Wednesday, December 19, 2012

HOLIDAY STRESS!

This a great article I got from our Food Program.  It has many helpful tips and reminders about how to deal with the chaos and stress of the holidays with kids!

http://www.mn2020hindsight.org/view/parenting-how-to-cope-with-the-holidays


Parenting: How to Cope With the Holidays

Left unchecked, a toddler will become a rampant holiday whiner who refuses to go to sleep, throws tantrums, and won’t eat anything but sugar. Yes, that seems like an exaggeration but trust me, it happens.
I’m embarking on my first December of parenting a two year old. I’m thrilled to finally be introducing the magic of the holiday season to my child through beautiful lights, playing in the snow, cheery music, holiday cookies, hot cocoa and the Elf on the Shelf. But I’ve quickly learned that parenting through this season is hard word.
The odds are against you and your children—parties that push back bedtime. Tables filled with sweets. Toys tempting your child with every end cap in every store.
Now, I’m not a Grinch. I think giving and receiving presents is lovely and I’m a huge fan of holiday treats. So please understand that I am not promoting an anti-holiday. I’m promoting preparation. Parents should arm themselves with the skills necessary to help their children survive the season, personality unscathed. Here’s how.
  • Exercise patience. Don’t forget that temptation is everywhere.
  • Be consistent. Don’t say no and give in. Also, beware of overusing the word no. It means nothing then.
  • Establish whining zones. Give them a safe place where they can do all the whining they please. Just make sure you aren’t around to hear it as research shows whining is the worst and most distracting sound in the world (I do not believe that research was necessary to reach said conclusion).
  • Acknowledge your child the first time they ask something in a real voice. This encourages them to speak and wards off their need to whine.
Also, parents need to try to protect their children’s routines. Bedtime, naptime, reading time, etc. It’s important for your family to be flexible, but within a framework. Watch your child at those holiday parties and read their cues. When they start to break down, go home. Don’t let your child push bedtimes or skip naps a few days in a row. When children are exhausted, their ability to sleep tanks. So a few consecutive nights of pushing their bedtime actually multiplies into another two or three more days of sleep deprivation and instability.
Parents, Teachers, Aunts, Uncles, Grandparents, How do you approach caring for children in the Holiday season? What techniques do you use to prevent the Too Much Holiday whine? And yes, your answer can be wine (for you, not the kids).

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Christmas is here!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Here we are!  The holidays have officially arrived...are you ready for it?!!!  I know I am not, lots to do here at daycare in the next 4 days!!!  BUSY BUSY!

The kids have been working very hard at their Christmas songs for the show!  Rumor has it that if they sing nicely and behave well the rest of the week, a certain JOLLY fella may come bring them a gift!!!  Be sure to bring your camera!  Be here for the show by 4:30.  There is about 10-15 minutes worth of songs, followed by our special visitor and then a few cookies to snack before leaving!  Please do  not come before 4:15, since the kids will be getting ready and their excitement is hard to contain!!  If you would like to send a clean shirt, sweater or dress along, I will help them change before the show.

We also have Travel Tots on Friday to keep the kids busy!!  Ms. Beth plans on doing a fun Holiday party with them!

2013 paperwork will go home by the end of the week.  Please read through it, verify all the info is correct or make any necessary  changes (updates on immunizations, change of address, new work phone #, etc.) and return when returning Jan. 2

REMINDER.  There will be no daycare next week at all!  See you on Wednesday, Jan. 2!

LUNCH MENU:
Monday- Closed for vacation day
Tuesday- Ravioli, garlic bread, grapes and milk
Wednesday-Macaroni and Cheese, hot dogs, fruit cocktail, carrots and milk
Thursday- English Muffin pizzas, green beans, pears and milk
Friday- Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, oranges, mixed veggies and milk


Monday, December 10, 2012

Dec. 10-14

WOW!  Look at all that snow out there!  I know my kids were so excited to wake up Sunday morning to the "beautiful" sight of it!  They jumped out of bed and threw all their snow gear and out they went!!!   Little did they know that was nothing compared to the amount of snow that would be there by the time they went to bed!

