Joyful Noise Day Care -- 2010 Archives

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If you want God to laugh, tell him your plans.   I didn't make that up, it's an old world proverb, but it's one of the best lessons of life and it describes how my two week vacation went.   I didn't even have that many plans, but I still only accomplished half of them.   But we are completely rested now and instead of seeing my to-do list (however short) fulfilled, I had many other meaningful experiences and learned some new lessons that I wasn't counting on but most certainly needed.

I've collected some little odds and ends of information to pass on to you here.   The first is a great article called Childhood Is Not A Disease that was posted on the Tidewater School blogspot way back in July but somehow just got across my desk in the last month.   It was written by Jacob Azerrad, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist in Lexington, Massachusetts, and discusses "drugging of young children to a degree unprecedented in our history" for perfectly normal childhood behavior.   I feel compelled to post this because I've become so dismayed lately with how frequently parents come to me so certain their child has some disease or disorder that requires medication.   Pressure from other adults, (relatives, teachers, even doctors and strangers in the grocery store) or ignorance about normal childhood behavior is usually the reason for these inquiries.   Aggressive marketing by drug companies is also behind them, though our innocent hearts find that hard to believe so we will give our children drugs that damage their bodies and lives rather than stand up for them.   Please don't fall prey and please don't medicate your child to change their behavior.   There are much better ways.

The next juicy tidbit is a link from the state of Michigan about the comeback of bed bugs in the United States and what you need to do about it.   As if we didn't have enough to worry about!

The third tidbit is the best so I've saved it for last.   Lily's Mom, Michele, is starting her own business making calendars for schools.   These are really beautiful and I have one here at the house if you'd like to take a look at it.   For your particular school the calendar will hold all important dates and will have twelve large pictures which the school provides her.   Anyone with older children knows that one of the hardest tasks is keeping track of every little thing going on and many schools across the country are handing parents a calendar at the beginning of the year.   Unlike some others I've seen, Michele's are so attractive and can be used for fund raisers.   She has a fledgling website, Plan Your School Year Calendar with her contact information so your school can arrange to make one of these great calendars, no matter where in the country you live.

Sometime this month I'll have a surprise visit from Department of Human Services for my license renewal.   These are never at a convenient time so please bear with us if you see my worker is here.   I'm always a little on pins and needles for all this, even though I'm pretty sure I've crossed all my t's and dotted all my i's.   I'll let you know when the process is over and post a link to my evaluation.

Though it's nice to be off work, I'm missing all my little hugs and chubby cheeked smiles, so I'll be sincerely smiling tomorrow morning when I unlock the door and greet you all back into our home.   May our New Year be sweet, peaceful, healthy, prosperous and full of LOVE.

It seemed like a long week for me.   Baby Madeline has decided it's time to eat solid food so our well-oiled machine has to shift routines to accommodate this new milestone. I always think of feeding a baby like shoveling my long driveway; one little sloppy scoop at a time it eventually gets done.   I finally had my surprise visit from DHS for my license renewal and you can read the report as soon as she posts it.   It's always nice to get the support and guidance my worker offers and it's nice to have the surprise part over with.   She found a couple of corrections I have to make; two additional smoke detectors in order to comply, (done,) some tweaking to my paperwork (done,) and a little rearranging that we did in the basement around the hot water heater (done).   The new wool sheets for the porta cribs that I was so proud of aren't quite tight enough for regulations, so I've got Rosie working to snug them up for us.   Other than that, nothing wrong and a lot of good encouragement for the work we're doing here.

Also, she gave me go-ahead to conduct trainings for other child care providers on my own, without the umbrella of Child Care Connections over me.   This is good news because they've not been calling me back as they've been losing their funding.   So, for other providers, I'm planning and scheming about those required annual ten hours of training that are so hard to get.   I'm thinking about online classes, doll making classes and provider support groups where we can take turns facilitating in order that all members can recieve credits.   There'll be more here in the future, but I'd love to hear from you now to brainstorm these things.   What are your needs and what are your strengths?   I think it's great we can take out the "middle man" and create some training opportunities that are tailor made to our needs.

The birthdays just keep coming, with Lily already four years old now and Mary turning three soon.   Next month Jenna will finally be four (it's SO hard to be the last one) and in March, Elliott will bring up the rear of the three year olds.   Whew.   Then we get a break until Madeline turns one (how can that be?) in June.   We've noticed that almost all the children lately have had a growth spurt with snowpants and boots suddenly too small while vocabulary and sophistication become much larger.   It's such an honor to be witness to these miracles and I have nothing but gratitude for being allowed this privilege.   Thank you.

