tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15971846040727219262024-03-05T18:44:27.278-06:00Cheryl's Child CareAdventures in Family ChildcareCheryl's Child Carehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02648950764664242676noreply@blogger.comBlogger496125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1597184604072721926.post-83459143822125736332024-01-07T12:04:00.004-06:002024-01-07T12:04:42.965-06:00Decluttered<p> <span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">I don’t usually make New Year’s resolutions – but this year I did. </span></p><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">It’s no secret that I like to plan big projects for any periods of downtime – like my summer ‘vacation’ days. I don’t like to travel, and I say I don’t like relaxing, but I’m not certain that is truly accurate. Things that involve being pampered or catered to are not things that I enjoy – in fact, they are more likely to make me feel uncomfortable and stressed. Likewise, sitting still for any length of time is difficult for me and requires an immense amount of mental effort.</p><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I feel ‘relaxed’ – maybe centered, invigorated or rejuvenated are better descriptions – by doing things like going to the gym, hiking, doing yardwork, cleaning or working on projects around the house like painting or installing new flooring etc. Things that keep me moving but don’t require me to carry on conversations with other people – these things are ‘relaxing’ – they allow my mind to wander and dream without interruption.</p><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">My summer vacation to-do list starts forming late fall/early winter and continues to grow until June. Every year the summer project list also includes some indoor ‘organizing’ items in case there are any bad weather days on my vacation. These tasks are always at the bottom of the list and usually get put off – mostly because I’d rather do the outdoor tasks regardless of the weather – but also because they tend to be more stationary ‘activities’.</p><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">This is where this post truly begins. Putting off these organizing tasks – especially the ones that involve paperwork and <em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">filing</em> – over and over again had become an issue<em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">.</em> My filing cabinet became too full to add any more papers to the folders so loose papers were just laying on top of the folders and were prone to falling off if the cabinet drawer was opened.</p><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Due to having no available space in the filing cabinet there were multiple piles of ‘to-be-filed’ papers collecting on my desk. It was becoming almost impossible to find any workspace or even a flat spot to put my computer keyboard, mouse, or coffee cup. This, along with my already established distain for sitting still, definitely contributed to my delaying other paperwork type tasks. Related side story…</p><blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #767676; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 19px; font-style: italic; hyphens: none; line-height: 1.26316; margin: 0px 0px 1.75em; outline: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; quotes: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><p style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Montgomery had gone for his annual vet visit in October 2022 and received his rabies vaccination. I put the receipt and vaccination certificate, with new tag still attached, on my desk – I planned to file them after I put the new tag on Montgomery’s collar. Fast forward <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">seven months</span> to May 2023 – childcare relicensing visit. My coordinator asked for the required proof of pet vaccination and I <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">KNOW </span>it is on my desk but <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">cannot find it</span>! <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">*sigh*</span> Had to contact the vet, get another copy, complete an inspection agreement form and submit it to my coordinator to prove he was fully vaccinated.</p></blockquote><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I think that, though I add organizing activities as small tasks for bad weather days, I know that they are really immense tasks. They may start as ‘Sort through the miscellaneous items in the drawer/box/bin’, but they snowball because sorting and organizing papers and small items requires, removing things from where they are stored and making piles of loose things.</p><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Putting away those loose things requires getting out the storage container where the items belong – containers which should be sorted through before anything new gets added…making more piles of loose things. It takes a lot of time to do properly and it always gets much worse before it gets better. It is overwhelming.</p><div class="wp-block-image" style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><figure class="aligncenter size-large" style="clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto;"><img alt="messy pile of papers on a table" class="wp-image-7480" data-attachment-id="7480" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1704557735","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.03","iso":"450","shutter_speed":"0.041666666666667","title":"","orientation":"0","latitude":"0","longitude":"0"}" data-image-title="24-01-declutter01" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2024/01/24-01-declutter01.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2024/01/24-01-declutter01.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2024/01/24-01-declutter01.jpg" data-orig-size="500,375" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2024/01/07/decluttered/24-01-declutter01/" height="375" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2024/01/24-01-declutter01.jpg?w=500" srcset="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2024/01/24-01-declutter01.jpg 500w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2024/01/24-01-declutter01.jpg?w=150 150w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2024/01/24-01-declutter01.jpg?w=300 300w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" width="500" /></figure></div><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I tend to use the childcare space for organizing things. It is the largest open space and it is unused when the daycare is closed. I can spread stuff out to sort and leave it there while I take a break or cook supper etc. and it isn’t going to bother my family. However, when I run out of time (which I most certainly will do), I frantically stuff unsorted items back into containers so I can clean the rooms before the children return.</p><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I’ve now created even more containers of miscellaneous items that need to be sorted…</p><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">So this year I tried something different. The winter break consists of three paid holidays and two weekends but there are also three work days. Depending how the holidays land, the three work days could be centered between two long weekends or broken up into single days between holidays and weekends. </p><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Many of my families have extra time off during this period and do not all require childcare. Typically I have kept the daycare open for those three work days. I do some year end paperwork on the extra days off but don’t plan any big projects due to the variable combination of work days and off days. </p><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">This year I closed for those three days resulting in a whopping ten day winter holiday! I reorganized some toy storage, cleaned out the filing cabinet, and cleared off my desk. Did I get everything done? No, of course not, my to-do list never ends – but I feel so much better. I found Montgomery’s original vaccination certificate and rabies tag. I created only one extra box of ‘to be shredded’ papers but no boxes of miscellaneous stuff.</p><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">So that New Year’s Resolution…I’m going to modify my policies to officially close those three work days between Christmas and New Year’s day every year. My summer vacation will still have an exciting list of fun projects – but no paperwork. My new annual winter holiday will now be dedicated to sorting and organizing because this is how the new year should start…</p><div class="wp-block-image" style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><figure class="aligncenter size-large" style="clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto;"><img alt="clean desk" class="wp-image-7481" data-attachment-id="7481" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1704171160","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.03","iso":"350","shutter_speed":"0.041666666666667","title":"","orientation":"0","latitude":"0","longitude":"0"}" data-image-title="24-01-declutter02" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2024/01/24-01-declutter02.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2024/01/24-01-declutter02.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2024/01/24-01-declutter02.jpg" data-orig-size="500,375" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2024/01/07/decluttered/24-01-declutter02/" height="375" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2024/01/24-01-declutter02.jpg?w=500" srcset="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2024/01/24-01-declutter02.jpg 500w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2024/01/24-01-declutter02.jpg?w=150 150w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2024/01/24-01-declutter02.jpg?w=300 300w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" width="500" /></figure></div>Cheryl's Child Carehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02648950764664242676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1597184604072721926.post-82871109569311148062023-09-18T13:47:00.002-05:002023-09-18T13:47:32.991-05:00I've Been Thinking...<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">If I had to choose the one thing that bothered me the most about being a funded, licensed family childcare provider it would be the difference in daily childcare fees for infants vs preschoolers. As a trained ECE II those rates, set by the province, are $30/day for infants (under two years old) and $20.80/day for preschool children (aged 2-5 including those in Kindergarten).</p><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">These rates are the same for me as they are in funded centres and I understand the reasoning for the different rates in centres due to the different staff to child ratios for infant rooms (1 to 4) and preschool rooms (1 to 8). However, in family childcare I can have a maximum of five children under six years old of which no more than three can be under two years old.</p><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">That means I could have three infants and two preschoolers, or five preschoolers and no infants, or any of the combinations in between. It also means my income from daily fees could be as much as $131.60 per day or as little as $104 per day. That min/max difference in daily fees results in a difference of nearly $600/month without any difference in the number of children I enroll or the hours/amount of work I do. <a href="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2013/01/27/a-little-rant/" rel="noreferrer noopener" style="border: 0px; color: #24890d; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">I wrote about this 10 years ago</a> – it is not a new problem – <em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">but it is still a problem</em>,</p><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">If your employer asked you if you would prefer to be paid $2100 or $2700 for the same number of hours work, what would you say? Silly question. Yet, in order for me to keep my income at its maximum, I could not keep all the infants I enroll. If both of my preschoolers are two years old, they may stay in my preschool spaces for up to four years meaning, in that period, my infants would have no preschool spaces to move into if I was to keep only infants in my infant spaces.</p><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Now, multiply my three infant spaces by the four years it could take for my preschoolers to vacate their spaces and that means I may have to dismiss twelve families for no reason other than that their child had a birthday. Those families that may have waited nearly two years from conception until I had a space for their one year old, would now need to start their childcare search again. Some providers even state in their policies that childcare may be terminated when an infant turns two if a preschool space is not available.</p><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I don’t do that – I choose to provide continuity of care because it benefits the child but that decision means I take a pay cut in order to provide what is considered a ‘best practice’. Luckily, not all the infants I enroll stay until they start school but I have gone as long as three years with the same group of children – all over the age of two – at a significant loss of income but some truly amazing long term relationships for all of us.