Joyful Noise Day Care -- 2009 Archives

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Happy New Year!   Our long luxurious vacation is at an end and we're slowing child-proofing the house again in anticipation of all our little angels returning tomorrow.   Of course there is this feeling that we've hardly accomplished anything with all our spare time which I blame on that little rebellious part of me who, after the flurry of creating holiday festivities, just plops down with the leftover sweets to languish.   So with the resolution to hibernate well let's step forward!   If nothing else has been accomplished this past week, we're refreshed and rested, looking forward to all the new challenges and blessing coming our way.

These frozen days may seem bleak to some, but I love them.   Though we're in much closer quarters and life is quite a bit noisier than when we can get outside, we have time to play with our indoor toys like legos, puzzles, crayons and play dough.   We play musical instruments more, read more books and build forts with pillows and blankets and chairs.

The weather forecast is pretty cold and there's no need to bring outerwear this week unless you really want us to send your child out into frostbite territory.   I'm reluctant even to let the four-year-olds venture out as they can't really tell when their toes and fingertips have had enough.   This is one of those times when we have to be careful not to treat them as if they were already kindergarteners, even though some of them are attending school.   Their skin and developing circulation systems just aren't as hardy as they will be in a year or two, though if they ask the answer will be yes.   What's happening a lot lately is that only one of them wants to go out at a time and no one really wants to go out alone, so we have an odd syncopated dance of requesting, then declining, then requesting again.   In the end, everyone stays in which is really just as well.   Soon we may have our January thaw when it's a little safer to go dive into all the fresh, sparkling fluff.

I'm using my indoor time to hone dollmaking skills which will hopefully provide the children with some new "babies" by spring.   Though it's always a little frustrating to try to learn something new, there's a deep pleasure in watching these soft little children slowly take shape in my hands.   I remind myself when it seems to go slow or I have to take my work apart and start over that in every creation myth and teaching, there is the element of time, toil and patience.

This week the big news is that Lily has turned three, and soon Mary will turn two.   Birthdays on the back end of the holidays are always in danger of getting lost in the shuffle, but these two young women are not the type to let that happen, so we are having fun celebrating their important landmarks and watching them grow.

Other than that my energies have been spent in just getting back up to speed after the holiday, adjusting to a new schedule with Ben and Elizabeth as she is entering a new semester at school and slowly getting the books wrapped up to move on into, sigh, taxes.   On the sidelines I'm working on some new articles for the website, reading a couple new books to review and trying to learn some new tricks in web building.   I must admit that I've also been lured into the endless world of Facebook by a couple of clients (you know who you are.)   I was surprised to find that it's a really nice way to keep in touch with people without actually taking the time to write to them.   An added bonus is that it's great way to connect with some of my day care "alumni" out there.   However, it does take time to learn to maneuver through the new apparatus and I admit to having more than a little fun doing it.   (All work and no play makes Chris a dull girl!)   So, if you're on Facebook and want to connect, I'm there now, though not too adept at it yet.

My website time is cut a little short this weekend, sandwiched between a birthday party, doll making and an out-of-town guest.   But some information came across my desk that I want to share with you on a study done in Canada to see if peer support is effective in helping post-partum depression.

Dr. Cindy-Lee Dennis, an associate professor at the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing and Canada research chair in perinatal community health at the University of Toronto, headed the research which studied the effectiveness of telephone peer support for new mothers.   Out of over 21,000 women from seven health regions in Ontario, 701 high risk mothers were recruited to receive standard postnatal care or standard care and the support of a peer volunteer.   By 12 weeks, peer support cut the risk of postpartum depression by 50% in the group of high risk women, compared to those in the control group.   More than 80% of the new Moms reported they were pleased with the experience and would recommend this kind of support to other new mothers.

My point in bringing this up is that we really need to be there for each other.   In this study, the "peers" were complete strangers and only talked to the new Moms over the phone.   Imagine how much more helpful it is to talk to someone you already have a relationship with, even just a casual acquaintance.   And then imagine how that help is exponentially increased by talking face to face with someone.   It's no secret anymore that the psychiatric drugs they give Moms for depression not only impair their ability to care for their babies, but do lasting damage to organs and nervous systems.   We need to reach out, talk to each other and help our fellow humans so that they don't need to resort to chemical replacements for human contact.   If you're a new Mom who's feeling blue, don't discount the value of a friend   If you know someone who has a new baby, ask them how they're doing and be prepared to really listen, especially if you've "been there, done that."   Let's not get too busy to do something so simple that can mean so much.

Since we have to have the heat turned up all week for the daycare, we try to even out our conservation efforts on the weekend by keeping it as low as possible.   For Ben this is more possible than me since he's one of those naturally warm people.   I, on the other hand, am typing to you wearing a very bulky configuration of long underwear, wool, insulated layers and fingerless gloves while an electric space heater at my feet cycles noisily on and off.   So my creative juices are flowing like molasses in January and mostly I just feel like surfing the internet looking for spicy recipes and wood stoves.

Life around the daycare has been fairly peaceful.   We're really settling into our indoor play rhythms and the days whiz by in a blur of lavender scented, home made play dough, puzzles, books, legos, music and dancing.   Though the weather did get up into the 20's we still didn't make it outside because promises had been made about those special toys up high on the shelf and we keep our promises around here.   I really feel quite protective of these little bodies right now so I have not the least bit of guilt about keeping them warm and dry inside during this time of natural hibernation.   Some of the grown-ups and school kids have been sick and I feel that they all get quite enough fresh air between the houses and cars and while playing at home.   I think we're supposed to get our January thaw tomorrow for one day and then back down to single digits at night, so no real break in sight, and this appears to be the year that the bay keeps to its six-year cycle of freezing over.   All indicators that extra caution is prescribed!

