Merry Christmas!

Personalities

Below, I've embedded a video that illustrates perfectly the mid-morning personalities that we have! Every morning sometime after breakfast but before snack, we always have our "circle time." This time is used for music & movement, songs, finger-plays, games, and the like. The point of circle time is to have large group time, where the children will practice taking turns, listening to each other, making decisions, and learning concepts (right now, our focus is on the CIRCLE and all the different colors). My absolute favorite part of circle time is the music - in case you couldn't tell that from the musical vlog posts I have submitted here already.

The following video is a wonderful window into what life can be like with four 2 year-olds to entertain during circle time!

Aaron is bursting with energy. He gets so excited and has so much enthusiasm he can hardly contain it! He has a hard time picking a song... in the video he bounces from "The Wheels on the Bus" to "Open, Shut Them" to "Slippery Fish" and "ABC's" all within this 55 second video. He loves to sing fast and be silly. Most of the time, I ask him to slow down and participate in large group with the rest of us - but on this particular day, I just had to capture his energy - because it's adorable and fun and exciting... his enthusiasm is completely contagious. And plus? All that energy is just a part of who he is. And I love him!

Noah is the follower in the group. Imitation is the greatest from of flattery - especially to a two-year-old, and Noah loves to flatter. When we're not singing or reading stories, Noah is bouncing from child to child trying to figure out which one he wants to focus on. In this video, you can see Noah thinking about mimicking Paityn. But since Paityn is not very busy this morning, Aaron quickly catches Noah's attention and Noah plays with Aaron. Later in the clip, Noah gets distracted by Aaron's feet - which is pretty funny to me. Noah will often be focused and playing intently with something or someone and if he has a new thought about what he's doing, you can tell. His focus changes and he pursues his new ideas steadfastly. Noah has always been very focused and easily amused. Which is a great quality - I love him!

Paityn was tired the morning we captured this part of circle time. She is calm in the clip, and might even seem a little bored by all the antics. This is because Paityn is our observer. Even on her most energetic and active days, I often find Paityn sitting back and observing the action before jumping in on it. Don't get me wrong - Paityn can muster her energy without much trouble - but she quietly observes and takes note before acting. Just watch the look on her face as I stop singing... she almost looks bothered by the change in the room. If she wasn't tired (and possibly not feeling well - the poor thing!) she probably would have mimicked the boys. And after that song, if we would have sang it again - I can almost guarantee you that Paityn would have been center-stage, showing them some of her new moves. But, what's the rush - why jump into the action when there is important observation and note-taking to be done, first. Paityn picks up on things very quickly with these moments of observation. I wish I was more like that! I love her!

Rebecca is the rule-follower. At the beginning of this clip, Rebecca is making sure that I can see that she is sitting "criss-cross-applesauce." She sings, "See mom!?" ....constantly seeking praise for being the good girl. The rule follower. She looks to Aaron for leadership (only because he's taken the lead on this particular morning... Rebeca will look to anybody for leadership, as long as she knows what she's supposed to be doing and how to do it). She keeps checking Aaron to see what is next, and though tempted to join in on the playful silliness that the boys have going on, she is careful to sit properly and wait for further directions. I love that about her, though I sometimes find myself wishing she would take a couple more risks. I see a lot of myself in her, which I suppose is perfectly appropriate! ;) I certainly love my little girl!

Okay okay, so without further ado: The video. Enjoy!!

Head Shoulders Knees and Toes!

More cuteness!

I had to add more videos because these two videos show off our motor skills ;) Plus, I adored the interview at the end of the first video... Enjoy!


In this one, I tried to talk the kids into showing off their somersaults :) We've been trying to master the somersault all summer long - only because it's so stinking fun to watch a 2 year old do it :)

Showing off :: Cute kids!

Here's a short clip from our daily circle time!


One more, just for fun...


These kids are just so stinking cute. And I can't believe that I get PAID to hang out with them everyday!

Matthew's Last Day

Sadly, today is Mister Matthew's last day of enrollment here! He came to us in the beginning of the summer as a temporary part-timer. Matthew jumped right in and became one of the family on his very first day! The joy that he finds in everything is so unique and will be sorely missed. We hope that Matthew will be able to visit us from time to time in the months to come!

For Matthew's last day, we sang songs to him, let him pick out the books we read today, and we even made him a special party hat. Here is a montage that we put together for Matthew and his family. Enjoy!!
(click on the image below)

Matthew

Trash Day!

Thursdays are special at Miss Maggie's house. Thursday is trash day! Usually one or more of the kiddos sees the trash containers out on the curb when they arrive on Thursday mornings, and so they come in excited saying "trash truck?! trash truck?!"

