What a FANTABULOUS Friday we have had! We started our morning jamming out to some tunes like “Yo Gabba, Gabba” and “Michael Jackson.” The whole school had a blast showing off some of their groovy moves and jumping around. Even Wynn was shaking his little booty to the beat, hahaha! Then right after, we all gathered in the sand box and had a community sing along and did a song called “Shark Attack.” For this song we all pretend to be a family of sharks which include a baby shark, a mommy shark, a big daddy shark, and a grandma shark that has no teeth. It was definitely a sight to see all the kiddos do their little shark gestures and our little guys watching in amazement. After pretending to be sharks, we all turned into humans who swam away from the sharks and ran all around the playscape and made it back to shore. Then we all went inside to fill our tummies with some delicious snack.

After snack, we all headed back outside to have a music session with Miss Jackie with her guitar. It was super cute how all of our kiddos sat in a circle and watched her as she played. Jackie played songs like, “If You’re Happy and You Know it,” “ABC’s,” “If You’re Angry and You Know It,” “If You’re Sad and You Know It,” and “The Wheels on the Bus.”

Once we were all done listening to Jackie’s awesome music session, we headed to the grassy area of the playground and washed some of our playground toys in some purple soapy water that we made using dish soap and blue and red food coloring to make the water purple. All of our kiddos absolutely loved this activity! They loved it so much that they were all soaking wet and bubbles in their hair. I showed Olive and Ancel how to use the sponges to wash some of the cups and toys I had gathered from the playground. Hunter and Sophie just wanted to put their hands in the water and play with the bubbles which were a lot of fun. They were having so much fun that all the toddlers wanted to join in as well. It was great watching them all splash and play and just having a good ol’ time!

During naptime, Hunter woke up and decided to express herself vocally and making us aware of her ability to carry on a conversation with herself, lol.

In the afternoon we made purple paint using red and blue. All of our kiddos got a chance to mix the two colors and watch how the two colors when mixed turned into one color. Olive got really into the paint today! Usually she just stands back and spectates so it was awesome to watch her get messy.  Sophie, Wynn, Ancel, and Hunter jumped right into it as well. Then we ended our day with a little music as we all got cleaned up and got ready to go back outside. Also, we have been teaching the kiddos how to pick up after themselves after playing. Doing this teaches them social responsibility and gives them a sense of community by working together. Try practicing this at home with your little sprout over the weekend.

Next week we will be introducing the colors orange, pink, and brown. Also, on Monday we will be taking a school picture with the whole school! We all met the photographer today, who happens to be Arielle’s boyfriend. Yay! See you all next week!!!

-Cherokee

Buenas tardes familia! Or rather, good evening families! Today we had tons of fun exploring different types of flowers that Arielle brought in and having a great time outside. We also had our awesome director, Toni, join us during snack. The kiddos were very excited to see Miss Toni and loved watching her as she sang songs like, “Tiny Tim Turtle,” “The Wheels on the Bus,” and “Zoom, Zoom.” Then Miss Toni sang, “Adios” as she left our room. Immediately after, we got ready to do our circle time. We sang our “Hello” song and the “Zoom, Zoom” song again since they liked it so much. Then we introduced the color purple. We pointed out things in our room that were purple, and pointed to our friends who wore purple today.

Following circle time, we decided to head out to the deck for some exploration of the flowers that Miss Arielle had picked on her way to work this morning. Clara and Sophie were really enjoying picking the petals off some of the flowers and feeling how soft some of the petals were. I also showed Olive how these types of plants are better for looking, feeling and smelling and not for eating. I did the same for Clara since she was very eager to see how the bright pink flowers tasted, lol.  Ancel and Wynn took some interest in the flowers for a little while before they decided that they’d rather play with the toys around them. However, once I pulled out the bubbles, all of our kiddos went wild with excitement! They all had a blast chasing after the bubbles and trying to pop them.

This afternoon, we used purple chalk, markers, crayons, and pencils, to draw a picture. Before you know it, it was already time for Spanish with Miss Leona! Today we sang, “Buenos Dias,” “La Garanja,” “Tic-Toc,” and the “Adios” songs.

