrollment, so if you or someone you know is looking for a great preschool program, Please come check us out! Classes are offered Tuesday thru Friday 9 am to 12 pm. You can pick which days you would like to attend. $50 goes to any family that refers someone that sings up. Thanks!

Now the photos!

Summer Holiday!

2011-07-26T13:28:00.000-07:00

We are taking a little break.

School will start again in September.

Classes will be offered for children 20 months to 3 years.

Tuesday thru Friday

9 am to 12 pm

Optional lunch bunch until 1 pm

Please contact Leila with any questions.

leilas-house@att.net

619-708-6260

More information is also available at:

www.leilashouse.com

Those sneaky little leprechauns!

2011-03-21T19:54:00.000-07:00

Sharing time

2011-03-15T15:22:00.001-07:00

Three Billy Goats Gruff

2011-03-11T20:34:00.000-08:00

I LOVE the story of "The Three Billy Goats Gruff." I read the story, use the felt board, and even have little figurines that I use to tell the story.

But my very favorite way to share the story is to act it out. I use a small table for our "bridge," and the children simply play the parts of each of the three billy goats and of course the troll.

The children that do not have parts are our audience. They ohhhh and awwww, and clap at all the right times.

And then, we switch roles until every one in the audience has been given a chance to be a player in the story.

This is our biggest billy goat. And the mean troll climbing up the bridge to tell her she may not pass! Please also take note of the little billy goats feasting in the "meadow" to the right.

Negotiations still in progress....

I think one of our smaller billy goats climbed under the bridge.

The photos really make this look kind of boring. I will try to shoot some better shots next time, or even a little video. It really is great fun!

Friday

2011-02-27T19:02:00.001-08:00

Nothing special going on. Just Friday.

My FAVORITE Day - Pajama Day!!

2011-02-14T16:29:00.000-08:00

We built a HUGE fort, read stories, had an excellent stuffed animal sharing time, ate chocolate chip pancakes, played outside, and shared Valentines. Great day.

Igloos

2011-02-04T15:13:00.000-08:00

The kids had a great time making igloos for our "I" unit and our "winter" unit as well!

I know I have been as this a long time, but I still get surprised sometimes. I realized these igloos were not the best idea when the children started popping whole, frozen sugar cubes into their mouths during pick-up time!! I don't know why this surprised me. I mean really, what kid isn't going to eat sugar when its placed in front of them? So, moms and dads, this is my official apology. I will try to think of better building blocks next time. I honestly, truly did not think the children would eat sugar cubes whole. Now I know! I can only imagine the sugar highs and lows you had to endure that day! Whew!

Anyway, enjoy the photos....

Acting out "The Three Bears"

2011-01-30T17:51:00.001-08:00

Porridge Cookies! YUM ... They are "Just Right"

2011-01-25T11:26:00.000-08:00

Some great head shots....

2011-01-19T16:32:00.000-08:00

Playing outside

2011-01-19T16:28:00.000-08:00

The children made up their own game today. This is a giant fire truck they are "riding in." Max is the driver and they are on their way to put out a VERY large fire.

Reading with Mrs. Connie....

2011-01-13T15:19:00.000-08:00

Lego Sculpting

2011-01-13T15:04:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!!

2011-01-04T11:02:00.000-08:00

Please forgive me. I have been terribly slack about updating photos. Please check back. I promise to update at least once a week.

I am also working on the look of the blog. There is learning curve. Please be patient as it changes. I'll get it, eventually, I am sure!!

Turkey Dinner, Turkey Dinner...

2010-11-22T15:40:00.000-08:00

Gather 'Round, Gather 'Round.
Who will get the drumstick, Who will get the drumstick?
All sit down, All sit down.

We had a terrific Thanksgiving Feast.

On the Menu:

Deli Turkey
French Fries
Cheese Slices
Grapes
Juice
And... Pumpkin Bread

Yummy!

Happy Thanksgiving. Can't wait to see you all on the 29th!

YUM!

2010-11-09T11:33:00.000-08:00

"P" is for Pizza!!

