Daycare by Fran

Farmer's Market-Kids Day

2010-07-28T19:27:00.000-07:00

For kid's day at the farmers market, the kids had their hair done in crazy colors and styles. They had a blast in the bounce house. They enjoyed a kids cooking class about using veggies from the market. They did a scavenger hunt through the market and received lots of cucumbers and some new beans-Roma beans. We all tried them for lunch. They are like green beans only flatter and a bit sweeter.

First Day of Swimming Lessons

2010-07-28T19:02:00.000-07:00

Eight kids signed up for swimming lessons for this summer at the pool. They are in six different classes and learning so much! They are really enjoying spending the morning swimming!

Summer Fun- Ice Cream Field Trips

2010-07-28T18:58:00.000-07:00

A very warm summer needs ice cream! We walked with the neighbors to Culver's for an ice cream field trip. Root beer floats all around!

July Birthday Party!

2010-07-28T18:28:00.000-07:00

Three of the kids share the same birthday so we had one big party for all of them. Happy 1st birthday Sammie! Happy 3rd birthday Holly! Happy 17th birthday Adam! We started out the day with a trip to McD's playland for a special birthday lunch for everyone and time to play. After nap time we had our birthday party with birthday crowns, balloons, cake and ice cream. Then birthday kids ripped into their cards and gifts. Wrapping paper everywhere! All the kids received a balloon to take home. A very busy and fun day for everyone!

Swimming with the little ones

2010-07-28T18:22:00.000-07:00

We had a swim day for the little ones. They donned life vests and enjoyed a day at the beach. Sand toys were also a hit on the beach.

Beach Party Day

2010-07-01T19:48:00.001-07:00

We had a great time having a beach party today! The weather was perfect, warm enough to enjoy the water but not too hot. We brought lots of fun with us- sand toys: buckets and shovels, swim noodles, swim rings and snacks.

T-shirt fashion show

2010-07-01T19:35:00.001-07:00

Our t-shirts are done and the kids put on a fashion show. Showing off their creativity and unique designs.

T-Shirt Fun!

2010-07-01T19:22:00.000-07:00

Every year to celebrate the fourth of July we make fun t-shirts. Some years they are more patriot then other years. The kids really enjoy doing tie dye t-shirts, so this year they were camouflage colors and bright tie dye colors. The kids get to pick out the colors and the design. It is really neat to see how each one turns out differently.

Lawn Games Day

2010-06-29T19:59:00.001-07:00

Beautiful weather all week long and lots of green grass and free time on our hands. We pulled out the yard games for a bit of a change. The kids learned how to throw horseshoes, hit a birdie in badminton, toss a lawn dart-without the sharp points of course and catching a baseball.

June Vacation Bible School

2010-06-28T21:06:00.000-07:00

Nine kids were able to able to attend Vacation Bible School. This year's theme was High Seas Expedition- Exploring The Mighty Love of God. 197 kids attended and money was raised for Impact Lives- feeding kids in Haiti. The kids were separated by graded and then into groups of 5-7 kids. They opened and closed with Worship rally and a live band. Then they rotated through different stations- Bible Story Teller, Recreation Time, Snack, Crafts, and Cinema, They also had three inflatable bounce houses on Tuesday for the kids and for family night.

Opening & Closing Worship Rally in the Main Sanctuary

Live Worship Band

Kids lined up for Rec Time Outside

Craft Time in the Gym- Smile Pretty Mason!

Nicole concentrating very hard

Preston- his favorite of the whole week- Pudding at snack time!
Myles- nice guns!

Look Out- Mason has a Noodle!

Run faster Laura!

Myles- "I'm ready for my close up now."

Myles- " Can I fill my bank up with my sister's money?"

Mason- "mm, mm, finger licking good!"

Hi Blake, whatcha doing?

Blake's snack time and quality time with chatter the chipmunk.

Elizabeth on the inflatable slide.

Elizabeth and Nicole climbing the wall in the inflatable obstacle course.

Nicole-Up the wall and back down!

Nicole- future fashion designer specializing in hat and hair accessories.
Blake- run faster, you are dripping!

Recreation time outside, amazing weather for water games!

Elizabeth- running carefully to avoid getting wet!

Nicole- enjoying the main stage- future sailor?

June Travel Tots- A Trip to Canada

2010-06-28T21:05:00.004-07:00

This month the kids enjoyed learning about Canada and taking an imaginary camping trip up North. They set up a tent, used a compass and binoculars to go hiking. Then they pretended to go fishing and cook up the fish.

Picnic in the park

2010-06-28T21:05:00.003-07:00

We had a picnic in the park on Tuesday and watched a magician. He pulled a real rabbit out of a hat and turned carrots into real gold fish. After lunch the kids had fun playing at a different park and then home for a nap.

School Age Zoo Field Trip

2010-06-28T21:05:00.001-07:00

The school kids enjoyed a trip to the zoo. We arrived a bit later in the morning and all the parking was full. So we took the cool leopard shuttle bus from the overflow parking. They really enjoyed riding the bus. They were really excited to see the ants were back on display and the new polar bear exhibit is really cool.