Well, baby Kai was not content to let Madeline eat solid food without him, so this week he bumped himself up a notch into the world of mushy rice and sweet potatoes.   We all noticed how he seemed just a little older and more sophisticated because of it.   Today is Mary Anne's birthday and she had a rousing party yesterday, we'll have oatmeal cookies tomorrow and then the festivities will be over until Jenna's birthday next month.   Whew!   What a wonderful blessing to witness these milestones, little and big.   I never tire of saying it and I hope you don't tire of hearing it.

This week columnist Evelyn Petersen had a very good article that answers the question:   Do you think parents today take the job of parenting seriously like we used to?   Is it harder to parent in today's world?   This is a topic near and dear to my heart and I think she handles it exceptionally well.   Often when people ask me what is it with kids these days, I tell them that it's not the kids, it's the parents.   Read what she has to say and tell me what you think.   Do you agree?

I hope everyone got their book order in.   If not, never fear, there'll be another one soon.   Enjoy this last bit of January and stay warm and cozy.   Before long you'll be complaining about the heat.

This past week had a few days that were way too cold to go outside so we took advantage and started incorporating our new activities from FLY: Financial Literacy for Youth.   Those who are familiar with my philosophies know that I don't usually go for the pre-packaged ideas of others, but I find Leslie Falconer's materials and methods of introducing money to small children so valuable that I have actually paid for two of her curriculum kits with the intention of figuring out how to blend these ideas into our program here.   On Leslie's advice, because of the developmental structure of Joyful Noise and the mixed age groups, I'll be taking a day's worth of materials and sprinkling it into a week's worth of time.   So, week one was this last week and it exceeded all my expectations.   I'll be explaining our materials in bits and pieces here as we progress so that you can be up to speed with the terms your children may be using.

This week the skill we talked about was discipline.   We tell the children that "Discipline means that you decide to do something, and then you keep trying and don't give up even when it gets hard. "   This is the force of will that all preschoolers can completely relate to.   Lord knows they understand persistence and they also understand being overwhelmed and wanting to give up.   All week we kept noticing moments when they felt like giving up (picking up the toys, trying to go to sleep at nap time, being patient while waiting their turn,) but they used discipline and kept trying.   We tell stories that have those moments in them and ask the children did the characters "use it or lose it"?   They hold their hands to their chest when they say use it or let them drop if they say lose it.   They love these gesture games and the concepts are more deeply internalized by them.

A book they also love that is part of the FLY materials is The Great Mountain Hike by Leslie Falconer.   (For ordering purposes I give you the link to the Mother Goose Time site because FLY is in transition and the merchandise is best purchased from this site, but the explanations are much better on the FLY site.)   Again, I have really been surprised at how much the kids LOVE this book and ask for it day after day.   While it's a longer book than they usually will sit for, this one holds their interest and they talk about it afterwards.  

This week our skill is integrity which we explain by saying "Integrity means that you do the right thing, even if no one else is watching."   They understand this very well!   Next entry I'll explain about the money, the bank, the bank books and "store day."   This is enough for now.

There are some vacation days planned the end of March and I'll give written notice soon, but as always, readers of the website get the news first.   We're also planning to take some time off around the 23rd of April and the end of June.   I'll put them on the calendar when we firm up the exact dates, but forewarned is forearmed.   I'll quit typing now and get this on line, but stay tuned!

Even though February only has 28 days it always feels like the longest month.   I love my cozy inside time, but the snow becomes less and less interesting to the children so we're more challenged to find large motor activities that are still appropriate around furniture.   Ben also strives to find ways to make out doors ever more intriguing so this last week he let all the kids take turns sitting in the bed of the little truck in the garage.   Boy did they think that was special!

The word integrity made for an interesting week and I'm not sure who's learning more from the FLY materials, me or the kids.   We didn't do many of the pre-packaged activities as they were either too structured (paste pre-cut lion faces on a paper bag to make a puppet,) or we already do them every day (make animal noises, guess what a noise is when we can't see the source, pretend you're a lion and chase people.)   Though the theme for this whole packet is Little Doctors in Africa, we haven't really mentioned doctors yet, since the children have such a wide variety of roles they take on already in their imaginary play it seems to me that to steer them to "play doctor" would only serve to limit rather than expand them.

