Joyful Noise Day Care -- 2011 Archives

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Happy New Year!   My vacation is drawing to a close and just as I suspected, I've accomplished nothing of measureable value during these past two weeks unless we count my weight.   Tomorrow I'll be taking down the Christmas tree; always sad for me, though once the needles are vacuumed up it's uplifting to see how much light comes in the window again.   Soon all the precious trinkets of the holiday will be packed away in their boxes and forgotten for the next few months and we'll be getting back to normal.   There will be new paperwork to fill out, a suprise inspection to anticipate, mittens to hang up and more birthdays to celebrate.   We've missed the children quite a bit and talk about them fondly when they're gone, but the rest has been sorely needed and done us good.   Now, I must return to my boxes and start to child-proof my home for Monday!   See you then!

This weekend was the first one in a long, long time that really felt like mine, all mine.   As a result of all my pent up deprivation and delayed gratification I really got an incredible amount of stuff done that has been shoved to the back burner for months.   Sadly, hardly any of it is noticeable to the untrained eye, meaning any eye but mine.   However, others might notice I act slightly less scattered, a bit more self-assured, a teeny bit more relaxed and that, for at least another week, the daycare will continue to run smoothly, good Lord willing.

The weather has continued to be beautiful wintry chill, just what we expect and hope for in January.   When the temperatures are in the teens to thirties as we've been experiencing, we let the children decide for themselves if they want to go out or not during the free play times of the day.   It's interesting to see how they seem to choose an indoor day once or twice a week, just to take a little break.   It seems intuitively healthy for their little systems, especially since they all get some fresh air as they come and go to daycare every day.   Please continue to do the great jobs that you've been doing of keeping them in the appropriate outerwear.   We have spares of some things for the occasional off days, so no need to panic.   Please be aware that we will NOT let the children wear scarves outdoors; too easily caught on something since our kids are very active and our age group is too little to figure out how to loosen the scarf if it becomes too tight.

Book orders are due this week and if you still have the DHS paperwork that I gave you try hard to remember to return it.   I'll have another piece of homework for you soon but I'm trying to hand them out one at a time to make sure you're not too overloaded.   I know how easily things get lost and misplaced in the piles and piles of paperwork life brings us.   It's possible that I'll be having a surprise inspection from my licensing worker so if you're coming or going while this is happening, thank you in advance for your patience.   While regulation seems like a big pain it's what helps us all sleep a little better at night.

We're looking forward to two birthdays this month, Lily and Mary.   In case they haven't already brought this to your attention you can try to remember to congratulate them.   I promise you will be rewarded with a treasure of a smile.

Another productive weekend, in spite of having this wretched sore throat that's making its way around town.   I rested a bit more than last weekend but still managed to get some major organization done in the toy closet which has been long ignored.   Now there will be great fun as I have unearthed games and puzzles long buried and made room to rotate toys from the basement up and some that deserve a rest, down!

Not such a long entry today as I've been working on the website behind the scenes trying to update the book review page (don't bother looking, not posted yet.   I apparently can read much faster than I can review and I've created a nasty backlog.)   I also completed the Scholastic book order and in order to catch back up after the holidays you'll be getting yet another one this week.   So if you meant to order but didn't, bonus!   A new chance.  

Now, time to get the Sunday night popcorn under way and some more resting accomplished so I'll be cheery and calm in the morning.   Thanks for checking in.   Hope you're all enjoying this season of rejuviniation as much as I am.

Here again!   This blessed peace and quiet is so delectable.   I love that I'm able to check in with some regularity on the weblog, even if it's just the same news; that I've been working a lot behind the scenes so this entry will be short, but cheerful.   The joy that I get from just putting things in order lately seems a little wacky, but I'm all for cheap thrills and this is surely one of them.   I've been in the 'nether lands' of the basement, the storage closet in the back room and second floor this weekend rearranging, dusting, deciding and storing.   All the better to run the business smoothly, keep the daycare clean and let the creative juices continue to flow.

This last week Ashlee generously donated her great big doll house to Joyful Noise.   Thank you Ashlee!   It captivated all of us and these frigid winter days are so perfect for the more intricate inside toys like that.   We'll have many many happy hours discovering all the uses for it; so far it's been not only a house but a hideout for bad guys and good guys and a rocket ship.   Our only limits are our imaginations.

Many of you have been bringing outerwear in back packs or bags which is fine but too many of them clog up the cubbie turnstile and then it jams and stuff starts falling out and off and all over the place.   If you have a big, bulky bag please set it on the steps and then remember to take it back off the steps at the end of the day (so that Ben and I don't trip on it in the middle of the night!)   Thank you!

The FDA issued a warning about this year's flu vaccination and young children.   Please read it carefully to educate yourself.   There have been an unusually high incidence of febrile seizures in children after the vaccination.   The FDA reminds us that seizures that go with fevers are usually harmless, which parents have a hard time understanding.   Our inclination is always to bring down a fever so that a child won't go into seizures.   My stand is always to let the fever do its work, don't try to bring it down.   But I'm also a little worried about the idea that a vaccination is causing seizures and feel the FDA has done well to at least issue the warning.   Make your own informed decisions and let the buyer beware.

Another book order due the end of this week and then the next one will be spaced out a little further.   Remember you can order online or the old-fashioned way and just bring the money to me.

Tomorrow is Mary's birthday, the big oh-four.   Around here that means no more sippy cup which is a huge deal.   The next birthday will be Jenna's in February so there's no end to the festivities around here and the kids just keep checking the calendar for the next event.   I'm a little sad to see these milestones because I can't help thinking of what they'll mean in a few months, but it takes a tough heart to be in this business so we just take a deep breath and choke down the cake.   Still, it's going to be a big year around here so let's enjoy these peaceful, 'boring' months while we have them. They're here to feed and strengthen us for the wild rides ahead!

Just when you thought it was all gone, here comes the second punch of the irritating virus that's going around.   A scratchy cough, sneezing and sniffles are lurking around our house, even when there are no children here!   It seems that this is pretty common around town right now and the people who are taking antibiotics for it don't seem to be having much more luck kicking it than those of us who aren't.   Let's just keep drinking lots of fluids and homemade broth and little dabs of honey for those rough throats and see if we can't power our way out of it the way we powered our way in.   I'm convinced that a lot of our winter illnesses are brought on by all the sweets and treats we swallow over the holidays, but it's hard to remember that when we're smacking and chomping away on them, isn't it?