Occassionally, we'll miss the trash truck. It usually comes during our transition from circle time to morning snack - and when we're lucky, we'll catch it without trouble. But, when we do miss it, the rest of the morning is typically filled with toddlers' voices singing "oh noooo! missed trash truck! oh mannn!"

It's really cute.

And maybe I'm a dork, but Thursday mornings at about 9:30 are usually one of my favorite times of the whole week.

I wish I could still get excited about the simplest, most predictable things. Something as simple as the city trash truck coming to haul away our garbage is exciting and wonderful in itself.... the guys can lift lots of heavy trash, the trash goes into a really big, loud, interesting truck, and they drive off with all our trash to get rid of it for us.

I know the kiddos will grow out of finding joy in Thursday's trash haul. But, for now - I am enjoying it every week, as the kiddos run to the windows and wave at the trash guys who have learned to smile and wave back at us. It's a lot of fun to see the kids' faces light up!

New School Year!

The end of summer snuck up on us and now all of the sudden it's back-to-school time!! I seriously did not even see that coming... how did I miss it? It happens every year, it's not like it's supposed to be a big surprise or anything.

Ah well, that's okay. We're still plugging away at Maggie's House! Our oldest friend, Julia, started her second year of preschool yesterday. We all loved waiting for her bus to come and waving goodbye as it drove off.

The learning and opportunities around here didn't stop when summer began, but they still feel fresh and new with the back-to-school season. This morning at circle time, I felt like the kiddos were really connecting with our songs and conversations. I was able to spend an extra 5-10 minutes with them - and we talked about the Bible! I felt led to (re)introduce the bible to the children, and our circle time ended with a short but very very sweet little prayer! I loved this, and it was probably my favorite part of this whole day so far. Of course, it's only noon - but, still!

I've been meaning to blog about our new "job chart" system, but have neglected to do so because I want to include pictures or video to share it with you. Perhaps my next post will explain the jobs we have been taking on around here.

In other news, we have lost a good, dear friend but gained another fun companion! The Truitt beagle, Daisy, passed away in July, and Annie - a full grown weimeriner/lab mix has been introduced! While we still talk about Daisy and miss some things about her, Annie has been such a HUGE blessing to us. She's very patient and loving - she lets the kiddos play on and around her... she loves to fetch balls and dog toys outside and she guards the house for us during the day. We love our new Annie dog! I really need to find more time to upload pictures.

Well, as you know - we stay busy around here with never a dull moment. I promise to be a more faithful blogger now that school is back in session and we'll have more organized planning around here. :) Thanks for reading!

Tiny Tim

Germies!!!!!

We just survived a week of the icky sicky germies. Well, the week isn't over yet, but the germs are gone! It was an ugly doozy of a germ-fest here on Monday. Seems that all the kiddos contracted the same virus late last week, let the virus grow and fester over the weekend, and then came to play on Monday morning only to be sent home an hour or so later with fevers!

Since opening with an official registration two years ago, this past Monday was my worst day ever, by FAR! I had to call three parents and have them come pick up their sick kiddos, and one kiddo didn't even make it, as his fever hit over the weekend. On top of all that? Monday was our buddy Aaron's very first day here as a full time attendee!

Luckily, Aaron and Julia managed to stay healthy - this little virus bug musta been one that only likes the little tots. And thankfully, it was a quick virus - today is Thursday and everybody is back and playing like nothing was wrong!

I do a lot around here to try and keep the germs at bay. We have a "soapy bucket" that we keep right on the other side of the baby gate. This soapy bucket is handy for tossing in toys that get mouthed or dirty. Most of the kiddos know that if I see them (Or if Julia sees them, for that matter) put a toy in their mouth or something, that the toy will go right into the soapy bucket as soon as they are done with it. At the end of each day, I wash the soapy bucket toys and spray them with Lysol cleaner, and let them dry overnight so that I can return them to their homes the next morning.

We are also good about sanitizing groups of toys regularly... We bring out different things to play with during our Shaving Cream fun times - because the shaving cream helps the toys get clean, and then of course, it's always fun to wash the cream off the toys at the end of play time! Or, we'll take toys outside and really wash them, with warm soapy water and wash rags. We've taken our tables and chairs outside a few times for sudsy rinses as well.

Likewise, I'm pretty good about throwing the dress up clothes and stuffed animals in the wash at the end of the week. It's easy to just add them to our weekend laundry of blankets/pillow cases, etc.

