Today I Will...

Today I will finish the mini wall around this garden.  I can't wait to get to Home Depot, especially because I have a LIST!  (Home Depot nerds, UNITE.)  I will be shopping for items for the Mothers Day project for the kids to create for their moms.  But first- I get to go help a friend paint. :)  Fun stuff- I love to paint.  Maybe if I get lucky I will make it to Flower World and find something fun to plant.  Happy Saturday!

Rainy Day Jewels

Several dark and dreary rainy days filled with wet coats and umbrella walks to the bus stop require some extra hours of indoor fun.

I opened up our dress up cabinet.  This is a novelty that doesn't get opened all of the time.  It wouldn't be as exciting if they were in it every day.

Dress up at Henle House is not just for girls.. 

We have a Batman and several "Spidermen" who are saving the day as I type this..

They are protecting the princess girls from this ghost!

"I have nothing to wear!"

A cowboy, silent and watchful.

I don't know how she manages those heels.  I can't manage in heels for longer than 10 minutes.  It's Friday- time to throw out the schedule after a VERY busy week.  Kids need extra playtime together.  They learn empathy, sharing, problem solving, and the most important of all: imagination.  Have fun, kids!

Crazy Busy

I have been CRAZY BUSY this week- hence my missing blog post this morning.  I have been working on the slide show for the AWANA awards night coming up on May 11th.  It has taken me 4 hours so far.. and the kiddos around here are bouncing off the walls.  Let's face it- I can't be perfect ALL of the time..(wink wink)  things are crazy today.  It actually feels like a ..(cough) daycare.(Boo,,, hisssssss...)   I will do better tomorrow!  Meanwhile, the photo above is from my daughters career fair at school last night.  She would make an excellent journalist.  Great job, Stephanie! ♥

Something Fishy

I've been watching the fishermen out on the lake for weeks now, dreaming about hauling our little boat out there myself.  We are still learning the number 16, so we decided to make our own fish bowl.

Blue paint + paper plate with the top cut off = Fish Bowl!

Add the number.  The kids now recognize that this is a sixteen.

Add sixteen fish.. they were VERY good at counting them.

♪♫Clean up, clean up, everybody, everywhere..♪♫♪ Clean up, clean up, everybody do your share.. ♫♪  Actually, I just clean up and the kids head outside.

The paper said rain for yesterday, but we were blessed with sunshine. ♥  I wandered around the gardens.

Hasta is coming up.

For the first time in daycare history at Henle House, the peonies didn't get trampled!!  Happy Wednesday, praying for more sunshine here. ☼

What Do Moms Do?

Group time yesterday morning began with the discussion about how Easter went, and that the next special day is Mothers Day.  We carried on with our usual routine.

We added the letter T to the flannel board of all of the letters we have learned.

We raised our hands when we saw our names, and spelled them too!

I got out my library book bag to carry our minds off into a story.

But the bear wanted more...
Then, someone asked me, "What do moms do?"  So I said, "Why don't YOU tell ME what you think moms do?"  I got out my pen and paper.
Aiden, age 5 said," Well, when the cat pukes they clean it up for you."  (Yep, that's ME.)
Alexis age 4 said, " They give you kisses when it's time for bed time."
Abbie age 3, "She's mommy!"
Josh age 4 said, " They hug you!"
Isaiah age 5 said, " They make dinner."
Austin age 5 said, " They tell you to clean up."  (I think I like his mom..)
I love to learn what the kids think about things.  Their perspective is usually honest.  ♥

Back To The Grind

Here are all of the kiddos on my husbands side of the family, ready to hunt for eggs.  There were enough eggs for each child to have THIRTY.  Yes, excessive.  It was raining, as if Washington has a tradition to always provide rain on Easter.  I can't remember a hunt for eggs that wasn't accompanied by rain.

Rainboots and bags- off they went.  There were three golden eggs.

Ethan was particularly excited about this one because it was large.  The rain fuzzied up the photo. ♥

"Hey Steph, let's take a picture!"  We have so many just like this. ♥  My little girl is no longer so little! 

Happy Monday, all. ☻

Happy Saturday

I am off to be tattooed for the final time. (Adam laughed as I said that yesterday..but I know when I am done.)  Have a wonderful Saturday- the sun is already rising here. ☼

My Favorite Part Of Yesterday (5)

My favorite part of yesterday was reading this book at group time.  It was the first time I had read it, and I instantly fell in love.  I'm already plotting my Barnes & Noble trip to find it.

It is FULL of beautiful pictures.  The boy didn't want to go to bed so he jumped into his car and drove away.

He came across lots of toys during his long drive, all of whom were too sleepy to play.  Finally, his car fell asleep too.