I've updated the recipe of the month page with a nice, hearty sausage stew to warm you so for now, I'm going to stand up and do a few jumping jacks, get out the down lap robe and curl up on the couch with a warming beverage and good book.   I suggest you do the same whenever possible; that's what these deep winter days are for!

Well, it's a little late, but our January thaw is here at last.   As Ben and I walked around this weekend we noticed many happy smiles on our neighbor's faces, except for the ones who are having problems with melting ice backing up on them.   The warm weather is expected to stay for a few more days so our intention is to GET THE KIDS OUTSIDE!   Please try to bring the necessary outdoor gear if you want your little one to be able to play in the slushy snow.   We have no idea what the rest of winter will bring for us so we need to seize these moments when we can.   There have been some sniffles, coughs, lethargy and even croup going around the day care so we completely understand if you want your child kept indoors.   It is just these kind of warm days that lull us into behavior that seems to cause more colds.   But staying indoors breathing dry heat for weeks is just as conducive to illness, so we have to pick our poison.

Jenna turns three years old on Monday, so be sure to wish her happy birthday (and her Mom too!)   Now the last of our "twos" have turned three!

I learned of a new (at least new to me) swimming program called Infant Swim.   Are any of you familiar with it?   Here in the land of lakes and peninsulas, learning to swim as soon as possible is something I feel is essential, so I'm curious about how effective this program is.   I see that there's a certified instructor who plans to teach at Boyne Mountain this spring.   We all love to take our babies into the water and I love people who help us use that time to instill reactions and confidence to maneuver safely in there.

Last weekend we attended a GREAT concert for free at the Opera House, put on by the Traverse Symphony Orchestra.   Sadly, their publicity was so poor that it was barely attended!   The good news is they're having three more concerts in the series: the next one being Drums and Beyond on February 28!   After that there's one about brass instruments and the fourth one features our beloved Jeff Haas, bless his heart.   I can't speak for the events in the future, but the Singers of United Lands concert was completely kid friendly for all ages.   The quality of the music and spirit of the singers made it the best performance I've been to in a long time and in the beautiful, historic opera house to boot!   If you can manage it, try to get your kids up there; the opera house doesn't have very many affordable events any more and it's a wonderful excuse to expose the children to a little culture.

Lastly, I've made a couple of changes to the parent handbook.   We no longer provide slippers to the children, as it just became impossible to either keep them on their feet or to keep them from getting holes in them.   I suggest that if you want your child to wear slippers here then please bring a pair to leave at the day care and we'll do our best to keep them on.   Another change is one that you may have noticed; we don't usually have a pot of grains cooking on the stove for breakfast, but have whole grain toast instead.   We've had several children with gluten intolerance and so it's a little less obvious when we serve toast that we have a couple of different menus going on at the table.   I'm experimenting with cooking different gluten-free grains but children are creatures of habit, so the ones who like oatmeal aren't easily appeased with a reasonable facsimile thereof.   In the meantime it seemed deceptive to proclaim that we had that nice pot of porridge on the stove when most mornings we do not.   But before we know it, we'll be complaining about the heat and oatmeal for breakfast will be the furthest thing from our minds!

Well now that we've all survived Valentine's Day, for better or for worse, we're on to another week.   (Some of my unattached friends like to call the holiday "Singles Awareness Day".)   I got a little caught up over the weekend and finally posted a new article on the Ask the Nanny page, which is why I'm trying to cram this entry in during naptime instead of my usual leisurely Sunday.   One more tidbit I've been meaning to bring up is that we have switched all the children's water bottles to BPA free plastic.   We have not switched to stainless steel because of the potential for nickel leaching if the steel gets scratched.   Therefore, we are on the never-ending quest for inexpensive, poison-free plastic that is also durable enough to stand the abuse of toddlers.   Not as easy as it sounds.   And that is the extent of my spare time today.   May your week be peaceful and prosperous as you watch the sun slowly return.

I'm remiss in bringing something good to your attention, but for those of you who check here regularly maybe I'm not too late.   I found out a few weeks ago that John Rosemond will be speaking here tomorrow night and over the weekend.   Now, I've never heard him speak, but his newest book is on my wish list and from what I've seen of his website and the company he keeps, I have no problem recommending that you go hear him if you can.   My bad for not giving you more of a head's up.   I haven't seen much press for him but hopefully you've already heard about him somewhere.   If not, and you're reading this too late, ask someone what they thought or check out his website.

Even though the weather is warm enough, we are not taking the kids outside.   Anyone who wonders why is welcome to spend a couple of hours counting the coughs and sneezes and wiping the runny noses for us.   At this point I feel that outdoor time should be the sole choice of the individual parents as we try to get our chorus of little hackers to quiet down a bit.

Well, I went to hear John Rosemond and, though I never agree with everything that a speaker says, I sure do love most of what this guy has to offer and intend to start reviewing his books soon.   One gem for parents that he has is Rosemond's Bill of Rights for Children.

While Ben went to listen to more of Rosemond on Saturday, I was busy training to be a judge for Odyessy of the Mind.   In my opinion it's one of the coolest things around for kids to get involved in, precisely because it poses fun, creative problems for them and then insists that they solve those problems without help from the adults supervising them.   If you've never seen OM before, you may want to check it out.   Locally that means March 7, at Traverse City East Middle School, from about 7:30 am until around 5pm.   In other areas, check the website for your regional tournaments.

