SATURDAY CHILDCARE WHILE YOU CHRISTMAS SHOP

Do you need to do your shopping without little ones tagging along? We have some dates for you! Kelly’s Family Child Care is offering child care while you shop.  This will give you time to get the shopping done, wrapped, and gifts hidden ( and maybe a little nap!) before you get the kids.  We will be making crafts, playing outside, signing and dancing.

We are a licensed home child care program.  All meals and snacks are provided.  The cost of this event is $40.00 with a $5.00 per child discount for siblings. Drop off after 8:00am and pick up before 8:00pm   Paperwork and fees are due in advance.

Saturday Child Care Christmas Shopping dates

November 10th  

December 8th

December 22nd

 Contact Kelly @ 8 2 0 9 0 4 3   or email at everydayonpurpose at gmail dot com 

Black Friday shopping day.

Halloween Party in February

A friend of mine gave us some pumpkins that had no gotten rotten.  I wanted to save the seeds and try to plant them. C thought we should have a Halloween Party.  

These are from my IPOD.  There are more on my camera.  I can't wait for you to see them, they carved them. 

Pick and Draw: Learn how to draw game

Around Christmas I set out searching for a game that would teach young children to draw and would be a great boredom buster during the winter months.  I came across Pick and Draw.  I contacted Rich Davis about his product and he sent me one to review.  The cards came very quickly in the mail, with in a day or two!  The cards came in a plastic case for easy storage.  A big plus in my book, I worry about storing things in plastic bags with the younger kids around.   In the deck is an inspiring message about God, which I did not expect and felt inspired, I share it with the kids every time we play. I was also drawn to this product by the cost.  I felt the cost fit the product.  

When I first got the deck I held off a little bit thinking my children are too little for this.  I was wrong!  

This is the drawing my 1 1/2 year old daughter (R)  made while we were playing one evening while dinner was cooking. 

This is the drawing my 4 1/2 year old son (C) made.

This is the one I made.

Now I know my daughters doesn't look like much but she took the time to work and wait for us to pick a new a card.  My son and I had a great time, this is the first time we had tried to draw the same thing.  We would not look at each others and see how we did when we were done.  I think he did pretty good.  

I brought it out with the older kids and they had the same response, a great time.  With them I lined them up and everyone picked a different card.   

(I can not get it to turn side ways)

I let them pick which to start with 

 Below you see how they did with their drawings

 This is their faces. Sorry it is kind are to see.  Bad photo:(  

 Their eyes.

 

Their nose.

 Their hair.

 

Their mouths.

And at last their finished project.  They were very proud of their pictures as you can see from their faces.  

This is a game you will find out at our home waiting for a great time to draw.  

Thank you Rich for this fun game. You showed me that at a young age they can do it! 

Family Child Care: A date around town.

We were way past an oil change on the car. We took a trip to get it done.

The owner told the kids it was okay to crawl through the tires after I expressed a worry of them falling down. Needless to say they had a great time round and round they went. I think I want to make one in the yard. The owner was nice enough to give them each a fruit snack.

Next we headed to the park.

This is the way we sit and line up when getting in and out of the car.

We then headed to a Mexican restaurant in town. This was our first sit down restaurant. They did great, people were in shock when they where leaving. They didn't know there were 5 kids in there with them. Proud day for me.

Loving that is was nice enough for us to get out. Bring on the spring weather !!!

Overwhelmed by things on the floor

As I look around the living room, I think how did this happen in just a few hours.  Every toy a was on the floor. I play with them but didn't realize until I sat down to take a break at nap.  All I could do was look at it and feel overwhelmed.  I made a cup of coffee and began to search for answers to help with this.  I got on The Flylady FB page. I talked with some other ladies they suggested a 5 min room rescue, after reading that I thought and replied, we just move on to the next thing all day. We get distracted and off routine when the littles have to go potty. I guess after that we should just go back to that area and pick it up. And maybe no eating until the area we were playing in is picked up.  


We take potty breaks but sometimes they don't have to poop then,  I also try to keep us eating at the same time so when the food is ready we wash up and eat.  So what I think is we will have to pick up before then.  But more important is that they know where to put things,  I think I am going to have to shell out a little bit of money for some shelves in the living room.  This is where they really like to play.  I am thinking cubes and baskets. 