We also are pretty quick to cover our mouths with sneezing and coughing. The kids have been learning "The Batman!!!" which is something that I say quickly if I see they are going to sneeze - and they've learned that "the batman" is just a fun way to cover your mouth - you put your face into the nook of your arm, sneezing/coughing into the shoulder.

Ahh, I guess what I'm trying to say here is that we really do keep the germs down! But, I guess no matter what we do, no matter how much we clean, sanitize, wipe, scrub, suds the toys, the furniture, the things in the house... no matter how careful we are to share everything except the germs, getting sick is bound to happen. When you have five toddlers and a preschooler in the same room - germ sharing is bound to happen!

Hopefully our next virus won't wipe out the entire enrollment... Hopefully it will come and go without us adults noticing anything much out of the ordinary at all!

Because healthy kids? Kids that are happy and joyful, playful, excited, eager and ready to learne? Those are the kinds of kids that we want in the house all the time!




Oh, and by the way - Aaron? He fits in perfectly here! He's already brought so much joy into our family. He has the best sense of humor, cracking me up every minute of every day! I can't wait to share more pictures and videos of both him and Matthew (a new'ish part timer!) ...they're both already a part of our little family here!

The Hippo Song - Concluded!

Here is our final project from the Hippo Song. Finally, the books are done and are ready to be taken home. :) We've been talking a lot about farm animals lately... maybe an Old McDonald book will come next?

New Friends :: Announcement!!!

I *STILL* haven't sent home the "The Hippo Song" books. I guess not having that ink cartridge was only a good excuse until it finally arrived last week. Now, I just need to find another hour or two in the day!

But, busy-ness and work won't keep us from having TONS of fun this summer!

I'm SO INCREDIBLY EXCITED to announce that we have two new friends!! Matthew is 2 - he is a friend of our family and we are going to play with him for 2-3 days a week this Summer until September or so! He's super cute and his favorite activities are eating (hehe) and being outside! I can't wait to have water play with this little man!!

I'm also SUPER DUPER EXCITED to announce that our newest full-time friend, Aaron, is officially starting this Wednesday! Two-and-a-half year old Aaron will join us on Wednesdays for a couple of weeks until he goes full time in July. Aaron's favorite activities are (well, I don't know him that well... so I'm just guessing here..) talking (hehe.. he has an exceptional vocabulary!) and being outside - rain, snow, sleet, or humid. I can't wait to play with him everyday!!

With the boys being outnumbered here for the last two years (Noah has been the man of the house... even the dog is a girl!), it's time that they catch up and overtake! Have I mentioned yet that I'm REALLY REALLY EXCITED!?!?! I love it when the kids make new friends. Having someone different in the house really changes the dynamics around here. Such fun!

Deanna Rose Farmstead

We've been talking a whole lot about farm animals around here! We're learning their sounds, what they look like, how they walk, and what they do for us.

So, isn't it befitting that we managed a trip to the Deanna Rose Farmstead today! To truly appreciate this field trip, you should know that trips do not happen without a wee little bit of planning. On field trip days like today, the following three ring circus must take place in the morning:

Pack snacks

fill water bottles/sippy cups

pack diapers/wipes/hand sanitizer/kleenex/change of clothes

check first aid kit

install extra car seat

take the wagon apart and stuff it in the trunk

change diapers/visit potty

apply sunscreen and bug spray

get camera, cell phone, emergency backpack that has children's important records

load STUFF into the car

load the kids into the car one at a time, while the kids who are left to wait their turn are crying and sad because they're not currently being loaded into the car nowrightnow

buckle everybody's seatbelts and crank the air conditioner, check fuel level, scan tires/car's condition and GO!

And then, once arriving at the destination - almost all of the previous is reversed in a specific order:

Unload the wagon, and assemble

Unload the STUFF (backpack, snacks, diaper bags, etc.)

Put camera and cell phone in easily accessible pockets.

Unload the kids one at a time, while the kids who are left to wait in the car for their turn are crying and sad because they're not currently out of the car and in the wagon.

Pass out ice waters because it's hot and humid out.

Load kleenexes into easily accessible pockets.

Check car for random contents (Rebecca's shoe, how did I get her from the car to the wagon without noticing that one of her shoes fell off?)

Lock the car, pull the wagon in and have fun!

It should go without saying that trips outside the home that involve someone else's kids are exponentially more stressful. Not necessarily as in hard-work-stress-me-out kind of stressful, but stressful in that I worry more about my performance. Am I driving carefully enough? Did I apply enough sunscreen? Will we have any major injuries? What if someone gets sick? It's hot and humid - did I pack enough water? Will we SURVIVE?