The March Scholastic book flyers have almost all been passed out and the due date for orders is March 12th.   Instead of spending ink to print out the little reminders about what the Class User Name and Password are every time I pass these out, I'm just going to put a little reminder here so that it will be handy when you're on your computer to just come to the website.   While I was tempted to make the link on this weblog page, it seems a better fit on the shopping page with the other stores.   I've given you your very own link right to the scholastic page and hopefully make this more user friendly.

Well, was this last week a lion or a lamb?   I'm not sure, but I do know that it was long.   It's the time of year where we're all about ready to explode out of the house into the outdoors again, like buds and shoots on the plants.   I'm pretty sure the back yard is not going to be a hospitable play space for a while yet, with sloppy, scratchy ice being the prevalent ground cover.   Still, we'll do as we always do and take each day as it comes, rolling with the waves.   These days the front porch comes in handy just to get some fresh air when the thermometer pops up into the 40's, so we may be doing some little end of winter dances out there in the days to come while we watch backyard s-l-o-w-l-y open it's arms to welcome us again after its well deserved vacation.

On February 28th we attended the Drums and Beyond concert at the Opera House and were fairly disappointed.   While it was a great venue and FREE, the presentation was way too much talking and not enough music.   Instead of letting the instruments speak for themselves, the well-meaning presenters felt they needed to educate the children with way more information than any of us wanted.   A common mistake, but deplorable when you have the array of instruments that they had at their fingertips.   When they did play, the children were so excited and engaged that they showed it with every body part imaginable.   But the long lapses of talking in-between lost them and there were a lot of restless, impatient people there, grown-ups included.   I hope the next two concerts in the series are more tuned in.

On a more positive note Ben and I watched a great movie, King Corn that you can borrow for free from the library.   It's really entertaining besides being full of important information about our food.   I highly recommend it.

I taught a class this last week so everything website related had to take a back burner while I sorted and fretted and organized handouts and materials in my spare spare time.   I love teaching these classes and they are worth all the extra energy in what I get back as compounded insight and experience from the task itself and from all that the students give me.   Still, it's always good to put one behind me and get back to my regular hobbies.   Today was spent enjoying the proximity of my parents and our wonderful, warm relationship.   So now, the weekend's all used up and I'm off to prepare for work tomorrow, but I'll be back again sooner and back on task with the new additions.   Happy Equinox!

Just popping in here at nap time to alert you that we'll be taking some well earned days off in May which are now posted on the calendar page.   It's a long stretch from New Year's til spring, all cooped up in the house without a break so we just need a little mental health time to air things out a bit.

Also, while you're on that page, notice that Elliott turns two this week!   It seems hard to believe he's been here that long already except for the fact that he's been acting like a two-year-old for a couple of months now (and I mean that in the most loving way!)   With Elliott and Mason as our youngest children here, we're beginning to forget what it's like to have a real baby around.   But no worries.   We're hoping to be welcoming some little newborns as summer starts to wane and turn to autumn.   One of them will be making Rebecca a big sister, which is very exciting!

With spring comes some new chores around the house and the yard as well as the first of the out-of-town visitors, so the weblog has been a little neglected.   Sorry!

The snow is practically all melted in the back yard, so all snow pants can stay home now, and pretty soon the boots as well.   Of course the children all congregate to the little bit of icy lumps that remain, but the bulky snowpants are just too hot for this 40° weather and it's not good for them to be out there sweating in the cold breezes that April has been bringing us.   We stay in unless it's in the mid-forties or warmer, but then we are out!   You can try sending mittens or gloves if your child wants them, but most will shed them somewhere around the sandbox when they realize how awkward they are in the middle of all the work they have to do.   The children all are intent on catching up with the digging, climbing and trail blazing that they've been missing over the winter, and the adults are all so happy to be able to encourage running and jumping and yelling!

Yesterday Ben and I watched the last glob of snow disappear from the spirea bushes way in the back yard, releasing them from their bent bondage and so now we are officially done with the remnants of winter and on into the growing season!   Our biggest problems this past week are that the tennis shoes are not all fitting the way they should; some are too small, left over from autumn and some are too big in anticipation of the growth spurts that are sure to come.   Some are just right though and the three-year-olds are so proud to be able to put them on all by themselves now!   We've still needed our mittens and hats in the morning especially when the temperatures hover in the 30's and 40's.   The forecast for the coming week looks like we're expecting more of this chilly weather so winter coats remain appropriate but you may want to also bring along a light jacket or sweatshirt in case we hit these 60° marks again after naptime.   Ahhh spring is never boring here in Michigan!

Along with the variety of weather we've had a huge variety of illnesses this spring.   Ear infections, eye viruses and coughs that just won't go away have come one right after another with very little break.   Couple these with some teething from Mason and we seem to be wiping noses and washing our hands for more than half of our days!   I'm hoping that these recent doses of sunshine will stimulate all the little immune systems and airing out the house for a couple days in a row will encourage the bugs to move along.   In the meantime we keep trying to feed them the best nourishing foods we can and let them sleep sleep sleep to strengthen their sweet bodies against all the invaders coming from who knows where.

In response to many requests for some sort of guidance for songs, stories, activities and festivities in working with the children, I'm developing a new section of the website that I call Month by Month.   Still in its fledgling stage, spring seems a good time to launch it and see what kind of feedback I get.   Of course I can't do things too conventionally so there is a Waldorf twist to this section and a little spiritual shoring up of the caregiver as well.   Still whittling away at it, I offer it to you for whatever fun, help or interest it might have.