</p><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Still, I question why it has to be this way – especially now that parents pay $10/per day for either infants or preschoolers in any funded childcare facility – centre or home, trained or untrained – flat rate for parents. I used to get confused looks from parents when I told them they owed me less for childcare when their child turned two. Now they don’t even realize I took a pay cut in order to continue providing childcare for them – notably when my expenses for said care are increasing along with the child’s age.</p><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Yes, the Province has been providing a parent fee top-up grant to funded facilities to offset the reduced rate for parents but to date this has been yet another administrative nightmare. I don’t want to rant about that right now but it has made me think that this is actually the perfect way to rectify the inconsistent income for family childcare providers.</p><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">If, in family childcare, the top-up grant for both infants and preschoolers was the same amount along with the consistent $10/day rate for parents then it would make budgeting so much easier. Having the same income for all children under six years would eliminate the income fluctuation and provide more stability for providers – a factor which may aid in the retention of family childcare providers.</p><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The $10/day parent fee eliminates the difference between infant and preschool rates for parents. The operating grant rates are different for centres vs homes apparently due to variances in operating expenses. I believe a different rate for the FCC parent fee top-up grant could be possible too since, unlike centres, FCC staff to child ratio is not dependent on our enrollment of infants vs preschoolers.</p><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Alternatively, our parent fee top-up grant could simply be based on the number of infants/preschoolers we are licensed for regardless of the age of the children we currently have enrolled in those spaces (providing they were not vacant spaces). That way our daily fee rate does not have to be different than centre rates but our income would also not fluctuate when our work load does not.</p><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Early Learning and Childcare Best Practices Manual for Family Childcare acknowledges that it is a benefit for the child to stay in the same setting with the same provider. Why then, do they set rates that discourage, even punish us, for choosing to build these relationships?</p><div class="wp-block-image" style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><figure class="aligncenter size-large" style="clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto;"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7464" data-attachment-id="7464" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1694948299","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.03","iso":"950","shutter_speed":"0.041666666666667","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="23-09-think01" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-think01.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-think01.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-think01.jpg" data-orig-size="500,375" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2023/09/18/ive-been-thinking/23-09-think01/" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-think01.jpg?w=500" srcset="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-think01.jpg 500w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-think01.jpg?w=150 150w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-think01.jpg?w=300 300w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" /></figure></div><p></p>Cheryl's Child Carehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02648950764664242676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1597184604072721926.post-58339855943191382502023-09-13T18:22:00.000-05:002023-09-13T18:22:09.755-05:00Summer 2023<p> <span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Wow! So much to write, so little time. Sad that I haven’t been writing any posts about our activities or any of our new ‘stuff’. Yes, the grant funding we’ve received through the Federal funding for childcare has been wonderful but also very time consuming. Spending money is easy but trying to balance ‘wants’ vs ‘needs’ and make the best decisions so I won’t be faced with ‘I wish we had bought that instead’ after all the money is spent – that is hard.</span></p><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In the Spring when the grant funding was first announced I was already in the midst of making my summer ‘vacation’ plans for revamping the outdoor play space so those plans got a little more upscaled. I knew we had to remove the old rotted wooden pergola but we used that pergola to attach the sun shades for the summer. My south facing outdoor play space can be unbearable without shade – so my first purchase was two retractable awnings.</p><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The old sunshades provided wonderful shade over most of the back yard but it took a whole weekend to get them up using clamps and ropes attached to the house, carport, and pergola. Once they were up, we had no view of the sky until fall when we took them down. On many cloudy or cool days we would have preferred to not have the sunshades but it was far too difficult to take them down temporarily.</p><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">This is a view of the yard after all the work we did on my ‘vacation’. You can see the framework for the new awnings but the awnings are not in use as this pic was taken in the early morning when there was little sun. I still struggle with deciding if I should say the awnings are ‘open’ when they are folded and we can see the sky and closed when they are unfolded and covering the yard or vice versa. Either way, all summer we loved to have the option of having sun or shade depending on the weather when we were playing in the yard.</p><div class="wp-block-image" style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><figure class="aligncenter size-large" style="clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto;"><img alt="Outdoor Play Space" class="wp-image-7433" data-attachment-id="7433" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"7.1","credit":"","camera":"DSC-WX10","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1690025173","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.28","iso":"100","shutter_speed":"0.00625","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="23-09-yard01" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard01.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard01.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard01.jpg" data-orig-size="500,375" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2023/09/13/summer-2023/23-09-yard01/" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard01.jpg?w=500" srcset="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard01.jpg 500w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard01.jpg?w=150 150w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard01.jpg?w=300 300w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" /></figure></div><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I also purchased more turf tiles – we used to only have a small ‘grass’ area inside the old pergola but now it is twice the size and more open without the pergola dividing the space. We also have a new ground level deck area along the fence side that we use for the easels and other art activities (the deck tiles are easy to clean and have no spaces big enough to lose crayons and paint brushes etc.</p><div class="wp-block-image" style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><figure class="aligncenter size-large" style="clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto;"><img alt="Outdoor Play Space" class="wp-image-7434" data-attachment-id="7434" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"7.1","credit":"","camera":"DSC-WX10","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1690025196","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.28","iso":"100","shutter_speed":"0.01","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="23-09-yard02" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard02.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard02.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard02.jpg" data-orig-size="500,375" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2023/09/13/summer-2023/23-09-yard02/" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard02.jpg?w=500" srcset="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard02.jpg 500w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard02.jpg?w=150 150w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard02.jpg?w=300 300w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" /></figure></div><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The turf tiles are thick rubber and placed on the mulch – both help cushion minor falls which is nice for the climbing structures and the new Ninja Slackline pictured below (also notice the awning is providing shade in this pic).</p><div class="wp-block-image" style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><figure class="aligncenter size-large" style="clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto;"><img alt="Play Space with Ninja Slackline" class="wp-image-7436" data-attachment-id="7436" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1691055627","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.03","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.0070921985815603","title":"","orientation":"0","latitude":"0","longitude":"0"}" data-image-title="23-09-yard02b" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard02b.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard02b.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard02b.jpg" data-orig-size="500,375" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2023/09/13/summer-2023/23-09-yard02b/" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard02b.jpg?w=500" srcset="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard02b.jpg 500w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard02b.jpg?w=150 150w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard02b.jpg?w=300 300w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" /></figure></div><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">This summer we finally installed the large laundry sink (on the to do list last year). It is not a new sink, just a new location, and we have always had access to both hot and cold water here but now it is much more convenient to use.</p><div class="wp-block-image" style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><figure class="aligncenter size-large" style="clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto;"><img alt="Wooden Storage Shed and counter with sink and hoses." class="wp-image-7440" data-attachment-id="7440" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"7.1","credit":"","camera":"DSC-WX10","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1690025234","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.28","iso":"100","shutter_speed":"0.005","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="23-09-yard03" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard03.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard03.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard03.jpg" data-orig-size="500,375" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2023/09/13/summer-2023/23-09-yard03/" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard03.jpg?w=500" srcset="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard03.jpg 500w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard03.jpg?w=150 150w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard03.jpg?w=300 300w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" /></figure></div><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Moving along to the other side of the yard, we have a new, slightly sloped bridge across the ‘river’ in the water area and two new blue tunnels. The children like to pretend they are swimming under water when they crawl through these tunnels – I want to paint some fish inside the tunnels but haven’t done that yet.</p><div class="wp-block-image" style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><figure class="aligncenter size-large" style="clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto;"><img alt="Wooden bridge over blue tarp river." class="wp-image-7438" data-attachment-id="7438" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"7.1","credit":"","camera":"DSC-WX10","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1690025404","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.28","iso":"100","shutter_speed":"0.008","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="23-09-yard05" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard05.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard05.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard05.jpg" data-orig-size="500,375" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2023/09/13/summer-2023/23-09-yard05/" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard05.jpg?w=500" srcset="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard05.jpg 500w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard05.jpg?w=150 150w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard05.jpg?w=300 300w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" /></figure></div><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The bilge pump and water supply has a new location now too though I actually have plans to modify this area more before next summer so this is only temporary. The water from the pump flows under the bridge and down the ‘river’. The sprinkler hangs from the awning frame above the water area so we can make it ‘rain’ when we want the water area really wet (there are holes in the tarps so water does not pool).