A Summer Moment

Family Child Care at its Best!!

The Hurricane Deck

We recently went to Buffalo, NY to visit my sister and her family for my nephew's high school graduation. It was a wonderful trip, but one of our favorite things was our trip to the US side of Niagara Falls. We have been to the Canadian side many times, before the border required passports, but the American side is absolutely wonderful. We got to visit the Cave of the Winds and even were able to go on a Maid of the Mist boat ride. We got really wet, and had a ball!!!

The Cave of the Winds thrilled my 6 yr old to no end. Can you imagine, being so small and seeing something as huge and powerful as the American Falls. Not only see it, but walk along side it and feel it's power on your face. Well, that is just we did on the Cave of the Winds tour. It really isn't a tour in the real sense of the word. It is more like a self guided walk. There is a wooden walkway and deck system (that they take down each Winter and put up again in the Spring) that you walk on, and you get to admire the Power of Nature.

I was watching as my young son stared at the water, as it crashed right in front of him and sprayed him with a mist that was stronger than our shower at home. All of a sudden, standing with his back to me, he lifted his little fists into the air and pumped them like he just hit the winning run in the World Series... he then turned to me (as I snapped the photo) and pumped them again. WOW!! I don't know what he was thinking when he did it, when I asked him, he just said, "I just loved it Mom!" and ran back in to do it again.

While we were on this "Hurricane Deck," as it was called, there were some young children that ran in and out of the mist just like my son, but there were many more that choose not to. The power of the Falls were to intimidating to them, maybe?? I was proud of my boy for running in there, full throttle, assessing the risk of the unknown, then adding another experience to his list. What an awe inspiring experience for his Mom!!

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.

What Have We Been Up To??

Now that we are in summer mode it has been laid back and fun times around our house. I lose most of my kids for the summer, their parent(s) are teachers, and have D-Man only part-time. This means we can do a lot more, or nothing at all :)

We have had some fun Field Trip though.... The Children's Museum...

I took some of the boys on a road trip to see my sister and her family in Buffalo, NY. We got to swim in this awesome indoor-outdoor pool!!! Loads of fun!!!

We also have gone to an amusement park, movies, baseball game, and firework show!!! I am trying to keep my boys, as well as D-Man, busy this summer, but mini-camps, baseball and tutoring are making it hard to leave early in the morning, then we have to get back early for baseball practice, all this in the high 90 degree heat. So, we try to get some mini-outings in when we can.

I am also trying to organize our curriculum for next year, throwing out old, broken toys, fixing walls, replacing supplies, and just that all around clean up you need to do after a school year of putting things off. I will try to keep you updated on how things are going... maybe I'll change some things up and post a picture or two. Until then... Happy Summer to Everyone!!!