Father's Day Photos

2010-06-28T21:03:00.000-07:00

We put together Father's Day gifts and the kids loved posing for photos for their dad. They dressed up with a fun dress for the girls and hat for the boys. They decorated blue jean pillows, added a photo and made cards. We took the pictures over several days to catch everyone.

Laura & Josh__________________Myles & Holly

Elizabeth & Lauren__________________Hannah

Melanie___________________________Adam

Preston & Mason____________Nicole & Samantha

Blake & Dani

Party for Haley and Hannah

2010-06-28T20:47:00.000-07:00

We had a big party for Haley and Hannah's last day with us. They are staying home with their cousins this summer. The party was great fun with crazy hair colors, face painting, finger nail painting and a bounce house. Fortunately the rain held off and we were able to have the party outside. Good luck Haley & Hannah- Have a great summer!

All About Me Book

2010-06-28T20:30:00.000-07:00

We put together a book for both Haley and Hannah with a page about each of the kids and a coloring page. They also took a copy home. They loved answering all the questions, drawing a self-portrait and making a picture. We laminated them and put them together in a book.

Preschool Zoo Field Trip

2010-06-28T20:00:00.000-07:00

While school was still in session we took the preschool group to the zoo. We did not realize it was the grand opening of the polar bear exhibit and the zoo was very busy. We did get a glimpse of the new exhibit and a great group photo. The kids really enjoyed the hands off learning room in the conservatory. It has several interactive exhibits and is in a quieter area of the zoo. Playing in the water was a favorite of everyone. We finished with a picnic lunch in the park, also a favorite!

Preschool Graduation

2010-05-31T07:33:00.001-07:00

The Preschool kids had their graduation ceremony on Thursday. They sang several songs and had a slide show of pictures from throughout the year. They received their diplomas and a yearbook of pictures and artwork- adorable!

Hannah & Josh's Birthdays

2010-05-31T07:32:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, we celebrated Hannah's birthday in the morning before they left for school and Josh's birthday after school. It was a very busy day with Preschool graduation in the middle. The kids enjoyed ice cream sundaes to celebrate. They picked out their own toppings- caramel, butterscotch, or chocolate syrup and with cherries and sprinkles on top.

Water Fun!

2010-05-31T07:31:00.000-07:00

Hot weather means sprinkler time! Everyone took a turn on the slip an slip, even Sammie! Elizabeth brought over her hop scotch sprinkler for more fun!

Preschool Olympics- Track & Field Day

2010-05-31T07:29:00.000-07:00

The preschool kids had a fun track and field day Olympic style with relay races, softball and Frisbee throw, long jump and dash. The favorite was snack time! They also loved receiving medals and having their cards stamped at each station.

Travel Tots- Adventures in Peru

2010-05-31T07:22:00.000-07:00

We studied Peru with Ms. Tee this month. The kids favorite was pretending to clean up after a llama. It was great to watch them enjoy cleaning up!

Preschool Fieldtrip to the Zoo

2010-05-31T07:20:00.000-07:00

The preschool kids run a big yellow school bus to the zoo this month for a field trip. They saw a great hands on turtle display and felt a turtle shell. We caught a preview of the Sparky show when the trainers started working with him outside. The sleepy sloth was actually awake and eating a morning snack. Each one of the kids had their favorite animal but the monkeys were a bug hit with everyone!

New Outdoor Toys

2010-05-31T06:39:00.000-07:00

We added some new toys to our backyard fun. We have not had cozy coupes for a few years because they did not work very well on the concrete in front but they are great in the backyard on the grass. There is a new police car, pickup truck, princess car and classic cozy coupe. It is funny how even the big kids enjoy them.

Butterflies & Praying Mantis

2010-04-26T20:50:00.000-07:00

Today, the kids held the butterflies and watched them fly. Some were too shy to hold the butterfly but most of the kids were excited to have it walk on their fingers.

Our praying mantises hatched out. The bug enclosure was full of hundreds of tiny praying mantises. It is amazing to see how many come out of just one egg mass- 10-400. The kids had a great time collecting tiny bugs outside to feed to them.

April Travel Tots

2010-04-26T20:38:00.000-07:00

This month for Adventures in Geography, the kids studied Kenya, Africa with Ms. Tee. They dressed like the Masai tribe and pretended to go to the watering hole. They learned about the animals from Kenya and what they eat. They made masks like the Masai tribe wear for their religious ceremonies.

April's Music Classes

2010-04-26T20:28:00.000-07:00

Two music classes this month. Listening and playing the rainstick was really a new experience for everyone. They enjoyed listening to the waterfall like sound as they tipped it back and forth. Each class the kids pick out different instruments to play, it is great to see them try a new one each class.

Mason's Birthday

2010-04-26T20:23:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Mason's birthday this month. Cupcakes and frosting everywhere. It was a little cool but it was still nice enough to have the party outside and left the leftovers for the ants. We have five kids turning five this year!Lots of kindergartners this fall! They are all getting so big!

April Fools Day- No Jokes, Just Funny!