Lastly, thanks to those of you who so graciously took my extra handouts leftover from my Healthy Caregiver class.   I hope you got some good from them.   It certainly made me feel better to send them off in human hands instead of the recycle bag.   Remember to check out the health page for other good information on keeping our kids safe, thriving and the best they can be.

Cold and rainy days sometimes bring folks down, but I love these cozy spring moments as the dust and salt are washed away.   To compound our delight, we've been watching a robin build her nest under the roof of our front porch this weekend!   We wonder if she'll abandon it once she finds our that our house is a joyfully noisey nest of its own tomorrow, but we figure we can't pamper these robins.   If they want to move in they'll have to take us as we are and if they can't stand the noise they'll have to start this work all over again somewhere else.   No matter, I have taken it as a good sign that they chose us at all and, though uninvited they are welcome!   I'll keep you updated.

We helped Whitman celebrate his birthday this weekend and received the news that this autumn he'll be leaving us for the world of full-time school.   Though we always know that these days are coming it's sad to talk about and hard to have our halcyon days together come to an end.   We'll be sure to enjoy him to the fullest and give him lots of hugs in these last handful of months that will pass all too quickly.

Well after giving us a close look for a week our momma robin has abandoned her nest for some place a little quieter.   We're sorry to see her go, of course, but maybe a little relieved that we won't have to worry about even more babies around here, especially such fragile ones!   We'll leave the nest in the rafters in case she decides to come back or some other, braver bird wants to take advantage of all her hard work.   We couldn't find a sweeter decoration for our front porch at any craft sale or tchotchke store in this whole tourist town.

We got the carpet cleaned this weekend so if it seems that I'm a little fussier about shoes in the house, well, I am.   Please try to remember our policy to leave outside dirt outside so that our play spaces can stay as clean as possible.   I've been a little lax lately, knowing that this was on the calendar, but it looks so nice now that we hope to keep it that way as long as possible.   We had Robert Brown from Floor Covering Brokers come because they have eco-friendly, non-toxic products and I haven't been so pleased with a carpet cleaning job in a long time.   I highly recommend his services if you're going to have your carpet cleaned: (231) 941-4700.   For my long distance readers, sorry that you can't use Robert but I strongly suggest you try to find carpet cleaners who not only don't pollute the ground water but also don't pollute your indoor environment.   We often overlook how much carpeting effects our quality of life once we're done picking the color and style, but that's not very wise!

I love my job and it's been especially joyful lately since we've been able to spend so much time outside.   But it's been a long time since January when we had our last break from work and I know I need it because I've been waking up the last few mornings with Horns to Toes and In Between by Sandra Boynton going around in my head.   Don't worry, I'll be fine for the next couple of weeks, but you can't blame me for counting the days, can you?

Mother's Day is coming up and I'd like to say thank you to all the wonderful Mothers who make my beautiful job possible.   Especially my own wonderful Mom.   Not a day goes by that I don't thank God and all the saints and angels for how lucky I am to have the parents that I do.   Thanks Mom!

My entries here will be even more unreliable than usual for the next week or two.   Ben's sweet Mom, Rita, is undergoing open heart surgery even as I type this, so besides being on vacation, our lives are going to be turned a little sideways by that for the next few days.   We hold her dearly in our hearts knowing she is in God's tender care and we're grateful for all your prayers and good wishes as she weathers her recovery.

Well, Rita is finally home from the hospital after several complications, we're back from vacation and the tourist season in Traverse City has officially begun.   You can decide for yourself which of that is good news and bad news.   We're still trying to get our land legs after the ordeal of travelling and surgery so our brains are kind of mushy, but it feels really good to be back and surrounded by all the sweet faces of our special kids.   And more good news is that little Wren Sabina was born on Sunday, May 24th.   She is one of our new babies who is scheduled to start here in a few weeks so we're so happy that she has arrived safe and sound.   Congratulations to her parents, Chris and Ashlea!

This past week saw lots of runny noses, fevers and some very out of sorts children in the day care but hopefully we're getting all the allergy, viral, teething issues ironed out and there will be smoother sailing ahead.   Ben's Mom is still struggling with her recovery issues so we're feeling a little worn out and grateful that this weekend proved to be fairly uneventful so we could stay at home and rejuvinate.   Since Ben and I are among the sniffling, we really needed the down time!

There's no real news to report here at Joyful Noise except to remind you that in a few weeks we'll be taking time off for our birthdays, so be sure you have your back up care in place.   There will be more dates to be announced in October and possibly September, so keep an eye here for updates.   I always give out written notice, but those who check the website regularly will be one step ahead.

We're so enjoying getting outside in this perfect weather.   Regardless of sniffles and pollen and rainclouds, be sure to enjoy our beautiful spring!

These have been some of those blessed, uneventful days where we get outside as soon as the last breakfast crumbs are wiped up and only come back in for nap time!   Not too hot, not too cold, just right for running and climbing and jumping in our beautiful, flower-filled yard; those idyllic days of childhood that we all romanticize are happening every day here.   If you could overhear all the negotiating, arguing and bellaring that goes on during our days, you might not think that childhood is so idyllic, but it's all a part of learning how to get along that has to happen before our little charges go out into the bigger world.   I found an interesting group of articles by Kim Payne on his website, The Child Today that discuss child rearing practices and the article The Contemporary Child in particular talks about how we need to let children have their conflicts and work through them in order to develop a sense of self.   There are articles that pertain to all ages of children here and various topics including bullying so you may want to give it a look.