Tomorrow we will continue going over the color purple and making purple paint using blue and red. We will also be exploring and experimenting with soapy water and using it to wash our toys outside. Tomorrow is Friday Fun-day, so we will be having a dance party and music time with Jackie!

See you tomorrow! Hasta Manana!

-Cherokee

Good evening pre-tot parents! It has been a very GREEN day today! A lot of our friends wore green today and we did lots of activities and exploration with things that are green.

We started the morning off outside as usual, and when Sophie arrived she didn’t hesitate to explore the entire playground, especially our gardens. It’s so great to see how interested she is with all of her surroundings and the world around her. Unfortunately, she went home early due to a possible ear infection, and we are all hoping that she will be better by tomorrow.

Olive spent her morning helping our older friend Tristan to water the garden. She loves being in the garden and picking out basil and mint leaves to chew on. I honestly think she’s eaten about a quarter of that basil plant alone; hahaha!

After morning drop-offs, we went inside for snack and went over the days of the week. This morning Wynn did something quite funny. After going over the days of the week we do the weather song, and I had botched it up, and Wynn raised his hand as if he had a question, and I asked him, “Yes sir, what is your question?” in which he responded, “Blu blup blup!” It was extremely cute!

Afterwards, we sat down and had circle time and sang the “Hello Song” and “The Itsy Bitsy Spider.” Ancel loved doing this song. It was a spectacular site to watch him copy our hand gestures as we sang the song. We also went over the color green, and showed various objects from our room that are green, including our clothing. Also, thank you guys so much for bringing in your child with the color that we are learning, it’s definitely a great way to promote self-awareness as well as awareness of others.

Once we finished with circle time we headed back outside to do our leaf activity. We used our five senses to explore different types of leaves such as dry, fresh, big, small and different shaped leaves. Hunter spent a lot of time doing this activity. I think she really enjoyed picking the leaves off the stems and feeling them. She is also doing such an amazing job at walking where she wants to go!

A little while later we went inside for lunch. As we were getting ready to eat, the toddlers came through our room and headed outside to do a shaving cream activity on our windows. Our little guys were so fascinated at what they were doing. Clara even went up to the window where they were putting the shaving cream, and pressed her face against it; on the opposite side that is.

In the afternoon we woke up and ate snack; then Miss Leona arrived for Spanish! Today she sang “Buenos Dias,” “Hermano Juan,” “Hola Amigo,” “La Arana Pequenita,” and the “Adios” song. During the “Hermano Juan” song, the kiddos got to ring bells in which Miss Leona brought in. Ancel and Wynn were having a blast ringing those bells.

After Spanish we made green paint using the colors blue and yellow. Ancel and Wynn got really into it and smeared the paint all over the paper. This activity was very useful since we got to review the colors we learned about last week.

We then ended our day back outside where all of our little guys get to play and interact with their older friends. All-in-all it has been another successful day here at the sprout.

Xoxo

-Cherokee

                This morning before our first tot arrived at school, a special friend showed up; a nice lady from licensing! She checked out the school and was very impressed with the improvements we have recently made. We got a perfect score of 100 and wouldn’t have been able to do so without the help of YOU, the amazing parents of the sprouts! Doing things such as labeling ALL of their items (especially water/milk cups/bottles and hand towels) and signing in and out every time you drop off/pick up your tot helps us out so very much, and keeps up functioning in a legal manner. Thanks!

Sophie arrived to school first (of the super tots) and started to explore the stairs on the playscape. Ancel arrived next with big sister Colette, and then Olive and Wynn. Our little friends are getting very used to their daily routine of going inside for snack around 9:00 (sometimes a little later.) We walk around the playground and show them the sign for “eat” and tell them “let’s go eat food. Let’s go eat snack. Please head to the gate to go inside!” Most of them understand and start walking to the gate to go up the ramp. So many can go straight up the steep incline very quickly these days!

Once inside we had a yummy snack and greeted Clara as she arrived at school. We reviewed the calendar and sang the Days of the Week song. We also talked about the weather and changed our weather display from “sunny” to “partly cloudy.”