2010-04-01T19:49:00.000-07:00

What do you do when it is 80 degrees on the first day of April? The kids wanted to go swimming, especially when they saw the neighbors run by in the swimsuits. So we played in the water and washed my truck in the process. Kid labor, I love it! It was so dirty, they could only make it better! Sorry if they were a little damp at pick up time but they really enjoyed themselves! Once we have all their water gear here, we will do a bike and trike car wash with the sprinkler!

Easter Party- Egg & Spoon Race and Other Games

2010-03-31T13:47:00.000-07:00

At the Easter Party today, we played a variety of games as well as having the spectacular Easter Egg Hunt. There was lots of laughing as the kids dropped their eggs on the ground in the Egg and Spoon Race. Then eggs were flicked and flung across the ground in the Egg Rounding contest. If they had been real eggs they would have been vaporized! The kids quickly figured out the egg puzzles, we may have to make them more complicated next year.

Egg & Spoon Race

Egg Rolling Contest & Egg Puzzles

Egg & Spoon Race Video

Egg Rolling Contest Video

Pin the Tail on The Bunny Video

Barn Yard Video

Listen closely and you will hear the kids making funny animal noises. Each one is given a card with an animal on it and they have to make that animal's sound until they hear someone else making the same sound- their partner! Poor Nicole couldn't find her partner because I didn't hand out the matching card. She was Mom's Partner at the very end- silly Mom!

Happy Easter- Egg Toss & the group

2010-03-31T13:34:00.001-07:00

One of our favorite games- egg toss. The plastic eggs are weighted with play dough and taped shut, which makes them much easier to throw. The group grow is size to include a couple neighbor girls, who joined us to play games. Adam looks adorable as our Easter bunny! I am going to have to double check the maximum weight of the club house as they though it was great fun to sit in there all together!

Egg Toss Video

Happy Easter! Easter Egg Hunt

2010-03-31T13:05:00.000-07:00

The weather was amazing for our Easter Party. 77 degrees in March, it was so nice the kids were complaining about being too hot! What a great problem to have! We have had our egg hunt in the snow in previous years. We hunted for eggs, had snacks, opened our eggs, played games and then had lunch- all outside!
Haley, Hannah, Melanie and Sarah were our Easter bunnies. Sarah is a friend of Adam's family and she joined us to help out, the kids adored her! They hid 300-400 eggs for the kids. They ran out of hiding places and made a design in the green with the eggs! Our Easter baskets were sand pails this year. We decorated them with permanent markers and bug transfers, hopefully the kids can use them outside this summer.

Easter Egg Hunt Video

Opening the Easter Eggs

New Swing Set

2010-03-29T20:49:00.001-07:00

Oh the fun and excitement! We are enjoying our new swing set! It has a lot of great safety features- hand rails, wider stairs, a deeper slide with railings so the kids can not stand on top of the slide. It also has a fence to keep kids from walking from the sandbox into the swings. The swings have really nice rubber chain guards to keep from pinching little fingers. The climbing wall is a lot of fun and the kids climb it instead of walking up the slide. I really like the detail on the roof but it was really a pain to assemble.

Spring Science Project

2010-03-29T20:36:00.000-07:00

We started our spring science projects. We are hatching out praying mantises and raising painted lady butterflies. The caterpillar arrived in a little clear plastic container that we can watch them grow and eat in. Once they crawl to the top and form a chrysalis, we can transfer them to the net tent to hatch. The praying mantis egg mass is called a ootheca is arrived attached to a stick and was placed into the pagoda until they hatch. They take quite a while to hatch and require lots of patience.

Music Class

2010-03-29T20:19:00.001-07:00

Ms. Kristen brought her parachute with this week and the sang and slide under the parachute. The kids always enjoy playing the percussion instruments and singing songs.

Travel Tots- India

2010-03-29T20:08:00.000-07:00

The kids studied India with Ms Tee this week. They really enjoyed getting dressed up, smelling spices like cinnamon and curry and making their own necklaces.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2010-03-29T19:55:00.000-07:00

The shamrock hats turned out adorable, my little leprechauns! One last photo on our old swing set, soon to be replaced with a new one!

First Time at the Park without Snow

2010-03-29T07:58:00.000-07:00

Spring has finally arrived and we were able to go to the park with our trikes and bikes and no snow!

Trike Races down the hill and into the grass. One the boys favorite things to do.

I found a monkey at the park!

Rainy Day Activities

2010-03-29T07:44:00.000-07:00

We had to pull out many of our rainy day activities when it rained for a very long week this Spring. I have a wonderful collection of wooden Melissa & Doug puzzles-they make great puzzles. Some have sounds and lights. They also make magnetic puzzles with fishing poles, picture blocks and magnetic dress up dolls. The kids love the variety.

Blake is putting together a Montessori balancing puzzle, challenging and fun!

Holly is having fun "fishing" for her puzzle pieces

We had to spread out a bit to color our large coloring pages. They loved coloring on the floor!

We also pulled the bounce house and inflated it in the garage when the rain continued to the end of the week. It was great to get fresh air and exercise with the garage door open while staying out of the rain.