I went to a workshop last week on children and money but, unfortunately, it was poorly done and I have nothing of interest to report from it other than that I went, so at least you know I'm trying to glean some new information!   I subscribe to several publications from a variety of sources so I'm never at a loss for reading material that broadens my horizons, but I still like to find some events I can attend to get some live and in person information as well.   If you ever hear of anything that sounds really good, new and in-depth, please let me know!

For Father's Day we had the most beautiful weather here in Traverse City that anyone could ask for, reminding us that today is also Summer Solstice!   A well deserved gift for all the Fathers and surrogate Fathers out there who work so hard to rise to the challenge of raising young children.   I can't stress enough how important men are in a child's world.   It is vital that young boys and girls experience the gentle strength that only a nurturing man can offer them so they can perpetuate that role model as they grow.   Too often men are discouraged from participating in child-rearing, either by lack of example, lack of trust or by outright ridicule.   This deprives our whole society of the completed circle of masculine and feminine equally forming our collective consciousness.   So men, however you find your role with the children in your life, keep doing it with your big, manly hearts.   We all need you in there and appreciate you every day of the year, not just today.

Not that I think men and women need to share all jobs equally!   On the contrary, I completely endorse division of labor in a household and frankly, I insist on it around here!   For instance, as the children will attest, in the back yard Ben always blows the bubbles, not me.   But only I can make the snapdragons talk.

I spent some time on the website this weekend and there's a new Ask the Nanny question posted now.   I know it's a long time in between updates on that page, but most of you realize that the website is a hobby and really has to crawl at a snail's pace while the day care thrives as it does.   Thank you for your patience!

To celebrate the first day of summer Ben and I went for a short walk down the beach today.   I highly recommend it.   The water was amazingly warm and we were reminded once again that we live in an enviable part of the world.   If a view of the bay is half your pay then you should trot yourself down there on a regular basis and collect it!   Don't get too busy wearing down your nose on the grindstone.   It's summer now; no excuses!

I bring you good tidings of great joy!   Yesterday at around 3:30 am, Rebecca's new sister, Madeline Olivia was born, weighing in at a whopping eight pounds, three ounces and twenty and three quarters inches long.   All of the family are doing great and we're elated beyond words to welcome this new little soul into our world.   Congratulations all!

This last week was one of those June swoon times where the temperatures reached triple digits in the back yard and we hauled out the hose to keep everyone cool.   Thank goodness those days were over by the end of the week!   Because these little ones don't have the sense to come out of the sun it's especially important to make sure they have plenty of activities set up in the shade and lots and lots of water to drink.   The flip side of this weather is that when it started to sprinkle later on in the week we stayed right out in it and had the luxurious experience of playing in a warm summer rain.   What a wonderful blessing that was!

Rebecca's little sister, Madeline, came to visit for a few minutes this week.   It was so exciting to see her sweet little toes and fingers and such a small little person up close.   I think Elliott and Mason were the most intrigued, since they hardly ever see anyone littler than themselves.   We're so happy and honored to share this precious time with this sweet family.

Ben's Mom finally went home from the hospital yesterday and we're hoping we can make it stick this time.   Thank you for all your prayers and blessings and well wishes; they certainly help.   Please keep them coming as she still has quite a way to go in her recovery.

If you haven't started showing up at your local farmer's market or roadside farm stand, don't waste any time!   The strawberries are ripe, the lettuce is beautiful and the asparagus is already almost gone.   We're so lucky to live in one of the best areas for fruits and vegetables and to eat local food is one of the smartest measures you can take to keep your good health.   Run, don't walk to get some of this good nutrition and eat it as fresh as you can.

Fireworks!   Parades!   Tourists!   Traffic!   Cherry Festival!   Oh, and did I mention out of town guests?   This is a busy week for some people and for others it's just a regular work week with the extra hassle of not being able to drive from point A to point B in the same amount of time that we're used to.   Keep your cool, watch your language in front of the kids and try to make some fun of your own and if you can't do that then at least try to keep a wide berth between yourself and all the merry making.   We fall into the catagory of people who are having a regular work week compounded with out of town guests and Ben's Mom back in the hospital again.   Yes, you heard me right...she's still up there.   Yes, it's getting old and yes we're frustrated.   We're watching our language in front of the kids, I promise.

I've had a couple of minutes to post a new review of my cousin Nadine's new book, Feed My Lambs Feed My Sheep.   Check it out because I would love this book even if my cousin hadn't written it and it would make a great souvenir for your out-of-town guests if they want to drive out Old Mission Peninsula to Chateau Chantal to get it.   If they go out on Thursday nights they can hear Sophie's Dad, Jeff, (remember our sweet Sophie?) playing jazz for free while watching the best view of the sunset ever and tasting wonderful wine.   Seriously, this is not a paid ad; it's really a great place to take out-of-towners and, if you're like me, sometimes you need suggestions for things to keep them busy.

Remember, the day care will be closed for a week starting on the 13th.   And remember to breathe deep.   You knew this was a tourist town when you settled down here.   Don't worry, they'll go away eventually.

