Busy... But Not

Wow, I feel like we haven't had any real structure to our days the past few weeks. We have been busy making holiday crafts, open ended art has been a huge hit the last two weeks, and just open free play. We have been "pulling" kids one-by-one to get things done, so I have allowed them to kinda just be. Which is nice, I have been allowed into their world of play. Getting to see them use what they have been "learning" since September. Seeing them "read" together from one of the books we have made, the sand studio has turned into a Car Garage for all the matchbox cars, the gift wrapping table has become a place to conduct business... one day it was the grocery store (where the baker wrapped their cakes... who knows where that came from??) one day it was the farmer who had to wrap and sell ALL the pretend fruits and veggies from the "farm" (even a few from my pantry). I have been so busy doing "nothing" I haven't been able to get the camera out. I have missed so many great photos, but oh well, I have enjoyed our days together.

**By the way... we are still working on that growth spurt I wrote about :) We haven't made the leap yet, but I definitely see some progress. My boys have started working together on more complex adventures (building things for their cars, kitty's, mazes for the monster trucks, etc...). So I think that it is safe to say... after break all the kids will be ready for some new and different activities to go with their growth spurt :)

Holiday Program

Today we practiced for our Holiday Program. The kids have gotten the hang of singing in front of a group. I will worry about my 2 almost 3 yr old, but I know she will bail as soon as she sees her parents. I don't know if it is out of fear of all those people, or just habit. Since she has been doing it for every program I can remember. She walks into the room, sees her Mom & Dad and when they smile... that's it off she runs. We practice waving, saying "Ok...Now were just going to wave at our Mom's & Dad's right, we won't run to them. We have to sing, right!!" She nods her cute little head, sings her heart out during the practice, and I just know she won't stay for the actual program. That is why I try to get video of them during practice. This way their Parent's know that they did it, can do it, and actually enjoyed it :) I will keep you posted... our program is on Thursday night...

Finishing up all our ornaments, reading about Jesus' birth, and opening up our Advent Calendar's doors each day keep us pretty busy. We don't always get that practice in. But I have learned... it doesn't actually matter how the evening goes... Mom, Dad, Grandma & Grandpa will love it anyway. They will look cute in their outfits with their reindeer antlers, some will belt out the songs like they had to sing to the people in the back of an auditorium, and their will be a lot of oohhh's & aahhh's.

Which brings me to being nervous. I can sing, act silly, make funny faces and just about talk my heart out in front of a bunch of preschoolers. I can also talk to parents one-on-one. Yet, get all those parents in one room, at one time, looking at me... Forget About It!!! I clam up, stumble over words... why?? They are the same people I see everyday!! We have talked for countless hours over the last year. I want to tell them how much their children impact my life. How much I love them. I want to tell them that being apart of their lives has made me so happy and such a better person for knowing them. That when they tell me their child said a word with the same inflection as me, I beam inside. When your child puts her hands on her hips and says "You guys!!" just like I do when I am redirecting them... yes, I smile and my heart grows 3 times it's size. I won't be able to say it on Thursday Night... but I want them to know. Every time your child hugs me or tells me they love me... that's enough. That's why I do this, that is why I open my home to your children. The State rules and regulations, the locks on my cabinets, the silly paperwork... it is all worth it, because your children bring such joy to my life. And the Parent's aren't so bad either!!
So there I said it... I just hope they read it so I don't have to actually speak it :)

Jammie Day

Today was Jammie Day!! I was out grocery shopping last night and my cell phone goes off!!

Me: Hello

B: Shell, can we have a jammie day tomorrow?

Me: Huh, well we haven't had one in a long time.

B: Yeah!! Lets have a jammie day.

Me: Ok!! Let's do it! I'll call everyone, ok.

B: Ok, bye

Come to find out, his Mom was having Jammie Day at school, so he thought we should have one too. I am glad he did. It was a short, cute phone call and I smiled the rest of the way through the grocery store!!

That is what I love most about Family Home Childcare, you can have a spontaneous jammie day!! I text all my friends and today we had a cozy, fun filled, picnic having jammie day!!!

We took out all the blankets and used them for everything!! From forts (of course) to mummy making friends!!! (Gotta love the winter hat)

A little gift wrapping in our jammies (or jamma's as this little princess likes to correct me)

We had a playdate with this little guy today... wasn't he so cute in those jammies pretending to be the teacher!!!

What a nice way to end the week. We have our Polar Express Day planned for next week when the big kids get off school early... so I think it will have to be another Jammie Day, I mean you can't have the Polar Express Day without our Jammies and Hot Cocoa!!