</p><div class="wp-block-image" style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><figure class="aligncenter size-large" style="clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto;"><img alt="water barrel and pump with hose." class="wp-image-7441" data-attachment-id="7441" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"7.1","credit":"","camera":"DSC-WX10","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1690025442","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.28","iso":"100","shutter_speed":"0.008","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="23-09-yard06" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard06.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard06.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard06.jpg" data-orig-size="500,375" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2023/09/13/summer-2023/23-09-yard06/" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard06.jpg?w=500" srcset="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard06.jpg 500w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard06.jpg?w=150 150w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard06.jpg?w=300 300w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" /></figure></div><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">At the far end of the bridge is the gravel digging area – we needed the bridge higher here because the gravel area is more than a foot higher than the ground at this point. Plus, having a sloped bridge is extra fun <img alt="🙂" class="emoji" draggable="false" role="img" src="https://s0.wp.com/wp-content/mu-plugins/wpcom-smileys/twemoji/2/svg/1f642.svg" style="background-attachment: initial !important; background-clip: initial !important; background-image: none !important; background-origin: initial !important; background-position: initial !important; background-repeat: initial !important; background-size: initial !important; border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; display: inline !important; height: auto; margin: 0px 0.07em !important; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px !important; vertical-align: -0.1em !important; width: 1em !important;" /> I chose to move all the gravel into the little covered ‘house’ we built last summer. The ‘house’ is in the corner of the yard which helps to keep the gravel contained in the area where it belongs and the roof above provides shade at all times of the day – particularly nice because some children like to sit and dig in the gravel for hours every day and I don’t want them to bake in the sun.</p><div class="wp-block-image" style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><figure class="aligncenter size-large" style="clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto;"><img alt="Enclosed gravel area with pots, pails, shovels, and sticks for digging. " class="wp-image-7444" data-attachment-id="7444" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"DSC-WX10","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1690025495","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.28","iso":"100","shutter_speed":"0.002","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="23-09-yard07" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard07.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard07.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard07.jpg" data-orig-size="500,375" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2023/09/13/summer-2023/23-09-yard07/" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard07.jpg?w=500" srcset="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard07.jpg 500w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard07.jpg?w=150 150w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard07.jpg?w=300 300w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" /></figure></div><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The picture below is the view from inside the gravel area.</p><div class="wp-block-image" style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><figure class="aligncenter size-large" style="clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto;"><img alt="View through the trees towards the bridge and play area beyond." class="wp-image-7445" data-attachment-id="7445" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"DSC-WX10","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1690025528","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.28","iso":"100","shutter_speed":"0.002","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="23-09-yard08" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard08.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard08.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard08.jpg" data-orig-size="500,375" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2023/09/13/summer-2023/23-09-yard08/" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard08.jpg?w=500" srcset="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard08.jpg 500w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard08.jpg?w=150 150w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard08.jpg?w=300 300w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" /></figure></div><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I moved the talking tube (central vac pipe) from the building area where it used to be. Now it runs along the fence from the gravel area to the water area. I also added some elbows to the pipe so the children don’t look straight through the pipe when they are talking. Not that I minded them using it like a telescope, but some of them couldn’t grasp the concept of ‘talking’ into the tube when they could see through it and would get very frustrated that it didn’t work.</p><div class="wp-block-image" style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><figure class="aligncenter size-large" style="clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto;"><img alt="Ten foot long white pipe attached to chain link fence." class="wp-image-7446" data-attachment-id="7446" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"DSC-WX10","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1690025581","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.28","iso":"100","shutter_speed":"0.002","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="23-09-yard09" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard09.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard09.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard09.jpg" data-orig-size="500,375" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2023/09/13/summer-2023/23-09-yard09/" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard09.jpg?w=500" srcset="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard09.jpg 500w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard09.jpg?w=150 150w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard09.jpg?w=300 300w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" /></figure></div><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In the space where the gravel used to be is our new ‘music’ area. It is still not complete. In this picture there is nothing ‘new’, we have had the chimes, drums, and other noisy things for many years but now they are all together in a defined space. There are more turf tiles and our old stumps here for seating options. There are multiple different surfaces and items that can be used for experimenting with sound. Since this photo was taken I have purchased some Boomwackers and am collecting some additional ‘music’ making items to add in the future. (Donations are welcome if you have anything that may be useful here).</p><div class="wp-block-image" style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><figure class="aligncenter size-large" style="clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto;"><img alt="Outdoor area with chimes and drums." class="wp-image-7448" data-attachment-id="7448" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"7.1","credit":"","camera":"DSC-WX10","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1690025551","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.28","iso":"100","shutter_speed":"0.008","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="23-09-yard10" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard10.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard10.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard10.jpg" data-orig-size="500,375" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2023/09/13/summer-2023/23-09-yard10/" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard10.jpg?w=500" srcset="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard10.jpg 500w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard10.jpg?w=150 150w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard10.jpg?w=300 300w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" /></figure></div><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">View of the entrance to the music area – the Virginia Creeper has grown a lot and now covers most of the back and left side of the area – naturally containing the sounds in an acoustic chamber.</p><div class="wp-block-image" style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><figure class="aligncenter size-large" style="clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto;"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7449" data-attachment-id="7449" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"7.1","credit":"","camera":"DSC-WX10","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1690025478","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.28","iso":"100","shutter_speed":"0.00625","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="23-09-yard11" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard11.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard11.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard11.jpg" data-orig-size="500,375" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2023/09/13/summer-2023/23-09-yard11/" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard11.jpg?w=500" srcset="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard11.jpg 500w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard11.jpg?w=150 150w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard11.jpg?w=300 300w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" /></figure></div><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The building/construction area of the yard has not been moved or rearranged but I did purchase a large resin storage shed to store the massive amount of loose parts we have accumulated. We have far too much to have all of it out at once and our little toy shed only holds small bins and could not possibly contain all our building supplies.</p><div class="wp-block-image" style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><figure class="aligncenter size-large" style="clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto;"><img alt="Outdoor Play area with Loose Parts for constructive activities." class="wp-image-7451" data-attachment-id="7451" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"7.1","credit":"","camera":"DSC-WX10","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1690025316","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.28","iso":"100","shutter_speed":"0.008","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="23-09-yard12" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard12.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard12.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard12.jpg" data-orig-size="500,375" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2023/09/13/summer-2023/23-09-yard12/" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard12.jpg?w=500" srcset="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard12.jpg 500w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard12.jpg?w=150 150w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard12.jpg?w=300 300w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" /></figure></div><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">A tiny peek inside the shed – this is less than a quarter of what is being stored here. Kept out of the elements but still handy when we want additional options beyond what is available in the loose parts bins.</p><div class="wp-block-image" style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><figure class="aligncenter size-large" style="clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto;"><img alt="Various types of stacked wood pieces." class="wp-image-7454" data-attachment-id="7454" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1691512478","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.03","iso":"150","shutter_speed":"0.033333333333333","title":"","orientation":"0","latitude":"0","longitude":"0"}" data-image-title="23-09-yard13" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard13.jpg?w=375" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard13.jpg?w=225" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard13.jpg" data-orig-size="375,500" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2023/09/13/summer-2023/23-09-yard13/" sizes="(max-width: 375px) 100vw, 375px" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard13.jpg?w=375" srcset="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard13.jpg 375w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard13.jpg?w=113 113w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/23-09-yard13.jpg?w=225 225w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" /></figure></div>Cheryl's Child Carehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02648950764664242676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1597184604072721926.post-67407934882095222552023-02-21T07:42:00.004-06:002023-02-21T07:42:19.647-06:00Cushions<p> <span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">In my ‘</span><a href="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2022/11/18/the-snowball-effect/" rel="noreferrer noopener" style="border: 0px; color: #24890d; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Snowball Effect</a><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">‘ post I covered a bit of history about the four old lounger cushions and mentioned that I wanted to use them for an infant/toddler activity. That ‘plan’ didn’t turn out the way I envisioned – partly because I don’t like sewing – but it has had an interesting outcome.