2010-11-02T13:44:00.000-07:00

Puzzels

2010-10-28T12:15:00.001-07:00

Taking a walk... on a rainy day

2010-10-26T14:14:00.000-07:00

These were taken last week. We have had so much rain. It is hard for little ones to be cooped up inside so much. With the backyard looking like a swamp, we decided to head out into the neighborhood....

Shaving Cream

2010-10-20T16:36:00.000-07:00

We can survive without Miss Connie...

2010-10-18T16:23:00.000-07:00

Its not as fun... but, we CAN do it!

Stick Dancing

2010-10-13T16:49:00.001-07:00

We made Snickerdoodles...

2010-10-13T16:44:00.000-07:00

Good Buddies

2010-10-11T16:42:00.001-07:00

"I'm gonna tickle you."

"I'm gonna tickle you!!"

Mission Complete.

Nothing better than Lunch Bunch on a Sunny Day

2010-10-08T16:52:00.000-07:00

Bring it on Halloween!

2010-10-05T14:48:00.000-07:00

Smiles for Miles...

2010-09-29T16:51:00.000-07:00

Animal Action!

2010-09-22T16:17:00.001-07:00

We're BAACCCKKKK!!

2010-09-13T14:53:00.000-07:00

School started last week. And, we are off to a GREAT start. I have been doing this a long time, and I can honestly say, that this has been the easiest and funnest (I know, that's not a word, but its been really, really, really fun) first week at school EVER! Here are few shots of our first days...

Enjoy!!

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Bring on summer!!

2010-05-25T14:16:00.000-07:00

All in a Day's Work

2010-05-12T17:45:00.001-07:00

A Field Trip!!! (Sort of)

2010-04-23T16:08:00.001-07:00

Thanks to Mr. Morgan for bring his HUGE and AWESOME dump truck by. The kids had a blast playing in and around it!!

(Mr. Morgan is Ms. Connie's talented and kind husband)

Outside Fun

2010-04-19T14:47:00.001-07:00

Welcome New Friends

2010-04-14T15:09:00.000-07:00

Pull up a chair and stay awhile....

We are so happy you have joined our group!

They do love to read...

2010-03-31T19:04:00.000-07:00

We all love a good paint job...

2010-03-23T15:14:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2010-03-21T19:00:00.001-07:00

Green Eggs and Ham, picture toast, and a beautiful sunny day. Couldn't ask for more!

Ummmm.... Can anyone say dramatic??

2010-03-19T11:46:00.001-07:00

These two.... Where do I start??

2010-03-13T18:23:00.000-08:00

Matching shirts. Cute. Tried, and tried, and tried, and TRIED to get a photo of them standing side by side to show off the shirts.

As you can see.... not gonna happen.

Not with these two.

Notice the shirts say, "Cruisin' for a time out." Hmmmm.....

Lucky thing I LOVE them. :)

Scarf dancing princesses?

2010-02-25T15:47:00.000-08:00

We started out scarf dancing. THEN... Ms. Leila was a garden fairy who watered all the flowers (the scarves being the petals, and children the flowers).... THEN... everyone was a princess. I don't know how we always end up at "princess" - but we do. We always do. :)

P.S. While we enjoyed our scarf dancing, fairy watering, princess party, our "princes" were out "banging stuff" with Ms. Connie.

Lots of Love

2010-02-22T14:46:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day. Late.

Silly...

2010-02-01T14:13:00.000-08:00

We survived. Yes, we did.

2010-01-22T14:54:00.000-08:00

We survived one crazy weather week at Leila's House. We even had one day without power. Preschool without power? I wasn't sure it could be done. But, it was just fine. We baked blueberry muffins to warm the house, we danced to warm ourselves. It was just fine. And, did I mention, we survived? Now that we've proven we can do it - let's bring back the sun and fun. Ok?

Oh, and yes, that IS my son hamming it up with the ladies and wearing pink boots. :)

I tried, really I did...

2010-01-12T15:04:00.001-08:00

I tried to get some cute photos to share, really I did. I had my camera out. I did all the right things. But, these children were not having it. After awhile I felt like a member of the paparazzi harassing these little people for the sake of my blog. So... nothing for today. Sorry. I decided to let them play in peace. They liked it better that way today.

