Amazing, Amazing, possibly Amazing.

This beautiful, loving, intelligent, creative little girl is turning 6 this month.

We live six hours away now and I'm sad about that but texting and face timing brings us closer.

She is starting to incorporate a lot of words into her texts but they also include a lot of stickers! Her last text read, "I loves Nanny Miller I loves. Heart, Heart, Heart.

And I loves her.

She is strong and capable and she is going to change the world!

She and her Mom went for a mother/daughter date yesterday.  I love that they do this.  They are connecting and investing and making forever memories.  Part of the fun is riding the bus downtown to a funky restaurant called the Art We Are.

Then they went to find some treasures at the local Thrift shop.

Little girl found a special box that she had a purpose for as soon as she saw it.

If the top of the box wasn't attractive enough, it also featured a mirror inside.

A Fairy Small World.

She used her own art work, a variety of little people and furniture and some fabric pieces.

Loose parts, open-ended toys = imaginative, creative play that lasts for a long time and contains many dimensions and variables.

As she looked back on her day she said it was, "Amazing, amazing, possibly amazing".

She also said, "I think this whole day was a birthday present".

Sweet.

The Tree Re-Purposed.

We found the most beautiful Christmas tree ever this year.  I'm pretty sure I say that every year, but this year was different.  This year was the first time in a long time that we got to go and find one in our forest.  

We wanted our grand-daughter to experience the fun of finding a tree just like her mom has done in years past.  It was memory making and quality family time stuff.

We have no shortage of trees on our land and it is healthy for the forest to cull them.

We didn't have to look too far.  In fact, we found a beauty merely ten feet from our back door.

Our son chopped it down.

Trees have a way of looking smaller when they are tucked into the forest.  This one had to be cut top and bottom.  Even then it was a good eight or nine feet tall.  We all helped to decorate it and admired it for many days.  And then it was time for all the family to head back to their homes, to work and school.

We tucked all the decorations away until next year and my hubby stood the tree up outside in the snow and I got the idea to use it in a different way.  To re-purpose it for a time.

 I got some supplies together and got to work.

I did look up some ideas on the internet and this is what I came up with based on what I had on hand.

I made a bird feeder like this one for the toddler yard years ago.  We had so much fun filling and refilling it together.

I hope the birds come and partake of the feast I laid out for them.

Another way I hope to re-purpose our tree is by making tree cookies for the children to play with.

You can read more about how I made some in the past RIGHT HERE.

Happy New Year to you all.  Thanks to those who follow this little blog.

All the best this year and I hope you enjoy many new adventures and blessings!

New Year, New Room

I have been interested in daycare room design for a while now.  I worked in a toddler room and sometimes the infant room for the last five years and then my hubby and I moved away.  But while I worked there I was always thinking about room design.  I would often sneak into the 3-5 rooms, we had two, and check out all their cool ideas as well.

I am not interested in room design, just for the sake of room design.  I am interested in it because the Educators and children kind of live in the daycare room (s) all week, all month, all year.  As an Educator, I need to feel comfortable in the space and as I observe the children in the space I know they need to as well.  Bottom line, needs must be met in order for optimum harmony and learning and co-habitation.

A lot of thought needs to go into how a room is set up.  How does the traffic flow?  How do areas get defined?  How much space do the children need to move around in any given area?  What are the children interested in learning?  Is it too stimulating?  Is it beautiful and welcoming?  

My old co-worker and lead teacher in one of the 3-5's room recently sent me some pictures of their new room arrangement.  This staff team meet every Thursday while the children are resting.  They have tea in special mugs.  They sometimes have something special to eat. That is called Educator self-care.  And they talk about the children and the room and how to meet their needs.  They are great at what they do.  They are thoughtful and creative and hard-working.  

Maybe as you browse through these pictures and look at details you will be inspired in some way.

Hope you enjoyed the tour.