</span></p><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In the Spring/Summer/Fall we spend most of our playtime outside where there are plenty of opportunities for gross motor activities. In the winter, we still go out daily but for much less time than in the warmer seasons. Although I’m sure getting on all the winter gear counts a physical activity, I still feel the children need more active play choices for the extra time we spend indoors.</p><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In my <a href="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2022/01/15/indoor-exercise/" rel="noreferrer noopener" style="border: 0px; color: #24890d; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Indoor Exercise</a> post and the post about the <a href="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2017/01/13/delivery/" rel="noreferrer noopener" style="border: 0px; color: #24890d; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">balance pods</a> I wrote about some of the indoor physical activities which the preschoolers and school-age children enjoy. However, my current group is very young and those activities are not particularly age appropriate or easy to adapt for them.</p><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">My initial plan was to use the old lounger cushions for an indoor gross motor play activity for the littlest ones in the group. The cushions are about two feet wide, six feet long and six inches thick though they have some buttons and quilting and have become lumpy and uneven over the many years we have used them.</p><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I wanted to fold and roll the cushions into barrel, wedge, and rectangle shapes to use for soft climbers for the infants and toddlers. I hoped to sew covers to hold the cushions in the desired shapes – turns out I haven’t got the required time, patience or skill for sewing covers like that. I might have been more successful if I had wrapped them with duct tape instead – that is still and option.</p><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I also found that when folded into squares or rolled into short barrels the cushions were nearly as tall as the counters and shelves in the playroom – not a safe climbing height. Folded in half as a 2′ x 3′ rectangle the height was ok but they used all the available floor space and would have turned the entire room into a bouncy house – could be fun, but not my goal.</p><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">My ‘I am frustrated/out of time/done with this’ solution was to simply stack two of the cushions on top of each other, roll into a long barrel, and stuff into a body pillow type pillowcase I made out of an old sheet. The result is two long, heavy, lumpy blobs that lay like speed humps across the playroom. My husband refers to them as ‘The Manatee’.</p><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The problem now was that these, double sized, heavy log cushions were extremely difficult for me to hoist onto the shelf in the nap room where they were originally stored. This whole ‘renovate the playroom/move the trees’ adventure started because I needed to make it easier to get the cushions on/off the storage shelves when I wanted to use them.</p><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">At this point I was beginning to feel like this whole project was a fail. Then I realized that leaving these cushions out <em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">all the time</em> might solve <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">two</span> problems. First, I wouldn’t have to face the hassle of dragging them in and out of storage. Second, they could help with the problem of defining the various play zones. This is the view of the floor space in the play room.</p><div class="wp-block-image" style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><figure class="aligncenter size-large" style="clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto;"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7417" data-attachment-id="7417" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="<p>The block area is at the bottom right corner of this picture. The music &amp; movement area along the left side and the housekeeping/store/dramatic play area is the top right corner and extends to include the left side of the counter and the table.</p>
" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1668580040","copyright":"","focal_length":"2.04","iso":"350","shutter_speed":"0.041666666666667","title":"","orientation":"0","latitude":"0","longitude":"0"}" data-image-title="23-02-cushions00" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-cushions00.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-cushions00.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-cushions00.jpg" data-orig-size="500,376" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2023/02/21/cushions/23-02-cushions00/" sizes="(max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-cushions00.jpg?w=474" srcset="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-cushions00.jpg?w=474 474w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-cushions00.jpg?w=150 150w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-cushions00.jpg?w=300 300w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-cushions00.jpg 500w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption" style="caption-side: bottom; color: #555555; display: table-caption; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5; margin: 9px 0px 0px;">The block area is at the bottom right corner of this picture. The music & movement area along the left side and the housekeeping/store/dramatic play area is the top right corner and extends to include the left side of the counter and the table.</figcaption></figure></div><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I used to use interlocking foam tiles on the playroom floor – available in various colours, I used a different colour mat for each of the different play zones. Those foam mats were easily damaged and <a href="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2019/12/21/montgomery/" rel="noreferrer noopener" style="border: 0px; color: #24890d; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Montgomery liked to eat them</a>. So in 2021 <a href="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2021/07/20/vacation-2021/" rel="noreferrer noopener" style="border: 0px; color: #24890d; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">I replaced them with rubber mats made from recycled tires </a>– I love the durability, but they are all black so we only have imaginary lines to define spaces.</p><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I’ve been experimenting with chalk and paint on some of the rubber tile scraps. I thought chalk would be nice for a temporary purpose/activity but it has proved difficult to wash completely off the mats. Paint seems to be a better option but would be permanent and, well…I like to be able to change things so I’ve been hesitant to paint the mats. But…what if I used cushion logs to define spaces…</p><div class="wp-block-image" style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><figure class="aligncenter size-large" style="clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto;"><img alt="child walking on coloured squares" class="wp-image-7419" data-attachment-id="7419" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1672760258","copyright":"","focal_length":"2.04","iso":"350","shutter_speed":"0.041666666666667","title":"","orientation":"0","latitude":"0","longitude":"0"}" data-image-title="23-02-cushions02" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-cushions02.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-cushions02.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-cushions02.jpg" data-orig-size="500,373" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2023/02/21/cushions/23-02-cushions02/" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-cushions02.jpg?w=500" srcset="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-cushions02.jpg 500w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-cushions02.jpg?w=150 150w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-cushions02.jpg?w=300 300w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" /></figure></div><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I like to define the spaces because loose blocks from the block area or miscellaneous small toys from the housekeeping area are safety hazards when they are on the floor in the music & movement area. The cushions still offer the babies a soft climber opportunity but they also separate the ‘active’ area from the toy areas. Added bonus – they can be used for seating and even impromptu naps.</p><div class="wp-block-image" style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><figure class="aligncenter size-large" style="clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto;"><img alt="two children sitting on large cushion" class="wp-image-7420" data-attachment-id="7420" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"DSC-WX10","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1669624484","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.28","iso":"200","shutter_speed":"0.033333333333333","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="23-02-cushions0" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-cushions0.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-cushions0.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-cushions0.jpg" data-orig-size="500,366" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2023/02/21/cushions/23-02-cushions0/" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-cushions0.jpg?w=500" srcset="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-cushions0.jpg 500w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-cushions0.jpg?w=150 150w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-cushions0.jpg?w=300 300w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" /></figure></div><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Using the cushion logs as dividers allows me to adjust the size of each of the play areas. There isn’t much space in the music & movement area in the picture above – certainly not enough space for the tunnels or the tumbling mats when the rope ladder or monkey bars are in use on the stall bars. The cushions can easily be moved out of the way for that though.</p><div class="wp-block-image" style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><figure class="aligncenter size-large" style="clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto;"><img alt="two tunnels in playroom" class="wp-image-7422" data-attachment-id="7422" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"DSC-WX10","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1675333664","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.28","iso":"160","shutter_speed":"0.033333333333333","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="23-02-cushions03" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-cushions03.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-cushions03.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-cushions03.jpg" data-orig-size="500,385" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2023/02/21/cushions/23-02-cushions03/" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-cushions03.jpg?w=500" srcset="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-cushions03.jpg 500w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-cushions03.jpg?w=150 150w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-cushions03.jpg?w=300 300w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" /></figure></div><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Moving both the log cushions into the block area doesn’t leave much space for building – it would annoy the school-age children. However, the infants and toddlers love this – and it encourages them to sit down in the block area too! Also great for story time.</p><div class="wp-block-image" style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><figure class="aligncenter size-large" style="clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto;"><img alt="Children sitting on cushion building with blocks." class="wp-image-7424" data-attachment-id="7424" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"DSC-WX10","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1675335085","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.28","iso":"200","shutter_speed":"0.033333333333333","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="23-02-cushions05" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-cushions05.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-cushions05.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-cushions05.jpg" data-orig-size="500,340" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2023/02/21/cushions/23-02-cushions05/" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-cushions05.jpg?w=500" srcset="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-cushions05.jpg 500w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-cushions05.jpg?w=150 150w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-cushions05.jpg?w=300 300w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" /></figure></div><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I may have been a little disappointed that the soft climber didn’t turn out the way I originally planned but I am actually much happier with the versatility of the log cushions (or manatee).