'Twas the week after Christmas

'Twas the week after Christmas
and aaaaah through the house.

A little down time is very much welcome after so much hoopla last week.

Salad is welcome, too. I've been craving it after all the rich and sugary indulgences.

Clean laundry has made a come back. The last month has been a free-for-all.

Time to ring in a fresh, new year! 

Ding dong.

Merry Christmas

Humbugging

Poor Kitty Baby. 

There is too much excitement for him this time of year. Instead of enjoying his routine of sleeping, eating, and giving the dogs trouble; he has to get dressed up, take long car rides at unexpected times of day, and miss a lot of naps. 

Kitty Baby becomes such a grouch when he deviates from his schedule yet everyone insists he be extra-extra nice and kiss strange people and eat weird food.

I get it, Kitty Baby. Sometimes the festivities are too much of a good thing. Even grown up humans need to nap, especially when there is so much to do. Let's go cuddle right this minute. 

And just like that, our frazzled day turns peaceful.

Purr.

One, two, three, four, five

Here's a fun little activity:

Do you know the rhyme, "One, Two, Three, Four, Five. Once I Caught a Fish Alive?"

Well, it goes like this:

One, two, three, four, five.
Once I caught a fish alive.
Six, seven, eight, nine, ten.
Then I let it go again.
Why did I let it go?
Because it bit my finger so.
Which finger did it bite?
This little finger on the right.

I cut some fish shapes out of felt so we could count them while we sing this. Not only does this teach counting but also which is the right side.

In addition, our felt fish have enjoyed elaborate stroller trips throughout the house!

Where did I get my fish pattern? I just thought of a toilet seat and went from there. Do you see it? They look like toilet seats. I'm no artist.

Once I caught a toilet seat alive. Not as catchy.

Have a lovely day!

Oldie but a goodie

Time for the traditional red and green chain!

Just look at all that goo. Since kids love glue, I figured it might be prudent to make our own paste with flour and water. The mixture washes out of clothes and is a thrifty alternative to store-bought.

I offered a large bowl of flour and we each spooned some into individual bowls. Then we added a smidgeon of water.

Stir. Stir. Stir.
More flour.
More water.
Stir. Stir. Stir.

Making paste is its own reward.

We let the chain dry during nap time. Then we discussed a good spot for it and hung it right before it was time to say "good-bye."

It adds a little holiday to the playroom.

Right before lunch, we had a dance party. Why not?

We also acted out a specific movie they love. When we didn't have enough real people actors, we recruited dolls and teddy bears. Fun.

Have a lovely day!

Menu for the week of December 1

Here is our menu for this week:

Monday:
Breakfast: toast with peanut butter and jelly
Snack: cheese crackers
Lunch: macaroni and cheese, ham, peas, pears
Snack: pretzels and banana

Tuesday:
Breakfast: oatmeal with baked apple
Snack: yogurt cup
Lunch: chicken and cheese wrap, Spanish rice, broccoli
Snack: graham crackers and pears

Wednesday:
Breakfast: Cheerios and banana
Snack: cheese and crackers
Lunch: potato soup with carrots and corn, pepperoni buns
Snack: fish crackers and peaches

Thursday:
Care not needed

Friday:
Breakfast: muffin wedgies
Snack: cheese and pretzels
Lunch: pizza, green beans and apple pieces
Snack: graham crackers and Mandarin oranges

Have a lovely day!

 

Onward to the holidays

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

It's been a busy week at Little Neighbors. In addition to our normal activities, we enjoyed our Thanksgiving theme.

We made some turkey centerpieces. This is the example we used, but we made variations. 

Instead of soup cans, we used empty iced tea mix containers. Soup cans have sharp edges, so we stayed away from those. Already had one empty container and then dumped the contents of our current mix into a baggie. 

When my oldest inquired about the location of the tea mix, I showed him the turkeys on the table. Hee. Hee.

We also made Thanksgiving Day pies. Who doesn't love crushing graham crackers? I know I do! We had a lot of fun with that. Mixed some butter with the crumbs and pressed into personal foil pie pans. Filled with pudding, topped with whipped cream and SPRINKLES. Pretty!

Of course, we talked about being thankful and had a Thanksgiving Dinner that couldn't be beat (did ya get that Alice's Restaurant reference?). 

Fun stuff.

Still have an opening. If you know of anyone to join our teeny tiny group, send them my way! littleneighborsfamilychildcare@gmail.com or krisjane7@gmail.com. 

Have a lovely day!

 

Silly photo and an update

This actually happened at my house, so I took a photo and had to post it!

I live with goofballs.

Well, things are starting to happen at Little Neighbors Family Child Care. We're having some fun over here!

The world would be a happier place if everyone spent their day like ours:

painting, dancing, lunch time, napping, reading, singing!

Still have an opening. If you know of anyone to join our teeny tiny group, send them my way! littleneighborsfamilychildcare@gmail.com or krisjane7@gmail.com ! 

Have a lovely day.

 

Good news and a recipe

Good news! I've been getting some inquiries about Little Neighbors! I knew there were families needing child care; we just had to find each other!

Have you ever tried campfire cones? On those nights too nippy for a campfire or if you don't feel like dealing with firewood hoopla, you can just bake these in the oven.

Campfire Cones

Fill summer's leftover sugar cones with treats, heat, and eat around the campfire.

Ingredients:
Sugar cones
Goodies for stuffing
Foil

Stuffing options:
Marshmallows
Chocolate chips
Chopped nuts
Caramels
Slices of fruit: strawberries, bananas, pineapples
Peanut butter
Coconut
Candy bars, chopped

Directions:
Fill each cone with preferred goodies. Wrap cone in foil and place on a grate over a campfire until contents melt.

Alternative heating options:
Bake foil-wrapped cones in a 400 degree oven for 7 minutes or microwave (without foil) for 45 seconds. Keep an eye on inflating marshmallows!  

Second rate Chiller Dillers for the wait

I've been crossing things off my to-do list for a while now. The playroom is loaded with toys and other learning materials, activities and menus have been planned, and my Red Cross certification has been renewed. So many other details, too, are all getting marked off the big list.

Now some happy children need to ring my doorbell!

I'm excited to get going again with the little ones. But waiting is so difficult!

So, how about a recipe to pass the time?

My favorite treat at Block's in Alton was their Chiller Diller. I don't know how to make them, but this recipe reminds me of those days.


Second-Rate Chiller Dillers

These aren't as good as the originals but nothing is. 
 
Ingredients:
2 cups vanilla ice cream
1 cup sherbet (whatever flavor)
1/2 cup milk
whipped cream
sprinkles and/or a cherry


Directions:
Mix ice cream, sherbet, and milk quickly. Pour into tall glasses. Top with whipped cream and toppings. Serves two.
      

Greetings!

Well hello there.