2 Steps Back... 4 Steps Forward

Just a few photos of the kids yesterday... it was a busy day, but we got through it and even had some cute moments to look back on!! I have figured out that my group is going through a growth spurt. It seems whenever they are ready to make some leaps or bounds in any area... social, emotional, physical, intellectual... we take 2 or 3 steps backwards first... then we take that huge 5 or 6 leaps forward. I know I learned about it in college the fancy reasons why, but as a Mom/Teacher I have seen it so many times. I am thankfully starting to see it and realize what is happening before I go crazy though. Then I can have the patience to help guide them through it.

I remember when my oldest boys were little I would be pulling my hair out because they would be behaving in a way that they knew was unacceptable, yet did it they did!! I would be disciplining them, redirecting them, and right when I thought I couldn't take it anymore it was over... not only over but they were learning new things and applying them to their daily life. Being considerate of each other (as much as twins can), being gentle with the little brothers, putting toys away, Oh, you know what I mean.

So, I have decided that this has to be what is going on with my Daycare Gang right now. We have been having some very simple, basic issues... ones that I thought we had gotten awhile back. We have been having to practice putting our toys away (in the right spots), using our words and not our hands, listening to each others words, etc... now I am patiently waiting for the day that I don't have to remind, redirect, and discipline on a minute by minute basis.... okay I exaggerate... but you know what I mean :)

I do know that the day will come though. So for now we will enjoy the process of growing up, taking from it all the wonderful bits and pieces that make us who we are. I am glad to be the one to help them, because as Kristin says over at Preschool Daze...Her "Greatest Passion Is Saving The Dignity of Each Child" (You can find it in her W is for Welcome on right hand side of her blog) Oh, how eloquently put. It puts goosebumps on my arms every time I read it or think it, for I know what she means. This period of time in my Gang's life can be such an enriching one or one that could cause pain, humility and/or sadness. It is not only my job, but my passion to make sure my Gang has an enriching, loving & secure experience.

Now that I got that off my chest :) I will show you a few of our moments yesterday...

Is this too cute or what... a Princess & Her Pig. LOVE IT!!!

She picked the spot to be "photographed"

Little Miss being helpful :)

My Princess making some cinnamon toast for breakfast... Another Great Helper!!

Star Ornament

Glue Ornament... opps, I mean another Star Ornament

I wish I had gotten a picture of it at the end, it had ALOT of glue

A Conversation Between 2 Boys

This morning we had an issue with two boys and 3 shake-n-go cars...

boy 1: I want the fast one
boy 2: Sorry I got it first
boy 1: But I put it down first, I want it now
boy 2: UM... well I have it and I want it
boy 1: You have 2
boy 2: You will have 2, too
boy 1: So
boy 2: I want 2
boy 1: You can't have 2 if I don't have 2
boy 2: but you want 2
boy 1: So
boy 2: Shell, he wants 2, but I want 2
Shell: "Well, how can we solve this?"
boy 1: Give me the car
boy 2: NO!!
Shell: "I guess you both want the car"
boy 1: Yes, I had it first
boy 2: Shell!!!
boy 1: Well, I just want the fast 1
boy 2: Oh, here you can have the FAST one
Shell: "I'm glad you figured that out boys"
boy 2: Yeah, he only wanted the fast one
boy 1: Yeah, now I have 2 and you have 1
boy 2: (looks down at his hands, kinda figures out he's been duped, and shrugs his shoulders) So, I'm gonna play with the blocks anyway
boy 1: NO!! I want the blocks!!

I think it's going to be one of those days :)

Work for this Week

I put out some new fun work for this week. I was going through my December Theme Box and realized that I forgot some great works that I had out last year at this time. We have so much to do to get ready for our Holiday Program and of course all the crafts to be completed and done by the time each child leaves for Christmas Break that I sometimes forget about the opportunities for such fun learning. The kids were excited to find new work on the shelf... I was excited to see them use it :)

Well, this isn't really new... they just won't let me put it up

I got this idea from Ms Debbie who had a great basket with a Gingerbread Person and lots of knick-knacky stuff to go on it. Believe it or not I can't find all my stray stuff so this was the next best thing I came up with :)

Transferring and Patterning Activity

Transferring... Another idea from Ms Debbie to use the little presents... They loved them, so much so that they thought they could open them :) But I was prepared thanks to Ms Debbie... I bought a whole bunch!!

What's the Christmas Season if not about giving and receiving PRESENTS!! I set this "wrapping" station up for the kids. It was an idea I DID read on someones blog... and I thought I saved it, but I can't find it... So if anyone knows where I saw it, please let me know!!!

The kids LOVED it!! They loved finding little things to wrap up, then using the paper ALL BY THEMSELVES, cutting the tape... We Love Tape!! Then putting the gift under the tree!! They all decided that we would open them tomorrow... This center got a lot of activity today. Yeah!!

HUH??

Need I say More???