Our trip today to the farmstead was 150% worth the preparation, prayers, and sweat that went into planning it. We had a wonderful time! My favorite part was hearing the roosters crow. I think the kids enjoyed seeing the cows give milk. It was magical being at the farmstead with two toddlers and a preschooler. I love it when they are all experiencing the same things and I love seeing how each child is gaining something unique from the experience.

Julia made more of a connection between animals and humans. (We use the animals for food and shelter.)

Rebecca learned the "real" sounds that animals make. A cow doesn't actually SAY "moo" ... it kinda goes, "mrrraahhhhhhhh." (that's fun to type!)

Noah loved show off his vocabulary the whole time we were there - and we practiced saying the names of the baby animals (lamb is a baby sheep? kid is a baby goat? foal is a baby horse?) ... this is especially meaningful as Noah is going to have a baby brother in his house soon!

Ahh - it really was such a blessing of a trip. I absolutely loved today.

After the farmstead, everybody was wiped out. Julia loved being my assistant, and helping me keep the toddlers awake in the car so that we wouldn't spoil their naptime. She was naming stuff that she knew each child would like - pointing out trains and big trucks out Noah's window - and finding airplanes and birds out Rebecca's window. Things were going so well - I couldn't resist stopping for happy meals on the way home. I didn't have to cook, I barely had to clean up after lunch, and right now the kids are happy, safe, sound, and content from today's trip as they are sleeping at naptime. I really do love this job.

Check back soon for pictures of the trip - I will get them uploaded some time this weekend!

Cuteness Overload

The Hippo Song books (full of artwork and song lyrics) are almost finished! As soon as I get the ink cartridge for my printer that I ordered *forever* ago, I can put the finishing touches on the books and send them home! :) I can't wait for the parents to get them. I'll blog a presentation of the Hippo Books before letting them leave the house - it was definitely a project I want to do again and again in years to come!

Library Day

Today, we took a little field trip to the library. I'm so proud of the kiddos, they're getting the hang of being "out" with Ms. Maggie. My trips out with the kids are far less stressful than they used to be. It helps that they're all of an age now where they have a better understanding of rules and of my general disposition. They can sense when I get stressed out - which, honestly, when I'm out in public is quite often.

Today at the library, we encountered two other field trips there at the same time as us! Two different vans/buses in the parking lot almost made me cancel out trip inside. What if my three kids get mixed up with their 30-something kids? What if someone gets confused and grabs the hand of one of my three kids on accident? What if my three kids go on a book-off-the-shelf spree and I can't control it? What if I can't control anything that happens inside!?

Really, though, I should have known that "my" three kids were well trained, super well behaved and just as nervous about the whole thing as I was. Julia is my big helper - she really helped me stay sane the whole time we were there! Julia held the hand of her little sister, Rebecca while I held onto Noah's hand. Rebecca and Noah did no protest at all - and stayed right by our sides the whole time. Julia was so concerned about making mommy proud, that she didn't give into her preschool instincts and follow some of the other, bigger kids around. Instead, she was my assistant teacher - the second in command, Hah!

We had a great time. We even found a little corner of the library to sit down and read some books. We ended up bringing four books home, plus one video, and a teacher's kit about farm animals. I'm really excited about our haul!

I took advantage of the day, and popped in the borrowed video (Elmocise!) when we got home so that I could make lunch worry-free. The kids were glued to it, and even played along during some of the exercises.

What a great day. What a great group of kids. What a blessing!

Another Toddler! (?)

Today, I fell in love again! Little boy, "A," and his mom and dad came to meet us today and it went well! We may have another boy in the house before long. Another 2 year old. Another world of enrichment to add to our family! Little boy A is talkative, active, polite, and fun! Now, we just need to know his start date so he can be a part of our family everyday! How exciting!!

Lucky

This job of mine is often described as a "thankless job." I am here, for the kids all day, every day. I rarely get a day off. I can't just "call in sick" if something happens. I make crafts with the kids, do activities, teach songs, have fun, and otherwise keep the kiddos busy, entertained, and learning the whole time that they are here. I take my job very seriously - and, except for the occassional facebook break (so that I can, you know, connect with the outside world from time to time?) I really am working the whole day long. When the kiddos are engaged in something that doesn't require my undivided attention, I'm sanitizing, planning, cooking, cleaning, or preparing for the next activity. Anybody who does child care full time can tell you how exhausting a day can be.

But, I'm not working for myself. I'm working for the kids and for their parents. And let me just take this opportunity to tell you how stinking lucky I am that I have two wonderful families to work for. Noah's family and Paityn's family are all so appreciative and thankful for what I do. They constantly praise me and shower me with compliments about the quality of care that I provide. Never a day goes by that I'm not thanked. Both families go out of their way to show me love and appreciation, and that makes me incredibly lucky!