</p>Cheryl's Child Carehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02648950764664242676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1597184604072721926.post-91075172249644036772023-02-20T11:57:00.003-06:002023-02-20T11:57:38.895-06:00Moving Trees<p> <span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">In my</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> </span><a href="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2022/11/18/the-snowball-effect/" rel="noreferrer noopener" style="border: 0px; color: #24890d; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">previous post</a><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> </span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">I wrote about how my plan to repurpose the old lounger cushions resulted in playroom renovation in order to move the ‘nature area trees’. I have been working on a post about the cushions and just realized that I never made a post about the trees after I finally got them moved. So now I’ve got a quick tree post to write – well, mostly just tree pictures to post.</span></p><hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; height: 1px; margin-bottom: 23px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100px; opacity: 1; width: 100px;" /><div class="wp-block-image" style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><figure class="aligncenter size-large" style="clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto;"><img alt="playroom, facing West" class="wp-image-7404" data-attachment-id="7404" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1669011179","copyright":"","focal_length":"2.04","iso":"200","shutter_speed":"0.041666666666667","title":"","orientation":"0","latitude":"0","longitude":"0"}" data-image-title="23-02-trees00" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-trees00.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-trees00.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-trees00.jpg" data-orig-size="500,378" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2023/02/20/moving-trees/23-02-trees00/" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-trees00.jpg?w=500" srcset="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-trees00.jpg 500w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-trees00.jpg?w=150 150w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-trees00.jpg?w=300 300w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption" style="caption-side: bottom; color: #555555; display: table-caption; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5; margin: 9px 0px 0px;">Here is the renovated playroom with the trees – one on the far right by the entrance to the nap area and one in the centre of the play room.</figcaption></figure></div><hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; height: 1px; margin-bottom: 23px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100px; opacity: 1; width: 100px;" /><div class="wp-block-image" style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><figure class="aligncenter size-large" style="clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto;"><img alt="Play room facing North" class="wp-image-7406" data-attachment-id="7406" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1669107259","copyright":"","focal_length":"2.04","iso":"400","shutter_speed":"0.041666666666667","title":"","orientation":"0","latitude":"0","longitude":"0"}" data-image-title="23-02-trees01" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-trees01.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-trees01.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-trees01.jpg" data-orig-size="500,374" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2023/02/20/moving-trees/23-02-trees01/" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-trees01.jpg?w=500" srcset="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-trees01.jpg 500w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-trees01.jpg?w=150 150w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-trees01.jpg?w=300 300w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption" style="caption-side: bottom; color: #555555; display: table-caption; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5; margin: 9px 0px 0px;">Facing North towards the entrance to the nap area the trees are both in the centre of the picture.</figcaption></figure></div><hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; height: 1px; margin-bottom: 23px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100px; opacity: 1; width: 100px;" /><div class="wp-block-image" style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><figure class="aligncenter size-large" style="clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto;"><img alt="Play room facing South" class="wp-image-7408" data-attachment-id="7408" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1669278948","copyright":"","focal_length":"2.04","iso":"500","shutter_speed":"0.05","title":"","orientation":"0","latitude":"0","longitude":"0"}" data-image-title="23-02-trees02" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-trees02.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-trees02.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-trees02.jpg" data-orig-size="500,375" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2023/02/20/moving-trees/23-02-trees02/" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-trees02.jpg?w=500" srcset="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-trees02.jpg 500w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-trees02.jpg?w=150 150w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-trees02.jpg?w=300 300w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption" style="caption-side: bottom; color: #555555; display: table-caption; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5; margin: 9px 0px 0px;">Standing in the nap area, facing South toward the dining/craft room – one tree trunk out of frame to my left.</figcaption></figure></div><hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; height: 1px; margin-bottom: 23px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100px; opacity: 1; width: 100px;" /><div class="wp-block-image" style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><figure class="aligncenter size-large" style="clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto;"><img alt="Playroom facing South East." class="wp-image-7410" data-attachment-id="7410" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1669278897","copyright":"","focal_length":"2.04","iso":"450","shutter_speed":"0.05","title":"","orientation":"0","latitude":"0","longitude":"0"}" data-image-title="23-02-trees03" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-trees03.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-trees03.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-trees03.jpg" data-orig-size="500,377" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2023/02/20/moving-trees/23-02-trees03/" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-trees03.jpg?w=500" srcset="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-trees03.jpg 500w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-trees03.jpg?w=150 150w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-trees03.jpg?w=300 300w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption" style="caption-side: bottom; color: #555555; display: table-caption; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5; margin: 9px 0px 0px;">Standing in the block area looking toward the playroom entrance – shows the arch the trees form in the high part of the room.</figcaption></figure></div><hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; height: 1px; margin-bottom: 23px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100px; opacity: 1; width: 100px;" /><div class="wp-block-image" style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><figure class="aligncenter size-large" style="clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto;"><img alt="Playroom looking up to the loft." class="wp-image-7412" data-attachment-id="7412" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1669011241","copyright":"","focal_length":"2.04","iso":"300","shutter_speed":"0.041666666666667","title":"","orientation":"0","latitude":"0","longitude":"0"}" data-image-title="23-02-trees04" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-trees04.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-trees04.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-trees04.jpg" data-orig-size="500,339" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2023/02/20/moving-trees/23-02-trees04/" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-trees04.jpg?w=500" srcset="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-trees04.jpg 500w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-trees04.jpg?w=150 150w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/23-02-trees04.jpg?w=300 300w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption" style="caption-side: bottom; color: #555555; display: table-caption; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5; margin: 9px 0px 0px;">Standing in the music/movement area looking up at the tree ‘canopy’ filling the space in front of the loft. The children like to look for/count all the birds, squirrel and butterflies hidden in amongst the branches.</figcaption></figure></div><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Now that I’ve shown you the trees, I can finish the post about the cushions.</p><div class="sharedaddy sd-rating-enabled sd-like-enabled sd-sharing-enabled" id="jp-post-flair" style="border: 0px; clear: both; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 24px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0.5em 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div>Cheryl's Child Carehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02648950764664242676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1597184604072721926.post-62003612687709305572022-11-18T17:02:00.002-06:002022-11-18T17:02:16.266-06:00The Snowball Effect<p> <span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">First, a bit of history…</span></p><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I have four large outdoor lounger cushions. I bought them many years ago at an end-of-season clearance sale – the discounted price meant I got all four of them for less than the cost of just one toddler cot so I couldn’t resist. I briefly used them for napping children – they are thicker, wider and longer than other nap mats. They are very comfortable but also very heavy and cumbersome to set up and put away for daily naptime and take up a lot of space so I ended up getting more cots for naps indoors.</p><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The fabric on the lounger cushions is intended for outdoor use so that is where we used them most – for napping or relaxing in tents or on the deck etc. When not in use they were stored in bags in the big shed. During the <a href="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2019/08/03/vacation-2019/" rel="noreferrer noopener" style="border: 0px; color: #24890d; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Vacation 2019</a> renovation, ‘Frankenshed’ was disassembled and the new toy storage shed was too small to store the large cushions so they were brought back inside and again stored with the other cots and bedding.</p><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The small room off the main playroom is used for napping infants and storage of cots, bedding, books, and bulky items I don’t want to haul down to the basement storage area. This area is still sometimes referred to as the ‘Nature Area’ because I left the trees in there from when this used to be a play area – written about in the <a href="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2013/09/22/artificial-nature/" rel="noreferrer noopener" style="border: 0px; color: #24890d; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Nature Area</a> and the <a href="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2019/04/01/quiet-spaces-2/" rel="noreferrer noopener" style="border: 0px; color: #24890d; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Quiet Space</a> posts.</p><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Now, this is when the snowball began to form…</p><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I recently wanted to use the big cushions for a toddler activity, but found it was very inconvenient to get them off the shelves behind the tree branches. I decided that on the upcoming long weekend I should move the trees into the main playroom. Afterall, though it did look nice having the tree branches forming a canopy over the cribs, it would be wonderful if the trees were in the playroom where everyone could enjoy them.</p><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">So, I started looking for the best place to mount the trees in the playroom…and decided that I would first need to move the toy food counter…which then meant I would need to change the block storage area. <em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">*sigh*</em> The list of necessary changes continued to grow and after thirty plus hours of demo, rearranging, building and organizing the playroom has been <em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">mostly</em> ‘prepped’ for the arrival of the trees but, even with a three-day weekend, there wasn’t enough time to actually <em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">move </em>the trees.