Happy Holidays to all,
December is full of excitement talking about Santa, learning about Hanukkah, and trying to be so good cuz we know Santa is watching- I love this time of year. We have made Christmas Tree collages and we are working on a special secret gift for our families that will surely blow their socks off- as children's crafts often do. We will also be making menorahs and latkes that Kali isn't sure if she eats because she is not Jewish. I told her that they are delicious and taste a bit like a french fry AND she doesn't have to be Jewish. We are singing songs of the season and finding Miley Cyrus, Cheetah girl, and Chipmunk carols to download. Boy- I love to hear the Chipmunks again and again. I've strung bells on the hobby horses and they run around like they are on a sleigh ride jingling. The children also love all of the Christmas and Hanukkah books that are on the shelf.
The big news is that we found a house to grow the business and we are starting to move in like next week! You will officially drop the kids off there starting after the new year.
We also have a new friend named Dillon that will be coming on Tuesdays and Thursday mornings. He is on lovable little dude.
Cecilia, Maddie, and I went to a thrift store in Mill valley yesterday. We called it a "Treasure Store". It wasn't open yet so we decided to go on a walk till it opened. We got out of the car and to our side was a huge flight of stairs through a tunnel of a very tall bamboo forest. In the middle of our climb up we came across a meditation site with a big Buddha and offerings. It was magical, peaceful, and beautiful on a cold day. We learned a little about Asia and Buddha as well as counted all of the steps we climbed- 150!! We also had a great time in the toy basement of the treasure store. We found books on tape- yes tape- I still have a tape player and tapes. we found Mary Poppins and The little Mermaid. Unfortunately we got home and they didn't work. Bummer.

November fun!

November fun!

We have been busy talking about Native Americans.
We have...
Listened to Native American drumming and made our own drums.
Read books about the Suix Indians and what life was like for them long ago.
read about the real Pocahantas.
We talked about how there were no grocery stores and so Native Americans had to live off the land. They had to hunt animals and use the whole animal for clothing, shelter, food, tools, and even decoration.
We painted with feathers.
We talked about the native Americans not having an alphabet. they used symbols to record their stories. We talked about the things that we love and Christian cut out symbols of thiose things. We glued them on our drums to tell about ourselves.
we made up Native American names by thinking of something we are good at or love to do and thinking of our favorite animal.
Maddie is painting dolphin
Kali is Crafty Kitten
Ryan is blue rider for his love of riding cows
Cec is talking dancer
We painted wooden beads
I have been watching Ryan and really getting to know him. He is a puzzle master!! Maybe that should have been his NA mane! He really enjoys doing complex puzzles and does them well. He is also a skilled drawer and has his own ideas at art time. He often does not want to do the project we are doing but goes and draws his own picture. He did like to do the drums though.
We made apple muffins
We have been spending time talking about good manners.
I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving. I am thankful for all of you and all that you give to me!

This month is Native American History month! We will be hearing a story about the people of Europe finding the Native Americans and what life might have been like then, their homes, food, and clothing. We will talk about Native culture and creating some of the things they might have had like drums, medicine bags, and beads. We will listen to Native American drumming and dance with shawls. We will learn that today, Native Americans look a lot like we do. We will also be learning about symbols and using them to tell about ourselves.
This month we will also be talking about manners, being thankful, and making pumpkin bread.
Please bring in(if you have it)...
Empty oatmeal containers
scratch paper

Last week seemed to go by so fast. We learned that Dia De Los Muertos is a day that we remember our friends and family that have died. We learned people from Mexico and here in America might put pictures of their missed relitives out along with momentos and foods. A commen offering to the Dead is Pan de Muertos or bread of the dead. Pan de Muertos is a type of pan dulce or sweet bread. We took a trip to the Mexican Market in San Rafael to find pan dulce for ourselves. We found it in a big clear cabinet and choose the pieces we wanted for ourselves and our families then took a walk to look at all of the different foods the Mexican market had an abundance of. I pointed out the Mexican cheeses, beans, rice, and Galletas(cookies).
While looking through the store Maddie saw Pepsi, Coke,7up... and said "and look at all of the Mexican soda!"
Holly , while playnig later, said she was making food for her "dead friends".
Kali was very interested in in the big case of helados(ice cream) and wanted those.
Cec liked the dulce(candy).
We welcomed our new friend Ryan this week. He is such a loveable little guy and we can't wait to get to know him better.
We also...
fingerpainted
made spooky houses
made Halloween cards

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html
Worth your 20 minutes!