The FLY kits come with play money that has Falco the falcon's picture on it which is very desirable.   So far I have offered the children a couple of opportunities to earn a dollar by helping to pick up the toys when the house was in a particularly big mess.   Most are so anxious for a coveted dollar that they rush to comply; some are less excited but make sure that they do a minimum of work to procure the prize.   I then offered the children a chance to "put your money in the bank" which is a big envelope with the FLY bank on it.   If they choose to put their money in the bank, they get a little bank book where we fill in a triangle (which represents save in all the materials.)   I was completely amazed that on the fist day all the children wanted to put their money in the bank, even when I told them that the dollar was theirs to keep and they could take it home if they wanted to.   The second day all but one of the children put their money in the bank.   The kit comes with a package of trinkets which we will "sell" on "store day" and they can buy them, or not, with the money they have saved up in the bank.   I'm still trying to figure out how often and which day of the week to have opportunities to earn and spend; working out the bugs in this and brainstorming ideas with Ben and Elizabeth.

The word for this coming week is contentment.   Contentment means "that you are happy with what you have, even if someone has more than you."   I'm really looking forward to living through this concept!

This last week was busy with Jenna's birthday and fresh snow to lure us outside.   We're so delighted as the winter wears on how the children are more and more adept at getting themselves bundled up.   Even the two-year-olds have mastered snow pants and boots, and the four-year-olds can do all but the last zipper and mittens in record speed!   Some days they race to see who can put the first footprints on the porch, and their outdoor games are evolving more each week so that I watch in awe, reluctant to imagine when this magic winterland melts away.   Still, I have to remember how like little fairies they look as they play in the flower land of spring.

Last week our FLY word was contentment and again the kids amazed me with their eagerness to embrace the concepts.   As last week, the pre-fab materials were just absorbed into our art cupboard for individual use at a later time rather than as a structured group activity.   I sent home the mixed up animals books without coloring them as I have a big problem with coloring within the lines books at this age.   In our mixed age group there is too likely to be just one stray comment by an older child to a younger one that they're "doing it all wrong" to inhibit all future creativity.   Better this kind of coloring happen at home where these things are less likely to occur.

Our word this week is resourcefulness.   Resourcefulness means that you creatively use what you have (and try not to worry about what you don't have) to solve your challenge.   We'll get back to you on how that works out.   Now I'm off to make paczki for Fat Tuesday and then to visit with my brother who is up from Chicagoland.   We are blessed with a full life and much much love everywhere we look.   Thanks for being a part of it.

Well this was stomach flu week at Joyful Noise, so the practice of our new word resourcefulness took on a little deeper meaning as we struggled to use what we did have at hand to solve our problems and tried not to worry about what we didn't have.   The suspense was the worst part really, as we wondered who would be next and when and how long it would last.   Then there was the further suspense when children returned; were they really better?   Sometimes yes, sometimes, no.   This bug that causes vomiting is what we call "flu" around here, even though it's really nothing to do with the lung related illness that the medical community calls "flu" and vaccinates people for.   It's the source of huge confusion, especially in the years that the media hypes up threats of epidemic as they did this year.   No one really knows what to worry about, but this little bug is NOT it.   This is a virus that comes and goes with a lot of discomfort and inconvenience but not much else.   There's nothing your doctor can do about it, it won't kill you, though you may wish it would, and there's not a lot you can do to prevent it except the usual stuff like wash your hands and eat right and take your vitamins.   Even then, you're very likely to get it as I did, but maybe, like me, you'll be lucky and get over it soon.   I attribute my miraculous one day bout with this little demon to the power of combined prayer: all the daycare parents repeating over and over to their respective dieties, "Please don't let Chris get sick, please don't let Chris get sick..."

This next week we'll have the last of our FLY words which is generosity.   Generosity is defined as using what you have to help others without expecting them to do anything for you in return.   The kids are anxiously awaiting this one because they know it's the last one and they also know it's pink.   It's also the shape of the heart on the FLY bank, and associating with giving.   I think the kids will actually have the easiest time understanding this concept because, in spite of their natural toddler selfishness, they also are all very generous and giving at times.   So as we talk about generosity and start pointing out all the times that it happens around our house, they'll see what that pink heart stands for in a flash.   We did none of the extra activities this week because the attendance was so irratic, but we should try out a couple again this coming week providing we're all getting back on track.