You may have noticed the Facebook link on the side of this page.   Joyful Noise has had a quiet little page there for awhile now but I haven't made much noise about it since I've not much time to devote to it yet.   Still, one of the baby steps in getting the page off the ground is a link to the weblog and I'm experimenting with size, shape and placement.   You'll notice that this one has a photo (no longer true, I've changed the image on the link; no photo) and I want to reassure you that the ONLY photos of your children that will ever appear on the internet will be ones like this, where the children are unrecognizable or the children who are related to me.   I'm still researching the best way to share with parents the photos I take of the children here at daycare.   The facebook page will be mostly to notify people of when I've updated the website, to post links as I find them and for others to have a place to comment, since this website doesn't offer that.   I hope those readers who use facebook will take advantage of the page there.   So far I've just waited for folks to stumble across it and haven't reached out for visitors.   This link is the next step of that though and we'll see how it does.

I've added a couple of book reviews this week in my efforts to catch up the website.   More additions to come, little by little.

This weekend I attended the beautiful funeral of one of my piano teachers, Betty Kurtz.   Like all the adults who come into a child's life, she was a huge influence on me.   Because she was kind, strong, cheerful and bright my heart still loves her after all these years.   I didn't love all my piano teachers.   In fact after my first year of piano I told my parents that I wanted to quit.   They were wise enough to ask me a question that I had never considered: If I had a different teacher would I still want to take piano?   Parents, I want you to consider so carefully every adult, every class, every influence that you allow into your child's life.   I was too young in second grade to realize how my piano teacher was shaping my thoughts and preferences.   Had my parents not been so wise, to this day I would think that I hated piano instead of enjoying ten more years of lessons and gaining a talent and gift that will serve me the rest of my life.   Alternatively, children can be fooled into thinking they love someone or something that is teaching them values, attitudes, words and gestures that will hold them down, back and behind where they could have been if they had only spent those hours more sweetly.   We all, I'm sure, can think of people or things that have been a bad influence on us.   I hope that you find for your children people and pastimes as wonderful as Betty Kurtz and her music lessons were for me.   I strive to be one of them.

Sundays are just never long enough.   I've been working behind the scenes on the website but unfortunately nothing to proudly show for it yet.   I thought it was about time to take a break from all that to check in here on the weblog.   Even though I have a long list (perhaps a little too optimistic...) of unfinished business, my favorite way to wind up the weekend is to reflect here while I listen to Jazz Connections with Jeff Haas.   Such soothing ritual replenishes us.   Rudolph Steiner taught that "rhythm replaces strength," maybe more accurately translated as "routine restores strength."   This is so so true and yet so easily ignored during our busy lives.   Still, if you are somewhat relieved to go back to work on Monday because you can relax, it's a warning that you haven't really taken responsibility for creating healthy free time.   I know, you're saying "What free time?"   I mean time that you're not working, time that you spend with your children, time that you spend with your partner or friends or tending to all the necessary privileges of being an adult human being in the modern world.   The time that you are not earning money.   That free time that you get to arrange and choose to a certain extent, and yes, you do get to choose.   So take care of yourselves.   And if you do feel rested and refreshed at the end of your break from work, congratulations!   None of us hit that nail on the head all the time, but it's part of a healthy lifestyle and something to strive for.   A fun routine, or rythym is a great tool.

The carpets got their annual cleaning since I last wrote here.   We hire Robert Brown at Floor Covering Brokers because they use completely non-toxic supplies that are biodegradable, besides charging a reasonable price and doing a great job.   I'm very picky about this stuff and this is not a paid ad in any way.   We just love his work.

We're working very hard with some of the children and their language lately; forbidden words spread faster than the flu in daycare.   We don't allow them to use the term "butt" for a body part, nor do we allow name calling like "stupid" or "idiot" or "poopy head" etc. etc. etc.   They think this is hilarious, unless of course they're the recipient of the insult.   I realize that in some homes and even on some cartoons that they watch these terms are used and acceptable but I'm of a different mind.   I feel that when children grow accustomed to using crass language it puts them at a real disadvantage socially.   Not only are they much more likely to offend people but they are also much less likely to be welcomed into some homes or to some events.   While there is so much emphasis placed on children's advancement and placement academically there seems to be proportionately less emphasis placed on their social skills which are actually more important.   The little ones are so vulnerable at this preschool age to outside influence and I'm asking you here to please help me with this.   Realize that your child is expected to practice some restraint when they're here and try, once in awhile, to use alternative language in front of them to help reinforce their efforts.   Not allowing shows that use crass vocabulary is a great way to teach children good manners.   Mothers and Fathers are the first and strongest teachers.

DHS sends us a monthly newsletter from Dan Hodgins that I'm so happy to be able to share with you.   His insights have always been so helpful to me and this is a great guide to a toddler's view of the world.   If any of you would like a print out of it let me know.

One last tidbit before I call it a night.   This YouTube video by Dr. James Chestnut is pretty good.   It's short and actually just the introduction to a longer presentation.   What I love is that he makes the point that we will feed our children things that we would never feed our dogs and cats.   Something to consider.   I can never stress enough the importance of good nutrition for children but for some reason there are some parents who can't quite get that through their heads and think that there can't possibly be that much harm in a treat here and there and here and there again and then wonder why the child won't sleep at night or has trouble in school or is a picky eater etc. etc. etc.   Before you try anything else to solve a problem with your child's behavior do this simple experiment for thirty days.   Do not feed your child any food that contains sugar or flour.   That's right, no pasta, no cereal, no granola bars, none of those other things that the slick marketers would love you to buy and the government agencies say are ok.   Two things for thirty days: sugar in all its forms and grain in any ground-up form.   I promise you that you will have about a week of hell, but after that, if you can do this one simple thing correctly without wimping out, I promise you'll see behavior changes.   And even if you're not having behavior problems, why in the world would you want to feed your child something that reduces their ability to function?

Ok, I relinquish the soapbox for now.   Time for a long honored Sunday night tradition in the Bazzett family; popcorn.   Get ready, here comes March.   Almost time to come out of hibernation, so enjoy the last few weeks while you can!

One hour less to work with this week and a busy social calendar make for a short entry here, but I'm thinking of you and making it a point to check in, even with just a few minutes to spare.   Expect the kids to be all out of whack for about a week as we all get used to this ridiculous government regulation that we mess with the clocks for some antiquated reason of increasing leisure time (as if, and stimulating commerce.   Pish.   If I ran the world the first two things I'd strike off the books would be Daylight Savings Time and the designated hitter rule.

