All in a Day of Childcare

I say it all the time and it’s so true. I love my job. Sure there are up and down days as with any job but days like yesterday just can’t be beat.

We started out by finishing up our peacock puppets. I had shown the kids a video about peacocks showing them opening their wings. The kids thought it was so neat. I looked online for a good peacock craft the next night but didn’t see any so I came up with this idea. I cut a toilet paper tube in the shape you see then I cut the edge off a paper plate. The kids painted the tube the day before then yesterday we decorated the plate. I gave them makers and stickers and the letter “P” stamp…away they went. Then today I stapled the toilet paper tube to the plate. We added eyes, beaks and feathers…they loved it. Of all the crafts we’ve done, this was the kids’ favorite.

The three little ones graduated and even got their own glue bottle…I love days of firsts! The three little ones all thought they were the coolest with their own glue bottle. This one ended up trying to suck on the bottle so I had to sit and monitor them.

From there we were off to the park…we went around and looked at the garden. The brocoli and the cauliflower are both starting heads. I’ve been showing the kids regularly. I want them to learn where food comes from.

We ended up going to the park via the back alley. An older neighbor loves seeing the kids so we try to walk that way once in a while so we can chat with him. We didn’t see him but we did see his great garden and observed carrots growing. I don’t have carrots in the garden and he does so the kids think he’s pretty cool.

We continued down the alley and my girl that finds all things found a baby turtle. She was sure we needed to get it off the road. She was almost in tears thinking we were going to leave it there. I found some sandbox scoops in the stroller and tried to scoop it up to take it to the park where it might have a chance to live….it turns out, it was already dead.

I told the kids it was dead. They would not leave it there. They ended up digging a VERY shallow grave and moved it into it…then covered it up. It was so precious. They both have a very kind heart.

From there we went to the park. It was a beautiful day. All of those days on end of chasing the three little ones who are now between 2 1/2 and 22 months has finally paid off. They are so good at the park. I love when I can see my hard work of getting them to listen and follow rules pays off…and their hard work of growing and learning comes to be. They can climb and play on the equipment doing things they couldn’t do just a short time ago.

After an hour at the park we were off and heading back to my house. As we walked my “finder of all things” found this…a broken bird egg shell.

Of course she begged to keep it to show mom. Being the farm girl I am..I said sure. Being in nature is the best way to learn about it. Of course we had to look and search for the nest it may have fallen out of. We couldn’t find one and that lead to a whole another discussion because we had seen nests in the tree in the early spring but the kids thought the nests disappeared. Then I explained that the leaves on the trees got big and are hiding the nests and giving the baby birds shade.

We continued home…These two were walking just in front of the stroller. It was so funny listening to them.

A: Hey “L” do you know why God made mosquitoes?
L: No why?
A: We have so much blood in us floating around that God made them so they could suck some of the blood out.

HA!!!

Sure there are times when the kids are screaming, not sharing and over tired that I admit to wanting 5pm to come soon…then there are other days when I wish they all mine…all the time.

They are a great little group of kids and I couldn’t be happier that I spend my days with them.