Just this morning, for instance, Paityn came in with a bag full of cups/lids for me to use. Mom said that they just had extras and wanted to share them with me! Noah came in with a bag full of food. For me! For dinner tonight! Enchiladas and salad. For my family to enjoy at dinnertime.

What's more is that today is nothing special. Just another Thursday here at the child care home. These kinds of generous offerings happen very regularly around here - like I mentioned already, not a day goes by without a thank-you of some kind.

If you are part of Noah's family or Paityn's family - THANKS! :) Thanks for just loving me and supporting me and always appreciating my work.

If you aren't part of one of these kiddos' families - go thank your child's caregiver today. Just a short e-mail is meaningful and appreciated enough. (I speak from experience!) Or practical gifts go a long way, too. :) Let's just go ahead and make today hug-your-provider day. Awww... I'm so lucky. Thanks again, bosses!

Science in the PreK classroom

On Saturday, I attended a four hour training at Science City about how to bring science into the classroom. I kinda knew that what I was going into would be a bit over our heads since the kiddos we care for are 2 and under, but I also knew that the education, the peer interaction, and the getting-out-of-the-house-ness would be a good thing. Plus, I went in expecting to learn a few things that I could use with my 4 1/2 year old, Julia.

While the class was not overly educational for me, I did take away a new box full of ideas and reminders that I can use with our gang. I have had a few science related projects up my sleeve, and this class is just what I needed to get the ball rolling and not be so hesitant about any of it. The instructors were great - they were both very well educated and wonderful presenters, and they did a good job of reminding me that I don't need a biochemistry degree to teach young'uns how to mix colors, or grow flowers, or just to ask poignant questions.

I'm glad I went to the workshop, and the fact that it was held at Science City in Union Station was a major bonus. The leaders of the workshop gave out lots of information about other science-y things that we could do right there at Union Station. I think a field trip is in order this summer!

So, hopefully Saturday's workshop will inspire me to further encourage the kiddos to explore, investigate, ask questions, make predictions, and learn from all the teachable moments that we have in our playroom, in our backyard, during our meals, and on our walks. It's exciting and fun to have a fresh way to approach the often-one-sided conversations that happen around here!

Paityn's 2nd Birthday!!!

Happy Birthday Paityn! We started this morning's rhythm & rhyme time out with the song Happy Birthday! Today, we are going to decorate a crown for Paityn to call her very own. During lunch, we are going to wear some party hats, and after we eat, we'll sing again and have the cookie treats that Paityn brought to Maggie's house to share! I hope Paityn's birthday is equally as special as she is. When she first started coming here, she was just more than 1 year old and had that cute tipsy toddle as she tried to master walking. Now, she's got all the gross motor skills under her belt and is talking and singing, dancing and climbing everyday! They get big quickly, but each new age & stage is more exciting than the last. I'm so excited to get to share Paityn's birthday with her today!!

Check her out in this 5 minute video. She's quite the camera hog! :)

For your entertainment

One of the big benefits to doing childcare out of the home is the tax breaks. We spent our tax refund on the backyard this year. Enjoy this video to see some progress we are making! My guess is, the backyard will be our outdoor classroom a LOT this summer!

Spot(s) Open!

I'm advertising to fill a preschool spot for this summer. I will gladly take on two kiddos if they are siblings. Please send friends and family my way if they live in the area - we want more friends to play with this summer! :-) Thanks!

Dance off!

Need a giggle? Want to see each of the different personalities we have on a daily basis? You've GOT to watch this video! Gather your friends around, this is about as cute as it gets...

Random Pictures - Fun in the Sun!

Happy Easter!

One of the funny things about working with 18-24 month olds is that the art/craft projects rarely turn out looking like what I had envisioned during planning. But, in my mind they're always cuter than that anyway because you can find the child's creative personality in everything s/he creates. These are Easter baskets that we made! The children picked what color of paper they wanted to wrap the margarine/yogurt/cottage cheese container in (they all picked the same, imagine that!) and then I put glue dots on the foam pieces that the children stuck all over the containers. Originally, I made accessible the purple, yellow, and green ovals - hoping they would look like Easter Eggs - but the kids had so much fun gluing, that I decided to bring out the whole bag of foam shapes and let them go crazy. They all decorated their containers with glee - but most of them ended up taking half or more of teh shapes off... after all, it's just as fun to peel a glued-something as it is to glue one!