If your child came home and told you that we had octopus for lunch, they were telling the truth, but they looked like this picture, not like a creature from the sea.   Thanks to Aaron for requesting them and don't worry, we made them with organic hot dogs and whole grain pasta.   You shove the pasta in while it's still stiff and then cook them all together.   Because of the amount of creatures in the pot we had some leg breakage, but the kids didn't mind and we had lots of enthusiastic octopus eaters that day.

A lot of our kids are starting to look quite pale with dark circles under their eyes and I'm concerned.   Please make sure they're getting enough sleep at home, not too much screen time and lots of excercise, even if you have to take them to the museum or the mall or the fast food playground.   Get them moving and keep the junk out of their systems!   We need to keep the color in their cheeks, even in the winter time and I can't do it alone.   Spring is just around the corner but we potentially still have quite a few weeks of being trapped by icy ground so that we can't run and stretch very well in the back yard.

Happy St. Pat's to all this week.   The children don't understand this holiday, but they do know when the grown-ups are cheerful, so kick up your heels and raise a toast to life on earth.   We're all very lucky to be here.

Spring at last, and now I'm sure some people are still going to be whining about how it's still too cold and snowy and when is summer going to be here.   Let's just enjoy Spring for what she is; cold, muddy, sloppy and unpredictable.   Kind of like kids, right?

This was a tough week with a lot of feverish sickness going around and we're still not out of the woods yet.   Ben and I both are pretty under the weather today and just laying low, letting our immune systems have a chance to do their thing.   Boy, oh boy, just when you start to get excited about going outside and getting a bunch of stuff done, Mother Nature reminds us who's boss around here.

Because I'm not feeling too good, this is all I'm writing this week.   Take good care of your little ones; illness is part of life and the sooner we learn to take it in stride the better.

Just a quick note so you know I haven't forgotten you!   The calendar page has been updated and a new recipe for April, so I've been busy in my spare time.   I'm sure you'll be glad to know that the reason the weblog is a little sparse is because I've been completing my tax forms and all is in order between Joyful Noise and the IRS.   Also I've been recovering from that nasty "plague" that ripped through here and also attending to my duties for the Poet's Night Out reading at the library AND enjoying the company of my brother who came up to visit last weekend.   Whew.

Now it's time to go fix dinner and unwind before Tuesday creeps up on me.   Thanks for checking in and enjoy that new cookie recipe!

Oh this first warm day of the year is such a miracle, isn't it?   The windows are wide open in every room of the house and every little corner is soaked in this lovely, humid spring air.   The birdsong is floating in through the screens and the geranium that I kept in the basement over the winter is on the back porch, first to get the last of that beautiful thunderstorm and now soaking up the sun.   I imagine every leaf on it is singing a happy geranium song if only I had ears to hear it!

I'm currently scheduling interviews to fill the spots that (sniff) will be left when our four kindergarteners leave us in September.   Thank you in advance for your patience during this process; it's very disruptive to our routine but a necessary part of running a daycare.   Though having strangers come to visit who require such focused attention is stressful, we get to meet many nice people with darling children and our social skills get a little workout which is always good.   The children are naturals at welcoming folks but not always so skillful at relinquishing center stage when they're here!

In setting up the interviews I learned about a nice blog that focuses on children's nutrition.   There are LOTS of good hints, recipes and advice from a Mom who is also studying to be a natropathic physician.   This website is a real treasure so be sure to check it out!

I'm all done coughing and blowing my nose at last and am eternally grateful for my good health.   It's never something we should take for granted.   Please take good care of yourselves and your little ones so that we can stay healthy as the chilly, damp gorgeous Spring presents herself to us in all her complexities!

It's not snow, it's white rain and it always happens in April, so don't worry.   It'll be gone before you know it and you don't have to shovel it!   Thank goodness we got a couple of nice lunches in at the picnic table last week to really get us all aired out and stretch those winterized bones and muscles into the light.   Now for these few cozy days to rest up for all that yard work and summer fun that will be all too soon here and too soon gone.

I've just found a wonderful group dedicated to getting the play back into schools called Playworks.   Their website has pages for parents and educators; well worth a few minutes of your time to check it out.   If you think this doesn't apply to us, think again.   I have a very reliable source who was shocked by a principle at a TCAPS elementary school who specifically told her kindergarten teachers that there would be "no play" in the classroom.   What are we doing to our children, and why?   This is not the way to a better life for any of us.   Pay attention and get involved.

Another great resource that I enjoy in the Record-Eagle every Saturday is Evelyn Petersen's column about children.   Since the newspaper is now charging for some of their content I suggest you just check out Evelyn's website which is loaded with information, links and the newspaper columns.   She has years of experience, is always on the cutting edge of research without falling for the fads and has a direct, kind, no-nonsense way of making big points in few words.

Even though the calendar says April and we no longer need snowpants and boots, we still need winter coats, hats and gloves.   The children are so hungry for the outdoors that as soon as their breakfast is over they start gathering their coats.   It's so endearing to see how self-sufficient they are, even our one-year-olds.   Before we know it they're dressed and begging to be free, so let's make sure they're properly dressed for their freedom. I have a few spares but not enough for everyone and the forecast is for quite a bit of nippy weather this week.   We can always take clothes off if it gets warm but we can't make warmth magically appear inside of a light windbreaker and warmth is so important for the developing body.

Easter week is upon us at long last; very late this year.   Even before the Christians this time of year was celebrated as the fertile time of Spring and the goddess Ostara was invited.   In this spirit, may we all welcome this time of watching new life that we thought was dead as it emerges from the cave in the earth and bursts forth, from eggs and bulbs and seeds.   It is indeed an ordinary miracle that those of us who have white winters can never tire of.

May!   And how lovely of May to arrive with all her sunny disposition showing.   The forecast is still for frigid nights this week so don't be fooled into thinking you live in any other state but Michigan.   Please keep bringing warm jackets for your children, since our best play time is morning when the sun still hasn't burned off the frost and is just barely peeking over the pine trees to the east of us.

We are about halfway through the interviews currently scheduled and all the children are so excited for each new little face to come for their visits.   For me the process is hard and while I'm excited to wonder which of these families will soon be part of our larger family, it's a huge choice that wrenches my heart in many different directions.   I'm grateful to all of you, my current clients and those coming and going for interviews, for all your warm gracious cooperation.