When we were finishing snack and doing diaper changes before circle time, Toni came in and greeted us! She sat down and snuggled with our tots and gave us lots of love (she’s so good at that!) Afterwards we sat on our rugs (Ancel in Arielle’s lap and Wynn in Cherokee’s) and did circle time. We sang the Hello song and then Little White Box. Next we talked about the color green and pointed out the green clothes many of our friends were wearing, as well as toys and books that are green. We used our green pupped, Mr. Frog and Daniel the Dinosaur, to give everybody kisses and sing a little song about being green. Then they asked Cherokee where to head (deck or playground) and she said “let’s go to the deck!” So we pointed to the door that leads to the deck and asked our kiddos to line up and march out there.

As we passed through the primary room our friends greeted their older buddies who were doing circle time, and their older buddies giggled at how cute our little tots are. Once on the deck Olive went straight for the bike and started pushing it around backwards again, just like yesterday. Ancel used gentle touches to stroke Wynn’s silky hair (they are become pretty good buddies.) Clara checked out the bikes and chose the dragon-looking one to pull around. Sophie pushed the bikes around, too, and Wynn decided to ride the fire truck bike.

The fun continued as Ancel drew with some chalk, Wynn rocked back and forth on the eggplant, and then Ancel did the same right after he dismounted (Ancel really likes doing what Wynn does. Wynn seems to be a role model!) Olive used the first truck to roll around, Sophie played in the playhouse, and Clara greeted the teachers with a big hug.

A little while later Ancel stood at the top of the playhouse and said (as usual,) “hi! Hi! Hi! Hi!” Olive looked into the primary room through the window (they were doing an activity involving coloring and cutting out pictures, then pasting them to a paper and talking about the pictures.) Wynn and his good friend Ancel started communicating back and forth to each other (Ancel was at the top of the playhouse and Wynn was below, and they were happily screaming back and forth.) Meanwhile, Sophie repeatedly opened and closed the door to the playhouse (something this age loves doing) and Clara threw around a small, soft basketball.

Olive walked up to the teachers and grabbed a tissue from the tissue box and wiped her face (even though it wasn’t wet or dirty.) We complimented how she was taking good care of herself, and showed her how to throw it away in the trash can when she was done. Then she and Ancel rearranged the water bottles in the carrier and Ancel decided to give each kid (and teacher) their own water. We were very impressed with his ability to follow our directions when we would tell him which child to give the water to. What a smart boy!

Towards the end of our deck experience Wynn enjoyed rolling an alligator-on-a-leash toy around. Sophie sat next to Cherokee and checked everybody out, then made her way to the toy mirror platform and sat on top of it. Olive banged on the gathering drum and Clara drew with chalk.

We headed inside for lunch and laughed at how Ancel ran over to his sister, Colette, and sat with her in the primary class’ book area. He blended in perfectly with the older kids! Lizzie, one of the primary teachers, greeted each tot as they passed by her on the way to their room.

Lunch was a mess but very fun. More importantly, we had Gage, a friend from the infant room, join us! He will be moving into our class in November and stopped by today for a lunchtime play date. He did very well hanging out with us. Wynn was very excited to see him and waved hello to him many times.

Most of our friends fell asleep quickly today but a few stayed awake a little longer than usual. When our early risers woke up they did a fantastic job of relaxing quietly on their nap mat until nap was over (that takes lots of patience!) After nap we continued to celebrate the beautiful color green by exploring green shaving cream (smeared all over the table) and doing some artwork with green pencils, chalk, crayons, and markers. It’s been a terrific Tuesday!

It’s magical Monday! A few of our friends were a little iffy about being dropped off this morning but shortly afterwards found something fun to get into and were perfectly happy the rest of the day. Hunter arrived first, then Olive. Both arrived before Arielle was ready to take them out, so Hunter went outside with big brother Tristan and Olive came out with Arielle, Cherokee, and her mom, Han. Once outside, Ancel and Sophie arrived. When we went in for snack was when we met up with Mr. Wynn.