JUST A FEW FRIENDLY SNOW REMINDERS!


  • Please be careful on the sidewalk and steps as they can get slippery.
  • Stomp off your boots outside so we can TRY to keep the entry somewhat free of snow.
  • Remove all boots/shoes on the front door rug.  There is nothing worse then wet socks from stepping in a snow pile on the floor!
  • When picking up your children, if we are playing out back, please be careful when walking down the hill.  If you stay where the woodchips are hidden underneath it is a little less slippery.  I would recommend leaving a pair of snow boots in your car for pick up since dress shoes/boots are deadly on that hill.  I DO NOT WANT ANYONE FALLING, so if you can not make it safely down the hill, feel free to try hollering from the top that you are here and I will walk your child up.  You can also try coming through the front door, but I do like to have it locked when we are outside, especially if baby is sleeping in here.
  • If we are inside during pick up time, please quickly get your child's things on, so that when another parent comes we do not have a traffic jam.  Carry their boots upstairs in case there is snow on them from earlier in the day.
  • We do go outside if it is 20 degrees or warmer (factoring in the windchill as well.) so be sure to dress your child accordingly!  They all love playing in the snow!

We had a lot of fun last week celebrating Levi's 3rd birthday!  Travel Tots was also full of Winter fun!

This week we have a lot of fun in store for us with Erin here Wednesday-Friday.  Please remind your children that they same rules apply regardless of which teacher is here!

REMINDER- MONDAY, DEC. 17th, daycare is closed.


























MENU:
Monday- Mini egg bakes, bananas, toast and milk
Tuesday- Chicken nuggets, grapes, green beans and milk
Wednesday- Cheeseburger macaroni, applesauce, veggies & milk
Thursday- Taco burgers, carrots, pears and milk
Friday- Pizza, fruit cocktail and milk




I hope everyone has a fabulous week.  I have to say, as pretty as this snow is, I will be much happier seeing palm trees and ocean waves!  ENJOY!

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Welcome to December! (Dec. 3-7)

Here we are!  Entering into the Crazy Holiday season full force!  I feel like the month of December gets away from us so incredibly quickly!  We have a fun filled, busy month so make sure to watch the chalkboard and bulletin boards for reminders!

We are starting our "Sights and Sounds of Winter" theme this week.  I will send home this month's newsletter and song the beginning of this week!  There are some fun activities and songs to go with our theme.  We will also try to add in lots of Holiday fun as well!

Friday this week we have Travel Tots with Ms. Beth. She is such a fun teacher, the kids really love their time with her!

MENU:
Monday- Corn dogs, carrots, bananas and milk
Tuesday- Chicken Tacquitos, corn, apples and milk
Wednesday-Turkey sandwiches, green beans, grapes and milk
Thursday-Sloppy Joes, pears, mixed veggies and milk
Friday- Spaghetti, garlic bread, applesauce and milk


IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES
Dec. 12-14- Erin will be here all day
Dec. 17- Closed for vacation day
Dec. 21- Christmas party/program- 4:30
Dec. 24-26- Closed for Christmas
Dec. 27-28- Closed for vacation
Dec. 31-Jan. 1- Closed for New Years!

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Week of Nov. 26- Nov. 30

I hope everyone had a fabulous Thanksgiving with their family and friends!  We had a lazy, relaxing weekend around home!  Started our Christmas decorating, played some board games and caught up on some movies and sleep!

This week we are back into the routine of thing here at daycare!  The kids were excited to go out in the snow, though there wasn't much left to play in come Monday afternoon!  They still had fun, though.  I am glad most of them had snowpants, hats and mittens.  It is cold out there, so be sure to send with appropriate outerwear for your kids since we do try to get out everyday as long as it is 20 degrees or higher.  Continue working with them at home with getting all their gear on!  We sing a little song about the order we should put our stuff on- snowpants, jacket, hats, boot and mittens!