</p><div class="wp-block-image" style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><figure class="aligncenter size-large" style="clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto;"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7391" data-attachment-id="7391" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1668580021","copyright":"","focal_length":"2.04","iso":"500","shutter_speed":"0.05","title":"","orientation":"0","latitude":"0","longitude":"0"}" data-image-title="22-11-snowball01" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/11/22-11-snowball01.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/11/22-11-snowball01.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/11/22-11-snowball01.jpg" data-orig-size="500,360" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2022/11/18/the-snowball-effect/22-11-snowball01/" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/11/22-11-snowball01.jpg?w=500" srcset="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/11/22-11-snowball01.jpg 500w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/11/22-11-snowball01.jpg?w=150 150w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/11/22-11-snowball01.jpg?w=300 300w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" /></figure></div><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I am pleased with the new arrangement – so far – and the children seemed to like it too. All of the children in the current group have only ever seen the trees as decorations in the nap area – never as part of the play space. They are familiar with having other things in the play environment change but probably don’t realize <em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">these</em> trees can be relocated. I am certain they will be excited when I manage to complete the project – and with the cushion activity too whenever I get around to that.</p><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">There are still a few more little tasks to complete before the trees get moved but hopefully that will be done this weekend. The snowball forming now it the growing list of paperwork that I should be doing <img alt="🙂" class="emoji" draggable="false" role="img" src="https://s0.wp.com/wp-content/mu-plugins/wpcom-smileys/twemoji/2/svg/1f642.svg" style="background-attachment: initial !important; background-clip: initial !important; background-image: none !important; background-origin: initial !important; background-position: initial !important; background-repeat: initial !important; background-size: initial !important; border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; display: inline !important; height: auto; margin: 0px 0.07em !important; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px !important; vertical-align: -0.1em !important; width: 1em !important;" /></p>Cheryl's Child Carehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02648950764664242676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1597184604072721926.post-41975885795941020282022-10-23T10:29:00.002-05:002022-10-23T10:29:18.605-05:00Summer Recap part 2<p> <span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">In my last post I covered some of the changes I had made to our outdoor play area. I mentioned that I had built a new roof over the little house in the corner of the yard and that moving the bus benches here made this a favourite sit spot all summer. However, I did not have a picture to include in my last post – but I do now;</span></p><div class="wp-block-image" style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><figure class="aligncenter size-large" style="clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto;"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7361" data-attachment-id="7361" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1664380987","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.03","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.016666666666667","title":"","orientation":"0","latitude":"0","longitude":"0"}" data-image-title="22-09-sum05b" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum05b.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum05b.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum05b.jpg" data-orig-size="500,375" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2022/10/23/summer-recap-part-2/22-09-sum05b/" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum05b.jpg?w=500" srcset="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum05b.jpg 500w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum05b.jpg?w=150 150w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum05b.jpg?w=300 300w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" /></figure></div><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I also promised to write more about some of our summer activities so that is what this post is for. Although International Mud Day occurs before my summer vacation, I never write about it until after. I didn’t write a dedicated ‘Mud Day 2022’ post but I can’t have a summer activities post without at least a couple mud day photos. This particular group was highly motivated to wash muddy toys so much of the activity was ‘mud on, mud off, repeat’.</p><div class="wp-block-image" style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><figure class="aligncenter size-large" style="clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto;"><img alt="Children playing in pool of mud" class="wp-image-7364" data-attachment-id="7364" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"DSC-WX10","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1656499292","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.28","iso":"100","shutter_speed":"0.01","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="22-09-mud01" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-mud01.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-mud01.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-mud01.jpg" data-orig-size="500,375" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2022/10/23/summer-recap-part-2/22-09-mud01/" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-mud01.jpg?w=500" srcset="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-mud01.jpg 500w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-mud01.jpg?w=150 150w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-mud01.jpg?w=300 300w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" /></figure></div><div class="wp-block-image" style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><figure class="aligncenter size-large" style="clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto;"><img alt="Children playing in mud and washing toys" class="wp-image-7365" data-attachment-id="7365" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"DSC-WX10","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1656499402","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.28","iso":"100","shutter_speed":"0.008","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="22-09-mud02" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-mud02.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-mud02.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-mud02.jpg" data-orig-size="500,374" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2022/10/23/summer-recap-part-2/22-09-mud02/" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-mud02.jpg?w=500" srcset="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-mud02.jpg 500w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-mud02.jpg?w=150 150w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-mud02.jpg?w=300 300w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" /></figure></div><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The building area of the yard was popular all summer – surprisingly more popular than the water area or the climbing wall. Often, we had all eight of the children wanting to play here at the same time though they still preferred to create separate small ‘homes’ in a ‘town’ rather than work together on a single, large structure like other groups have in the past.</p><div class="wp-block-image" style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><figure class="aligncenter size-large" style="clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto;"><img alt="Children building structures with loose parts" class="wp-image-7367" data-attachment-id="7367" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1659524061","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.03","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.0050251256281407","title":"","orientation":"0","latitude":"0","longitude":"0"}" data-image-title="22-09-sum06" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum06.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum06.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum06.jpg" data-orig-size="500,406" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2022/10/23/summer-recap-part-2/22-09-sum06/" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum06.jpg?w=500" srcset="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum06.jpg 500w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum06.jpg?w=150 150w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum06.jpg?w=300 300w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" /></figure></div><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The gravel/digging area, of course, was always popular though usually only for smaller groups at one time. It was interesting to note that, no matter what the activity was, these two were always choosing to play together. The oldest and the youngest in the group – nine years difference in age – but they played so well together all summer. Observing friendships like this is one of the things I like best about having a mixed age group.</p><div class="wp-block-image" style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><figure class="aligncenter size-large" style="clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto;"><img alt="Children pouring gravel in a tube" class="wp-image-7369" data-attachment-id="7369" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1660217354","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.03","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.0030395136778116","title":"","orientation":"0","latitude":"0","longitude":"0"}" data-image-title="22-09-sum07" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum07.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum07.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum07.jpg" data-orig-size="500,407" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2022/10/23/summer-recap-part-2/22-09-sum07/" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum07.jpg?w=500" srcset="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum07.jpg 500w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum07.jpg?w=150 150w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum07.jpg?w=300 300w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" /></figure></div><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">We also started a collection of ‘nature stuff’ to use to make mandalas. Some of the children only liked the ‘collecting’ part, others preferred simply sorting the items that were collected on our walks. Only a few actually seemed to enjoy creating the mandalas though.</p><div class="wp-block-image" style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><figure class="aligncenter size-large" style="clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto;"><img alt="Children creating mandalas with items from nature" class="wp-image-7371" data-attachment-id="7371" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1660040421","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.03","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.0060240963855422","title":"","orientation":"0","latitude":"0","longitude":"0"}" data-image-title="22-09-sum08" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum08.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum08.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum08.jpg" data-orig-size="500,401" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2022/10/23/summer-recap-part-2/22-09-sum08/" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum08.jpg?w=500" srcset="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum08.jpg 500w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum08.jpg?w=150 150w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum08.jpg?w=300 300w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" /></figure></div><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">As usual, we went to parks almost every day to play tag or other group activities that require a big open space that we can’t do in my yard. I almost never take the children to playstructures but we do love the climbers they have at St John’s Park.</p><div class="wp-block-image" style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><figure class="aligncenter size-large" style="clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto;"><img alt="Children climbing poles" class="wp-image-7374" data-attachment-id="7374" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1661247364","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.03","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.0024390243902439","title":"","orientation":"0","latitude":"0","longitude":"0"}" data-image-title="22-09-sum09-1" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum09-1.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum09-1.