                Snack consisted of many yummy fruits and some friends ate them all very quickly. During snack Cherokee went over the calendar with them (usually it’s Arielle) which was a fun change. Afterwards we all sat on our little rugs in a circle, except for Olive, who sat in Cherokee’s lap, and Wynn, who chilled in Arielle’s. As always, the Hello song came first, and then we did the alphabet song. We reviewed the color blue (thanks to our friends who dressed in blue today; it’s totally cool that some friends didn’t, though) J and showed them some blue toys and pointed out things in the room that are blue (the carpet, chairs, etc.) We then read a book about tractors that Wynn picked out, and our monkey puppet gave everybody a kiss on the cheek and asked Cherokee where to head (playground or deck.) She suggested the deck, so we marched out there. On the way past the primary class Wynn greeted them as usual by walking up to their circle time gathering and saying hello (Lizzie loves it when he tries to join the older group.) Hunter impressed us with her attempted to walk (on her feet) all the way to the deck! Her walking is definitely improving.

                The deck was very exciting this morning (it’s usually very chill.) Olive pushed a bike around (it was backwards as she pushed it.) Hunter mounted the eggplant with one leg, and then eventually figured out how to straddle it. Ancel looked into the windows of the primary room and yelled to them (earlier today he was yelling “Hi! Hi!” “Hi!”) Wynn checked out the potted plants and then rolled some toys around. Sophie rode bikes around the deck.

                Then suddenly the deck door opened and all the toddlers came out to play with us! The energy of the deck had instantly risen. We always have so much fun with our slightly-older friends. Wren (from the toddler class) checked out Sophie and played with her, while holding a toy tractor in his hand. Sophie had a shaker toy in her hand, and eventually switched it out for a piece of chalk. Wynn slid down the slide and Ancel had fun with a tennis ball. Hunter chilled by the water table and Olive contributed some toys to it. Then Olive noticed Arielle writing notes in her documentation notebook and was interested in doing the same. They took turns drawing with her red pen, and Olive often switched hands to hold it (we’re trying to figure out with hand is dominant.)

                Wynn and Ancel provided some smooth beats from the big drum out there, along with some shakes of a shaker toy. Sophie practices mounting and dismounting a chair, then hung out on the eggplant. Hunter cuddled with Cherokee, Ancel and Wynn slid down the slide, and at one point Ancel, Olive, and Hunter were all gathered around the big drum, providing some fun beats for all of us.

                At one point Sophie sat down right in front of Arielle and waved hello to her, then played with some chalk and took a quick water break. Ancel had a turn on the eggplant and Wynn explored a dry erase board eraser. Hunter and toddler Ben spent some time hanging out and Olive rearranged our water bottles in the carrier.

                We went in for lunch and said bye to the toddlers as we left, wishing them a happy lunch. Everybody ate very well, and we all made a big mess (which is fine.) Our friends slept pretty well during nap (last week we had some early risers, but today almost everybody was pretty tired, probably from an exciting weekend.)

                After nap we explored some blue play-doh and did a collaborative painting on a piece of large paper, using blue paint. Thanks to those who brought smocks in for their kiddo. If you have not, feel free to bring an old t-shirt to store in their cubby for messy art experiences (that paint ends up all over their bodies!) It’s been a very magical Monday.

*We will have a new friend, Noah, join our class next Monday, Oct. 1st! His family is friends with Olive’s. We are excited to welcome him to our pre-tot family!

*Please bring in a hand towel A.S.A.P. (labeled with child’s first name and last initial) for your child to use after washing their hands (unless you brought yours today.) Thanks!

*Please also bring in extra photos of your child to contribute to our self-awareness and awareness of others lessons (part of the peace education curriculum.) Thanks!

*Please make a CD of music you and your sprout like to jam to, also for our peace education curriculum. Thanks!

*One last thing! Please let Arielle know of any ideas you have for a school-wide newsletter that she will start writing for the month of October. Thanks so much!

Hello once again pre-tot families!!! It has been a fabulous Friday, with the exception that one of our little friends went home early due to a fever :/ We are all hoping that he gets better soon and hope to see him on Monday.