Now I'm going to just sit here at my computer for a little while and get some long ignored odds and ends done on my website, because I'm still not 100% better.   Nothing like a little teeny germ to remind you to slow down, take it easy and hibernate a little bit.

This last week was less messy but we're still not all feeling as chipper as we wish with this stomach bug hanging on to finish what business it has with us.   So March is coming in like a lamb with some of us still as meek as lambs too.   We finally talked about the pink feather of generosity which means "using what you have to give to others and not expecting anything back."   As I suspected, this was the easiest concept for the children to grasp and they all liked how the new word also started with Jenna's name.   The activities again found their way in the back door as we colored at the table or had a few quiet moments here and there.   We didn't try anything too ambitious or challenging because most of the children were still a little cranky and tired.   I'm hoping that this coming week we'll all have new energy and vigor!

Back to normal this last week except for some sniffles and hoarse voices; the usual "cleansing" that starts to happen as the days get longer and the snow begins to melt.   We've found the first green tips of crocus in the back yard, a friend in Manistee reports robins and we took a walk along the beach today with water lapping right up to the shore so it's time to start saying our good-byes to Winter.

We'd like to thank Kai's Grandma for our nice new couch cover she donated to us.   The old one was really shabby beyond reasonable repair and will be retired to the backyard as a picnic blanket until it falls apart completely and even then it will be recycled into rugs, so there's very little wasted around here.   But we're so grateful to be able to move it on to its next stage of usefulness: thank you Grandma!

Rebecca's Mom brought my attention to this great weblog by an anonymous school teacher called Fed Up With Lunch: The School Lunch Project.   A brave move which could lose this woman her job is getting national attention and highlighting how deficient the daily nutrition for children in school is.   Our children are only as strong as what they eat and while they will definitely gain weight and have lots of energy with a steady diet of low-quality fuel, they will also grow low quality organs, nerve endings and blood cells which will only serve to bring them behavior and health problems now and in years to come.   In our area the Michigan Land Use Institute tries to help put farmers and schools together but in the end the parents have to put the pressure on schools, administrators and legislators to make anything happen.   You can always protest your school's lunches by refusing to purchase them, but that doesn't help the low income kids who don't have that option; remember in the end all the kids belong to all of us.

Remember there are a couple vacation days the end of this month and soon there will be some posted for April; the website will have it first as always.   Also remember the book orders are due on Friday and you can always order on the website; the link is on the shopping page.

Taxes filed: check.   Book club order sent: check   Snow melted: check.   I think that's quite enough accomplished for the weekend, don't you?

In amazement we watched the back yard appear over the last two days which means no boots are needed and no snowpants!   Do I hear a woot woot?   You do from us!   That also means that jammies and dresses and all manner of other clothing that's been stealthily going outside under those snowpants are no longer going to fly and appropriate play clothes are going to be needed.   Take note!

One last item before I shut down for the night; all of our vacation dates are posted on the calendar page and I'll be handing out written notice as well.   Barring any unforeseen health or family issues this will be it until after Labor Day. We'll be taking some time off in October, but who can think about that now?   Not us.   It was hard enough to think all the way into June and July!

Though the children here are too young to understand St. Pat's day, the grown-ups celebrate it heartily, since a wee bit of the blarney flows in my veins.   Erin Go Braugh to you all and be sure to wear green!

Whew!   House guests gone, holidays behind us, back to somewhat normal for a week or two.   Spring arrived in true Michigan fashion; warm, cold, warm cold.   I put away my boots and mittens, but not my heavy coats or wool sweaters.   Not just yet.

As for dressing the children; watch the weather report, believe half of it, dress in layers.   The back yard is blooming and blossoming and we're loving our new play space while at the same time missing the snow.   Several of them were making "rug angels" on the living room floor last week, reliving the good ole' days of winter.

Remember to get in your book orders, either in person to me or online.   Also, remember that there are some vacation days coming up the end of this month

Some of you may know that my parents are going through some life changes now; preparing to sell their house, contemplating a move out of town.   While most people go through these thresholds with their elders, it makes them no less momentous when it's your turn so I beg your patience as repercussions of events occasionally trickle and ripple into our larger day care family.   I suspect it will be a marathon rather than a short sprint; a life phase as opposed to isolated events.   Still, there may be times in the next year or two that I'll take vacation days to help them or just to give ease to my breaking heart.   While children need to watch us struggle inwardly and outwardly with challenges so they may have a good, true example to imitate, it's also part of that struggle to see us step aside for some solitude that they may learn to respect and embrace the human need to take some time apart for awhile.   Thank you in advance for your indulgence, epecially from all who have blazed the trail before me, including you, Mom and Dad.   I am humbled now to realize what you were going through.