Well, our vacation is over now and it was full and rich, restful and stressful, slow and quick and we're glad we had it when we did.   Ben and I are both a year older, a little bit wiser but not any more caught up with those nagging little lists on our messy desks.   My Mother-in-law is presently out of the hospital but not out of the woods yet as far as her recovery is concerned so we haven't made much progress in that department either, though we're sure we have a few more grey hairs on our heads to show for it.   We still have two more weeks of friends and family who are traveling north to visit so our calendar has lots of scribbles and arrows and question marks on it, so if we seemed a little dazed and confused as we try to get back into the swing of things, you'll know why.   We did try to get all the mulberries picked out of the tree over the week, but, no luck.   There are still quite a few red ones that will be ripening and lots that have fallen into the sandbox, so you may want to make sure the kids are wearing clothes that can handle the stains for a couple more weeks at least.   I recommend something in a purple.

I'm sorry for ignoring the website but sometimes real life just hogs all the time and there's absolutely nothing left over by the end of the day.   Now, however all of our visiting friends and relatives have gone home (for a couple of weeks anyway,) so we're not quite so busy enjoying their brief company and I've grabbed a bit of naptime to catch up.   Ben's Mom is again in the hospital (yes, this is the fourth time) so we are still somewhat distracted with the frustration of her long convalescence.   Thank you all for all your concern, thoughts and prayers.   I wish I could tell you that there's some light at the end of the tunnel, but so far I can't.

Life in the daycare, however, has been full of that magic we can only find in summer.   We were blessed last week by two beautiful cicadas that hatched down low enough for the children to observe.   We couldn't have planned a better science project if we'd tried.   What a glorious miracle to see one of the beautiful large insects resting, complete with wings, and the other struggling to emerge from its crusty shell.   To top it off, some birds came and ate the struggling one, so we had a complete lesson in the food chain.   Preschoolers are surprisingly down-to-earth about these things.   They asked why the birds like to eat cicadas and we told them because to them a cicada was just as good as a chicken nugget and they completely understood and held no condemnation whatsoever for the birds.

Well, if you've been complaining about the chilly summer then I hope you're happy!   For child care the cool summer days are ideal; we can go barefoot and wear shorts with no worries about the children (or caregivers) getting overheated.   But the heat is here today and I'm just grateful that it's a Sunday so I can lounge around in front of the computer and the baseball game sipping my iced beverage.   I hope you all are staying cool some way too.

You all got book orders this week; remember that you can order online as well as in person and that link is on the Shopping page.

Though it's hard to talk about, the school year is just around the corner.   This year we're all effected by this because Whitman will be leaving us for good to attend kindergarten with the alternating enrichment days at Westwoods school.   We'll miss him very much but trust that he'll come to visit once in awhile.   While Ashlee is also going to kindergarten this year, she'll still be part of our gang on her off days, so we can postpone the heartache of parting with her for another year.   Whew.

And to emphasize how the cycles keep turning, we'll be welcoming brand new babies soon.   The biggest celebrity around here lately is Rebecca's new sister Madeline, or 'baby Maddie.'   Their Mom is generous enough to bring her in to hold and visit quite often and though we know she's still too little we can hardly wait until she's old enough to stay awhile.

Summertime!   For my readers who don't live in Michigan, you may not understand; we're having our first hot weather since June and our shorts and tank tops are finally seeing the light of day.   Some people are overjoyed by this and others of us are at least glad that there are beautiful breezes and we had such wonderful cool weather for so long this year.

Yesterday we had the great honor of attending the wedding of Jenna's Mom, Melissa, to Aaron's uncle Mike.   What joy and laughter and sweetness and love surrounding all who were lucky enough to be there!   Of course the stars of the show were all the children in their fancy wedding clothes, especially when they took over the dance floor at the reception.   Nothing like a good celebration to lift our hearts up into that higher place.   Now Jenna and Aaron are officially cousins and besides a new extended family, Mommy has just moved so Jenna has a new bedroom!   Lots of changes in their family so be sure to congratulate them if you have a chance!

Changes have been happening right in our own back yard as well.   The children have been growing literally by leaps and bounds and as we turned the page on the calendar we all started to notice how old Mason seems, how tall the five-year-olds are, how sophistocated the three-year-olds are becoming.   We've had to tell them all to stop clambering up the lilac bushes now as the branches will sag and break under their new weight, they're starting to learn how to play simple games with rules like "Red Light, Green Light," and when they play their own games, more often than not, they gallop in a huge wave of thundering, strong legs back and forth across the whole yard.   Strong, active, healthy children are one of the greatest blessings on earth and we are exponentially blessed here these summer days.

We'll be greeting some new babies in the coming months, but one less than we originally thought.   Baby Wren's Mom has decided to make some major life changes and work from home so she can care for Wren herself.   We congratulate their whole family on their new, exciting path and give them all our warmest blessings.   Rebecca's sister, baby Madeline, and baby Kai who was born three weeks ago to our friends Ken and Torre still plan to become part of our Joyful Noise family and we love when they stop in or post pictures on Facebook so we can watch them unfold into the world.

Other developments coming up for autumn are the vacation days that Ben and I will be taking.   Clients should all have received written notice but in case you lose it, the days are always handy here on the website.

Thank you to all who have expressed concern about Ben's Mom, Rita.   She's convalescing in a nursing home for a couple of weeks in hopes that she can get her strength built up and de-tox from some of the many medications that she's been on that have been useless or worsened her condition.   We're waiting to see if she actually starts to improve or will need further surgery, so for now we're in a little limbo of waiting, watching and prayer.

Remember that your Scholastic book orders are due by Thursday, August 20th!