Day of the Dead parade and celebration in San Francisco

http://www.dayofthedeadsf.org/
One of the most Famous DOD parades in the United States!

http://www.childcareexchange.com/eed/news_print.php?news_id=2364
This is an article on brain development and the young child as it pertains to media and "academic" education too soon. I find it important for parents and educators both to have this information.
ENJOY!

We have been working on our Fall books for the last two weeks and they will come home next week. The girls have been talking a lot about all of the things that happen in Autumn- have they at home? We have learned about leaves loosing their green color as the weather gets colder and about harvest.
we have continued to chat about corn and it's many uses. We learned that corn relates to Hispanic Heritage month because it was a gift from the Mayans from S America. We made corn bread and used corn meal as an ingredient. We learned cornmeal is made by crushing dried corn kernels until they are like sand. We talked about using the cornmeal mixture to make corn dogs.You can also use it to make corn tortillas . You use corn tortillas to make corn chips by frying the tortilla in corn oil and so on. Our small study of corn relates to Fall and to Hispanic heritage month.
For art we used black paper to cut out shapes to create a jack o lantern face, we used Fall colors to paint, and had a great time with Halloween stamps and ink.
For Fall and Hispanic Heritage music we downloaded the 5 little pumpkins song. We also checked out a Dora CD from the library. We love to listen to Santana' Oye como Va as done by Dora. You can imagine how cool we sound while driving down the road blasting that!
Next Week we will start to talk about Dia De Los Muertos- Don't forget your pictures!

Tortillas

Reviews from mamasource.com

http://www.mamasource.com/biz/cookies-n-dirt-play-care-tiburon-ca

We talked about our 5 senses today. We listed things we like and don't like to smell, taste, feel, hear, and see. We also talked about all of the great things that happen in the Fall.
This morning we went to the $.99 store to look for Fall things and came home with 4 fairies and 3 pairs of high heels.
We made it to the library in time for story time. Holly says she loves the Library but "it's just SOOO hard to be quiet". We got some books about Fall and our 5 senses.
When picking up Kali at school I dropped my keys down a drainage ditch and had to be rescued by the school custodian (who will soon receive a plate of cookies). Knowing the princiPAL comes in handy!

I have taken some time to think about all of the learning we are doing. Most of our learning everyday comes from the everyday activities that we do. I call it natural learning. When the girls get dropped off in the morning they head straight for dramatic play and play babies, Doctor, house... They are learning to play out the things they do and see at home and in their own lives. By doing this the other girls learn different ways of thinking and doing things. Of course they learn how to get along with each other and sometimes how to cause friction. During our driving time we listen to children's music with or without words and even sometimes in Spanish. We are memorizing words, rhyming, and learning beats all the time. They enjoy this time and are often quiet listening unless singing along. When Kali gets in the car we ask her what she did that day at school and her answer often gives us little topics of conversation. At lunch we rhyme and discuss manners, health and nutrition. Rest time starts with stories on tape. They lay quietly, listen, and imagine. They create their own pictures in their heads. The girls like art in the afternoon. Lately they have been wanting to just explore the art materials freely without me choosing what the activity will be for the day. I love to give them the tools and watch them create.
There is a lot to be said for school based environments but I am so pleased to be able to offer a home away from home. I enjoy thinking about how I can enhance their learning in these real moments that we get to have. They do not HAVE TO come to circle, HAVE TO battle 20 other children, HAVE TO battle for my attention... They can rest when they want, be comfortable, cuddle, and be heard. They are still so young and have so much time for school age activity.

Fine motor, hand-eye, creativity, volume, weight, balance, science exploration, sensory...

Water, paint, paper. We are learning sequencing while being creative.