Glorious May!   We had a wonderful trip down to Ohio to visit Ben's great uncle and his family.   Now we come back to find May on our doorstep with lilacs, butterflies and bare feet in the back yard.   Yippee!

This looks to be a fairly peaceful month around here; no birthdays, no festivals and no holidays until Memorial Day, the very last day of the month.   It's possible that I'll have a funeral down state to attend in the near future, but the day care won't close for that; I'll just get someone to cover for me or I won't go.   The biggest news lately is that I finally got a freezer for the garage.   I know that doesn't seem very exciting, but it will make purchasing and preparing food easier and more economical for me and sometimes the simplest pleasures are the best!

I've posted a new recipe for the month and updated the calendar.   I realize that some parts of the website are woefully out of date but that's what happens when there's so much life to live.   When a website is what you do in your spare time and spare time is so precious, we have to put up with some pages with cobwebs on them.   I promise that when I retire the website will grow and grow and grow.   But for my current clients, don't worry, that won't be any time soon!

Well, as soon as I say the month looks peaceful, I've jinxed it!   Some sort of weird intestinal bug has been weaving its way in and out of the daycare for the past few weeks, doing its best to sabotage Mother's Day, the NMC barbecue and our general enjoyment of spring.   Today it caught up with me at last, but I'm happy to report that I was prepared to take it easy this weekend anyway and had lots of sedentary jobs on my to-do list (like catching up the weblog...)   Still, I somewhat resent my body forcing me to slow down rather than it being a deliberate choice, but I guess illness is never convenient.

Thanks to those who ordered from Scholastic this past month; the books should be here this week.   We have one more order before summer vacation for those who want to get some summer reading or birthday gifts.   Look for them soon.

The weather is all over the place lately and the best strategy is to send a light jacket or sweatshirt just in case the prognosticators are wrong when they predict warm and sun, or right when they predict cloudy and chilly.   This next week looks to be hot, but we'll see...

Well, I know this is short, but I've got some rest and recuperation to attend to if I'm going to be back on duty by Monday.   May we all enjoy this last week of tourist free life: be sure to get to your local farmer's market to take in the amazing bounty that we have around us.   Live to the fullest!

June!   The month that baby Maddie turns one year old, the month we celebrate Fathers and those who are like Fathers to us, the month that school gets out and our thoughts turn to baseball and beaches and barbecues!   Are you ready?

First things first: McDonald's has recalled their Shrek glasses that they've been giving away, so if you have one, destroy it or return it but DO NOT drink from it!

The weather has been playing all kinds of tricks on us; blazing hot one day, chilly and damp the next.   Don't be reluctant to send all manner of clothing with the children if you don't have time to watch the latest weather report.   The cubbies are handy places to store an extra sweatshirt and a swimsuit for the sprinkler and then we're ready for anything.   Bare feet or sandals are pretty much appropriate every day now that the ground has warmed, though some people have discovered that they can run faster with their tennis shoes on.   Please realize that they're not just being obstinate when they insist on a certain type of footwear.   They have very individual needs for the work that they do in the back yard and soon learn that it's no fun to struggle and trip when trying to keep up with the others escaping from the tigers or climbing up in the trees.

This weekend brought some sad news as our favorite restaurant, Mustard's, was forced to close.   It's a rare business that can create a sense of family and warmth the way they did at this place and down town Traverse City is a poorer place for their departure.   We wish them all the best in whatever ventures they take up now, and selfishly hope that they'll reopen some place near here once they take a break and regroup.

Happy Father's Day to all the men who are Fathers or Grandfathers or Great-grandfathers, either biologically or by proxy.   Happy Father's Day too to all the women who are both Mother and Father to their children for whatever reason you may find yourself in that position, and there are many.   These days that honor parenthood can often be more awkward than celebratory, more ironic than sincere.   Even those of us with much to celebrate can find it difficult to put it into a card or a gift or the span of a day.   My wish for you this weekend is that you find the spirit of the good, nurturing Father in your life, either embodied in some other person or within your own heart, and laud it with praise, gifts and the beverage of your choice in some relaxing, peaceful moments.