We have a new recipe for May and the calendar page is updated.   Remember we have a week in May when Joyful Noise will be closed.   As I'm interviewing several people have been dismayed that, unlike a center, a home must close down from time to time to give the employees a break.   One of the most common reasons for turnover in child care is burn-out, and one of the best ways to avoid burn-out is to take enough breaks from the stress and responsibility of the job.   Of course your child is charming and a delight to be with every day, but they are also fragile, precious and reckless.   Caring for them is a nerve-wracking, life and death adventure for fifty hours of my week.   Then to prepare and clean up from that adventure takes almost another fifty hours each week when the children are gone.   We earn our vacation time and I know that most of you want us to have it.   I think it's good to realize that the children, too, need a break.   Daycare is like work to them and we need to understand that they can't be expected to feel good about it if they don't have a change of scenery every once in awhile.   When they all take a break from each other at the same time it helps them avoid burnout as well and all have the same joy together at reuniting with their friends, refreshed and happy to get back to normal.

But we still have a few weeks before then!   Get out and enjoy this beautiful time of year, before the tourists get here and we start complaining about the heat and humidity.   Ah, Spring at last!

Happy Mother's Day!   As early this year as Easter was late, there's just no end to the celebrating!   I was raised to not make too much of Mother's Day because I had a very humble, modest Mother and a Father who expressed his adoration for her every day, not just once a year.   I tried to raise my daughters the same way but perhaps even more openly instructing them to save themselves any guilt or obligation that they may feel about a day that some group of people somewhere long ago and far away decided to attach some well-meaning but burdening label to.   Not that we don't exchange wishes, but we have no expectations of each other, and if we do they're our own darned fault.   I encourage all Mothers out there to take up the same attitude as best you can; it's very freeing for everyone and Lord knows families have enough issues to deal with without creating fictitious ones!

For our part we will be enjoying the day with my beautiful Mother-in-law at her home while we watch the Tigers hopefully win another game.   We love spending Sundays out there and she loves baseball so it's a joyful day for all of us.   We make it a little more special by taking her some homemade gifts and picking up some chicken at the grocery deli so NO ONE has to cook, and the weather is making it a little more special by being beautiful.

I would like to take one moment before I go to recognize that there are many people who feel deep pain by having a "Mother's Day" on the calendar; either because they have no Mother or the one they have is hurtful or because they are doing the job of a Mother when they are also a Father or another relative.   If you know one of those people give them an extra big hug and help them through.

We're into the last week before Joyful Noise shuts down for our first vacation of the year; is everyone out there ready?   I know WE are!   Our last break was way back in January so we're feeling pretty deserving right now.   We have lots of plans for next week, probably more than we have time for, and by the time we get back we'll be missing all our little angels.   It's funny how much Ben and I talk about them when they're gone, remembering the cute things they do and say, or contemplating how to do a better job of caring for them.   To be able to step back for a few days in a row is such an important part of quality care giving and each time we do it we gain new insights and strength.

Done interviewing now, I hope.   I'm in the process of reviewing the interviews, discussing them with Ben and Elizabeth and then I'll start to contact all the parents for the final time.   It's a blessing that I have so many openings to fill because I've met so many really sweet people that I like so much.   The bad news is that I've met more sweet people and babies than I have room for, so I've been doing a lot of soul searching about the new members of our family.   The other hand of this is that every time I interview someone for the new spots, it just makes it that much more real that our five-year-olds will be leaving us soon.

But!   Before that happens we have summer, with all of our "big kids" returning for some rest and relaxation after the long school year.   We're going to add three tall people to our numbers for the summer, Kai is going to add one more day so that he'll be here three days a week, and Lily's going to reduce her number down to two days a week so she can spend some time at home with her big brothers.   Then, during those summer months, we'll be having our new little family members popping in for their "get acquainted" visits, so we're going to really be lively around here in the days and weeks to come!

I can't close without mentioning how some of the children lately have become obsessed with "roly poly" bugs.   In my opinion, these bugs were put on the Earth for the sole purpose of entertaining children.   They are fairly indestructible since they roll up tight in a ball at the least provocation (which is so much fun!)   They tickle a little, but not too much, so that children can get over their fear of bugs and little tickley things, and there are a never-ending supply of them under every rock and leaf pile and abandoned toy in the yard.   Their proper name is, unfortunately, woodlouse but they're also known as: armadillo bug, cheeselog, cheesy bug, doodlebug, pill bug, potato bug, roly-poly, sow bug, roll up bug, chuggypig or chucky pig, slater, gramersow, butcher boy or butchy boy and wood bug.   They're the newest fad here at Joyful Noise and some children rush out in the morning to collect them in the pots and pans and then make little homes for them with sticks and weeds and dirt.   A couple of our little cherubs even conspired to take theirs home in their pockets, but luckily they were within earshot of a loyal informant, so the plan was foiled.   Those in charge of laundry, however, may want to take note.   This is nature-inspired childcare at its best!

One more day of our vacation left after this and we're feeling quite relaxed and productive and grateful for our beautiful lives.   We flew over to Wisconsin for a few days to visit my parents and made some sweet memories there; bittersweet since we had to say good-bye to them all over again though.   Still, when you go away it feels so good to come home and now that we're home we're just enjoying putzing around in our yard, catching up on the laundry and cleaning out a few corners where the dust had attained squatter's rights.   I've been collecting commitments from parents who interviewed and soon we'll start to have some 'get-acquainted' visits with our beautiful new familiy members.   Stay tuned for that fun!   But for now, let's enjoy these last few hours of May and the beginning of glorious June; the final days of spring in all her beauty!

In spite of all good intentions, this is the time of year where everything takes a little longer to accomplish than you think it should, because we become distracted by the amazing show that nature is putting on for us.   After months of fasting, a feast of growth and blooms and life is constantly changing and showing off before our very eyes.   Each time I step out the door I find a new sprout in the garden, a new volunteer in the middle of the lawn, a perennial whose return I must celebrate.   Just this week our little, rescued azalea bloomed for the first time ever, some snapdragons from last year arose against all odds and the hosta we transplanted from my parent's yard has made it clear that it's here to stay.   Sooooo, some of the dusting and planning and paperwork is starting to get a little behind...

But I DID get the new recipe posted and the calendar updated with the dates that we'll be taking off in July and October all in place.   I'll be giving you written notice as well, but as always those who check the website get to know first!   Of course if we have a family emergency there will be additional dates, but barring any unforeseen events or winning lottery tickets, this should be how it looks for the rest of 2011.

