Hilltop

I haven't really taken the time to tell you much about my new school. At the beginning of this school year, Mommy and Daddy enrolled me in Hilltop Child Development Center on KU's campus. When they realized that they were going to have to put me in daycare full time this year, I think they were a little stressed about the idea; however, Hilltop has been a really great fit for our family. Mommy always says, "If he's going to have to be away from us during the day, I think Hilltop's the best place for him." And it is the BEST place! I play in the Turtle Room, and I love my teachers, Bre and Shelby. I think they like me too. They've both told Mom and Dad that I'm the calmest kid they have in class. When other kids get really upset, they can usually count on me to keep my cool. My teachers are also always so impressed when I fall and just hop back up. Most of my friends milk it a little. I must just be tough. ;) They have told Mom and Dad that I do get upset at transition times every now and then - it's just that all the activities my teachers plan for me are always so much fun...I never want to move on!

We really do have a lot of fun during the day. We sing, dance, read, play on the playground, do art projects, and have sensory stations. My favorite sensory station ever was playing in shaving cream. I could have sat and played with shaving cream all day long if they would have let me. I also love to sing with my teachers. I've really got the "O" down in E-I-E-I-Ooooooo!

Every week we have a theme in my classroom. Most of the artwork we do and books we read coordinate with the theme of the week. We've had football, farm animal, color, and shape themes so far. The football theme was right before KU's first home football game. We all wore our Jayhawk gear on Friday and got to hang out with Baby Jay. During our color week, we all wore a certain color every day. I liked matching my friends.

My teachers have also taught me how to sign certain words to help me communicate what I want. I know signs for the following words: more, thank you, all done, potty, and please. I even use all of these signs at home. I'm still not talking a whole lot, but I can say Mama, Dada, Nana, woof woof, and oo oo ah ah ah (monkey sounds). I also say "Ahhhm" (amen) when we finish praying at dinner or before bedtime. I really love to pray. At bedtime, I always sign "more," when my parents stop praying. I figure the more we pray, the better off we are!

October will be a fun month at Hilltop. I'll be going on my first field trip to the pumpkin patch AND we get to go trick or treating on KU's campus! Watch out KU staff and students...there's going to be a scary blue monster on the loose!

-Elijah