Ben and I are starting to run out of steam and looking forward to taking a week off to recharge our batteries.   Nothing personal; we love the kids!   But I'm sure you can imagine how we need a break every now and then.   People often ask me if we take the summer off, or if we have less children in the summer.   On the contrary!   We work harder in the summer because all those kids are out of school and need someplace to go!   We're so happy to have Ashlee back every day of the week since she graduated from kindergarten, and Will has been making an occasional appearance lately too!   When the alumni come back from being away they're like rock stars here: the little ones follow them around hanging on their every word.   I think it's good for them after being the little fish in the big pond to be the big fish in the little pond for a change, and the young ones benefit so much from having their long lost older friends return with tales and attitudes from the big, wide wonderful world out there.

The weather continues to play havoc with our wardrobes around here and my advice is still to dress for everything.   Now that the children have had a taste of going barefoot, some of them will slip off their shoes the minute they get out the door, but please still bring footwear in case we have a rare opportunity to go for a walk, or if they injure the bottom of their foot.

I'll be putting in the book orders tomorrow but I'm not sure if they'll arrive before we have our week off.   We won't have another one now until (sniff) September when school starts and Ashlee will start (gasp) first grade and Collin goes to (choke) kindergarten.   Let's get ready to enjoy every fleeting moment of summer, officially starting on Monday, while it's here.

We're back from vacation, rested and cheerful and ready (well, as ready as we're going to be) to get back to work.   The Tigers didn't get swept and we got to see the new Target Field in Minneapolis, we spent some quality time with my brother Joe and we experienced taking Amtrack long distance which has to be the most enjoyable form of transportation ever.   All in all one of the best vacations I've ever had.

The new recipe for July is goulash which we had here at the day care a couple of weeks ago on Aaron's special helper day.   So many of the kids loved it that I thought I should post it for you.   Also, several of the kids had never tasted goulash before and one was sure that "my Mom doesn't have goulash at her house."   So now there's no excuse for that!

With the holiday today and our birthdays coming up we have a couple of short weeks here on the calendar but then all will be back to normal until Labor Day.   As usual, we'll be taking some time off in October so keep your eyes peeled for that.   As always it will be posted on the website first to reward those clients who actually read this!

Whew.   It's that time of year.   You know, summer.   The time that warps and weaves with heat and people and sweat and sand and then it's all over but the pictures and the memories.   We're trying to make it last and keep up with watering the lawn and doing the laundry and caring for children while enjoying the friends and relatives all coming and going in between dodging the festivals and baptizing ourselves in the bay on a regular basis.   Life is tough.

Be patient with my weblog for a little bit longer, please.   The loving parade isn't over until September but I'll have some bits of time in there to at least update the recipe and the poem and hopefully review the books I've been reading.   The children are growing though it's hard to tell in all the dirt and sweat, but once in a while we hose them down and find them stronger, taller and wiser every day.

One important link before I go to bed!   Keira's Dad has a wonderful new venture: Nature's Treats which are the most delicious dried apples you've ever tasted, and I'm not just saying that.   Look for him at the farmer's market to get a sample and judge for yourself.   You can also find his page on Facebook.   We'll be serving these snacks at Joyful Noise once the fresh fruit has run out and we're back to winter fare.   Something delicious to look forward to!   But right now they're perfect to take to the beach or on picnics or wherever you may be going where you need portable, healthy gourmet treats.   Check them out.

It's still that time of year but I took a few minutes between a movie, a wedding and a birthday party to update the calendar and the recipe of the month pages.   In honor of the website's four year anniversary, this month's recipe is the first one I posted in August 2006.   So if you didn't have a chance to print it out then you can do it now.   These busy days are fun as long as we don't also try to accomplish everything that gets done during the "normal" times.   Normal?   What's that, we may ask?   You know, those days when we wonder if we'll ever get off the treadmill.   Well, here they are!   Gotta go get some sleep for the party tomorrow!   Happy August!

Seriously?   Did I let a whole month go by?  Thanks to all of you still reading this after such a long break.   This summer has been beautiful with lots of warm weather to send us all to the beach and lots of visitors to keep us from the tasks of our daily lives.   We still anticipate a little beach time in the near future, but the rock star parade of family and friends is coming to a halt so I'll have a bit more time here at the computer and plan to get back on task with updating and expanding.

I want to take a quick minute here to thank all those who are gifting us with the bounty of their gardens!   We are blessed with lots of good vegetable eaters here and the donations are deeply appreciated from the bottom of our hearts (and stomachs!)   Fresh vegetables and fruits are essential for our little ones and I try hard to give them local, chemical free food.   It's a great help to receive these donations and I really can't thank you all enough.   You know who you are!!!