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum09-1.jpg" data-orig-size="500,375" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2022/10/23/summer-recap-part-2/22-09-sum09-1/" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum09-1.jpg?w=500" srcset="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum09-1.jpg 500w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum09-1.jpg?w=150 150w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum09-1.jpg?w=300 300w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" /></figure></div><div class="wp-block-image" style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><figure class="aligncenter size-large" style="clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto;"><img alt="Child climbing rock" class="wp-image-7375" data-attachment-id="7375" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1662111732","copyright":"","focal_length":"2.04","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.0021186440677966","title":"","orientation":"0","latitude":"0","longitude":"0"}" data-image-title="22-09-sum10" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum10.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum10.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum10.jpg" data-orig-size="500,403" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2022/10/23/summer-recap-part-2/22-09-sum10/" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum10.jpg?w=500" srcset="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum10.jpg 500w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum10.jpg?w=150 150w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum10.jpg?w=300 300w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" /></figure></div><div class="wp-block-image" style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><figure class="aligncenter size-large" style="clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto;"><img alt="children on monkeybars " class="wp-image-7377" data-attachment-id="7377" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1662112282","copyright":"","focal_length":"2.04","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.0010330578512397","title":"","orientation":"0","latitude":"0","longitude":"0"}" data-image-title="22-09-sum12" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum12.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum12.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum12.jpg" data-orig-size="500,367" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2022/10/23/summer-recap-part-2/22-09-sum12/" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum12.jpg?w=500" srcset="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum12.jpg 500w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum12.jpg?w=150 150w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum12.jpg?w=300 300w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" /></figure></div><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Whenever the basketball court was empty, the children always wanted to play line tag.</p><div class="wp-block-image" style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><figure class="aligncenter size-large" style="clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto;"><img alt="Children running on outdoor basketball court " class="wp-image-7381" data-attachment-id="7381" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1661854533","copyright":"","focal_length":"2.04","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.001497005988024","title":"","orientation":"0","latitude":"0","longitude":"0"}" data-image-title="22-09-sum13" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum13.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum13.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum13.jpg" data-orig-size="500,313" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2022/10/23/summer-recap-part-2/22-09-sum13/" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum13.jpg?w=500" srcset="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum13.jpg 500w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum13.jpg?w=150 150w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum13.jpg?w=300 300w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" /></figure></div><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Some of the children tried cutting tree cookies. Even though we only used small branches this was a surprisingly difficult/time consuming activity. The children who were persistent enough to cut all the way through were very proud of their achievement – so was I <img alt="🙂" class="emoji" draggable="false" role="img" src="https://s0.wp.com/wp-content/mu-plugins/wpcom-smileys/twemoji/2/svg/1f642.svg" style="background-attachment: initial !important; background-clip: initial !important; background-image: none !important; background-origin: initial !important; background-position: initial !important; background-repeat: initial !important; background-size: initial !important; border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; display: inline !important; height: auto; margin: 0px 0.07em !important; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px !important; vertical-align: -0.1em !important; width: 1em !important;" /></p><div class="wp-block-image" style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><figure class="aligncenter size-large" style="clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto;"><img alt="Preschool child using hand saw to cut branch" class="wp-image-7379" data-attachment-id="7379" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1662028462","copyright":"","focal_length":"2.04","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.0075757575757576","title":"","orientation":"0","latitude":"0","longitude":"0"}" data-image-title="22-09-sum14" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum14.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum14.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum14.jpg" data-orig-size="500,363" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2022/10/23/summer-recap-part-2/22-09-sum14/" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum14.jpg?w=500" srcset="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum14.jpg 500w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum14.jpg?w=150 150w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/22-09-sum14.jpg?w=300 300w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" /></figure></div><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Fantastic Summer!</p>Cheryl's Child Carehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02648950764664242676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1597184604072721926.post-21874911166869122542022-09-28T08:19:00.008-05:002022-09-28T08:19:58.355-05:00Summer Recap<p> <span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Every year, I take my summer vacation at the beginning of July so I can complete some big projects to prepare for all our summer activities. I don’t like to travel so going places is never on my vacation agenda. Relaxing is something I find difficult – maybe even stressful – I like to be busy. There are some types of ‘busy’ that I enjoy more than others and my summer projects are high up on my list.</span></p><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Spring 2022 was so late, so wet, so…. depressing that it was really hard to get excited about summer projects. In fact, it was mid-June already when my husband asked, “What are your summer projects this year?” and I realized that I hadn’t even started making my list. Of course, there were things I wanted to do but nothing that I considered a BIG summer project – just a bunch of little things that I would normally plan as weekend projects.</p><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The most obvious project to put on the summer list was the climbing wall – which I had purchased the supplies for last fall and planned to build as soon as the snow melted and have ready for when the school-age children were here for Spring Break – but it was still ‘winter’ when school was out for spring bbreak. The climbing wall was probably the most noticeable vacation project and very popular with the children all summer.</p><div class="wp-block-image" style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><figure class="aligncenter size-large" style="clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto;"><img alt="child on climbing wall" class="wp-image-7347" data-attachment-id="7347" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1658765185","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.03","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.0025380710659898","title":"","orientation":"0","latitude":"0","longitude":"0"}" data-image-title="22-09-sum01" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/22-09-sum01.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/22-09-sum01.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/22-09-sum01.jpg" data-orig-size="500,375" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2022/09/28/summer-recap/22-09-sum01/" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/22-09-sum01.jpg?w=500" srcset="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/22-09-sum01.jpg 500w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/22-09-sum01.jpg?w=150 150w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/22-09-sum01.jpg?w=300 300w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" /></figure></div><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The second most noticeable project was the roof over the corner house – and I don’t even have a picture of it. Creating the corner house to replace the tipi was one of my<a href="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2021/07/20/vacation-2021/" rel="noreferrer noopener" style="border: 0px; color: #24890d; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"> 2021 vacation projects</a> that I didn’t have time to complete the way I initially envisioned. I had simply made a temporary lean-to type of roof last year. This year I designed and built a better roof and moved all the bus benches into the corner house. It was a very popular sit spot all summer – I can’t fathom why I didn’t manage to get a picture of it. <em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">*sigh*</em></p><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I also didn’t any pictures of the new layout of stumps, logs, and steppingstones in the mulch area or the enlarged ‘river’ area. I spent three whole days rearranging the pathways to align with the bridges and entrances to the building and digging areas. It was a very labour intensive project but not something particularly noticeable if you hadn’t spent a lot of time in the yard.</p><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The children and I found the new pathways to be much more functional – as did this little visitor to my yard – caught on my surveillance camera, he/she followed the new curvy path perfectly all the way from the back gate to the side yard. LOL</p><div class="wp-block-image" style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><figure class="aligncenter size-large" style="clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto;"><img alt="skunk walking through yard" class="wp-image-7348" data-attachment-id="7348" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1661201171","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.03","iso":"150","shutter_speed":"0.033333333333333","title":"","orientation":"0","latitude":"0","longitude":"0"}" data-image-title="22-09-sum01b" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/22-09-sum01b.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/22-09-sum01b.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/22-09-sum01b.jpg" data-orig-size="500,378" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2022/09/28/summer-recap/22-09-sum01b/" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/22-09-sum01b.jpg?w=500" srcset="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/22-09-sum01b.jpg 500w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/22-09-sum01b.jpg?w=150 150w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/22-09-sum01b.jpg?w=300 300w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" /></figure></div><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I expanded the ‘river’ area to make space for a new dedicated area for water play. I added a hand pump so the children could get water for creating concoctions. There was a delay in getting this area ready for use. The hand pump I originally chose did not function properly and was eventually replaced with this bilge pump.</p><div class="wp-block-image" style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><figure class="aligncenter size-large" style="clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto;"><img alt="child using bilge pump" class="wp-image-7349" data-attachment-id="7349" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1661162931","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.03","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.0074626865671642","title":"","orientation":"0","latitude":"0","longitude":"0"}" data-image-title="22-09-sum02" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/22-09-sum02.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/22-09-sum02.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/22-09-sum02.jpg" data-orig-size="500,424" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2022/09/28/summer-recap/22-09-sum02/" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/22-09-sum02.jpg?w=500" srcset="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/22-09-sum02.jpg 500w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/22-09-sum02.jpg?w=150 150w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/22-09-sum02.jpg?w=300 300w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" /></figure></div><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The trick here though is that getting water requires some communication as the pump is not near the spouts…</p><div class="wp-block-image" style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><figure class="aligncenter size-large" style="clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto;"><img alt="children playing with water" class="wp-image-7351" data-attachment-id="7351" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1661162900","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.03","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.0069444444444444","title":"","orientation":"0","latitude":"0","longitude":"0"}" data-image-title="22-09-sum03" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/22-09-sum03.