Last Time Sledding for the Winter

2010-03-29T07:31:00.000-07:00

We were able to go sledding one last time before the snow melted this Spring. The kids really loved sledding at the big hills at the park. They really got a good workout going up and down the hills. Blake was even pulling his sister up the hill, good team work! The flying saucers go the fastest and the most daring of the group love them. The little ones have small toboggans that are slow and very stable.

Even Sammie got a ride up to the top of the hill.

There is a bit of crying in the video because one of the sleds would not go. We had to work on tucking the rope inside the sled to make it slide better. Once the rope was inside it worked great! The hill is big enough for them to spread out. I had them line up for the video but otherwise they were all over the hill.

Field Trip to the Children's Museum

2010-02-17T19:54:00.000-08:00

We went to the Children's Museum with our neighbor and her 2 daughters. The kids had a great time exploring and playing together. We started out in the China room, playing instruments, petting the water buffalo statue, and water painting calligraphy.

Next up the face painting table. The kids had a great time drawing on each other's faces, noses and my hand.

The water room was every one's favorite. They really enjoyed racing boats,blowing bubbles, playing in the water pipes and water fountains. They were a little damp but no one was soaked.

The dinosaur exhibit had moving dinosaurs and the kids kept asking if they were real. Digging for fossils was great and not messy.

In the nature lodge, the kids were able to touch a real snake. Most of the kids touched it and everyone watched it with great fascination.

The forest area had great places explore- a log, a woodchuck lodge and a turtle shell. Everyone climbed into the turtle. Cutest turtles ever!

The ant area had tunnels to crawl through. Laura was carrying a stuffed ant larva around like a baby and hiding it in the tunnels.

There was a miniature town with a supermarket, bus, restaurant, movie studio, and doctor's office. They really enjoyed shopping at the market and playing the different roles.

Video of the kids in front of a blue screen at the movie theater dancing and playing instruments to a music video. The monitor shows the kids on the background. The kids do love being on stage!

Wednesday-Ireland

2010-02-17T19:36:00.000-08:00

Today the kids learned about Ireland with Ms. Tee. Hannah is the cutest leprechaun ever. They learned about Irish legends, folk songs and food. They enjoyed painting a rainbow. Today was a very busy day: breakfast, play outside, snack, Travel Tots with Ms Tee, lunch and field trip to the Children's Museum for the preschool kids in the afternoon. What a great day!

Our Favorite Inside Game

2010-02-17T18:51:00.000-08:00

Do you ever wonder what to do with a Beanie Baby collection? Our favorite game is Beanie Baby Hide and Seek. We take the entire bin of Beanie Babies and two of the kids hide them in the toy and play rooms. The rest of the kids sit on the stairs and wait to go and find them. The kids love to play it because there are so many ways to hide a small stuffed animal. Who ever finds the most gets to hide them next. It is a great game to play inside when it is cold outside.

Valentine's Day Party

2010-02-17T17:42:00.000-08:00

We had great Valentine's week, full of full projects. The kids colored their Valentine's Card bags (carefully with permanent markers)

We made adorable cards for Mom & Dad with their photos
"Happy Valentine's Day from a cute little bugger!"

Valentine's Card exchange. Each of the kids handed their Valentine's out.

Making and decorating Valentine's cookies.

Project time- place setting placemat

2010-02-07T19:59:00.000-08:00

Our new project- organization at meal time.The kids have been helping set the table at meal time and are encouraged to keep everything in the right place. It really helps minimize the spills if cups are kept in the correct location. Ikea has a great set of child's plastic forks, spoons and kid safe knives. The kids love practicing cutting up their pancakes and waffles with the plastic knives. It is a safe way to learn how to cut. The kids love their new placemats and can't wait to use them at home.

Who said "you can't play with your food?"

2010-01-30T13:27:00.000-08:00

We discovered Scrabble Cheese Crackers and now playing with our food is fun and a learning experience too! The kids really like helping find the letters to spell each other's names and then eating their words. It is a fun snack to help learn the alphabet.

Wednesday- Music Class

2010-01-27T17:08:00.000-08:00

Ms. Kristen came today for Music class. They started out with "Hello Everybody, How are You." They danced to "We can do Anything We Wanna Do"and played Bongo Drums to the Banana Boat Song (Day-O). They played instruments fast and slow with the guitar and pretended they were traveling with the Airplane Song. Following are 3 videos. First-the the kids playing the bongo drums. Second-guessing the instruments by sound. Third-singing and playing guitar at the end of class.

Video of the kids playing Bongo Drums

Video of the kids guessing the instrument by it's sound

Video of the kids singing and playing guitar at the end of class

Cold Weather Fun- Scented Play Dough

2010-01-27T16:53:00.000-08:00

A fellow daycare provider gave me a recipe for scented play dough and it sounded like a fun cold weather project. (Thanks Tonia!) The kids had a great time mixing the ingredients together, and then I cooked it for them. We made a batch of lemon-lime green and a batch of strawberry red. The dough smells great, is non-toxic, doesn't stain, but it does not taste good. We had shaping fun with the dough, making snails, flowers, pots, and letters of the alphabet.
Here is the recipe if you are looking for something fun to do:

Scented Play Dough
1 cup Flour
1/2 cup Salt
2 teaspoons Cream of Tartar
1 package of Kool Aid
1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil (Any cooking oil)
1 cup Water
Mix dry ingredients together thoroughly in a medium sauce pan. Add Oil and water. Mix thoroughly again. Cook over medium heat until a soft ball of dough forms and is not sticky. Store in air tight container. Will last many months in container.