For the over all storage I found an idea I like at The cottage home blog.  I have tried this in the past.  But I tried to take pictures of all the toys in the bins.  Why didn't I think of taking the pictures from the web and just printing.  I already have an inventory of the toy we have since DCFS needed one.  I will update when its done.  

Family Child Care:We have a new friend

I wanted to let you all know we have a new friend in our child care program this week.  CJ he is 1 1/2.  He is a pleasure to have.  The kids have really taken a liking to him.  He enjoys being here and brings new life to the program.  

 I look forward to the new things we can do together, watching him grow, and learning what new things he can teach me.  

Welcome CJ we are glad to have you!!!

Family Child Care: Licences Update

Okay sorry this is a little after the fact. I was completely wore out after she left and have been for a while ( will touch on that in another post).  

So here is what happened while she was here.  We did a lot of paper work.  It was more helpful then I expected. She went through every form and explained why it is important to have.  She gave me  forms that I will need to have parents fill out with the things she is looking for.  A check list of the papers that I will need to have in the child's file for her.  A fire and tornado drill sheet and a check list of what she will be looking for in regrades to the drills and safety in the home.   

We also went around the house testing all the fire alarms and the Carbon Dioxide detectors, looking at every outlet, and all the blind cords.  Even though we are not using the basement I took her down since we will be using for tornado. 

We went through the packet of standards making sure I was clear in what they meant and asked questions when things seemed unclear.  

The whole process took just over 5 hours.  Daddy -O took the kids to the museum and the play McDonald's, take goodness I could not image doing with them all here.  

It is now just a waiting game till my licences comes in the mail. Which should be next week I think.  I am super excited that we decided to do this.  So far nothing has seemed unrealistic or to out there.  I am excited to teach the children and be there for them while still being there for my kids and making a decent income!!  

I would love to talk with others who are in the same situation.  Send me an email or leave a comment.   

Menu for the week

Here is our menu for the week.  I did it quickly.  Didn't worry to much about the weekends in this menu. Maybe next time.

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Breakfast	Oatmeal, Spiced apple, milk	Cheerio's, milk, Bananas	Banana Bread, Apple, Milk	Scrambled eggs, toast, apple sauce, milk	French toast, Orange slices, milk	Bird nest, Fruit, milk	Cin toast, orange slices
Snack	Yogurt, peaches	cottage cheese, peaches	grapes, sharks	Hard boiled eggs, orange slices	home made pretzels, yogurt
Lunch	fish sticks, carrots, apple sauce, wheat thins,	grilled cheese, whole wheat bread, tomato soup grapes	Mc d's	hot dogs, bun, pork N beans	Meatballs, Whole wheat spaghetti, spaghetti sauce, salad.
Snack	refried beans, wheat thins	cheese fries	cheese sticks, crackers	veggies slices, hummus	tuna, crackers
Dinner	stuffed chicken left overs, salad,	Brisket, salad, Jell-O with fruit	Peanut Butter and Jelly	Burritos. Guc,	Left Overs
Snack	pop corn	Cheerio's, milk,	yogurt	popcorn	cheerio's

I also have to figure out how to make it fit better,  

FlyLady's Habit of the Month: Shine Your Sink

This is one habit I really try to keep on. It so go from nice and clean to disgusting in only a matter of time.  If I don't get a chance to stay on top of during the day like I want to.  I try really hard NOT to go bed with a sink full of dishes.  As childcare provider I have to hit the ground running in the morning.  It doesn't go well if we have no dishes to eat on and I am grumpy because I have to clean before I get my cup of coffee or now tea!

Okay so you want to get started GO HERE! It really does make a world of difference.

The Flylady Do Over

Routines:  Why don't we get along?

I have recently noticed I need them more then I want to believe.  I need to lean on it and learn to be consistent.  I need to do this for my kids too.  We do not work well with each other if I don’t keep our day consistent.  I wonder, why I fight it so much if it works?

So here I go back to the baby steps of what “Flylady” taught us! 

Establish small routines first

Establish a routine and stick it

Have fun while I am doing it

I have tried to make a full routine and make it work the first day.  Talk about over whelmed and burned out.  I need to remember this when establishing a new schedule for the kids.  So I picked a couple things to start with. 

