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!!!

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: Learning Goals

I began to think of the curriculum I wanted for the kids.  There are so many things I want to teach them and I feel like I have had not a plan to go off of.  So I thought about the goals C brought home from preschool and   the Montessori activities I wanted them to know.  This is what I can up with.

Everyday Life Activities:

Pouring

Washing: self, dishing, clothes, toys, and chores 

Tying shoes

Dressing

Folding

Cooking

* There are so many more that we will be working on I will add as I think of them.  

Math:

Count, recognize, and math numbers 1-30

Classifying items by color, shape, and size

Terms: more, less, over, under, above, and below

Shapes: square, circle, triangle, rectangle, oval, diamond

Colors: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple, Black, Brown

Basic adding and subtracting 

Reading:

Picture sequence to tell a story

Prediction about stories from the title and pictures

Print and recognize thier name

Letter sound 

Calendar use

Writing:

Print name

invent spelling 

Science:

Textures 

Senses

Weight

Measurement

Water

Seasons

Weather

Physical: 

Body Parts, their function and caring for our bodies

Run, jump, hop, gallop, skip, and dance

I will try to link them from this page to the page in my blog.  I am just learning all this cool blog stuff so stay with me while I figure this out.  

Do you use a theme when when you teach or just mix it up?

Contract and Handbook in the making

Been busy writing and editing my contract and handbook.  The handbook is 13 pages and may add more.  I just want to make sure the parents of the kids know what we do all day.  I don't just watch them.  We learn, explore, and have a great time.  My contract will go into effect the first of year and be reviewed annually.


When do you do yours?




When it is done I may post it.  I know I like to see what others have put in theirs.  If you want to see it before I post it send me a message.

Family Traditions

As we begin the holiday seasons. I thought I would post the family traditions we have acquired. My first year as a mom I searched for things that I would like as family traditions and was worried we would have none if I didn't get them all lined up and started them his first year. I remember worrying about that when we got married to, but changed when we had kids.

Since then I have learned they just happen and some years they just don't happen, but they are still traditions. We seem to have traditions most of them in the fall and winter then in the spring and summer. Is that same for you?

I am going post a series of our family traditions. I hope you will join me and post yours.

• Banana Bread

New look

What do you think of the new look? I used Blogger Templates and it was a lot easier than I thought it would be. I also found what I was looking for very quickly. I usually use my Ipod when posting but I am beginging to see it goes faster when I just sit down at the computer. I can not tell you how many post I have started and not completed or do not save on my Ipod. Here's to starting again.

Signing

Oh how I love it when the little ones can tell me what they want instead of making that awful sound when they want some thing. We have come along way. I started with C when he was young and we pretty much skipped the terrible twos. We are heading toward awful fours though :( I began using with R right after 6 months I think and I use it T. We started out with milk with R. Then moved on to more, eat, all done, please, thank you, sorry, cat, bird, brush teeth, shoes, and sleep Below you will find the signs we use. Here the site these came from 100 first signs. I know that the girls mom has been reading my blog so this should help her out too. What is so exciting about this is she said that just this weekend T has been using her signs up a storm and talking. So excited. Our little people are growing up. I am happy I started this blog and their mom can follow our days.

Milk Thank you

More Sorry

All done

Cat

( the girls do it with all fingers)

Please Bird

Brush teeth Shoes

( we rub fists back in forth )

Sleep

Learning/exploring room

I have decided to make a room for learning, exploring, and play. Thinking that I maybe able to contain some of the randomness and keep us all focused. I find them wandering around looking for something to do. If I give them something or we start playing then I wander off to work on house work.. This will keep all of us in the same spot for a while to learn.

So here is my issue-- This is the layout I was thinking about a corner for older and younger. A corner for reading. A wall for the calendar stuff. But where do I put the tables and shelves. I was thinking about a table under a window so they can sit and look outside at the birds. I just want the all to see.

Or does it not matter. Just get it set up. This is where I am heading and if it doesn't work or I don't like it then change it.

The kids and even M ( my dear hubby) are looking forward to this room.. So I ready to get started.

This room was R but I moved her stuff in with C and they like it. Thank Goodness. Loving it!

Making It Monday

We are going to start a new tradition. Mondays are going to be days we bake something. C and I have always baked, he really enjoys it. The others would like to. Today we made a blueberry muffins from a box. We made them in mini tins. We will be making homemade and I will post the recipes. Got any good ones post it. Thanks!!!!

Daily Plan

Here is my plan. Of course now that I have it written it will most likely change :). I want to see us outside almost all day. Depending on weather of course. We are going to put up a small pool and I know they will want to be in there. So I will keep you posted.

Breakfast ( read Bible )

When the clear their plate they can play until DH leaves.

Table time 30 MIN

( They are allowed to change as long as they put it away. If the younger ones throw it on the floor, pick it up once, if they do it again all done with that one they can have another.)

Floor time 30 MIN

( Stretches, lunges, cardio, goofy games with lots of moving and shaking, will post later as we get a good routine)

Potty, wash, change diapers,

Snack- fruit- read

Outside time

Relay, games, obstacle course,

Potty, wash, diaper change

Lunch- read

Play inside a little while we clean up

Nap- read- set okay to wake timer

Potty, wash, diaper change

Snack- veggie- read

Messy play

Free play

Friday as an incentive for table time and floor time we will go to the park
Leaving around 8. Pack a snack and water, eat at 9:30 and head back around 9:45 right after snack .

Been busy

Sorry I have been gone. I start to post get distracted and never finish. We had a death in the family with that I started to watch two little girls. God is amazing. How he can just change it when I think it can't get any better he opens a new door. The girls are the same age is my kids. So I have a little home daycare out of family members. Something I have wanted. Now just to figure out a good routine. Planning to post my menu and my routine soon. Hugs