Halloween Day

Mrs. Beth took these pictures and said she planned to blog when she got home. I think the day might have been a little too

busy for her. :) I will fill in the blanks with the activities

that I had planned. Maybe later she will come

in with more information.

For our cooking activity this week the kids squeezed real orange juice. They were having a ball doing this before I left.

Spider webs !!! Take a plate and vut notches around the plate and let the kids weave string all around.

Look at all the orange shirts!

I am in Mountain View Arkansas at a Bed and Breakfast with Rando. We have already been to one country music show last night. It was interesting to watch the people there. There was a man atleast 90 years old clogging. So good to see older people still enjoying life.

I know it seems like lately we do travel a lot but usually it is for business. Thanks for being so understanding when we need to be gone. This time was for pleasure and that is rare. BUT! It feels so good to know that I dont have to close and that the kids are in great hands while I am gone. Thanks Beth, Jodi and Michelle for filling in.

Another Mommy Visitor!

Today we had another mommy visitor. The kids loved having Katie's mom come play. I am always happy to have moms plan to play, it gives them a good idea of how we learn!

One of the activities available today was using stickers to make a fall tree. Not everyone decided to make one but the kids that did had a great time AND we got some gorgeous fall trees to hang in our room - or on your fridge.

The first group of kiddos that played outside got rained on! So.. of course we sang some rain songs:

Rain Rain GO Away , Come again another day. Little children want to play.

Or

If all the raindrops were gummy bears and gum drops , oh what a rain that would be!

Or

Rain drops keep falling on my head

Or

It's raining it's pouring , the old man is snoring....

Lots of fun today. The pumpkin and golf tees remained a big hit.

Reminder for tomorrow! Wear ORANGE if you have it. You MAY bring something , but it isnt expected. If you pick up before 2:45 your child may miss his special Halloween treat! ( Cupcakes!)

There probably wont be a blog tomorrow unless Ms Beth decides to do it. Randy and I will be out of town. :)

Next week we are doing a unit on " My Body!"

Another Blessed Day

Today was another blessed day that we got to go outside. I even raised the windows a little so that any germs that were hiding in here HOPEFULLY flew out the window into the sunshine that we haven't seen for a few days.

The pictures you see in the bathroom are of Randy and I in the bathroom ( supposedly the darkest room in the house) with ALL the kids trying a science experiment. He wanted to do the one we have seen on facebook with the mountain dew , baking soda and hydrogen pyroxide. When mixed - it was supposed to light up like a flashlight. FAIL. :)

The large clear pumpkin has leaves and acorns in it for exploration.

See our finished pictures of the spider webs we made with a box, a marble and black paint? We rolled it around and later put a spider on it.

Many times we want our kids to " just write your name!" Often, they aren't ready to do it. It doesnt mean they arent smart or capable but that their fine motor skills aren't developed enough to hold a pencil and control it. Try writing with your non-prominent hand. That is what they feel when they are made to write and they " arent ready."

Some things we can do to get ready is hammering golf tees into styrofoam or a pumpkin like we did today. Give your child LOTS of writing opportunities. It doesn't matter what they are drawing as long as they are holding the crayon, pencil or marker and fine tuning those muscles.

Today, I am hammering a golf tee in a pumpkin. Tomorrow I will hold a pencil and write my name.

Sweet Sweet Kids

Every day that I think I can't enjoy my job more than I already do , I get reminded. This is the best bunch of kids we have ever had. I mean, all our kids have been special and had great things to offer the group but this one is so different . There is a sense of calm and peacefulness in the house. They do play hard. They can get loud. But in general, they care about each other and just have calm relaxing days. For that, I am thankful.

Today there was lots of storytelling .Randy is an excellent storyteller. He can captivate a whole group. Look at the pictures and see the kids faces as they wait for the next line.

It was too wet to play on the playground but we did go for walks looking at the beautiful foliage. God has really outdone himself this year. Wow.... I would ask the kids- " Do you remember when it was hot and we walked with shorts on and this tree was green?" They said yes, I hope they do. We also talked about why some trees stay green all year like Christmas trees . Those are called evergreens!

Dad and Me Pumpkin Painting