Monday, January 12, 2009
Comment Love
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!
Thursday, January 8, 2009
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:
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!
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!
Friday, January 2, 2009
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!
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!
Monday, December 29, 2008
Holiday week!
We're now at that weird week between Christmas and New Years - where
everybody's still basking in the glow of family time and rest time...
not ready for Monday morning quite yet. But, it's another short week -
as New Years is on Thursday of this week. We're working on
re-establishing routines, yet celebrating the season... remembering the
toys we've always had, yet finding a few new things around the house
that we've never seen before. We're excited about setting new goals for
2009, yet beginning the New Year just the same as we begin a new week.
Very subtle changes. Very big excitement. I am sad that 2008 has come
to an end, and yet I'm excited to see what 2009 has in store for us!
God is so very good to us.
everybody's still basking in the glow of family time and rest time...
not ready for Monday morning quite yet. But, it's another short week -
as New Years is on Thursday of this week. We're working on
re-establishing routines, yet celebrating the season... remembering the
toys we've always had, yet finding a few new things around the house
that we've never seen before. We're excited about setting new goals for
2009, yet beginning the New Year just the same as we begin a new week.
Very subtle changes. Very big excitement. I am sad that 2008 has come
to an end, and yet I'm excited to see what 2009 has in store for us!
God is so very good to us.
We are still looking for a preschooler to join us each day! If you know
of anybody that would love to play with us, please refer them to this
blog. Thanks! Merry New Year.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Recent Pictures
Some days, I'm just better about having the camera handy. Today? Happened to be be one of those days!
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Passions
Working with kids is a passion of mine. It's something I love and look forward to doing every day of my life! Everybody has a passion - if you don't know what yours is, perhaps you will find inspiration in the passions of my friends:
Savannah: Savannah is passionate about baby dolls and doctor's toys.... together. She loves to play doctor! She is always checking a "heart beep" and taking a temperature. She also is passionate about cutting and gluing. One day, she spent a whole hour at the art table just cutting pictures from a magazine and gluing them into a blank piece of paper.
Julia: Julia is also passionate about baby dolls. She loves to take them for walks and read them books. Especially now that she is developing phonic skills, she just loves to pretend to read. She also likes to have her babies on her lap while she writes up a "grocery list" with a pen and pad of paper. "Mom? What does broccoli start with?" I respond with "a 'B' honey" and she will then spell broccoli on her little pad, telling her baby doll "you make a B by first drawing a straight line down, then two bumps on this side, okay baby?"
Paityn: Paityn is passionate about jewelry, princess crowns, dressup clothes, and music. She's quite the dancer. Paityn is a "girly girl" ...and I mean that in the most loving way. She's cuddly and sweet - always offering kisses and hugs. She loves to dance and parade about with her fun beaded necklaces and dress up shoes!
Noah: Noah is passionate about eating. Hah! Okay, and care routines. He loves to demonstrate how to do things. Wiping tables, wiping faces, washing windows... cleaning floors those are all right up Noah's alley. He absolutely LOVES brushing his teeth. And, he loves anything related to trains, fish, balls, music, swinging, slides, and more. Come to think of it, Noah's a pretty passionate person. When I find something he's interested in, he's obsessed about it for weeks!
Rebecca: Rebecca is passionate about talking. yak yak yak yak she'll gab on and on for days on end. She talks about anything and everything there is to talk about. She makes a short story long. She sings and talks and discusses and conversates. She just loves to talk. Wonder where she gets that from?
And there you have it - our passions. Check back soon, these things change as quickly as the weather does around here!
Savannah: Savannah is passionate about baby dolls and doctor's toys.... together. She loves to play doctor! She is always checking a "heart beep" and taking a temperature. She also is passionate about cutting and gluing. One day, she spent a whole hour at the art table just cutting pictures from a magazine and gluing them into a blank piece of paper.
Julia: Julia is also passionate about baby dolls. She loves to take them for walks and read them books. Especially now that she is developing phonic skills, she just loves to pretend to read. She also likes to have her babies on her lap while she writes up a "grocery list" with a pen and pad of paper. "Mom? What does broccoli start with?" I respond with "a 'B' honey" and she will then spell broccoli on her little pad, telling her baby doll "you make a B by first drawing a straight line down, then two bumps on this side, okay baby?"
Paityn: Paityn is passionate about jewelry, princess crowns, dressup clothes, and music. She's quite the dancer. Paityn is a "girly girl" ...and I mean that in the most loving way. She's cuddly and sweet - always offering kisses and hugs. She loves to dance and parade about with her fun beaded necklaces and dress up shoes!
Noah: Noah is passionate about eating. Hah! Okay, and care routines. He loves to demonstrate how to do things. Wiping tables, wiping faces, washing windows... cleaning floors those are all right up Noah's alley. He absolutely LOVES brushing his teeth. And, he loves anything related to trains, fish, balls, music, swinging, slides, and more. Come to think of it, Noah's a pretty passionate person. When I find something he's interested in, he's obsessed about it for weeks!
Rebecca: Rebecca is passionate about talking. yak yak yak yak she'll gab on and on for days on end. She talks about anything and everything there is to talk about. She makes a short story long. She sings and talks and discusses and conversates. She just loves to talk. Wonder where she gets that from?
And there you have it - our passions. Check back soon, these things change as quickly as the weather does around here!
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Sad news, and a new opening!
Unfortunately, I just found out that Savannah's last day will be December 19th. I'm having a hard time dealing with this, I've never been good at goodbyes. Fortunately, her family goes/works at our church - so we will still get to see Savannah on a regular basis. But, life here in the playroom just won't be the same without her!
Instead of focusing on the sad, imminent goodbye, we shall rejoice and celebrate that Savannah has grown and matured so much in the little-more-than-a-year that she has been here. She has grown to become an independant, creative, compassionate young preschooler.
On that note, I'm advertising an open spot. I'm looking for a 3-4 year old to care for, either full time or part time. I do have the space for a pair of siblings, if your preschooler has a baby brother/sister.
Please email me at maggietruitt (at) gmail *dot* com. I will be happy to e-mail the handbook, forms, and rates sheet to any serious inquiries!
Instead of focusing on the sad, imminent goodbye, we shall rejoice and celebrate that Savannah has grown and matured so much in the little-more-than-a-year that she has been here. She has grown to become an independant, creative, compassionate young preschooler.
On that note, I'm advertising an open spot. I'm looking for a 3-4 year old to care for, either full time or part time. I do have the space for a pair of siblings, if your preschooler has a baby brother/sister.
Please email me at maggietruitt (at) gmail *dot* com. I will be happy to e-mail the handbook, forms, and rates sheet to any serious inquiries!
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