We will be finishing off our On the Go theme this week and then moving onto our Winter them next week, and of course a lot of Christmas activities and crafts!  They are all general holiday based, and non-religious.  We will also be doing our annual Christmas program for the parents on Dec. 21st @ 4:30.  More details to follow in the coming week or two!

THURSDAY IS SHOW AND TELL!  There will be no theme to this one, so the kids are welcome to bring anything from home they would like to show their friends.  I do ask that it fit in their cubbies, though!  Thank you!

MENU:
Monday- Grilled Cheese, corn, apples and milk
Tuesday- Beef stroganoff, green beans, applesauce and milk
Wednesday- Chicken patty sandwiches, mixed veggies, pineapple and milk
Thursday- Cheese quesadillas, carrots w/ dip, grapes and milk
Friday- Homemade mac and cheese, baked beans, fruit cocktail and milk

Monday, November 19, 2012

Thanksgiving Week!

We had a lot of fun visiting the new playground at the park!
New fast slide!!!

















I hope everyone is looking forward to Thanksgiving and the official start of the Holiday season!

Just a reminder that I am closed Thursday and Friday of this week to celebrate with my family!

The kids are excited about getting to see Erin again this week.  She will be here Monday morning and Wednesday afternoon.  Her long term subbing job at Turtle Lake has come to an end since the full time teacher has now returned from maternity leave.  We will be seeing her around much more in December.

Peek a Boo!
This week we will do some Fun Thanksgiving Crafts and be reading some great Thanksgiving stories!




Loves playing outside!







MENU:
Monday- Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches, green beans, applesauce and milk
Tuesday- Ravioli, Garlic bread, mixed veggies, pears and milk
Wednesday- Egg and sausage sandwiches, bananas and milk
THURSDAY- CLOSED
FRIDAY- CLOSED








We celebrated Avery turning 4!
Birthday Girl!
Beautiful!

Monday, November 5, 2012

Week of 11/5-11/9 (plus Halloween Pics!)

The super Heroes!

Caterpillar and a butterfly!

Batman and Bat baby!!!

Handing out treats!

TRICK OR TREAT!

Making Pumpkin Play doh!

Little Pumpkin just hanging out!

Witch hat snacks!
Helping with the play doh!

Love these kiddos!

WHAT FUN WE HAD LAST WEEK!  I hope everyone had a great Halloween!

This week we have more fun in store for us!  It is Avery's 4th birthday on Thursday, so we will celebrate with her here!

Please continue working with your child on getting their own shoes on, being able to flip their jackets on and getting their thumbs into their mittens!  We will soon be bundling up even more to head out for play time every day and it will go much smoother if everyone has been working on these skills!  Many of the kids are even able to zip their jackets!  WAY TO GO!

MENU:
Monday- Grilled Cheese, mixed veggies, pineapple and milk
Tuesday- Pretzel Dogs, green beans, pears and milk
Wednesday- Scrambled eggs, sausage, oranges and milk
Thursday-Cheese pizza, corn, peaches and milk
Friday- Chicken Nuggets, peas, bananas and milk

Newsletters and music are all ready to go home and in your child's cubbies!

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Pajama Party Pictures!

PAJAMA PARTY!

Gavin watching all the pajama craziness!

The whole gang with their animals!

What a couple of cuties!

Teddy bear dance party!

showing the big kids her moves!

Add caption




Playing outside in our jammies!


WET FALL DAY RIDING BIKES!





Not enthused about the camera!



Monday, October 22, 2012

Week of Oct. 22- Oct. 26

I hope everyone who took some time off had a great MEA Weekend.  The kids had a lot of fun in Wisconsin Dells and it was as always nice to have a couple days off!

This week we have Travel Tots on Friday at 9am! The kids love their time with Ms. Beth

Next week on Wednesday will be our Halloween Party.  The children may come dressed in their costumes or bring them along and change.  What ever is easiest.  We'll have our Halloween fun in the morning, so EVERYONE should bring clothes to change into by lunch time.  There will be a special Halloween Lunch, some games and of course some candy!