The interviews are over, the agreements have been made and we can look forward to some glimpses of Bode, Tripp, Adelaide and Emory as they start to get acquainted with short visits to Joyful Noise.   Of course things can always change, but we assumne they won't and welcome our new family members!

Some of the "old" kids will be returning this week as well!   Yipee!   Ashlee is done with school now and Collin will be in just a few days.   Also, Collin and Mary's cousin, Alyssa, will be joining us this summer!   It's such a breath of fresh air to have these angels back under our wings here.   We miss them so much, and their sophistication and strength graces our presence in the same way that these warm spring and summer breezes do.   And not a moment too soon!   Again, a welcome!

This past weekend we had the honor to attend a graduation party for two of our alumni; Forest and Clayton.   While Clayton was only here very briefly, his sister Lucy was here more, and Forest and his sister Morgan were here even more, so this party was filled with people we loved and held so dear in our hearts.   How we are always astonished to see them grow up remains one of the mysteries of parenting, but we are.   These graduation parties always make it so evident that it really does "take a village" to raise a child and that we ALL help each other in so many ways to bring these children from the fragile, vulnerable infant to the tall, cocky teenager, full of plans and hope and will.   Life is good, and taking hold of life and living it is even better.

Well, whatever clothes you brought or sent for your child this past week it was probably wrong, or at least only right for a short time.   No worries.   If the quality of our parenting depended on our ability to predict Michigan weather it would be a harsh measure indeed!   I'm just grateful that the hot weather was its normal brief June blast and that we're back to the temperate spring temperatures that we're used to here.   Just in case, though, be sure to send extra "sprinkler" clothes or a spare swimsuit that we can keep here for those sweltering days when they return.   ( And they will return...)   Also, if you want to have a say about what kind of sunscreen goes on your child, bring a tube or bottle with their name on it to also keep here.   Otherwise you'll be at the mercy of whatever product I choose for the masses.   I'm trying to do diligent research on toxins in sunscreen but when the experts can't even agree on how to interpret the "science" then it leaves the rest of us with a handful of goo wondering what to do with it.   I tend to err on the side of caution and not buy products I can't pronounce, but sometimes that tactic is a little too simplistic.   Suffice it to say that your child will be slathered with sunscreen on hot sunny days after approximately 20 minutes of unblocked exposure to the sun.   On cool, cloudy days we don't feel it's necessary at this latitude unless you have an extremely sensitive child.

School's out and our schedule has shifted so this week we're into our normal summer routine.   Look sharp to the vacation days in July, they'll be here before we know it.   Then Labor Day will be here before we know it and all will shift again.   Summer doesn't start til the 21st, but it's all too brief so start grabbing those precious outdoor moments or you'll wonder where they went.

While you're rearrange your priorities, make sure they include looking at real things, not screens, and holding hands, not texting devices!   The children's play really reflects lately how many parents are spending way too much time with their heads bent down looking at a small, hand held device while talking to their children or to other adults in the room.   (In a few years you'll be lamenting that there's just no communication between you and your child! )  There are few things sadder to me than when remote communication has a higher priority than the people who are in your presence.   It is possible to live without an electronic tether.   Summer is a great time to try it.   For those of you who keep your cell phone off, thanks for giving me my moment.   Perhaps you share my sentiments?

Summer is officially here and I know that most of us are so happy.   But now, let's remember where we live, okay?   Keep reminding yourself that you need to dress your children according to the forecast, not according to the calendar.   A lot of grown-ups are in denial up here about the temperatures lately, which is fine when you're picking out your own outfits, but not so good for our little ones.   It's not fair to say that they insisted on wearing their shorts and sandals and refused to bring a jacket.   Just pick out the proper clothes in the evening after you look at the weather report and then if they refuse to wear them, put them in a bag and bring them along.   And remember when you look at that weather report, note the evening's lows as well as the afternoon highs.   We are outside as early as nine in the morning when the day has nowhere near warmed up to its fullest potential.   The children this past week needed jackets or sweatshirts, shoes and socks in the morning and shorts and bare feet in the afternoon!   Just keep reminding yourself that lots of people save up their money all year long just to come up here in the summer and experience these magical, finicky weather patterns and smile as you give your children a chance to learn preparedness and flexibility.

I'm always on the lookout for ways to manage my time more efficiently and lately I've been exploring the Fly Lady site and books which are imperfect but fun so far.   One aspect that I can fully endorse though are the daily challenges for kids.   You can sign up through the relatively complicated process or just read them off the relatively complicated site.   Either way, it's worth the complication if you're having a hard time getting yourself organized about getting your children on board with daily chores and keeping their own rooms tidy.   Chores are an important part of raising a child, but you can either teach your child that they're competent or that they're lazy, depending on how you handle your grown-up duties.   This is one of the best guides I've seen in this area.   Give it a whirl and let me know what you think, or, do you have a way of handling it that works for you already?

We've had a couple of visits from our new boys, Tripp and Bode, and we're so excited that they'll be joining us in the autumn.   But before that we'll turn the page on the calendar and have a whole slew of birthdays in July, starting with our reigning (meaning oldest) princess, Ashlee who will be seven years old!   Who can believe it that she's that old already?   But when we watch her skipping across the yard with all her long limbs and glorious hair swinging behind her it's hard to deny that she, and all of our beautiful children are doing just what we hope they'll do; growing strong and healthy.

Speaking of strong and healthy, Department of Human Services has come out with a change in licensing regulations that has to do with the food we feed the children.   For those of you who don't want to open pdf files, (careful, most of the following links are pdfs,) the memo says that licensing requires me "to provide food that meets the minimum meal requires of the Child and Adult Care Food Program" and then goes on to say that "the federal Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-296) requires that milk served in the CACFP be consistent with the most recent version of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans."   They go on to assure us that "the Michigan Department of Education has provided guidance on the implementation of this updated requirement in their Family Day Care Home Sponsor Memorandum #13, dated May 25, 2011."

