Another funeral

I heard yesterday that Den's uncle was put in the hospital for pneumonia but had heard that all vital signs looked good. Today, they are saying there is nothing they can do and he probably only has a day or two. I know that having to take another day off is coming at a very bad time for many of you so I wanted to let you know that this seems likely to occur. Unfortunately, my back-up providers would also be going to the funeral but I will do my best to see if I can find someone who can help.

This has certainly been a tough summer for the Fieger family.

Preschool updates....

We have enjoyed this first week of preschool! The preschoolers have been learning about the letter A and how it sounds and also "All About Me."

A new focus this year is I will be taking a particular book each week that is somewhat related to our themes, or a virtue (kindness, etc.) and they will do activities related to the story. This week it was the story "I Like Me." Yesterday the children looked at themselves in a mirror and then drew their face on a precut shape. Today we talked about what is the same and what is different as well as what makes each of them special.


The children also went on a red hunt and a circle hunt -- there are many, many, many, many red as well as circle shapes in our room! Did I say many:-)

The Littles are also going to be "learning" and the focus this week was on Trees. We will be doing lots of singing, fingerplays, large motor and sensory activities. There will also be art but as they are very young it is mostly an introduction.

Song/language development - Rock-A-Bye Baby
Large Motor - Tall as a Tree (the preschoolers LOVE this one too as we all do them together)
Fingerplay - Five Finger Trees
Sensory - Tickle Me Tree (feeling a leaf and tickle their chin)
Sign Language - Tree

In case you would like to do Tall as a Tree at home:

Tall as a tree
(raise arms high over head)
High as a house.
(stretch arms out wide)
Thin as a pin.
(arms next to body)
Small as a mouse.
(squat down and huddle, and you also have to use a tiny voice when you are a mouse or it just isn't as much fun!)

I hope to post our focus as the beginning of each week and the fingerplays and songs that are related so you can do them with your children at home as well.

And again, thank you all so much for the supplies. They will be WELL used!

Wednesday, September 2

September is here...can you believe it! We had a great, hot, fun summer but now it's time to get a little more structure to our day.

Thank you so much for all the supplies everyone shared. The children have decorated their crayons boxes and have been filled with brand new, sharp crayons. Something about new crayons that makes everyone feel inspired and creative!

A picture of the children with their boxes -- it was great fun to see how each one chose the colors of paint and markers and made their own designs! Marcus stopped by as well and created a box -- he is off to first grade next week! How quickly they grow up!

I purchased some new manipulatives for the Littles -- here is Jocey helping them build with the bunny blocks. Honestly, the big kids love them more than the Littles so I think I'll be purchasing another box!

Also, I had a great talk with my License lady during my inspection about illnesses, etc., and I'll be sharing with you some things I will be doing to make a healthier environment as well as talking about some things we can all do to protect our children and their friends in child care.