OK so... I missed a few weeks again. We have been doing great and getting along well. We have been talking a lot about what it means to be a good friend and getting a lot of positive reinforcement when we do and say nice things to our friends. This has been working and I catch the girls being mindful of their language and how they say things. They are proud when I commend them for being good friends.
I grow to love the girls more everyday and them me, I hope. Their new game is to out-do each other with how much they love me. Maddie came in from her nap the other day and as I was about to tell her to go back to bed she said "Christian, I love you more than yellow." I thought that was so sweet.
Kali has been having great fun at kindergarten and says things like "I know you guys really miss me but I am bigger than you now and I have to go to Kindergarten, one day you will be as big as me." When I ask her what she has learned she tells me random stuff like "all about poop". Her teacher lets them out so late by the way. The other kids are up and gone by the time Mrs. Wong opens that door. I would have been so frustrated as a kid- good thing they are too young to know.
Holly is learning so much about friends, different families, and about being with other girls. All of the girls are so different. She is just so happy to have her friends around to play with. She is like a 16 year old when making conversation. She will always ask her friends questions about how they are feeling, what they did during the weekend, their families, and so fourth. It cracks me up to hear her asking such adult inquisitive questions and that she genuinely cares about the answer is sweet and beyond her years. She often misses her best friend Jackson.
We are learning about corn (when I can get them to want to hang out with me!) as they are always playing house and dress up. Lately Doctor has been the dramatic play game of choice. Maybe I will have to switch from corn to health and create a hospital in the dramatic play area. Follow the children's lead.
My big news is that I have found funding to start my Large family day care business. This means that I will try for a child care license to care for up to 12 children with and aide. I have run a small family day care before but need to learn the requirements for a large family. I will include a preschool program and take children 2-5. I am looking to start the soonest being January and the latest being next summer/Fall. I am very excited as this is the first step to maybe opening a school one day. I will keep you posted!
I have an orientation to learn about Ca. state licensing on Oct 21. It is a Wednesday. I was hoping to switch our schedule around that week if it works for you.
Another switch?? I have jury duty on October 8th. Karen I didn't know if you could take a Thursday and I would take Friday? Let me know.

Another great week with all of the girls! M and H are getting to know each other and getting along and falling into the routine of the day. It has been fun to pick Kali up from school and hear about her day. She has been learning about class rules and tells me she is a Hawk. She is proud of being Big enough to be in Kindergarten. K told me she thinks her Mom is great and asked me- don't I wish I could be a Mom as great as her? I thought that was funny.
H is watching the sister dynamics between the other girls. She is always trying to do the right thing and seeks confirmation that she is succeeding. She always does.
This week we talked about self portraits and made one of ourselves with collage materials.
I found some dry erase boards and the girls have been loving drawing but mostly erasing on them.
I took out a box of art materials for them to use freely and they are always torn between doing art or dressing up. They always choose the messy art.
Having all of these girls is so much fun for me. Next week we will go to the Discovery museum on Wed. at 9:00 sharp, make juice pops, and see our friend Jackson.

We are back!

I am so excited to have had my first official day back with the girls! They have all now met and they get along wonderfully. We had a busy day of dress up in the most beautiful dresses and playing going to the ball. K enjoyed the drum, M loves the music an movement, H likes all the girl play, and C likes to shout NO at everything and everyone. Enjoy the pictures of our first day together.

Today we got to go and pick Jax up at his house! We went to our park and all of our friends were there to play with. Jax and Holly have enjoyed playing AFRICA in the trees.
This morning we made some nice soft play dough- yellow and blue. We like to stick candles in it and make cakes.
Jax told us God lives on the moon while making letters and shapes out of his graham crackers. Holly said God is a boy and a girl and listens to us and makes things for us- sweet.
This morning we played Safeway- Holly, Cec and Christian. We had fun beeping things through and using the cash register. Then we payed and bagged our groceries. Holly was Ceci's Mommy and led her all around our game.
I found a 20 minute video at the library about submarines that we watched today after nap. Holly did not like seeing sharks. We learned that sea turtles eat grass and that groups of fish are called schools.
There are new shells and a shell book to look at on our shelves. There are also ocean picture cards, sea creatures, and ocean life books to look at.

Last week I was slacking again with the blog- sorry. Last week we learned about submarines. Holly asked what they were so we looked them up on the computer. We saw videos and pictures of subs in water.
We were outside most of the week. We went to Blackies and had fun playing in the secret houses in the bushes. Jackson climbed high into the crooked branches of the trees. We ran in the grass and played at the park- our friends Amelia and Addison were there too!
Holly told us her Dad doesn't see colors very well and that her Gma has gotten real old and needs a cane.
We brainstormed all the things we could think of that are loud after hearing a car alarm. Sirens, blenders, garbage disposals, vaccums, lawn mowers...
We are going to start talking about ocean life.