Until next time...

P.S. Congratulations to Charlie and his family!! Welcome little James. You couldn't ask for a better big brother or sister. They will show you the ropes...

Who says you cook in a kitchen?

2010-01-06T14:17:00.000-08:00

We are talking about winter, ice, and snow this month. Yes, I can hear you now - we DO live in San Diego and we DON'T get snow - BUT... I can make ice, AND IF it ever does snow north of us, I can promise that there will be a driveway full of snow on Xenophon Street! Anyway, here a few cute photos of the snowmen we made....

These photos aren't the greatest quaility (sorry), but I decided to share them anyway. Check out what is hanging on the pot racks behind the boys in the kitchen. Too cute....

Its a New Year

2010-01-04T16:11:00.000-08:00

I have decided to get a new look for the new year. Please be patient while I try different looks and tweek the blog a bit...

Now, on to the really important stuff!! YOUR CHILDREN.

Today, we made snowflakes. Please observe the before and after. BEAUTIFUL.

Themes for this month:

Monthly Theme: Winter and Bears
Science: Ice
Color: White
Shape: Rectangle
Story of the Month: "The Three Bears

Happy Holidays

2009-12-29T06:17:00.001-08:00

We will be back on Monday, January 4th. We have started our Monday class and a Wednesday session will begin on January 6th. If anyone is interested in adding or switching days, please talk to me.

Happy New Year!!

Gingerbread Hunting

2009-12-28T08:20:00.000-08:00

I mentioned that we have been reading "The Gingerbread Boy" by Paul Galdone. Great story. So, on our last day of school before the holiday break, we made our own gingerbread people. We put them in the oven and those sneaky little creatures got out and ran into the backyard! Lucky thing, our children are good hunters. All escapees were detained and ENJOYED!!

MORE proof that we have cute kids.....

2009-12-17T15:58:00.001-08:00

Check back for photos of our Gingerbread Boy hunt!!

Lincoln Logs, front rolls, stick dancing, and looking cute!

2009-12-10T14:47:00.000-08:00

Again, sorry! We have been busy.

I hope everyone is enjoying this holiday season. We sure are!

Our last day of school for the year will be next Thursday, December 17th. We have been reading "The Gingerbread Boy" by Paul Galdone in class. Next Thursday, we will make our own gingerbread boys and see what happens.....

While we will be having a party, drop off and pick for parents will be at our usual times!

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-23T13:08:00.001-08:00

We had a great feast. Thanks to all those that contributed.

I will see you all again next week.

Happy, Happy Thanksgiving.

Ok, I am sorry.

2009-11-17T14:52:00.000-08:00

I have really dropped the ball with blogging photos lately. I was shocked to get on here today and realize we were still on Halloween! Yikes!

Anyway, please stay tuned. I will do my best update regularly.

As a reminder, our Thanksgiving Feast will be on Thursday. We are looking forward to a fun meal together.

Preschoolers and Paint.... Ay Ay Ay!!!

2009-11-17T14:47:00.000-08:00

A VERY Happy Halloween

2009-11-02T14:15:00.000-08:00

"P" is for Pizza!!

2009-10-28T15:02:00.001-07:00

Pizza day was hit!!

Just a few great photos....

2009-10-20T14:36:00.000-07:00

I love it when we have a group that gets along easily. I think after many years of teaching preschool, I can honestly say this group is one of the very best. What fun they are each and every day.

Welcome Addie!

2009-10-13T15:11:00.000-07:00

We are so happy to have a new friend!

Spiders!

2009-10-13T15:10:00.001-07:00

We had fun painting spiders!

Feet painting....

2009-10-06T14:23:00.001-07:00

We finished September by talking about our bodies and all the fun things they can do. We all knew that we can run, jump, dance, walk, and even tip-toe with our feet. But... PAINT??!! Oh yeah, we painted - WITH OUR FEET. It is "slippery", and "gooey", and really, really fun.