Preschool Field Trip to Underwater World

2010-01-26T21:03:00.000-08:00

The preschool kids went on a field trip to Underwater World and it was a great experience. The morning and afternoon classes went together. The kids loved riding on a big yellow school bus.

They started out looking at a koi pond and snapping turtles. The "We Bite" sign on the tank was great. The kids understood the warning and no one tried petting the turtles.

Then we were off and running into the tunnel. The kids loved being surrounded by water. It was amazing to watch the sharks and string rays swim right over our heads.

After the tunnel was smaller aquariums filled with starfish and seahorses. Nicole announced that she was going to be a mermaid when she grows up.

The seahorses were a favorite. Elizabeth was telling us which were the mommies, daddies and babies.

The open touch and feel tanks were a lot of fun for our little adventurers. Laura, Mason, Elizabeth and Nicole all touched starfish.

Only Nicole and Mason were brave enough to "pet" the giant crab with it's giant pinchers.

Playing in the Snow

2010-01-26T20:44:00.000-08:00

We like to get outside as much as possible when the temperature and wind chill are not below zero. The kids have several different choices in sleds- flying saucers, tubes, plastic toboggans, and roll up slides. The roll up slides can be challenging for the kids to get on but they store so nicely and slide nicely if the kids can get on them. The flying saucers seem to be the favorite and go the fastest on the icy snow.

The little ones have sleds of their very own and the big kids love to help pull them around (under close supervision). No wild rides for the little ones, just nice relaxing spins around the yard.

Why go sledding if you can sit and eat ice? My little princesses enjoying a very cold snack. Does ice count as a snack? I tried asking them not to eat snow and ice but it was a magnetic attraction. They really enjoy it too much. So now I just remind them to make sure it is clean ice or snow. Compromise works.

Celebrating Birthdays

2010-01-26T19:34:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Blake's & Preston's December birthdays after the holidays. It is hard to have a birthday so close to Christmas. It was nice to space the birthday celebrations into January. I think the kids enjoyed it more and we had more time to spend celebrating their birthdays.

Blake's Birthday photos:

Movie of the kids singing Happy Birthday to Blake

Preston's Birthday Photos:

Video of the kids singing Happy Birthday to Preston:

Travel Tots- Australia

2010-01-26T13:21:00.000-08:00

We learned about Australia this month from Ms Tee. Started out with a little geography lesson with a puzzle map and showing where Australia is and where we are. Then a hopping like kangaroos lesson and on to feeding the baby kangaroo relay race. The kangaroo footprint version of musical chairs was a hit. Everyone had a great time coloring their very own boomerang and a little boomerang throwing practice.

Christmas Party Fun

2009-12-27T21:15:00.000-08:00

We had our Christmas party on Wednesday. We had pizza for dinner and opened Christmas gifts and dressed up in reindeer antlers. Watch the video for the excitement of ripping wrapping paper.

Christmas Party- Fun at the Hamster Maze

2009-12-27T21:00:00.000-08:00

We took all the kids to the maze for some extreme fun and energy release. They had a great time on the huge twisting slides, ball pit, climbing walls and crawling tubes. It resembles a giant hamster maze to me, especially with all the kids crawling around in it. It was a great way for them to release some of their holiday energy in a fun and safe place. I amazes me to watch the kids go all the way to the top and slide down, they have no hesitation or problem with the height.

Wednesday: No School Fun

2009-12-27T20:53:00.000-08:00

We had a great time with the school kids with us on Wednesday during school vacation. We worked on Christmas gifts, played dress up, read books, and played.

Christmas Story

2009-12-27T20:41:00.000-08:00

At circle time this week we read the Christmas story and the kids acted it out using a Little People Nativity set. It is a great "hands on" way to bring the story to life. Christmas week, we watched the new Veggie Tales movie "Saint Nicholas," "The Toy that Saved Christmas," and "The Christmas Star." Three wonderful short movies focused on explaining the real reason for Christmas.

Painting Christmas Ornaments

2009-12-27T19:32:00.000-08:00

We made Christmas ornaments out of dough, dried them and painted them. The kids enjoyed painting Christmas trees, bells, angels, teddy bears, snowmen, and trains. Once the paint was dry, I varnished them so they will stay nice from year to year.

Decorating Christmas Cookies

2009-12-27T19:10:00.000-08:00

We decorated our Christmas cookies this week. The kids love "painting" their cookies with red, green, blue, and yellow frosting and adding sprinkles. The paint brushes make frosting the cookies easier and they look like little paintings when they are done.

Happy Birthday Elizabeth

2009-12-17T20:19:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Elizabeth's birthday today. We made birthday crowns with fun princess stickers with frogs, castles and magic mirrors. Everybody loves singing happy birthday but their favorite thing is birthday cake and helping open presents. Happy b-day Elizabeth!