So this is nothing new except the Dietary Guidelines for Americans have recently changed.   And did you notice, that somehow, "guidelines" have not only become "policy" but "law."   Because to violate these "guidelines" constitutes a licensing violation for me and a violation for school lunch programs as well.   Though I'm an Independent politically, I tend to lean left, but this is way too much government interference for me.   Especially when the new "guidelines" dictate that persons over two years of age consume fat-free (skim) or low-fat (1% ) fluid milk.   Therefore the new policy for the CACFP and DHS is

fluid milk served in the CACFP to participants two years of age and older must be: fat-free or low-fat milk, fat-free or low-fat lactose reduced milk, fat-free or low-fat lactose free milk, fat-free or low-fat buttermilk, or fat-free or low-fat acidified milk.   Milk served must be pasteurized fluid milk that meets Michigan and local standards, and may be flavored or unflavored.   Whole milk and reduced-fat (2% ) milk may not be served to participants over two years of age.   Children aged 12 months to two years must be served whole homogenized vitamin D-fortified cow's milk, unless you have written authorization from the child's physician or the child's parent provides their child's milk.

Now, if you're like me, you may ask yourself, "where do these sacred documents called Dietary Guidelines for Americans come from that they should have such power over us?"   Well, of course they come from a committee whose "advice is based on a rigorous review of the scientific evidence through a transparent, unbiased process."   I feel better already, don't you? Their "decision-making process and evidence relevant to each review is publicly available at the USDA's Nutrition Evidence Library (NEL) ".   In case you don't feel like searching all over the place to find where it says that milk makes kids fat in this transparent, unbiased process, I'll direct you to the page called Dietary Intake and Childhood Adiposity.   If you merely hover over the topics they will inform you that while "moderate evidence ...suggests that increased intake of dietary fat is associated with greater adiposity in children" there is also "moderate evidence suggests that there is not a relationship between intake of calcium and/or dairy (milk and milk products) and adiposity in children and adolescents."   It will also inform you that "strong evidence supports the conclusion that greater intake of sugar-sweetened beverages is associated with increased adiposity in children."

So, there you have it.   Transparently the scientific evidence explains that moderately dietary fat might cause obesity in some children, moderately dairy products may not, but sweetened beverages most probably do.   Therefore you can see how it follows that it is now a licensing violation in the state of Michigan for me to serve your child milk in the form that humans have consumed it for generations, but perfectly acceptable for the fat to be mechanically removed from it and artificial flavoring and sugar added in.   If, like me, you think that this is not so logical, perhaps you'd like to call the people responsible for making our laws and explain this to them.   We get the government we deserve, but do our children deserve this?

Do you hear that whooshing noise?   It's summer; here it comes, there it goes!   I'm hoping you're too busy to notice how long it's been since my last post; I've really been working on daycare issues, but just not the website ones!

Most of you know that the day care is closed this week for the high holy days of Chris and Ben's birthdays.   This is the first vacation we've had that's just all about us for a long time and we're doing a pretty good job of making the most of it.   We've done some productive things, like rebuild the sandbox and get a good jump on reorganizing our storage system.   We've done some relaxing things like drink our morning coffee on the front porch and go to the beach.   And we've done some necessary things so that we don't feel all 'behind' next week, like go grocery shopping and weed neglected parts of the garden.   There's never really enough time in one week to check off every item on my vacation wish list, but so far it looks like I'll hit about 50%.   Not too bad.

Thank you to all who have given us birthday gifts and good wishes.   We are so happy to celebrate life with all of you and you all contribute so much to our joy and the precious quality of this life.   No happiness is without its trials and struggles, but ours seem worthwhile and we are ever honored to be trusted with all these treasures.   And now I'll disappear again awhile, but know that in my absence there are many currents moving that support this website being tweaked and polished.   Still, I'll check in more often than this last lapse.   Promise.

Summer is surely glorious when the temperatures plummet with a stiff north breeze and we can all feel "freezey" again, as Jenna put it.   Ahhhhhh!

Our first week back after vacation was one where we hit the ground running with a routine interim inspection from DHS, a couple of after work meetings for Chris and a get acquainted visit from Adelaide who will be joining us soon.   Oh, and did I mention that it was too hot?   It made it seem like an extra long week, but even so, it was still good to be back with our precious little ones again.

The interim inspection is supposed to happen on the year that my license is not up for renewal.   This one was about six months late, so DHS will be back here for my renewal visit in December or January.   I did have a chance to discuss with my worker and her boss what steps I need to take in order to request a variance to the new licensing regulation about milk.   (See the entry for June 26th.)   I'm working through this process and though it's not an urgent one it's still all part of advocating for parent's rights and children's health so I take it seriously.

The biggest news is that we have mourning doves nesting in our big mulberry tree, right in the middle of all our summer hub-bub and play.   What a beautiful science lesson they're providing for our children!   I tried to take their picture but it's too intrusive so you'll just have to ask your little one about it and see them through their eyes, or tip toe back there yourself when you come to visit.

It's getting to be that part of the summer where we suddenly realize there are only a handful of weekends left before school starts and a quiet sort of panic sets in.   For some of us, the panic is because we've hardly been to the beach at all yet, or the park or to an outdoor concert, and we can hardly believe that we've just been working away with our nose to the grindstone like the "all work and no play" Jack.   For others the panic is that we have a child starting school or going back to school and there's a long list of duties that must be performed before then and our heart is in our throat at this huge change and why can't it just be summer forever?   For some others the panic is that their little toddler is about to switch to a new daycare and while we were so happy and sure and positive about it a month or so ago, now it seems a little less exciting and a bit too nerve wracking.   For some of us the panic is that we have to let go of some people who are very precious to us while at the same time open our hearts to some other people who have already started to become very precious to us and we wonder at how a human heart can be so nimble.   Change!!   Why is it that we just never seem to get the hang of it?

And yet, let's not forget that August is here in all of its radiant glory.   In the middle of the winter, this month was our dream.   If you are here in the Traverse City area, there are beautiful beaches and parks and concerts and festivals wherever you turn.   Make the time.   You won't regret it, but you will regret putting it off until it's too late!

Our mourning doves sat on their nest dutifully for over two weeks and then one day they were just gone with nothing to show for it.   Ben peeked up into the nest and there was nothing there so it's all a mystery.   They sure did give our little ones a sweet lesson in patience and devotion though.

I've sent in my request for a variance on the new regulation about milk.   (See previous posts.)   Stay tuned for the results.

Lastly, the September book order has gone out, but evidently Scholastic isn't quite ready for online orders.   They tell me to come back "next week" but I'm not sure what that means.   I'll try again on Monday to set it up, but if it fails you'll have to order the books the old fashioned way, through me.