This morning jackson was at his school for pictures. The rest of us spent the morning playing with bugs and butterfly beads and making cakes out of playdough. We used real birthday candles on our cakes and pretended to blow them out.
We walked to the park again today and played with our friends Addison and Amilia. We had fun running in the grass. We
We had pasta and red sauce for snack with apples, tomatos and cottage cheese. Vin did not eat much. Breakfast wa Cheerios, milk, and banana.
We saw a bunch of ciggarette butts on our way home today and talked a little about smoking. It might or might not be something they bring up. None of them knew what smoking was.
We have fun on our walks by running to the next marker I give them. For example I will say run tothe red truck... the tiny palm trees...the big bush with red flowers... They may ask to play this game on a walk- they love it and it gets us home fast!

This week we were so excited to see that our birdseed from last week has grown! it looks like grass and we can see seeds on top of the sprouts.
We looked at other seeds that we found around the house like beans, corn, and lentils and found seed pods outside.
I got a bunch of seed books from the library but everytime I try to read them nobody is interested!
It was raining out on Tuesday and some park friends- Arabella and Lucy met us here for a walk in the mist. We got soaked in the puddles and had a great time. We invited them to stay for lunch and ate tons of grilled cheese sammies.
We talked a little about cinco de Mayo and I wanted the children to try to make tortillas but once again no one was interested- strike 2!
I moved things around in the middle room and they were quite busy all day just playing in there.
On Thursday we had no car so once again we were on foot to the park. It was kinda nice to walk in the beautiful sunshine after all the wet weather.
We went to our old park that's alittle closer where we got lucky to get to celebrate a friends birthday by hitting a pinata and gathering candy.
We made it up the hill home and ate lots of Quesadillas, apple, cucumber (Jackson), and snap peas
Our big outing made us tired and we slept from 1:45- 3:30
We made special gifts for our Moms- Happy Mother's Day!
It was Vinny's Families turn to bring snack this week- Thanks! We had Hummus, cheese, pretzals, bootie, bananas, and pineapple.

Happy Tuesday! Today we spent the whole morning at Belvedere park. The children were all so busy running, climbing, riding, sliding and taking lots of chances on the structure. The structures there are much more advanced than our normal park and it was good for them. They played spider on the net climber.
Holly's family brought a great snack of cheese crackers, veggies, and fruit- thanks!
We played with playdough.
We played with birdseed.
We planted birdseed and we will watch it grow.

OK... so I think I took a spring break from the blog and didn't come back. Sorry, I knew I was forgetting something and when I remembered I put it off.
On Tuesday we all tried to escape the heat by going to the beach but it was just as hot. The Children had so much fun jumping in the water and making big splashes. Holly was as carefree as could be like she owned the beach and played there everyday. We had been there together before and I think she was really excited about sharing it with her other friends. Vinny wanted snacks and Jackson tried to find jelly fish. Cecilia just got as sandy as she could by laying in it- they all did except for Vin- he stayed pretty clean and dry. We stayed about 2 hours and had to leave because is was too hot. Getting the 4 wet and sandy babes out of there with all of our stuff had me in a greasy sweat and we all rode home naked- well not me. In the afternoon we filled up the pool for the first time in a long time and the kids had fun washing the cars and "painting" the deck. Man, it was hot!
Thursday
Today we started talking about seeds. I put out a big tub full of bird seed for the kids to play in. We talked about things that grow from seeds.
We talked about all of the different things we would like to grow and we decided tomatoes would be good. We took a trip to Goodman's to get all of the things we would need. We found soil, a pot, tomato plants, and a tomato plant cage. We planted in the afternoon.
we painted on big pieces of paper taped to the mirror doors. This was fun and kept their interest for quite awhile and the paintings turned out gorgeous!
Today there were a lot of WHY questions like...
Why does V have a back pack?
Why is that a picture of Annabelle?
Why did C laugh?
Why is that Cecilia's bib?
Why are we eating Mac and cheese?
Why it's my turn to paint?
Answering was as fun as you can imagine...Till next time
PS I've been asking about everyone's last day, if there is going to be one. As much as I don't want to face the reality that all my babies will be leaving, I guess its time. Whatever your decision may be plaese give me some advance notice so I can plan for it accordingly. You have all been wonderful and I would love to continue in any way you can make it work if that is what you choose. Regardless, I hope we can all remain in each others lives.