Before bed

Clean sink and counter

Pick out clothes, brush teeth, lotion

Check the calendar 

Flylady has babysteps to follow, monthly habits, and weekly zones that really help you keep on top of your life.  Here we go again!  check out The Flylady 

Family Child Care Licensing: Update

Got a phone call this morning from my DCFS Licensing Rep.  She still hasn't got information from back from one of my references.  :( She needed me to give her another person.  She also scheduled her "walk through".  She said this would take about 4 hours without the kids.  Daddy-O is going to take off and take the kids out.  She said will be going through the packet she sent me and checking for things like:

• ABC Fire extinguisher
• first aid kit
• outlet covers
• fire alarms in the rooms the kids sleep and the kitchen. Ours are wired.  I do need to add one to a room where one child sleeps and to the kitchen.  Has to be 15ft from the kitchen
• flash light
• evaluation plan 
• chemicals out of reach
• window cords 

I will give you another update after.  

Welcome 2012

I hope you all had a great Christmas and New Year.  We had a great time. We were able to spend some much needed time with family and completely out of our routine.  This taught me really how much it is needed. Routines are something I struggle to keep.  It one of my goals for 2012. I will be going back to Flylady and starting over.  I will also be keeping the kids on task to. With the routines in place I think the kids will sleep better by themselves.  


Here is a list on my other goals for 2012. 

• I am looking in to a different curriculum.  I have tried to make my own and can not keep it up.  So be on the look out for some reviews on different ones I have tried along with some other games and products. 

• Over the holiday break my mom came and we did a freezer meals preparing session.  LeAnne from Saving Dinner sent me her e-book  20 for the freezer menu.  I will be giving you insight on what I think.  You will see more freezer meals creeping in to our menu because it gives you more time in the end.  Okay that is all I am giving you now with that. 

• Other goal of mine is to take care of myself.  As a wife, mom, and child care provider I am usually the last one to get care for.  With that said I am going to go to the gym at least twice a week for me.  There is a kick boxing/self-defense class I want to take and some of my friends already take it.  So I will be able catch up and burn off some stress and calories.  So be on the look out on this is going and how my family is adjusting.

• Limit coffee and soda.  Stick to Ice tea, water,milk, and watered down juice.  I did this for two weeks a few weeks ago.  Felt amazing.  ready to go back.  For those that know me  I can drink coffee all day and then switch to soda.   

• Spend some time with my hubby alone once a month.  I arrange for a sitter each month. That is what I got him for Christmas..

• My final goal is to keep up with this blog.  This is something I find pleasure in doing but sometimes get away from.  I plan to work on it while the kids are sleeping.  The kids will get into the routine of sleep by themselves so I get some planning done. We do a lot of cool things with the family child care I want to post but never get around to.  I will do that now.  Get FB working and get at least 300 people reading.  I thought I would start small.  That way I can't expect too much.

This is a list of the generals I could think of while typing.  Maybe I will link what I am doing with each one as I post.  Who knows!!

What are some of your goals for 2012?

Family Child Care: Licensing: Update

I am trying to keep you updated on this process.  I just learned that my references received their letters.  Daddy-O and I are going to get our finger prints done Saturday.  I talked to my licensed rep the other day and she said once those things are returned to the office it won't take long.  

Kid Friendly Tuna Salad

We were headed to make lunch when H, who only likes to eat certain things ( I don't care much for the label "picky eater") says I think we should have chicken nuggets.  My reply was we don't have enough time to cook them, since we make ours homemade.    She then says okay lets make Tuna and put it on crackers.  I had planned for us to have Hot Ham and Cheese Sandwiches.  But I was interested as this is something I would have never guessed she would eat.  I told her she and F could make lunch.  She was head chef and had to tell F and I what to do.

She gathered her materials.
A bowl
sweet pickle relish
mayo or miracle whip
crackers ( circle ones)
two cans of Tuna fish in water

There was no measuring here they just added and tasted until it was just right.  The younger girls R and T were grabbing the tuna plain and eating it before anything was added.  They enjoyed it.  They mixed it together, set the table, and called us all to eat.  What a great impromptu meal!

What have you made that you didn't think your kids would eat and they did?

Doesn't everyone love Cheerios?

This is an almost every morning routine here at our house. It happens whether he eats first or we do.

"There are stars in our room!"

Sorry the pictures are bad.  I saw this idea on Play At Home Mom.  She made a cave.  If you have not checked out this site yet you gotta.  She does some really amazing things.  

I used a pen and poked holes.  There were more lights then I wanted to be in the box so I left some outside the box.  They made this in to many things and played with it for days.  

There are two cabinet boxes taped together.  

moving chairs in to make a car.

Lights off in the room