Now, I'm going to go follow my own advice and find a beach to sink my toes into.   Won't you join me?

As Grandmas and Grandpas scramble to get some of the precious summer vacation time that's left, we see a little less of some people around here.   In the meantime, there was the fair to go to and the weather cooperated a bit by cooling off.   When cleaning out the shelves in the basement I found some milkweed pods that made a popular new play item in the backyard for a day or two and then the tree trimmers from the power company were here this week to also change up our 'habitat' and give us a few more vines and leaves to spark our imaginations.

I've received permission from Dan Hodgins to post his wonderful newsletters on this website and encourage you to read them, print them share them and discuss them.   He is a wonderful resource for those of us who work with children and we're so lucky to have these here.

For those of you who are going to be with us after Labor Day, we're going to incorporate a new rule about toys from home.   This actually is an old rule that got tossed by the wayside about five years ago because some parents were less than cooperative and it became difficult to enforce.   But recently we've seen evidence that it's worth the struggle, so starting in September, Tuesday will be Toy Day, where the children will be able to bring toys from home.   Any other day they can bring books to share (books are not toys) and they can bring a special napping toy for only nap time, not for sharing.   Blankets are not toys, so they can also bring those and some children have one consistent special comfort item that they are inseparable from and those also get special dispensation.

I'll be explaining this rule to the children soon and sending home a handout which is an amended page to the handbook but, as usual, those of you who read the website get to hear it first.   The reason for this is that as children get older they start to use the toys from home as tokens of barter.   There starts to be some stiff competition for who has the "best" toys, who has the most toys, who can win the most friends with toys and who gets invited to whose potential birthday parties.   While this can be cute and instructive and age-appropriate in small doses, it can be very stressful for some children on a daily basis and it can cause huge problems for parents when trying to leave the house in the morning.   Limiting toys from home to Tuesday it gives the child all week to plan what they will bring and why, it gives parents and children time to get the toy into the car for the appropriate day and it gives us caregivers three days to find and return all the little pieces to said toys that get lost and left behind.   Some parents have already put their foot (feet?) down and begun establishing limits to the flow of toys from home, so we're going to do our part to support it on this end by resurrecting Toy Day, starting in September.

Our family has suffered the loss this week of a young neice and cousin who lived out west.   As all the arrangements are made and grieving occurs, thank you for being patient with us.

Well, my head has ceased to spin and is slowly coming to a stop, like a toy top, ready to tip over.   Between our family tragedy and the last days of summer vacation there's been not one moment to tend to the weblog until now.   Whew.

Thanks to all for the well wishes and condolances during our time of grieving.   We so appreciate feeling loved and held while we were striving to also hold others.   Here we more often work with the miracle of birth, but never without acknowledging that it always goes hand in hand with the greatest mystery of death.   Sometimes that knowledge sweeps closer than others.

We've had to say good-bye to Kiera, Jenna and Aaron though we hope we'll be seeing them on snow days or the occasional school holiday.   The children are SO ready to move on to their new experiences, but the grown-ups were dragging our feet with tears and sighs at the end of an era.   Lily will be with us for four more half days and then we have to say good-bye to her as well.   It's hard on the heart.

What makes it more bearable though is that tomorrow we'll be saying hello to Adelaide, Bode and Tripp!   They've already all come for several get-acquainted visits and now will officially make us their new day care family.   The first couple of weeks are usually a bit rocky for new children in chld care but we're all looking forward to helping them get to know us, adjust and settle in.

I'd like to take this opportunity to remind my clients that Joyful Noise does accept Bay Bucks, our local currency, for a portion of your child care payment.   Up to $ 10.00 per week of your total due can be paid with Bay Bucks.

Also, those in this northwest corner of Michigan, please spread the word, Poet's Night Out is now accepting submissions.   The website, as of this moment is not updated but the forms from last year are still the same.   The dead line, however, is not.   Submissions must be in by September 21st.   If you think you're not a poet, think again!

Well, we said good-bye to Lily this last week which was just as hard as we knew it would be, though we know how happy she'll be as she enters this new, big world.   We sure hope she comes back to see us though, just like we always hope our "alumni" will drop in for a hug and a peek around.

And this past week Bode, Tripp and Adelaide all got three or four days of adjusting under their belts too; each in their own way and at their own speed.   This eighteen month age is a tough one to make transitions in because they're all just entering the awareness and frustration leading up to the "terrible twos."   So with some of them that frustration, stubborness and strong will is expressed in their discomfort with this change to their all-important routines.   Thank you for being patient in the morning as we work through these tough times with three new little souls.   They're so dear already, we all feel for their sorrow and hope for speedy adjustments!

On the website there is a new September newsletter from Dan Hodgins.   Be sure to check it out.   The field of child development has become more confusing than ever in the past few years, but his is the voice of sanity and reason.

And finally, remember that it's still summer!   There's still time to go to the beach, play in the grass, enjoy the color green.   Just because school has started doesn't mean the fun has to end.   On the contrary; live life to the fullest.   This is not a dress rehearsal.

I really haven't forgotten about the website, just have been SO busy elsewhere!   But here I am, checking in and you can see that the calendar page is updated and the recipe for October is finally posted.   We're back from vacation and rested and relieved, so hopefully I'll be posting a little more here again as the workload lightens up just a bit.

Some of you may have noticed that Elizabeth is no longer working here.   She got a new job at Potter's bakery just a few blocks away.   Between that and her school schedule and her work at NMC she has phased out of Joyful Noise, as we knew she someday would.   We sure do appreciate all her hard work here and loving care of the children and we'll miss her quite a bit.   Good thing she'll still pop in with Mary and Collin now and then.

Now, my Sunday evening popcorn is calling to me, so I'm off.   But I'll be back sooner than the last time, I promise!

Well we've made it through our first week back after vacation which is always a lot of "catch up" for taking time off; but we're pretty much caught up and since the Tigers are out of the play offs, we're done watching baseball for awhile too.   Now, on to the new tasks: Our license is up for renewal in January so there's a pile of paperwork to do for that and you can be assured that you'll be getting some of it sent your way to review and update.   Head's up!

I've been participating in the Make Me a Star program through Child Care Connections the past few months.   Department of Human Services is implementing a quality assessment program and this Make Me a Star series hopes to give some of us the jump on that.   I have a rather jaundiced view of these quality assessment programs since they can only reflect the idea of quality that the creators hold and quality in child care is so many things.   Still, I hope that by being involved I not only can keep myself sharp and the quality of care at Joyful Noise as high as possible, but perhaps help broaden the definition of quality in the programs by keeping Waldorf concepts in the discussion.