Anyway, I wrapped their final project in contact paper to help protect it (hehe!) and then I put pipe cleaner handles on to make the basket.

The baskets have real grass in them! We planted some grass seeds in an aluminum pie plate, and the kids have watched the grass grow over the last month or so. Today, I cut some grass pads out of the pie plate and put them in their homemade easter basket. Then, I filled the basket with a few goodies (no candy!) .... The kiddos will get to take these home today. I hope they like them!

Click image to enlarge :)

The Hippo Song

Well, a decision has finally been made! You see, decisions like this never come easy for me... I needed to pick a song that I don't mind hearing over and over and over again. I needed to find a song that had a wonderful opportunity for toddlers to learn more about something (anything!). And I wanted something that has endless possibilities for crafts and activities, games and exploration.

I really thought of doing Old MacDonald... I probably will do that one next, as the decision was a hard one. But, for now I just can't resist The Hippo Song! I love this song and used to teach it to my Sunday schoolers every week. I hope the books come out as cute as the books for "If I were" did! I'm excited!!

The Hippo Song

In the beginning, God made the sea
{spread your hands out to make a wavy sea in front of you}
And the forest filled with trees
{bring your arms up and out at the shoulders, hands pointed down, to make a tree}
He made the mountains up so high
{Bring your arms above your head and make a mountain pointed over you head}
And on the top he placed the sky
{Leave one hand pointed up and use the other to make a motion over the mountain for the sky}

God's fingerprints are everywhere
Just to show how much He cares
But in between He had loads of fun
He made a hippo who weighs a ton.
{Drop voice to a low deep voice} {Make your hands out like a fat hippo and hunch down}

Hip-hip-hip-hippopotamus
{Jump up and down as a "Hippo", with a low voice still}
Hip-hip-hooray God made us
{Raise your hands in praise and jump for joy, use a normal voice for this line}
Hip-hip-hip-hippopotamus
{Jump up and down as a "Hippo", with a low voice}
Hip-hip-hooray God made us
{Raise your hands in praise and jump for joy, use a normal voice for this line}

Mary Rice Hopkins

One month later

Wow, I can't believe it's been about a month since my last blog post. A lot has been going on that has taken my attention away from blogging. In the beginning of March, the whole gang came down with a virus. It was really sad - we actually had no business for two days because of it! My own two kiddos were treated for pneumonia, another kiddo was treated for a respiratory/bacterial infection, and another got the "it's just a virus" jingle that the doctors like to dish out. The germies during the week, and by the weekend, everybody was better which was good because it allowed me to sanitize every surface, toy, blanket, pillow, and clothing item in the house. In the end, it was nice because the whole house was shiny and clean, but I would have much rather had my spring cleaning fest happen for reasons other than having sick kiddos in the house!

Anyway, since the toys were all quarantined to buckets of bleach solution, I took the opportunity to rearrange the playroom a bit. I'm very happy with how things are set up now. We have focused centers in the room, which is great since all these kiddos are about the same age and are beginning to learn more through parallel and cooperative play. Now, the playroom is divided into four main learning centers: dramatic play (includes kitchen toys, dress up clothes, play telephones, etc.), blocks (large red "brick" blocks, mega lego blocks, and farm animals and little people), manipulatives (for focusing on development of small motor skills... toys like shape sorters, puzzles, and potato head), and art (the kids now have access to crayons and paper... eventually I'll get brave enough to expand that center!). On top of all that, there's a nice cozy area now, where children can relax with pillows and books, stuffed animals and babydolls.

The playroom is an on-going project, and has been since day one. It has come a very long way - and I know that it's far from completed. It will always grow as we grow and change as we change.

In other exciting news, we have a surprise in the works. It's more of a surprise for me and the kiddos - but as a regular reader of this blog, you might get to be dazzled as well. I can't wait to reveal what it is! It will be a few weeks, though - so you are welcome to wonder about it for a while. :)

As always, thanks for reading and thanks for you comments on the last post. I was super proud of how the finished project turned out, and got very flattering compliments from the parents after the projects were sent home. We've picked our next song - one that is fun for toddlers, and silly enough to keep it fun for me! I'll announce that by the end of next week.

Lots to look forward to! Until next time....

"If I were...." unit

I already spilled the beans about our "If I were" project, so I figured I'd provide a little more detail. The project has taken us a very long time to complete, and really it's still not done as I have some finishing touches to add to the children's books. But, it's important that we gauge interest and excitement in something so that we can add to that to foster development. For example, little Noah is a pretty big fan of FISH, so when we got to that part of the song, we took some time to talk about fish, count the fish in our tank, and sing other songs that have "fish" in them. Likewise, when we got to the kangaroos, Paityn started to show off her ability to hop! And, I realized that we had never really practiced hopping before, so we took a few days to sign some songs and do some activites that included hopping around - we discovered that there are lots of animals and critters that hop!