                Routine morning drop-offs were great and all of our little tater tots were happy as PIE! (Honestly, I’m not sure exactly how that expression came to be, but it just felt right! LoL). We spent some time exploring and playing in the backyard before we went in for snack. Olive seemed to really enjoy when I held her upside down, and she let me tickle her; she has such a cute laugh!

                After snack we had circle time and sang the “Hello song” and “The Wheels on the Bus.” Our little tots are getting so good at sitting in a circle and staying there for the duration of circle time; it’s very impressive to watch. Then we went over the color blue and showed them various objects collected from our room that were blue.

                Once we finished with circle time we marched out to the deck to enjoy the beautiful morning weather we have had this whole week! I set out the big drum and the kiddos loved it! Ancel and Wynn were putting together some nice beats and just jamming out. I think Sophie and Olive saw how much fun they were having and decided to join in themselves afterwards. I think Olive’s favorite thing on the deck is the little fire truck; it’s always the first thing she goes to when we go out on the deck. Hunter spent her time on the deck collecting stuff she found on the ground and handing it to me. Sophie is learning how to get on and off the little cars we have out there; she is getting very good at it. We then went inside to have lunch.

                In the afternoon, we spent some time doing some artwork with blue markers, chalk and crayons. Hunter is getting really good at holding the colors and drawing on the paper with them. Ancel always loves making art; in fact his favorite place to go every time we are inside is the art table. I wouldn’t be surprised if art turns out to be his favorite subject in school.

                Afterwards, we spent some time examining sea shells! We explained to the kiddos that sea shells come from the ocean and we showed pictures of the ocean. The kiddos loved looking at and feeling all the different types of sea shells. Sophie got really excited when we put some in front of her. Hunter was tempted to put them in her mouth, but we showed her that they’re better to look at than taste. Ancel wanted to bang them on the table, but I told him that if he puts the conch shell against his ear he can hear the ocean. It was very cute watching him hold it to his ear. Then we ended our day outside in the backyard.

                It has been a great week and I am looking forward to next week filled with lots of colorful activities. Next week we will be going over secondary colors: purple, green, and orange; so try to point out those colors this weekend to your little sprout. I hope everyone has a fantastic and safe weekend. See you all on Monday!!!

-Cherokee & Arielle

                Sophie was back at school today! Yesterday she stayed home with the onset of a possible eye infection, but it turned out she was fine. She was on antibiotics just in case. She was the first to arrive today and instantly started to explore the playground.

                Clara arrived next and spent most of her playground time being held and snuggling with teachers. When we went inside for snack we ran into Olive and her mom, Han, who had just showed up to school. Olive was a little thrown off because she’s usually dropped off outside, but shortly after Han left she was fine and enjoyed her watermelon and multi-grain squares with her girlfriends.

                Wynn arrived halfway during snack and quickly made his way to the table to join his friends for snack. Ancel showed up shortly afterwards and did the same. We did calendar while they ate and sang the Days of the Week song, as usual. Then our friends washed their hands and gathered on the carpet for circle time.

                Wynn, Ancel, Olive, and Sophie sat on their personal rugs and Clara asked to sit in Arielle’s lap. We sang the Hello song and then If You’re Happy and You Know it. Ancel, Olive, and Sophie clapped along with the song. Olive also stomped her feet, and Wynn put his hand in the air to say “hooray!”

                Next we talked about the color yellow and what we had planned for the day. Our puppet, Mr. Frog, asked Cherokee where we should head (playground or deck) and she said “let’s go to the playground!” Olive, Clara, and Sophie headed to the door and Ancel went to the atelier, and Wynn to the work table. We redirected them and were outside in no time.

                On the playground Olive pushed a rolling toy around and scooped some sand (she really likes the sandbox these days.) Clara sat in a chair and practiced getting off of it (she tumbled over in a chair two days ago so we were glad to see her properly dismount without any trouble.) Olive walked over and sat on it after Clara was done.