Jenni (our summer helper for the last couple summers) stopped by to visit her favorite kids. She is on winter break from college. The kids were so excited to see her and she was amazed to see how much Sammie has grown. Busy day- preschool party, Elizabeth's birthday party and Jenni!

Thursday- Preschool Happy Birthday Jesus Party

2009-12-17T20:13:00.000-08:00

The preschool kids had a great time this morning at their Chistmas party. They made and decorated reindeer hats, made ornaments, read about and made snowman soup, decorated and ate cupcakes, played musical chairs and in the bounce house. What a busy and fun morning!

Wednesday Music Class

2009-12-17T20:03:00.000-08:00

Ms Kristen came for music class on Wednesday and they had a great time singing Christmas songs and drumming rhythm sticks along with Christmas carols. They did the Reindeer Hokey Poky. They always start class with "Hello Everybody, How are you?" and end with "Music Time is Over." It is nice to hear the kids singing so many Christmas sings.

Making Christmas Cookies and Dough Ornaments

2009-12-17T19:41:00.000-08:00

We started making Christmas cookies and dough ornaments. The kids love rolling out their own dough with their mini rolling pins and cutting out cookies with the cookie cutters. Once we were done making sugar cookies, we switched to making dough ornaments. The dough for the ornaments is a bit harder to roll out and we use more detailed cookie cutters for the ornaments. It is funny to watch the kids try and sneak a taste of the ornament dough, I always warn them that the dough is very salty and doesn't taste good like the cookie dough but they try it anyway. We will paint the ornaments and frost the cookies next week- the messy but fun part!

Wednesday 12/9 Travel Tots Christmas Adventure

2009-12-17T19:04:00.000-08:00

Last Wednesday, Ms. Tee came and did a Christmas craft and song day with the kids. They had a great time singing Jingle Bells and pretending to be reindeer. They painted and decorated their own mini-Christmas trees and made a candy cane into Rudolf the red nosed reindeer and stamping their own gift bags.

Fun in the snow

2009-12-17T18:49:00.000-08:00

The kids love playing in the snow with their little shovels and sleds. We really do not enjoy the cold and wind chill though. Can't wait for it to warm up a bit so we can play outside longer and build a snow man or two.
We were sitting inside warming up after playing outside and I asked the kids what Mom wanted for Christmas, the answers were fun and interesting:
Mason- My Mom wants a new kitchen, a new sink and a new dishwasher.
Laura-My Mom wants a new water hose so she can plant flowers
Blake- My Mom wants a necklace and bracelet and a new kitchen
Elizabeth- My Mom wants new glasses.
Hannah J- A new glass.
Kids have the best answers for everything!

Welcome

2009-12-07T19:28:00.000-08:00

We had new friends join us today- Dani & Blake. Mason was so happy to have another boy to play with! They were challenging each other to climb higher and run faster. Holly liked playing in the pretend kitchen with Dani and Hannah enjoyed pushing both of them in the double swing outside. They love the caterpillar swing. We really enjoyed having them, they fit in perfectly with the rest of the circus.

Wednesday- Music Class

2009-12-06T19:58:00.000-08:00

Ms. Kristen came on Wednesday. She comes every other Wednesday so we will see her 3 times in December, the kids are very excited! They talked about how to make a snowman and pretended snow was falling with a parachute and played instruments along with Christmas songs.

Thanksgiving- No School

2009-12-06T19:50:00.000-08:00

What does a day look like when there is no school and the big kids are here all day? We like to put them to work! They read the circle time stories to the kids and helped them dress up at play time and played beauty salon. Holly and Nicole had heads full of braids and enjoyed every minute of it. It is very challenging for Mom to brush Nicole's hair but Haley & Hannah can braid her hair for an hour!

A Turkey Called "Teamwork"

2009-12-06T19:31:00.000-08:00

Nicole's Great Grandpa sent her the Thanksgiving Turkey from the paper and she decided she wanted her friends to help her color it. It was a very colorful turkey when everyone was done. They were very excited at how quickly they finished it when everyone worked together.

Thanksgiving Thankful Turkeys

2009-12-06T19:25:00.000-08:00

For Thanksgiving, we made Thankful Turkey Centerpieces. The big kids worked with the younger kids to write down what they were thankful for this year. Answers ranged from "Mom and Dad" to "Cartoons" and "Cats"

Rainy Monday

2009-11-23T13:43:00.000-08:00

Today, we played with play dough, played dress up in costumes and played with instruments. It was a loud and messy day but lots of fun on a rainy morning.

Quote of the day from Laura: "I can't believe Santa is really real!"

Thursday- Preschool

2009-11-23T13:37:00.000-08:00

It was hat day on Thursday at preschool. They had a blast picking out a hat from the dress up clothes or bringing their favorite from home. The hallway is decorated with fun Thanksgiving decorations- turkey hand prints and Pilgrims. The class turkey looks great with family photos on each feather.

Wednesday: Music Class

2009-11-23T13:28:00.000-08:00

Ms. Kristen came on Wednesday for music class with the kids. They sang:
Head & Shoulders
This is the way, on Thanksgiving Day
There are many things I am Thankful For
Quote of the day from Mason:
"I am going to have pizza on Thanksgiving!"