The only thing I find as a "downer" about this project is that the kiddos are not taking their creations home to share with their loved ones right away. I'm holding on to their completed creations so that they can go into a nice book at the end of the unit. Since I love to show off what we've been doing here, the parents have had to be very patient and trust that I'm actually working with the kiddos on things that are artsy/craftsy. :) So, now I present to you... proof that we have been very busy!


Here is the music & movement component of the first part of our song (pay attention to the end, little Paityn has quite the moooves!)




So, what do you think should be next? I'm thinking Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See? would make for some creative art ideas and some great sound recognition activities!

Time to show off with new videos!

Julia had a whole week off of school because of Parent-Teacher conferences. During her time off, she taught the toddlers many tricks. (Sorry parents, about the ones we'd rather not be teaching!)

Here's one cool trick we're learning... how to put our coats on by ourselves! Watch as Julia demonstrates:


Oops - it landed on her upside down. I could have corrected her before she did the flip, but I wanted all the kids to know that it's okay to get it wrong sometimes. Here, Julia demonstrates how to get her coat on correctly:


And now, Noah demonstrates that, while he was listening - some skills will come at their own time :)


Yesterday, we got back into the comfy old routine, and everybody was excited to see the bus come wisk Julia off to school. This morning, I got footage of Noah and Rebecca saying goodbye, as we do every morning. It's really very sweet. Enjoy!

Mall, park, zoo, oh my!

I always complain that the only "bad" part of my job is that I don't get enough peer interaction during my days. I'm surrounded by these wonderful toddlers, and find myself talking to them non-stop, but they just haven't found the skill level (or interest... not sure which?) to converse back yet. So, all of my conversations are pretty one-sided, and I find myself lonely more days than not.

This is why I love to take the kids outdoors! Even if we go for a quick walk around the block - it feels good to remember that I'm far from alone in this world, let alone in my neighborhood. There are people everywhere: I have never gone for a walk and *not* seen another person. That's a great reminder to me, as there have been a few days in a row that I don't even stop foot outside! (Mind you, this is only during the coldest days of the winter... I do insist that we go outside for play at least once a day, even if it is pretty chilly!)

But, when I get to plan a trip with the kids to actually go out in public - it's almost MORE of a treat for myself than it is for the kids! Not only do I get to get out of the house, but I am going to a place where there are likely to be other moms with kids. I get to have time to socialize (albeit with complete strangers, but hey - that's okay!) and the kids get to have time to socialize with other kiddos. It's a win-win situation! (And, I admit... the kids seem to get pretty wiped out from this, so when we return to my home, lunch comes quick and naptime comes even quicker and there, my day is already just about over!)

Last Wednesday, I took Noah and Rebecca to the mall to play at the very same playplace that we got to enjoy with Paityn just the week before! :)

We all have spring fever like crazy around here! As the weather gets nicer, we'll be taking more walks to the park, and maybe even plan more field trips. I see the zoo in our future! Oh, and see us going to the Deanna Rose a lot this spring!

Here are a few pictures from our time at the mall last week. Enjoy!

Field Trip to the Mall!

Fun in the Sun

*** Edited to add: Please click on the pix to get the whole picture! I need to work out some kinks that I'm having with blogger and the new camera... for some reason Noah got cut out of some his cute shots! No worries.. just click on the picture below to get the full view. I'll figure it out eventually. Thanks! ***


Strangely, the weather was mild and cozy yesterday! Ya gotta love 60 degree January days. There's still a small patch of ice on the driveway, but it's too warm out for heavy winter coats. The breeze requires winter hats (to cover those small ears), but the sun requires time enjoyed outdoors! We get cooped up in this house too much as it is...
Here are some great shots of yesterday's adventures in the wagon :) We walked around the whole block and then wagoned through the backyard to get to the swing set. Nobody tried to escape - everybody was pretty content with the ride!





(By the way, Julia was off at Preschool... that's why she's not in any of these shots. She was missed, but I LOVE my quality time with the tots when she's not around... shhh dont tell her I said that.)



Those pictures are courtesy of yesterday's awesome weather. Today, we ventured out to the play place at the mall! Pictures of that trip will come soon!

Good News! We finally got a new camera!

We have finally replaced our ancient camera with a nice, pretty, new Canon Elph - so you can expect to see pictures appearing here more regularly now! This is excellent news.