This was my favorite picture, I love the detail in the moms hands and hair.  She found him and carried him to bed.  Childrens books are among my favorite things.  Even when I head to Barnes & Noble, I end up in the childrens section. ♥  This book is now added to my favorites.

So far- none can even remotely reach Yertle The Turtle though, it is my favorite of all favorites!  Happy Good Friday, everyone!  The sun is shining, and tomorrow will even reach 60, just in time for the Easter parade. ☼

My Favorite Part Of Yesterday (4)

My favorite part of yesterday was our art project, that resulted in our son (wearing a shirt!!) recreating our entire group time from earlier, just for me. ♥  "I have something in my treasure box, I wonder what it is?"  He said.

He gave me five guesses, and counted them out on his hand to keep track of how many guesses I had left.

"You're RIGHT!  It's an egg!  Gasp- I wonder what it's doing?"  He showed me the yellow fluff.

And he o-p-e-n-e-d it... very carefully....

With a look of surprise, just as I had done in group time earlier.. (This is it!!  My favorite part!!  So glad I had the camera..)

Look at Aidens chick. ♥  The kids loved this project so much that some of the chicks came back this morning with them.  They have all become little moms and dads.

Back into the egg he goes so we can play group time again. :)   Something funny happened at the lunch table yesterday.. remember I was telling you that the kids have been learning about Jesus' death on the cross?  Yesterday at the lunch table, "I wonder WHY he's dead?"  A boy said.  "No, he's ALIVE now."  Alexis (my niece) said.  "Jesus died on the cross so you can be saved and go to heaven when you die."  I said from afar.  Then.. (brace yourself..)  "We're ALL going to die?"  a boy said.  "Aaaaw,  now we're all going to die." Another said.  (Somber faces..)   I had fun explaining to parents that I did not tell their kids that it was time to die now. LOL  ☻

My Favorite Part of Yesterday (3)

During group time yesterday morning without reminding the kids, (as I have been doing every day for this month) I asked them why we have Easter.  They ALL responded correctly!  "Because Jesus died on the cross and came back alive."  They FINALLY get it. That was a favorite part of my day for sure. ☻

Then came naptime, the sun was warm, and I got into my favorite rope chair.  This time I didn't have to wrap myself in a parka and blanket, the sun was just what I needed.

I stayed there for an hour until it was time to get the kids up from nap.  Pure bliss.  What was your favorite part of yesterday?☼

My Favorite Part of Yesterday

This shot is from last year.  But my favorite part of yesterday was the minute I finally completed weeding out this veggie garden.  It looks gloriously 'clean'!  After two hours of bending over and digging, one red spot on my right hand from the trowel, and a little bit of sunshine, it is now ready for onions and beets.  ♥

I also found five sneaky carrots from last year, hiding under some old leaves.  They were half eaten by something, so the guinea pigs enjoyed them.  But it was a nice surprise!

Finally, I planted some lettuce seeds again.  (All of these photos are from last year.)  I chose the same spot again, and this lettuce is grown mainly to spoil our guinea pigs.  They are HAPPY piggies.

Here they are last summer going for a swim.

Then they enjoyed some blankie snuggling.

Fresh lettuce treat!  I cannot wait for summer. ☼

My Favorite Part of Today

I thought I'd try something different this week for my blog.  In our busy family life, when we finally make it to the dinner table together we each have one question to answer.  "What was your favorite part of today?"  The kids are happy to answer.  So am I.  I like to see the good in things, even if my day was crazy.  There had to be a favorite part of it.  So this week, every time I blog I will tell you what my favorite part of yesterday was.  I would love to hear YOURS, too!  Yesterday was full of stuff.  I taught childrens church and then rushed off to a baby shower for my cousins wife.  It was fun, but my favorite part of the day was when I arrived home.  I was doing this and that when all of a sudden, the sun shone brightly right into the kitchen window and into my face.  It was so bright that I immediately felt it's warmth and froze where I was, letting everything else disappear.  It was as though that ray of light was my special gift straight from God.  Sent directly to my face,  I stood there forever in it, thanking Him.  That was my favorite part of yesterday. ☼

Mother Daughter Day

Every year my daughter and I have a day to ourselves.  It's usually in the early spring as soon as we can find a Saturday on the calendar that is free.   She's a great child- has been since the beginning.  She deserves to be spoiled a bit.  Last year we spent it in Seattle.  Two loves in one day-- it was the best. 

We wandered around, spooked ourselves in the Seattle Underground Tour, shopped Pike Place Market, just hung out together and people watched.   One day, dedicated to my daughter.

Today is our day again.  It's raining- but who cares?  No boys, no time frame, we will see where the wind blows us to.  ♥