School is starting this week for some and next week for others and my local MiAEYC included a sobering article in their last mailing about the disappearance of play from kindergartens.   If you think that this is a good thing, then you don't understand how young children learn.   If you think this isn't happening right here in Traverse City, think again.   I know at least one of our local principles has told the kindergarten teachers "no play" and only teach to the standardized tests.   No wonder people who love children are refusing to become teachers, or leaving our public schools for other career choices.   The parents have to raise a fuss about this if they want to see change.   Talk to your principles, school board members and state representatives.

We need to thank so much the generous souls who have been sharing the bounty of their gardens and bakeries with us!   Our hearts are overflowing with gratitude!   When more food comes in than we can use here in our kitchen we're happy to distribute the wealth with the larger day care family, so nothing goes to waste.   I can assure you that the lucky children who happen to be here when this happens are so happy to go home with a loaf of bread, a cucumber or a zucchini to help ease up the food budget in their homes, so all donations are welcome welcome welcome! You are angels for including us!

Baby Kai came to visit us this week and the children were all so excited to finally meet him.   His Daddy could hardly breathe for being surrounded by chattering children with their eager, loving looks and hearts.   Kai is barely a month old and will join us in October while baby Madeline will become a regular part of our family in just a couple of weeks.   It will be so good for all of us to have these fresh new souls here to keep us tender and aware of life's sacred beginnings.   We are continually honored to be entrusted with your precious jewels and count them in our blessings every day.

Those little jewels have had some fun sparkling in the rain lately.   With more than our share of wet weather this summer we've really taken advantage of our golden chances to gambol and frolic in the balmy raindrops.   Children up north don't often get to experience the joy of warm rain; so often it comes during the chilly months.   It's better than playing in the sprinkler and now for the rest of their lives they'll have imprinted in their deep memories that glorious summer when they were allowed to stay out and catch raindrops on their tongues.   Don't worry, if we hear thunder we gather our little ducklings into the house, but hopefully without worrying them about the rumbling noises.

Speaking of weather, we do need to start thinking about jackets and shoes and socks again as the temperatures this week are supposed to keep dipping down into the 40°s in the evenings.   Even though the highs are forecast for the 60°s or 70°s, you have to realize that our best outdoor time is in the morning at around 10:00 to noon, so we haven't quite reached that high temperature yet and the grass is still quite damp and chilly.   Think layers!

You all should have received the new food program forms for this fiscal year.   There will be some more new paperwork from the state coming as well; some of the old forms have been updated to include a warning about lead based paint in old houses.   New regulations may require me to have the house tested for lead, but until then you must be made aware of the risk that exists in all older homes, including mine.   Without seeming too cavalier, having lived here since 1981 I think I have repainted almost every exposed surface at least once and am fairly sure that there are no serious lead problems here.   My license is coming up for renewal again in January so now is the time to make sure all these details are up-to-date and paperwork is all in order   Thanks for doing your part by getting it filled out and back in a timely manner.

Finally, to all the kind souls who are concerned, Ben's Mom has been home now for over a week and is doing well.   We're keeping our fingers crossed and wishing her contined health and strength.   Thank you again for all the prayers and good mojo you've sent her and our way; it is much appreciated.

I think I'll quit trying to update you on Ben's Mom here; those who are interested can ask or email me privately.   It's just getting too hard to keep up with the specialists who can't agree on what her treatment should be and change their minds from day to day.   Since I last wrote she's been in the hospital, had her medications changed four times, been told she should have surgery, been told she doesn't need surgery, been told she's going home, and now has been told they don't know when she'll go home.   Words cannot express our frustration and disappointment with the care that she's getting so I'm done trying.   Thank you for your prayers and well wishes; please keep it up, we surely need them.

I received some nice materials written by Dr. Becky Bailey.  This work is about resolving arguments and difficult feelings by using our words and thinking with our hearts, so it compliments the materials I'm slowly incorporating from the Institute of HeartMath.   So far the children have really enjoyed the books about Shubert and in my spare time I'm studying up about her I Love You Rituals.   Stay tuned and look for the book review when I'm done with it.

There are some weeks when you can feel the wheels of time turning and this was one of them, as baby Madeline came for her first partial day on Friday and Ashlee made it through her first week of school.   We've all had our hearts twisted by holding the baby and seeing the big girl in her new uniform; they both look a little too old or a little too young, I can't decide.

Yes, I'm still here.   We've been way too busy around here but now there's a little break as Ben and I take a much-needed vacation to catch our breath, spruce up and get ready for the world series.   Baby Madeline has made her glorious entry into our family and every day when she arrives the children ask her Mother, "Is she going to stay all day?"   They're so happy to have her shining little presence here and we're all getting to know each other better every day.

The colder weather has arrived so don't hesitate to send all sorts of layers of outerwear, including hats and mittens.   Our prime outdoor playtime is around 10am until noon when the day is not yet at its warmest and the grass is still damp and shaded, so you must look at the low temperature of the day, not the high one when deciding how to gear up these tender little ones.   As long as there is no deep snow in the back yard we'll keep letting the ones who want to get out to stretch their rowdy legs and fill their lungs with this great, northern air!

I recently learned about Angel Food Ministries who offer packages of food at discount prices to anyone who wants to participate.   I've talked to some folks who have used this service with good results and would like to hear other feedback if you have it.   In such tough economic times, services like this are sorely needed and they say, "Everyone is encouraged to participate.   Some churches even encourage participants to apply the money they saved to help someone else in need."