Painting and having fun!

2009-10-06T14:20:00.000-07:00

2009-09-25T09:28:00.000-07:00

Another great week. Here are few photos....

Sadie decides life isn't so bad when mom leaves for a few hours. :)

Busy outside....

These two became fast friends, and are already good buddies.

This is why I love my job.

2009-09-17T13:40:00.000-07:00

The "Bean Bag Dance" is a winner every time.

We traced our bodies and colored them today. It was great fun. And, when we were finished, we lined them up and talked about how we are different and how we are the same. Its also a great piece of art to hang on the wall at home for a few days. :)

Name Crowns

2009-09-10T14:43:00.000-07:00

Easy to make. And so fun. A great way to help the children learn each other's names. As we make each crown, we talk about our names. And, repeat the names often as we wear them. As an added bonus, who doesn't feel special wearing a crown???

We're Back!!

2009-09-08T13:59:00.000-07:00

School started again today, and I couldn't be happier! We had a GREAT day. Welcome, Welcome all my little friends. It is going to be a great year.

September themes:

Monthly Theme: All About Me

Science: Apples

Color: Blue

Shape: Square

Story of the Month: "It's O.K. to be Different"

by Todd Parr

We're Takin' a Break!

2009-08-03T15:47:00.000-07:00

Our little class is out of session for the month. I will miss my little friends.

I hope to see most of you back in September!

Classes begin again Tuesday, September 8th.

If you are interested in enrollment, please drop me a note:

leilas-house@att.net

Whew... its H.O.T.

2009-07-21T16:31:00.000-07:00

As a carry-over from "P" week, we enjoyed some popsicles to cool down today.

Alphabet Summer

2009-07-13T14:08:00.000-07:00

This will be our last month of class until the "real" school year starts again after Labor Day. We are working on letters this month. So far, we have done "B" and "I". Here are the kids working on their "B" eez!

Summer Parties

2009-06-29T15:07:00.001-07:00

Good-bye to my sweet friends. I will miss you Zachary, Maia, Rian, Lukas, Jax, Leo, and Sonny. Best of luck in your new adventures!

Our first field trip

2009-06-18T10:26:00.000-07:00

Summer brings with it relaxed days, fun schedules, and sometimes fewer students! Since we only had four children in class on Monday, we decided to hit the town. We started at Balboa Park with a little history lesson and some fun at the park. We finished at SeaPort Village on the old historical carousel. It was built in the 1890's!

Taking a walk around the neighborhood.

2009-06-10T14:51:00.000-07:00

Taking a walk is always fun, and we learn a lot too. It is fun to look for letters, or colors, or shapes. I always give the children an "assignment" before we go on a walk. I take my camera along and we take as many photos of our assigned item as we can. It is really fun.

Today however, we just walked for fun.

Balloons!

2009-06-09T14:29:00.000-07:00

What do you with six busy toddlers in a small room?

You give them giant balloons and turn the music up really loud!!

Seeds

2009-06-02T13:57:00.000-07:00

We are continuing are unit on seeds and plants this month. We know that a seed needs three things to grow:

1. dirt
2. sunlight
3. water

We started with putting beans in a window to watch them sprout. We just planted our flower seeds last Thursday. I can't wait to see how they grow!

The Bean Bag Dance

2009-05-27T14:41:00.000-07:00

Kids love to dance. And I love to dance with them. I never can get good photos while we are dancing, because frankly, I am too busy boogying, but here a few half hearted shots of the Bean Bag Dance. A favorite in our class.

Play Dough saves the day... again.

2009-05-22T14:06:00.000-07:00

Children love play dough. Its a fact. Any crazy, chaotic day that seems otherwise uncontrollable, can always be rescued with a good batch of play dough. Here is the best recipe ever:

Best Playdough (I usually triple or quadruple this recipe and cook it in a large deep frying pan)

Combine in saucepan: 1 cup flour 1/4 cup salt 1 tsp. cream of tartar

Add and whisk until smooth: 1 cup water 1 Tbsp oil Food coloring (Cake decorators paste or liquid makes great colors)

Cook over medium heat until nearly playdough is nearly set. Add: 1 Tbsp. imitation vanilla extract

Stir until vanilla is blended, then remove and knead when cool. Store in Ziploc bag or air tight container.