Wednesday: Travel Tots

2009-11-11T21:04:00.000-08:00

Ms. Tee came today and the kids learned about Spain. They practiced saying Hola, Audios, Por Favor and Gracios. They had a great time pretending to be Matadors and bulls. They made bull puppets and dressed up and danced.

Dress Up

2009-11-11T20:54:00.000-08:00

There was no school on Monday and Tuesday of this week. The kids had a great time playing dress up. The big kids had a blast dressing up the little kids, no one could escape without a costume, not even Sammie was safe. She is an adorable bunny. Preston is the toughest princess ever, the coolest farmer and a funny clown. He tried on the most costumes!

Music Class

2009-11-11T20:44:00.000-08:00

The kids learned a bunch of new songs at music class:

Hello Everybody, How Are You?

Shake a Hand

Listen & Do

Skidamarinkadinkadink Skidamarinkadoo I love you

Triangle Circle Square

The Happy Song "Dum Dum De De De Dum Dum"

They played with drums shaped like a triangle, circle and square and other instruments as well.

Leaves, leaves, leaves

2009-11-11T20:37:00.000-08:00

The leaves did not have pretty colors this year but the kids still loved playing in them. They raked them up, threw them at each other and jumped in them. Great fun!

Preschool Fall Party

2009-11-01T19:45:00.000-08:00

I volunteered to helped organize the preschool fall party. Four other wonderful preschool moms also volunteered to help. They did an amazing job putting everything together for a great party for 20 preschool kids. The kids started with snack- apple slices with caramel dip and chocolate milk boxes. Then there were five different stations set up and the kids were divided into 5 groups of four. Each mom managed a station for the kids to visit. We had two craft stations- a cute hand print bat and creating a picture frame for the fall field trip photo. We had a game station with bowling, candy corn toss, and pin the nose on the pumpkin. I did face painting and the bounce house was the fifth station. The kids also exchanged candy and took a decorated bag home.

Daycare Fall Party

2009-11-01T19:35:00.000-08:00

The kids put on their costumes for our fall party and then we played games to celebrate. We had Elmo, a pirate, superheros, princesses, and even a superhero princess. We played pin the nose on the pumpkin, pumpkin bean bag toss, and I did face painting. Don't they look adorable!

Wednesday: Nicole's Birthday Party

2009-11-01T19:11:00.000-08:00

Nicole's birthday party with all of her friends. All the kids were great and had a good time. They loved playing in the playland, eating lunch together and having birthday cake. We ran out of time at the playland, they were having so much fun playing, I didn't want to shorten their play time. So we waited until after nap time to open gifts. Our neighbor Jessica and two of her three girls were able to join us. The kids love playing with them at the park this summer. It was a wonderful way to celebrate her birthday and everyone had fun!

Nicole's Princess cupcakes at preschool for snack:

Pumpkins-done!!

2009-10-24T14:40:00.000-07:00

We finished the pumpkins this week. Mason was the most excited about the process, he helped everyone with their pumpkins. When we were cleaning out the pumpkins, he kept complaining about all the "cheese" in the pumpkin. I told him it wasn't cheese it was pumpkin "guts." It does look like cheese! We use the pumpkin carving kits and the kids decided that they should work together to poke the holes to form the pattern. Laura kept saying 'let's work together as a tea, it will go faster." Everyone worked together and they did get them done very quickly. They were very excited that teamwork was so fast. I was so proud of them for working together, it is a very valuable skill to learn! The pumpkins turned out super cute and the roasted seeds were a delicious snack! We ran out of time carving pumpkins and Nicole carved hers in the evening with Daddy. They turned out really cool too.

Music Class- Wednesday

2009-10-24T14:06:00.000-07:00

Ms. Kristen came on Wednesday and the kids had fun learning new songs and playing instruments. Holly joined the class for the first time, kids have to be at least two and be able to sit and follow directions to join class. She did a fantastic job and followed directions very well. It is so exciting to watch the kids grow up and learn new things.

The kids sang a song about a space ship and played under the parachute. They sang and danced to many Halloween songs as well. I have included two videos- one of them signing the welcome song and one of the rocket parachute song. Enjoy!

Pumpkins!

2009-10-19T21:09:00.000-07:00

No school today so older kids started gutting the pumpkins during nap time. They had fun saving the pumpkin seeds and making a big mess with the squishy pumpkin goo. We can't wait to have some cool carved pumpkins. I read that pumpkins will last longer if you spray the inside with a diluted bleach solution, so we may try that and keep them cool. Hopefully they will last until the end of the month.

Welcome Lauren!

2009-10-19T21:00:00.000-07:00

We were very excited to meet Elizabeth's new baby sister- Lauren. She is super adorable and Elizabeth is really excited to be a big sister. She loved telling us all about her baby. Welcome Lauren & congratulations to Elizabeth's family!

Monday- Homemade pizza

2009-10-19T20:53:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite projects is making pizza from scratch. The kids mixed up the whole wheat crust and kneaded the dough. They have fun piling the tops on and making their own personal pizzas. They were really creative and we had heart shaped pizzas. The best part is eating them!