It's that time of year again where I remind everyone to please send your children with all the appropriate clothing.   We try to get them outside every day and even though the weather report predicts a certain high temperature, we're in the back yard hours before that temperature occurs, while there's still dew on the grass and the sun is behind the trees in the east.   There are so many days ahead that will require us to stay cooped up in the house, and proper clothing is the only thing children require for the fresh air and exercise that helps keep them healthy.   Please do your part by making sure shoes, socks, jackets and hats are here for them.   I had plenty of extras last year but that pile has dwindled as those extras went home and never came back, so it's all on you!   I've had some of the older children tell me that they didn't bring a jacket because they told Mommy that they didn't need one.   Throw it in the car anyway!   They don't have to wear it in, just hang it on their hook for us.   They will put it on for us with no fuss later, I guarantee it!

And, speaking of quality child care, we have a new October newsletter from Dan Hodgins.   Please take the time to read it.   These are short but packed with wisdom that support developmentally appropriate child care settings.   Dan is one of our modern gems and I am eternally grateful to our Michigan DHS for sending this newsletter to us every month.   It shows that there are good people in high places in this state!

Ready or not, it's the end of October!   Where does the time go?   Last weekend we took a road trip to Reed City to visit my aunt and cousins, so there went my blogging time.   (Gladly!   I LOVE my relatives!)   This weekend we had an extensive (five hour) energy assessment done to the house thanks to the TC Saves program that includes our neighborhood.   Hopefully in the long run it will help keep your daycare greener by using less fossil fuels for heating, and more comfortable by keeping the house a more even temperature in the winter.   In the short run it may inspire us to do some major repair and remodeling which will be very inconvenient to all of us.   Stay tuned!

The ghost and skeleton are up on the porch and the pumpkin is carved, but other than that we don't make a big deal about Halloween around here because really, preschoolers are too little to understand any of it and often find some of its aspects disturbing.   You are NOT bad parents if you don't partake in trick or treating with your little one, so don't let 'friends' or relatives convince you otherwise.   If you are going to trot your toddler around in a costume you may want to consider limiting your fun to a half an hour or so.   Trust me, you'll have plenty of time to partake in Halloween in the years to come when it becomes inevitable!

Some of us, me included, have been sniffling and coughing a little lately.   Perfectly normal for this time of year and no reason to keep people at home.   However, I will speak from my experience and say that this stuffiness does leave me feeling less than energetic and more like curling up with a good book and a cuppa tea.   So your child may also feel a little less enthusiastic about your plans for their time and be a little cranky.   And thus, the weblog will now end and I'll go turn on the kettle!

"...makin' a list, checkin' it twice..."   Too early you say?   Not if you want the holidays to be stress-free.   Just doing a few little things early works wonders a month from now; trust me on this one.   The Fly Lady is a wonderful guide to put you on track for this if you're feeling overwhelmed or lost.   One of her mottos is You are not behind!   I don't want you to try to catch up; I just want you to jump in where we are.   O.K.?   I find this very comforting on a daily basis.   So, jumping right into this weblog, here's a few disjointed items...

Last weekend was one of my favorite events, Poet's Night Out.   It was a great success and as usual a good time was had by all.   If you missed it this year, look for it next year.   A fun way to expose yourself to the art of poetry and have some cookies and cider besides.

One of the groups I think very highly of is the International Society for Ethical Psychology and Psychiatry.   On page 5 of their latest newsletter is an article that I hope you all will take a moment to read called The Six Keys to Learning, by Marcia Lee.   If you have the time and inclination, read the rest of the newsletter as well.   You will be hard pressed to find a more knowledgeable or concerned group of people who have letters after their names.

We had SNOW this last week and we can all pat ourselves on the back for remembering all or most of the gear involved so the kids could get out in it quick before it all melted again.   They have so much fun in it and I'm always reminded anew how lucky our children are to be able to experience first hand and long term this beautiful miracle.

My license comes up for renewal on January 28th which means that all my paperwork has to be completed before then.   So you can expect a little "homework" soon if you haven't filled out your forms recently and if my licensing worker is here when you're dropping off or picking up, thank you in advance for your patience.   Also, thank you for trusting us with your most precious little ones every day.   It is an honor we never take for granted and, at this time of year when we set aside time to count our blessings that is a big one on our list.

May your day of giving thanks be filled with peace and genuine gratitude.

It's that time of the year again.   We launch into a season that fills our already brimming days and weeks just a little bit more.   Those of us who never decorate our houses pull out the boxes and have at it.   Offices throw parties, so do clubs and churches and neighbors.   The schools schedule programs but recess classes so our older children have nowhere to go while parents work.   Not to mention our desire to suddenly purchase a gift for everyone in our lives, which requires shopping.   Oh, and we need to cook special food, none of it simple.   Must I go on?

If I sound like I'm jaded or Scroogish on the holidays, quite the opposite.   I am guilty of all these indulgent pleasures.   As the days grow darker we grasp for light in all its forms; physical, mental, spiritual.   However we are able we must "bulk up" for the winter.   We have a need to remind ourselves that we create our own beauty, our own happiness, our own family.   We can't depend on nature or other people to do this for us, .   The time of winter solstice is a time for this and just like the animals, we need to scurry around a little to make sure it gets done.

Just remember, you need to make it your idea of beauty, happiness and community.   Not one that you read in a magazine or book.   Not one that your friends or co-workers talk you into.   Not one that you used to have that doesn't fit anymore.   No one wants to get stuck in the darkest days with a lantern that lights up someone else's path.

So push it all back for a few minutes to get quiet.   Now, before there's too much to push back.   Think about what you want to do, what you're willing to do and, hardest, what you are REALLY able to do.   Make a strong plan; and real strength means flexibility.   Set your priorities.   Where do your children fit into this?   I know there's a lot of talk about "connecting with your inner child" but I want you to connect with your inner adult.   The adult in you can have fun too, by creating a relaxed, meaningful holiday for the real children in your life.   Give up living vicariously through them and give them what they need, not what you want to give them.

What they need is a sense of wonder, awe and gratitude in order to see the magic in all things.   What they need is to see that the spirit of these winter holidays is about gifts of the heart, not gifts of the mall.   How can you give them the gift of a real holi-day?   Now's the time to think about this.   Take a moment.