                Sophie sure does love stacking toys! She grabbed a pitcher and a couple cups, and put the cups inside the pitcher over and over again. Ancel saw Cherokee sweeping the sand off the playscape and grabbed the broom when she set it down and attempted to sweep, too. He inspired Olive and Wynn to join him in the sweeping.

                Our little sprouts were very interested in the hula hoops today. Wynn, Olive, and Clara all grabbed them at one point and moved them around their bodies. During this time Sophie decided to go up onto the playscape, and Ancel gave Olive and Clara hugs (what a gentleman!)

                We took a short water break, even though the weather was beautiful. The toddler arrived on the playground and Clara walked up to Dom to greet her, and then ran to Jackie with her arms wide open. She got lots of love from many different teachers today. Wynn rolled a toy around and Sophie took a turn trying to sit on the chair. Ancel followed the toddler boys around the playground and Olive did some artwork with a piece of chalk.

                We went inside for lunch and the kiddos made an impressive mess (as usual, and as expected. We don’t mind!) We talked about what everyone was eating and helped a few sprouts with their food. Then we snuggled up in our nap mats and drifted off to sleep (the kids, that is.)

                After nap we played with some yellow play-doh and did a collaborative group painting with yellow paint. Our good friend Leona showed up at 3:00 for another excellent Spanish lesson and at 3:30 we had a playdate with a new friend, Hadley, and her mom, Jessica (friend of Sophie and her mom, Anne.) It’s been a very yellow day with gorgeous weather. Here’s hoping that it stays this nice outside for as long as possible!

Today Mr. Ancel Dancel was the first of the five pre-tots to arrive at school, followed by Hunter, Olive, Wynn and Clara, who usually comes Tuesdays and Thursdays. Sophie was home with a possible onset of an eye infection. She’s on antibiotics and should be back at school soon.

                We played on the playground and then ate snack, during which we did calendar. Afterwards we gave the sprouts an opportunity to explore different types of feathers at the work table. As they were checking them out Ancel walked over to the picture of a cat on the wall and said “ow!” (I think he was trying to say “meow!”)

                During circle time our friends Wynn, Olive, and Hunter sat nicely on their rugs and Clara snuggled in Arielle’s lap, Ancel in Cherokee’s. We sang the Hello song and watched the kiddos get a big smile on their faces when it got to the verse with their name. Olive clapped along with the teachers. Then we sang the alphabet song and reviewed the color yellow. We showed them yellow paper, Arielle’s yellow shirt, and various yellow toys. Next we used our puppet, Mr. Frog, to ask Cherokee where we were going to go next, and she said “how about the playground, and then the deck?” That was our first time to go to both in the morning after circle time. The kiddos were excited and quickly rushed to the door.

                Clara, Ancel, and Olive needed no assistance to make it down the ramp to the playground, and we helped Wynn and Hunter make their way down. When we got to the playground Ancel and Wynn went straight for the hula hoops (unfortunately I couldn’t talk Wynn into doing the super cute spinning maneuver that he’s famous for) and Olive trucked it to the sandbox where she scooped lots of sand. Clara joined her in the scooping, and Hunter hung out on the yoga mat as she looked around. At one point Ancel gave Olive several big hugs from behind. He was being a super sweet little ladies’ man. J

                The toddler arrived on the playground shortly afterwards and were happy to see their little friends out there chilling. By that time Wynn was playing with a basket, Hunter was sitting inside of some hula hoops, Ancel was shouting “hello” from the top of the playscape, Olive was still working hard in the sandbox, and Clara was watching the toddlers kick a ball around. At one point Clara, Wynn, Ancel and Olive were all hanging out on the playscape together while Hunter, who usually frequents the playscape, spent some time playing on the ground, until she noticed the big slide. She went straight for it and was able to get almost all the way up it by herself! For a girl who’s still learning how to walk, she definitely is a good climber!

                We went to the deck after about 20 minutes on the playground. Our friends started to poop so we wrapped up outside time a little early and came in for lunch. Everybody fed themselves and did a great job at it. No bowls were turned over or thrown on the floor, and everybody ate at least a little of everything that was packed in their lunch.

