I'm Back!!!

WOW... what a 3 weeks it has been. It seems like I have been away a life time. As much as I long for the beauty and coolness of the Adirondack Mts, I am glad to be home. I missed my dogs, my house and my own bed :) We got home yesterday and it took all I had in me to get the house in presentable condition for my arrivals today. We have Little Miss M back for the week, until her new school starts up, and our newest friend joining us, we'll called her Roo, because she is so inquisitive and friendly, just like little Roo with his Mama Kanga.

This morning I was able to welcome my friends back to "school" with some new and old toys, (Miss M liked finding some of the toys right where they were when she left) and plenty of activity to go around. We sang some songs, moved from Do-A-Dots, to sand table, to play dough effortlessly, and even went outside for a rather hot and muggy romp in the yard. Thankfully, the water table was in full swing and the breeze from the swings made it tolerable. It was nice to have "my" kids back, I missed them!!




Below you will find some photo's from our many excursions and adventures we had over the last 3 weeks...

Romping in the Atlantic Ocean off Fire Island in NY

Jumping off Aunt Kimmy's boat on Schroon Lake, NY

My Dad and I enjoying the views at Red Rock Canyon in NV

I have lots to post about in the up coming days... I loved each and everyday of the NAFCC conference, I loved visiting family and friends in NY and I loved coming home.

NAFCC Conference

I have 1 week before I leave for this years NAFCC Conference in Las Vegas. It will be just me, just to costly to have the family come this year. Though, someone special is meeting me this year. My DAD!! I am very excited to see him, plus spend time with him exploring Las Vegas.

Sight seeing aside, I am looking forward to all the information I will be acquiring this year. It is a great way to jump start the school year, get your creative juices flowing and get the passion back into my job. Don't get me wrong, I love my job. I miss all my kids when they aren't here. It is just that sometimes you get in a slump, don't feel like your making a difference, even though your doing everything you usually do. Then you go to a conference like this, surrounded by so many people doing what you do, hearing all their stories, which are so close to your own... it keeps you passionate about providing child care in such an isolated line of work.

I am taking a pre-conference workshop that talks about creating the space in your home for the children in your care. It is one workshop I am really looking forward to. I love having a special space for my child care, even if it is the first thing you see when you walk in my home ;) but creating that space to work for 3-5 children ranging from 1 to 11 is sometimes hard. So I look forward to any information that I can glean from this workshop.

I can't wait to get there, for the workshops, the sight seeing, and the camaraderie that abounds.

NAFCC & Teaching the 3 C's

Well, today was my first day back to work after a 3 week break. It was good to be back, yet it reminds of me of all the things I have to do.

But first.... NAFCC!! If I had to pick I would have to say Patricia Dischler, Teaching the 3 C's, was my favorite. She was great. A great motivator, a great speaker and a wealth of information. I took 2 of her mini workshops, but I kick myself that I didn't take her 4 hour intense workshop. I think I would have gotten so much more out of that than the one I took on Accreditation, but you live and learn. This being my first time at the National Conference, I wasn't sure exactly what to expect. I am used to signing up for multiple workshops, then going to those, this was first come first serve to each workshop. It was organized great and I never had a problem getting into a workshop. I liked it.

I have been reading Patricia's book, Teaching the 3 C's, it really hits home for me. She is able to put into words what we do or want to do on a daily basis. Teaching our children through Creativity, Curiosity, & Courtesy... that is what makes good human beings. Patricia not only talks about why it is important to work in these areas, but how. She gives real example of how she put them into practice. Sometimes I read books like this and think, "Yeah right, it's great in theory, but the author never really DID those things." In attending Patricia's workshops, I got to see photographs of her in action. Of really DOING what she preached... do you know she went on a Field Trip EVERY week... over 900 field trips in her career as a FCC Provider. WOW!!! That isn't counting the people she had come to her home.