Note: The vanilla extract seems improve the texture and adds a nice scent as well.

I found this recipe a few years ago at perpetualpreschool.com. Smells good, feels great, and lasts forever.

I'm still here...

2009-05-19T14:15:00.000-07:00

I apologize to those that faithfully check in only to find the same old entry up day after day, week after week. Please keep checking back. I promise to have some new photos up soon. In the meantime, if you haven't already read this book to your children, you might try to get your hands on a copy. It has forever been a favorite of mine. And, my kiddos love it, year in and year out....

"The Feelings Book" by Todd Parr.

Excellent.

ABC's

2009-04-28T20:48:00.001-07:00

The girls worked on an ABC puzzle today. It took some time, but they got it!

January 23rd boys...

2009-04-23T13:56:00.001-07:00

These two have the same birthday as well as the same fashion sense.... cute.

Easter Egg Hunting!

2009-04-14T13:53:00.001-07:00

Ms. Leila: "Today we will be having an Easter Egg Hunt!"

Leyah: "Oh, that is just great. Did you know I love Easter, and I love eggs, AND.... I LOVE hunts?! So, I think we're gonna get along just fine today!"

She was right, we did get along just fine....

Spring Break

2009-04-07T12:22:00.001-07:00

I hope you are all enjoying a fun and safe Spring Break. See you Monday, April 13th!!

Green Eggs and Ham

2009-03-30T16:37:00.001-07:00

We have been reading Dr. Suess's "Green Eggs and Ham" all month and decided to try them for ourselves today! They were pretty good....

I wish I could have taken pictures of the kids cracking eggs. I think that was a first for a few of them, and it was a bit shocking. Sadly, my hands were needed to help rather than to shoot pictures. But, trust me, it was AWESOME. We have some little chefs on our hands!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2009-03-27T08:12:00.000-07:00

A few random photos to share...

2009-03-13T14:49:00.000-07:00

Best Friends

2009-03-13T14:44:00.000-07:00

Out of everything that happens in my classroom, the thing that I love the most has to be the bond the children have. They love each other. Here are a few photos them "sharing the love." Enjoy....

Pajama Days

2009-03-13T14:32:00.000-07:00

We had a great time this week. Monday and Thursday were pajama days! We built a fort, read books by flashlight, played with and shared our stuffed toys and..... BAKED COOKIES! Nothing and I mean nothing, tastes like a warm, home-made chocolate chip cooking in your pj's.

Doin' What We Do

2009-03-03T14:06:00.000-08:00

Here are a few photos of our class just hanging out and having fun.

Please feel free to leave a comment or two. I would love to know if people are actually viewing the blog. Thanks!

Self-Portraits

2009-02-26T14:59:00.000-08:00

The children had a great time working on their self-portraits. Here are the fabulous results...

A gift for Mom...

2009-02-18T13:55:00.001-08:00

Happy Belated Valentine's Day. As promised, here are the finished candy boxes. They are filled with yummy M&M's.

Please keep in mind that not all the children made gifts this time around. We do different things each day, and so your child might not have been here on our box painting day. Or, your child could have "opted out" of art on the day we made them. Art time is optional and so not all children always participate.

When things go terribly wrong....

2009-02-18T13:47:00.000-08:00

Tuesday was a CRAZY day at preschool. The children had clearly been cooped up by rainy weather for too long. We did our best to run, jump, and get our wiggles out. But without the benefit of the great outdoors, things can just go a little crazy.

I debated whether to share these photos or not. In end, I decided the whole story is just too fun not to share. Near the end of our day, we had art time. Today, we were painting. Rian somehow got away from me and ended up in a corner of the classroom. She painted EVERYTHING.... including herself. She was so cute! We laughed a lot, but the clean up time was not too fun for her and there were some tears. Sadly, that shows in the photos more than the laughter....

But, here she is in all her BLUE glory....