                We were surprised to see a few friends wake up early from their nap, but the others slept soundly as the awakened sprouts relaxed on their nap mats and drank their milk or played with their lovey, or just quietly rested. After nap we used some yellow crayons, chalk, markers, and pencils for our very yellow art project. Our dear friend Leona arrived at 3:00 for an awesome and exciting Spanish class, which we always love and cherish. Afterwards we kept playing until everybody went home. It’s been a swell Wednesday!

                

Today we have five sprouts, as we will have for now on until another child starts, which may be in November. Sophie was the first to arrive and went straight to the playscape to climb up to the top with no help at all. She looked like she wanted to slide down but did not want any assistance in doing so (she’s an independent woman!) She hung out up there for most of the morning, checking out the playground from the top of the playscape.

                Wynn, Clara, Ancel, and Olive all arrived around the same time and enjoyed watching the teachers rake the leaves and seedpods on the playground and then throw them into a wheelbarrow to go to the compost pile. Shortly afterwards we went in for snack (this morning went by quickly!) Everybody did a wonderful job at going up the ramp to the classroom. Alanna from the toddler room joined us, as Jackie (one of the toddler teachers) was at a doctor’s appointment. Jackie arrived back to Green Sprout by the time snack was over, so Alanna said bye to the pre-tots and went into her classroom to join her toddler classmates. She was an excellent friend to eat with.

                We did calendar while they ate (they are starting to get very excited when it’s calendar time) and when snack was over we did diaper changes and circle time. They all did an incredible job at sitting on the rugs that were layed out in a circle. They are really getting this routine down! Wynn started to get a little antsy (which doesn’t surprise us for him being a one-year-old) so he sat in Arielle’s lap, and Clara sat in Cherokee’s lap. As usual, we started with the Hello song, which always makes them smile. Then we sang the Little White Box song (which we learned from the fabulous Toni.) They really enjoy songs that involve singing about each and every one of them. We reviewed the color red briefly in a few of our books and then our monkey puppet announced that it was time to go outside, but instead of the deck we would be going to the playground to play with mud (their sensory experience of the day.) This change in routine confused them, as Olive led everybody to the door leading to the deck.

                I was very impressed at everybody’s ability to walk down the ramp to the playground. Since Sophie is new to the challenge, she waited at the top for my help (she held my hand going down) but everybody body else walked straight down without holding onto the railing. Clara even tripped and fell on her way down (nothing bad) and got straight up and kept going. What a trooper!

                Out on the playground I took the water hose and made some mud on the ground. We started off with scoops (I couldn’t find any shovels. Ancel’s mom inspired me to include shovels in their play) to scoop the mud. Ancel immediately started scooping, Wynn felt the mud in between his fingers, Clara rubbed mud on her face (just enough to do some light face painting, but none in the eyes or mouth,) Olive squished the mud in her hand, and Sophie sat down right in the middle of the mud pile and enjoyed moving around in it (her little bloomers were very brown afterwards.) The toddlers came outside and saw what we were doing and felt inspired to do some mud face painting! Jackie whipped up a bowl of mud and gave them cat whiskers, mustaches, uni-brows, and so on. The pre-tots were not interested in the face painting so we did not give them any muddy designs on their faces.

                At 10:15 we had a fire drill. We lined up at the gate on the playground and walked together to the driveway, where we met up with the rest of the school. Toni came out and we all talked about fire safety and then headed back to the playground to continue playing. They all did an excellent job during the fire drill. We are so proud of our class. J

                A little while later we ate lunch. We were impressed with some of our friend’s ability to eat with a spoon, such as Ancel, Clara, and Olive. Wynn was fed his yummy lunch by Cherokee, and Sophie (the independent woman) didn’t want a spoon and chose to eat with her hands, which is perfectly fine. She was very sleepy and didn’t make a peep during lunchtime.

                Nap went smoothly and our early risers (today it was Wynn and Clara) were very quiet while they relaxed on their nap mats waiting for their other friends to wake up. After nap we did some painting with the color red (tempera paint) and then had a very long snack with fun music playing and even some dancing in our seats. What a safe, messy, and enjoyable Tuesday!