Travel Tots-Wednesday

2009-10-19T20:40:00.000-07:00

The kids pretended they were in the Olympics and competed in several different games- Javelin, discus, hurdles, long jump, and basketball. They had to practice taking turns and measuring distances. They really enjoyed playing and learning and winning their first place medals.

What is wrong with this picture?

2009-10-12T20:22:00.000-07:00

It is just wrong to have this much snow on October 12th and have snowmen covered in green leaves in green grass. The kids really enjoyed making snowmen. We had 3 of them and then the kids had fun jumping on them. The kids were working really hard to roll their own snowballs, they had to weigh as much as the kids! Jenni stopped by on a break from college to say hi to the kids, they enjoyed playing in the snow with her. Elizabeth enjoyed shaking the tree to drop snow on her head. It was a fun way to spend the morning but way too early for snow.

Preschool Field Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-11T20:45:00.000-07:00

The preschool kids went on a field trip to the pumpkin patch on Thursday. They were very excited to ride in a big yellow school bus for the first time. We went on a hayride through the woods. The trail was decorated with scarecrows and pumpkin characters, even the trees had faces. After the hayride, they went through a maze and found 4 scarecrows. At the petting zoo, they saw calves, goats, sheep, a donkey, baby rabbits, baby chicks, pygmy goats and a potbellied pig. We had snack and took a class photo (I will give one to each family and not post it here). The kids got to pick out their own pumpkins and we went home on the bus. There were pumpkins dropped and rolling around on the bus. The kids really enjoyed their first preschool field trip!

Swing Time at the Park

2009-10-11T19:33:00.000-07:00

We had a great time playing at the park on the one nice day last week. We have to enjoy every minute of sunshine and get out as much as we can before the snow flies and sidewalks become impassable. The kids love the tire swing at this park and had a great time.

Monday: Project Time

2009-10-05T20:50:00.000-07:00

Today, Ms. Jenn came and helped the kids make "puppy chow." It was one of her favorite things to make with her kindergarten class. They had a great time stirring the chocolate & peanut butter together, pouring it over Crispix, and shaking it in bags to cover it with powdered sugar. It is a very sweet treat and fun to make. Fun project on a rainy day!

Preschool Pictures

2009-10-05T20:44:00.000-07:00

The kids have really cute pictures, self portraits and hand prints on the wall at preschool. I thought I would share photos of them with you. Sorry for the delay posting these, I finally figured out my new camera! I am not completely satisfied with the photo settings but we are getting there. I am really excited to take pictures of the preschool field trip on Thursday to the apple orchard. I can't wait, I am just as excited as the kids!

Music Class Last Week

2009-10-05T20:30:00.000-07:00

Ms. Kristen came last week and the kids sang and danced and played instruments. They love the movement as well as the music. They always enjoy class and the variety of activities and instruments.

Baby Update

2009-10-05T20:15:00.000-07:00

Sammie is getting spoiled by the kids. They love holding her, reading to her, and making sure she has toys to play with. She gets lots of kisses and attention. It is so fun to watch the kids with her, very sweet and wonderful. I can't believe she is three months old already!

Daycare Skill Set

2009-09-23T13:08:00.000-07:00

I discovered there is a special skill set required to be a daycare provider. Each day can require different skills and talents.
Master Paper Airplane Maker- be able to make them & teach 4 yr old boys how they are made

Yoga Instructor- OK, everyone take a deep breath & relax

Hostage Negotiator- You don't want to hurt your friends, let's work together & figure this out.

Short Order Cook- will they eat it or not?

Scientist-what did I just step in and do I even what to know what is on my shirt?

Veterinarian- if a 2 yr old carries the cat upside down, will it be OK?

Doctor- does it need stitches or a band aid. (amazingly, not related to the cat comment.)

Magician- have the magical ability to kiss boo-boos and make then better.

Drill Instructor- clean up, line up and march 2-3-4

Sense of Humor- you have to laugh sometimes or you'll cry

Janitor- What do you mean you missed?

And that was all before we even finished breakfast...

First Day of Preschool

2009-09-15T13:53:00.001-07:00

It was the first day of Preschool today and the kids were so excited! They were fantastic and loved every minute of it. They transitioned perfectly and had a great time. It was fun to hear their stories and what they learned and the kids they met. They really liked their teachers and were fascinated by a girl who had poison ivy. Can't wait to take them again on Thursday!

Gwen- thank you for letting me borrow your camera for first day photos! Mine was broken at a wedding over the weekend. We will get a new one this week. Appreciate it and love the photos!

Music Class

2009-09-15T13:05:00.000-07:00

Music Class last week, the kids played a lollipop drum and other fun instruments. They also played a ABC song that told them what to do with the bean bag. "Q is for Quiver" which mean shake the bean bag. They learned fun new words, practiced the alphabet and sand and played at the same time.

Myles- going away party

2009-09-15T12:56:00.000-07:00

Myles is at school full time now. At the end of summer, we had a fun going away party for him, complete with a cupcake sailboat.