I feel as busy as the squirrels these days!   As the days get shorter the calendar seems to get more full.   September and October have just blazed past us; where did they go?   For my part, there have been birthday parties to attend, tomatoes and apples to can and poems to read for a poetry contest that I judge every year.   While there is a little less to do this week than last, as I look ahead it really doesn't seem like there's a whole lot of spare time between now and the new year, so I'm starting right now to make my lists and check them twice!

My license is coming up for renewal in January which always adds a little extra stress to the holidays every two years.   While I know that I'm doing everything correctly to comply with regulations, there are always new hoops to jump through along with the forms and tasks that need to be completed.   Thank you for your promptness in doing your part to help me jump through those hoops and your patience with the extra inspections that must take place between now and January.

Baby Kai has joined us and is adjusting well to his new day care family.   He's only here on Thursdays and Fridays so don't be surprised if you've missed him, but rest assured, the children have all taken him under their little wings and will be talking about him if they haven't already.   While they know that Madeline is "Rebecca's baby," Kai has no older siblings to lay claim to him so they all are ready to step up to the task

The weather has dramatically become autumn with no Indian summer yet to help ease us into this transition!   I'm still waiting for those glorious balmy days outdoors with the children but as we edge down to the bottom of the October page I'm beginning to believe that this whole year is going to be unusually cool and damp.   Please send layers of clothes and be prepared for everything!   We'll get them outside if we can and some days if the grass is too damp we'll at least walk around the block to get some fresh air before the snow and ice make it all too treacherous for the little boots.

Remember to place your book orders by the 29th!   Those Scholastic flyers are a great way to do Christmas shopping!

Whoops!   What happened to the last few weeks?   My excuse is that I was involved in Poet's Night Out which is one of my favorite community events ever.   If you missed attending, look for us on TCTV2 or check out the DVD at the library.   That plus recovering from being on vacation are the best I can come up with.

Oh, we've also renewed our CPR cards and taken a blood born pathogens class to keep up with the requirements of my license.   According to safety standards we should be wearing rubber gloves for just about everything we do around here and goggles for about half.   A hazmat suit would not be out of line, but I hold that it would upset the babies so we're going to brave our pathogen laden world without one.   We also opt for continual hand washing rather than gloves for most of our duties, as we are only too aware of how desperately children need human touch to thrive.   Still, we hope that all of the people who come into our house realize they also bring in with them all the bacteria and risks of their homes, schools and workplaces.   Help keep our risks at a minimum by leaving your shoes at the doors, keeping your hands washed and by being honest with us about any communicable diseases you are exposing us all to.   Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

So far we've dodged the flu bug and sniffly noses are still at a minimum.   A couple of coughs can be heard but that's pretty normal for this time of year when the dry heat is on and the temperatures are fluctuating wildly.   Good work everyone; keep boosting those immune systems with healthy food, plenty of rest, water and lots of good fresh Northern air!

We feel incredibly lucky that Indian summer is not only here but lasting for so long!   The leaves are all over the yard for new experiences exclusive to autumn so we're piling and jumping and crunching to our heart's delight.   The weather, we all agree, is practically impossible to predict or dress for.   Best bet is to bundle the kids up nice and warm as we can always take off hats and unzip coats, but we can't undo the damage of a chill once they have it.   If the weather is 40° or above and dry, we're going outside to try to glean the all the little kernels of sunshine we can and beef up those vitamin D stores for the children's immune systems.   While I have some extra hats and mittens there aren't enough for everyone so please start sending some and consider investing in a few extra cheap pairs so if we lose them for a day or two in the back yard your child has some in reserve at home.   (You can often find lots of perfectly good spares at thrift shops. )   Also if you could please mark them (and socks) in some way it would make our job infinitely less stressful. .

Speaking of new toys, you may have noticed a few extra playthings in our yard.   Thanks to Aaron and Mason's Mom's sharp eye, they were gleaned off the curb of a neighbor's house; ready to be thrown away!   One man's junk is another child's treasure and with not much work to clean them up we're enjoying our new prosperity.   We are always so grateful for these unexpected gifts!

There's a new addition to our community section: Charter for Children's Play posted here with permission from Sally Jenkinson from her book The Genius of Play.   Sally says of this "it was formed from an international workshop in Dornach, but it does stand on its own."   Please take a minute to read it.

Finally, as we enter into this holi-day season, we begin with a celebration of gratitude.   Whatever your feelings are about Pilgrims and the original landholders of this continent, we can certainly get on the bandwagon of giving thanks for all the blessings in our lives as a kick off for the descent into darkness and the festivals of lights.   Dr. Christine Northrup eloquently offers us "scientific evidence that gratitude makes you healthier, smarter, and more energetic."   Take a moment to read her wise words, breathe deep and remember how lucky we all are.   It'll do us all good.

Have you missed me?   I'm hoping that all of my readers are as busy as I am creating the magical holiday of lights of your choice, be it Hanukkah, Christmas, Solistice, Kwanzaa or Three Kings Day.   Though the end of December comes at the same time each year it always seems to sneak up on us and the biggest job we have is to reconcile our to-do lists, full of ambition and desires, with the relentless clock that keeps ticking like a time bomb ready to explode on the morning of our choice.   So I'm only popping in to say that far from forgetting you, those of you who read this weblog are foremost in my thoughts right now.   As I relax into my vacation and perform the traditional tasks of preparing an ancient festival, my heart is sentimental and my mind finds prayers of thanksgiving for all those I love, and I count you among them.   Thank you for checking in on our humble home and the noble work we do here.   Once we have launched into the twelve holy days I'll be back, spending some of my quiet time tidying up here.   For now, back to work, or is it play, or is it a miracle?