We've had a hard week with saying good-bye to Collin and Ashlee as they head off to "big kid's school."   The lucky part is that we're sure we're going to see them again, though it will be "lots of days" before Ashlee's beautiful smile graces our house and she'll become a big, sophisticated first grader in the meantime.   Collin will be at kindergarten five full days a week thanks to Eastern school's policy (go ahead, ask me what I think of full time kindergarten....) but we'll be seeing him after school on some days and vacation times so there was no last day celebration for him yet.   We may see Ashlee again next summer and hopefully some holidays before then, but Elliott is still a jolly full-time member of the household so we can all be in a little denial about how time is passing all too quickly around our sweet little ones.

For Labor Day weekend I'm busy canning tomatoes so I'll write more tomorrow if I can but right now the water bath waits for no one!

This is the time of year when my canner gets little rest as the tomatoes are ripe and ready to be put up for the winter.   I taught myself to can but was inspired by my Grandma who never let us go home from Hilliards without a few precious jars tucked in a box.   Her pears, pickled beets, and cucumbers were archetypal memories that propelled me past my Mother's rejection of the steamy kettle to embrace the art, keeping it alive to pass down to my daughters.   Our factory food supply makes it so easy to just pick things up off the shelf, but that just can't compare to the whole process of growing or buying local produce, preparing it with your own hands and putting it up for the months to come.   The shiny jars are so beautiful lined up in my basement; a simple pleasure that feeds the soul.

A few things have been piling up on my desk over the summer and one of them is the link to Evelyn Petersen's article in the Record Eagle, Are Children Projects or People?   Evelyn is a very wise woman and 99% of the time I agree with every word she says.   I highly recommend you read this article and every other of hers.

Another great article along the same lines, with some belly laughs included is Dave Barry's Baby Shower or Avalanche?  It's not long and any of you who have ever had or been to a baby shower will get a kick out of this, I promise.

These are the days I wait for all year.   The farmer's market is overflowing with beautiful produce, the windows are closed at night and dinner cooking in the oven is a cozy thought instead of a sweltering one.

Remember that we've got a vacation coming up very soon; we don't want anyone surprised when we don't answer the door next week!

Ashlee and Collin are now well into their school year and the reports are good!   So many of you have asked about them; it's really so wonderful how we all grow to love and care about all these children in our "family," isn't it?   Collin says he would live at school if he could, so that's a great testament to all the groundwork that has been laid ahead of time and to his teacher, Mrs. Marek, at Eastern.   Ashlee's Mom says that she must like it because she talks so much about it, but there is a lot of homework now that she's in first grade.

We have some birthdays coming up in October: Collin turning 6, Mason turning 3 and Keira turning 5?   Really?   Five?   How did that happen?   Get ready, all our four year olds will be entering the fives in the next few months.   It's hard on the heart sometimes when they turn around and are grown.

Please be sure that the children all come with the necessary outerwear!   I know it's easy to tumble them into the car in their jammies and we certainly don't mind, but then be sure that you bring along the shoes, socks, pants and jackets that we need outside in the autumn mornings.   It's so easy to leave these things behind and then we're really stuck when breakfast is over and we're heading out the door.   I have a few spare sweatshirts here but not enough for everyone and no spare shoes.

A great article, Children's play being threatened! by Dan Hodgins, came across my desk a couple of weeks ago.   Dan is one of the best child development experts around and we're very lucky to have him involved with child care here in Michigan.   The link takes you to tumblr which may be a new experience for some of you; it was for me.   You can get the page to stop turning by itself if you click on the pause button, which appears and disappears but is friendly if you talk nice to it.

Since September has whizzed by at lightening speed I've extended the deadline for the book orders to the 29th, in case you want to get those Halloween books you were looking at.   Ordering online is the easiest for all of us but it's just fine if you do it the old fashioned way too; just remember that if you write checks to make them out to me so I can place the order online instead of mailing it in.   We get them so much quicker that way.

I canned the last of my tomatoes this weekend and am looking forward to the pears that will be ready in the next few weeks.   All the farmers are saying that the crops are early this year because of the early spring and not lasting very long once they ripen, so we're having to move fast and furious to squirrel away our provisions for winter.   It's sure worth it though in the middle of February to open up those jars and freezer containers to taste our beautiful, local bounty.   We are truly blessed.