One of the things I strive for is help the kiddos' parents feel like they have been a part of the day here. I know how hard it is to leave your children in someone else's care... I did that myself for the first six months of my oldest daughter's life.

So, while I keep a daily journal, send home artwork frequently, and have wonderful conversations daily with parents, I now can keep including them in our days through photographs on the blog!

To celebrate, here are some of December's pictures that came off our old camera. :) Enjoy!

Noah wanted to make his mom a Happy Birthday card.

We had a pajama party here - all the kiddos came in their pj's for one day. :) It was fun! (I may be biased since I got to hang out in my pja's all day long, too!)

Noah surprised us with a gingerbread train for Christmas! We put this together on one of Savannah's last days. The kids really enjoyed it. Even Noah got to put some of the finishing touches on it.

Comment Love

Credit to Petroville. She clued me in, then I stole the image from her blog.

So, today is Delurking Day. That means - if you read my blog, today's the day you decide to let go of your inhibitions and leave me a comment. I know I don't have a huge audience, but humor me, here. Even if you don't comment TODAY - if you read this tomorrow or next month or a few years after I die, I'll still love you for leaving me a comment. Just do it. It won't hurt, I promise.

... oh yes, the daycare lady did actually post an image of a man flashing through his trench coat. Love it, or leave it - but comment first!

If I were a ....

As a person who LOVES surprises, you'd think I'd be better at keeping surprises to myself until the time for reveal.  I, however, cannot keep a surprise for anything.  I get overly excited about good ideas - especially when they relate to creative juices.  So, I'm just gonna go right on ahead and blog about a gift the kids are making for their parents!

Yesterday, we painted a butterfly and added pipe cleaner antennae.  Today - we stamped a bird onto a foam tree.  Each day, we're going to add another project to the collection, and all these projects will be nicely bound into a book with these song lyrics:

THE BUTTERFLY SONG
(If I Were a Butterfly)
Words and Music by Brian M. Howard If I were a butterfly
I'd thank you Lord for giving me wings
If I were a robin in a tree
I'd thank you Lord that I could sing
If I were a fish in the sea
I'd wiggle my tail and I'd giggle with glee
But I just thank you Father for making me, me
 
CHORUS     
For you gave me a heart and you gave me a smile
You gave me Jesus and you made me your child
And I just thank you Father for making me, me
 
If I were an elephant
I'd thank you Lord by raising my trunk
If I were a kangaroo
You know I'd hop right up to you
If I were an octopus
I'd thank you Lord for my fine looks
But I just thank you Father for making me, me
 
If I were a wiggly worm
I'd thank you Lord that I could squirm
If I were a fuzzy, wuzzy bear
I'd thank you Lord for my fuzzy, wuzzy hair
If I were a crocodile
I'd thank you Lord for my great smile
But I just thank you Father for
making me, me
 
Copyright © 1974, 2002 Mission Hills Music
www.ButterflySong.com 
All rights reserved. (BMI)
International copyright secured.
CCLI - 35445

I love this activity because it gives us an art idea everyday, and has lots of fun repetition!  Since my girls live here, they can't very well bring their finished book home to surprise their parents with, so I'm using their artwork as a reminder for the kiddos about which part of the song comes next.  Their art is proudly displayed on the wall, while the kiddos in care have their art bound in a nice song book!  We'll sing this song everyday and hopefully even the littlest ones will begin to learn the motions.

I can't wait to see the finished project!

Being Sneaky

I'm just so excited about my recent discovery that I had to share.

If you know me very well, you know that paperwork and cooking are not my strongest points.  The paperwork has become a new year's resolution for me, and the cooking is already improving!

Thanks to a little inspiration from the book Deceptively Delicious, which I got for Christmas - thanks Uncle Gary! - I played a little trick on our small friends today.

We had Kraft mac & cheese, green beans, and mixed fruit for lunch today.

I hate serving Kraft Mac & Cheese because I know it's full of preservatives and fake cheese and loads of calories.  But, it's my Julia's favorite food in the whole world, and it is easy to make.  All the kids eat it well, and with variations (like adding little smokies or extra cheese) it's credible by the food program.

Today, I substituted butternut squash (blended to a puree) for the 1/4 cup of margarine that the recipe calls for.  The kids didn't even notice! Julia helped make lunch today - she loves to add ingredients together and stir the boiling noodles.... and when she saw the ziplock bag with the puree and asked what it was, I may have kinda fibbed, and told her it was "like butter."  Teehee!   Not only did they not seem to notice, but they all ate their food all gone!  They ate so well, and now I get to enjoy a peaceful naptime. Thanks, Deceptively Delicious!