Last week, I booked a trip to celebrate my 30th (EEEEEKK!) birthday in Florida with my brother.  I am in the process of talking with Erin about which of the days she wants to work and which I will use as vacation days.  At this point in the year, I have 5 days left.  I can tell you with 90% certainty, that one will be used on Monday, Dec. 17.  Also, I will be using 2 days between Christmas and New Years to combine with the holidays.  Vacation days will be Dec. 27 and Dec. 28, making me closed from Dec. 24- Jan. 1st.  So that leaves 2 more that may go unused, but I will let you know ASAP.

MENU:
Monday- Peanut butter and Jelly sandwiches, pears, carrots and milk
Tuesday- Cheese omelettes, sausage, fruit cocktail and orange juice
Wednesday- Lasagna Hotdish, corn, peaches and milk
Thursday- Ham and Cheese rollups, mixed veggies, pineapple and milk
Friday- Chicken patty sandwiches, green beans, apples and milk

Tuesday, October 16, 2012








Week of Oct. 15-19

Sorry for the lack of blog post last week, I have been having many issues with this site and my home internet in general...trying to de bug it, but also looking at other options!  Working on a real website with a parent log in portal for pictures and weekly updates/reminders!

This week we have a fun week planned.  Tuesday is Pajama Day!  So come dressed in your night time best and bring your favorite stuffed animal or blankie to cuddle with during our slumber party!!!

Friday we have music class with Tasha!  We will not see her again until December after she has baby#2 and returns from maternity leave!

YES I AM OPEN THURSDAY AND FRIDAY!  I know most of you thought I was closed since that is what it said on my holiday/personal day list...but apparently that is not the copy that got saved to my computer, so when I checked it, MEA did not show up as time off!  So you are in luck!  Erin will be here from noon on Thursday through Friday at daycare close!  We are heading out to Wisconsin Dells with some friends and their kids for a fun weekend away!  IF YOU ARE GOING TO BE GONE, please let me know so that I can tell Erin a correct head count!  Thanks!

MENU:
Monday- Chicken nuggets, carrots, apples and milk
Tuesday- Pigs in a Blanket, green beans, peaches and milk
Wednesday- Pizza, pineapple and milk
Thursday- Tuna Hot Dish, mixed veggies, pears and milk
Friday- Sloppy Joes, applesauce, corn and milk

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Week of Oct.1-5



WELCOME TO DAYCARE KAIA!  Talon's "baby" sister is finally joining our daycare group!  The first day went great and she jumped right in to playing with the toys and the kids!  Talon is very excited to have her here with him as well!!

Newly "remodelled" baby/toddler area for an escape from the big kids!
This week we are also starting our October school theme of AT THE ORCHARD!  We will be talking about all things apple related!  As well as other fall topics.  I would love to take the group to the apple orchard, but feel that we have a younger group right now and that may be a field trip saved for the older kids.  Possibly ages 4 and up (maybe 3 and up if I can get my mom to help chaperone/drive) on a non-school day when I could have Erin stay here with the younger kids. I will keep you posted when I hear back from her, possibly Oct. 12th if everything works out.

We have Travel Tots on Friday with Ms. Beth.  The kids really enjoyed getting to know her last month and are looking forward to seeing her again!

MENU:
Monday- Scrambled eggs, mandarin oranges, green beans and milk
Tuesday- Meatballs. mixed veggies, fruit cocktail and milk
Wednesday- Spaghetti. garlic toast, applesauce and milk
Thursday- Hot Dogs on a bun, grapes, carrots and milk
Friday- French Toast sticks, cubed ham, peaches, corn and milk

PLEASE BRING BACK FALL EXTRA CLOTHES IF YOU HAVE NOT DONE SO. THANKS!

I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO GET SOME PICTURES LOADED ON THE BLOG!  So here are some random ones from the last month or so...Enjoy!


The big guys on Jack and Justin's last day!  Hope they are enjoying kindergarten!
Ryan catching bugs with Ms. Beth during our Brazil travel tots class!
The tunnel has been a huge hit recently!
 August Music Class with Tasha
More Brazil fun with Ms. Beth
Talon and Jeovanni ready for the Carnival parade!!!