I have always wanted to have "speakers" come into the house and expose the kids to wonderful things... but I have always felt that having only 5 kids and out of those at least 1 a baby, that the speaker would look at me like I was nuts. Reading this book and hearing Patricia speak gave me the understanding that it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter that I don't have 12 kids sitting waiting for a speaker, actually it can be a whole lot more informative and fun if there are only a few kids to hear, It doesn't have to be a big, long, sit down speech... find someone who gets the kids moving, has something to see or has a story to tell. Giving the kids the ability to practice their Courtesy skills while interacting with new people, asking questions, and have the confidence to do those things.

I also brought out of the workshop the validation to be silly, and not to forget to be silly. Kids love Silly.... I was talking to my sister, while on vacation, and we were recalling how, as the only Provider (aka... adult) in the house on most days, you talk to yourself, out loud. The kids look at you like your crazy, then you say, "Miss Michelle is losing her marbles today" or "Miss Michelle took her silly pills today" or just keep talking out loud about nothing... they love it. During one of Patricia's workshops she had us working in groups to take something as mundane as a toilet plunger (clean, of course) and find a fun way to incorporate it into the kids play. (We came up with... gear shift, sword, telephone, limbo stick, ring toss... my favorite was Patricia's, she would stick it to a clean floor and have the kids pull it up, almost impossible, and totally fascinating to the kids) While finishing up, she got on a chair, put a colorful sheet on her head and waited. Of course she got our attention, and gave us another option to yelling, stomping, or losing our patience when the kids get in that "out of control" mode and you need to rein them in.

So, let's just say that I learned a lot from Patricia Dischler. I enjoyed her and her workshops very much. I wish she were still doing child care, I think the kids of Wisconsin are missing out :) I also feel that I can take what I learned from her and her book and put it into practice this year. That the kids in my care will get so much more this year, the motivation I got from just these 2 workshops is immense, but I attended others that were almost as motivating!! So, I have a lot to incorporate into our days this year!! I can't wait to see the kids joy!!!

NAFCC Conference

Well, I have been at the NAFCC conference for 3 days and I am meeting some wonderful people and learning some great things. It is great networking with some really great providers. I am in awe with the amount of Family Child Care Providers in one place. I love talking to people with the same issues and passion as my own.

I have gone to some great workshops and I can't wait to post about some of them, when I get some time :)

I am in Nashville, TN and believe it or not, but they are having the American Idol tryouts right around the corner!!! The amount of people here is amazing. Also, the FBLA is having a conference of some sort also and the amount of high school teenagers is out of control!!! They are every where!! In the halls, jumping in front of you to get on elevators, every where you look or walk, they are there. I guess they could say that about the people of the NAFCC conference... it does seem like there are a lot of us :)

Well, when I get home and can devote some time to processing everything, I will post about the highlights of my trip. Next years conference is in NV... I have started to plan already :) If you are a Family Child Care Provider you should look into it!!

Take Care!!!

Vacation, NAFCC & Lables

We have a 3 week break!! I will be going to the NAFCC conference (which I am soooo excited about~!!), then on to camp!! We are looking forward to the break and visiting with family. So, I may not be posting much for the next 3 weeks. But, I came across a post from Yo Yo Reggio! BabyFingernails, bullies and the image of the child. If you have a minute take a hop over there... it really brings me back to what it means to be a child and the need to explore, test, take risks, and grow.

I really try to allow the kids to explore their personalities and take risks without worry or fear of getting in trouble. Labeling toddlers and preschoolers is a common problem. I hear a lot of labels, I am guilty of it sometimes too. After reading Elise's post, I had to think of how I talk about my own children. Labels that they may just live up to, if I'm not careful.

Children need our understanding of their need to try things out. They need to know that testing the limits and boundaries will not lead to a place that they cannot get back from. That biting will not bring onto them a label that follows them. A child that needs extra guidance, should be given just that, not a roll of the eyes. I have seen it to many times. I just hope after reading the post by Elise... people will just take a second and remember that childhood is the time to figure things out and it is our job to guide, not assign labels.