Thank you all for your patience and understanding during this challenging time.   Most of you know by now that my parents are selling their house and moving to Racine, Wisconsin to live with my sister.   Their roots run deep in this town and my daughters and I have built our lives around them, so we are feeling this upheaval to our very core.   We are also VERY busy with every spare minute trying to help make this transition as smooth as possible for them.   Since we couldn't convince them to stay, we want their memories of us to be strong and happy, not whiney and pouting.   This is taking a lot of our energy.   Until I regain my balance and composure the website will be on hold.   Their closing date is October 29th and they'll be leaving on November 2nd, so we'll be through this before we know it.   In the meantime we count our blessings every day and know that if this is the worst thing in our lives we are lucky lucky indeed.   Thanks again for bearing with us.

Whew.   I'm so glad to be back here at my peaceful dining room table.   A whole month has gone by and it's one I'll never forget.   Thanks for being patient and, since you're reading this, thanks for checking back!

This is one of my favorite times of the year; grey, gloomy, damp, chilly.   I know, some people don't quite understand.   To me these are the most wonderful days, cozy and introspective.   They do mean that child care takes a different turn and we have to be more prepared in the way of outerwear and indoor manners.   Please start sending almost every imaginable form of cover up for the children and we will do our best to make sure that they have the opportunity to play outside except for in the most severe weather.   We won't let them out in rain but we WILL let them out in snow.   However, any accumulation of snow requires snowpants, boots and mittens in order to keep them dry and safe from frostbite.

More indoor play means we're going to have more time with all of our long lost crayons and puzzles and musical instruments that we saw very little of for the past few months.   The children settle into quieter, more detailed imaginary play when they're indoors (once we remind them a few times of the walking and "inside voices" rules.)   It's so much fun to eavesdrop on them when they think you're not paying attention.   Just this last week Elliott was pretending he was Ben and Mary was pretending she was Chrissie and they were arguing about who was boss!   I'm not sure how it ended.....

This post is short as I'm still just getting back in the saddle again around here.   The last of the pears is in the canner as sauce and the garage is almost emptied of the rush of excess belongings that poured out of my parent's house those last weeks as we struggled to get them packed and out by their deadline.   My goal is to get my car back in the garage by December and the porch furniture in there by next weekend.   Unfortunately, that won't happen with me nice and cozy at my computer.   Still, I'll be back here regularly and be updating Ask the Nanny soon.

Snow, glorious snow!   If you're one of the parents that just realized they don't have boots and snowpants that still fit in the house, you're NOT alone!   These kids really grew this summer didn't they?   The autumn was so kind to us this year that we find ourselves just now scrambling through the fluffy clothing to see what we've got; myself included.   I've got mittens on my grocery list since I discovered this week that my spare pairs are woefully worn and ragged; not worth many more snowballs.

In the news that's come across my desk this week is a guide to inform consumers on which book publishers are doing their best to protect the rainforests, published by the Rainforest Action Network.   I'm so happy to see that Scholastic is on there.

Today's the last day for book orders this year.   I've just extending the online ordering until Saturday since I won't get to process the order until Sunday, but no later than that or we won't get the books in before our holiday break.

We started making the gingerbread stable this week so the house will smell all spicy and good and the children now are looking forward to January when they can eat it.   Never mind that it's hard and stale when we get around to it; they love it all the same.   Something about the delayed gratification or forbidden fruit.   I'm sure we can all relate!

Drive safe on these slippery roads and watch out for all the folks who aren't!

Winter is officially here!   I'm wishing you all a very cozy end to the year and whatever vacation you get during this time may it be peaceful and filled with insight.   As I write this my lists are, as usual, more ambitious than time allows and I rush headlong into the festivities ahead so that I can collapse in a useless heap for the days afterward.   This year I feel more disorganized than usual and yet more hopeful that the New Year will bring more wisdom and therefore more satisfaction for me.   I feel like I grew up a lot in 2010 and I'm excited to see how that maturity is going to help me in the art of living.   I'm determined not to disappoint myself.

So, my second wish for you at this time of light shining in the darkness is that you have a similar hope for the New Year; one that helps you jump out of bed in the morning with gratitude and anticipation of all you can accomplish.   And I wish you a similar resolve to give to yourself the gift of loyalty to your goals, or at least to your sanity and well being.   If we are not our own best friends how can we expect anyone else to be?

Blessings on your endings and beginnings, on your light and your darkness, on your hope and your resolve.   May we all find what we're looking for.