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/22-09-sum03.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/22-09-sum03.jpg" data-orig-size="500,374" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2022/09/28/summer-recap/22-09-sum03/" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/22-09-sum03.jpg?w=500" srcset="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/22-09-sum03.jpg 500w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/22-09-sum03.jpg?w=150 150w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/22-09-sum03.jpg?w=300 300w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" /></figure></div><div class="wp-block-image" style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><figure class="aligncenter size-large" style="clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto;"><img alt="Child collecting water" class="wp-image-7353" data-attachment-id="7353" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1661162965","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.03","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.0069444444444444","title":"","orientation":"0","latitude":"0","longitude":"0"}" data-image-title="22-09-sum03b" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/22-09-sum03b.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/22-09-sum03b.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/22-09-sum03b.jpg" data-orig-size="500,375" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2022/09/28/summer-recap/22-09-sum03b/" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/22-09-sum03b.jpg?w=500" srcset="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/22-09-sum03b.jpg 500w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/22-09-sum03b.jpg?w=150 150w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/22-09-sum03b.jpg?w=300 300w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" /></figure></div><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">This area is still a work in progress – we hope to add more pipes, hoses and storage for other concoction making supplies. Of course, we are still collecting supplies too! It was a very popular play area this summer.</p><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I also added a new painting panel. We’ve had several built-in plexiglass panels in the past and I have found that they get damaged in the winter. The framework I built for hanging this one is permanent but the panel itself is removable, so the space is still multipurpose, and the panel can be safely stored when not in use.</p><div class="wp-block-image" style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><figure class="aligncenter size-large" style="clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto;"><img alt="Children painting" class="wp-image-7354" data-attachment-id="7354" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1660129956","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.03","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.00097847358121331","title":"","orientation":"0","latitude":"0","longitude":"0"}" data-image-title="22-09-sum04" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/22-09-sum04.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/22-09-sum04.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/22-09-sum04.jpg" data-orig-size="500,343" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2022/09/28/summer-recap/22-09-sum04/" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/22-09-sum04.jpg?w=500" srcset="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/22-09-sum04.jpg 500w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/22-09-sum04.jpg?w=150 150w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/22-09-sum04.jpg?w=300 300w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" /></figure></div><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I love plexiglass for painting on – even better when you can access both sides – and with the garden as a backdrop the artwork is enhanced.</p><div class="wp-block-image" style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><figure class="aligncenter size-large" style="clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto;"><img alt="Children's artwork" class="wp-image-7356" data-attachment-id="7356" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1660148477","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.03","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.0017667844522968","title":"","orientation":"0","latitude":"0","longitude":"0"}" data-image-title="22-09-sum05" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/22-09-sum05.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/22-09-sum05.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/22-09-sum05.jpg" data-orig-size="500,375" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2022/09/28/summer-recap/22-09-sum05/" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/22-09-sum05.jpg?w=500" srcset="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/22-09-sum05.jpg 500w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/22-09-sum05.jpg?w=150 150w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/22-09-sum05.jpg?w=300 300w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" /></figure></div><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Well, that didn’t seem like a lot of dramatic changes to our learning environment. Certainly not any major transformations. Still, there were enough little projects to keep me busy on my ‘vacation’ and some new spaces for the children to explore this summer. In my next post I will highlight a few of our summer activities.</p>Cheryl's Child Carehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02648950764664242676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1597184604072721926.post-62560460383009487082022-08-20T13:10:00.002-05:002022-08-20T13:10:21.568-05:00Things I Should Have Said<p> <span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">It has been far too long since I wrote a blog post about anything. I’ve been feeling a little overwhelmed by tasks I’ve committed myself to complete for other people. Since all of these ‘other’ things have had a screen time component, I’ve been putting all my own screen time stuff on hold.</span></p><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I like working on blog posts but there is only so much sitting/screen time I can handle – honestly, I’d just die if I had to work in an office every day, I’d rather clean bathrooms than sit at a desk even if the paper/computer work was interesting. Some of the other projects are very interesting, even quite exciting, but the time commitment is daunting.</p><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Also note, it isn’t just the screen time that prevents me from doing office work. If I have to talk on the phone then I must also be pacing or doing laps in order to maintain some type of focus on what the caller is saying. There is a strong possibility that I will see an interesting nature thing through a window and completely block out anything the caller is saying. They would be completely unaware that I had mentally left the conversation. Please don’t phone me with important info.</p><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Back on topic…</p><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Most blog posts don’t actually take a lot of time but some of the other projects I’ve committed myself to do are very time consuming. So, as these other projects have deadlines, I’ve felt a little guilty if I ‘wasted’ any stationary time working on my ‘fun’ computer activities when I had time sensitive commitments. The fun vs work turmoil has made me avoid most computer activities even when I probably had the time.</p><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I finally managed to eliminate some of these ‘other’ things so I’m going to catch up on a few of our past activities I would have/should have written posts about. First up – the bannock we cooked over the fire during spring break – yes, almost five months ago.</p><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Having campfires with babies is tricky which is why we usually only manage them during winter break when my husband is off work and can tend to the fire while I watch babies. I’ve written about some past campfire cooking in <a href="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2017/01/07/warm-in-winter/" rel="noreferrer noopener" style="border: 0px; color: #24890d; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">2017</a> and <a href="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2020/01/24/december-fun/" rel="noreferrer noopener" style="border: 0px; color: #24890d; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">2020</a>. This year, spring was so late that spring break was more like winter so we had winter type activities instead.</p><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">With <em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">three </em>mobile babies I didn’t think there was any safe place to put a fire pit in the yard so we just used the wok in the parking area. The babies and I could see, and smell the yumminess safely and the older children were trustworthy enough to be outside the yard fence with my husband tending the fire.</p><div class="wp-block-image" style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><figure class="aligncenter size-large" style="clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto;"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7336" data-attachment-id="7336" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"DSC-WX10","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1648721792","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.28","iso":"100","shutter_speed":"0.004","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="22-04-bannock00" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/22-04-bannock00.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/22-04-bannock00.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/22-04-bannock00.jpg" data-orig-size="500,352" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2022/08/20/things-i-should-have-said/22-04-bannock00/" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/22-04-bannock00.jpg?w=500" srcset="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/22-04-bannock00.jpg 500w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/22-04-bannock00.jpg?w=150 150w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/22-04-bannock00.jpg?w=300 300w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" /></figure></div><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">We had a little trouble getting the strips of bannock dough to stay wrapped on the metal skewers (branches would work better but I don’t trust the sticks we collect in the city due to chemicals etc.). It was taking a long time to cook the bannock when we had to keep taking them out of the fire to rewrap. Putting multiple strips of bannock in hotdog roasters was much easier and faster – we had a lot of dough to cook!</p><div class="wp-block-image" style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><figure class="aligncenter size-large" style="clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto;"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7337" data-attachment-id="7337" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"DSC-WX10","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1648721778","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.28","iso":"100","shutter_speed":"0.008","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="22-04-bannock01" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/22-04-bannock01.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/22-04-bannock01.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/22-04-bannock01.jpg" data-orig-size="500,396" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2022/08/20/things-i-should-have-said/22-04-bannock01/" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/22-04-bannock01.jpg?w=500" srcset="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/22-04-bannock01.jpg 500w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/22-04-bannock01.jpg?w=150 150w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/22-04-bannock01.jpg?w=300 300w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" /></figure></div><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The babies waited eagerly by the gate every time I went outside the fence to take a few pictures and get some of the cooked bannock. Getting back in was challenging as all the babies crowded around my legs with their mouths wide open like little baby birds waiting for morsels of tasty bannock. They couldn’t get enough – ate more than all the bigger children who preferred cooking over eating.</p><div class="wp-block-image" style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><figure class="aligncenter size-large" style="clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto;"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7339" data-attachment-id="7339" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"DSC-WX10","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1648721792","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.28","iso":"100","shutter_speed":"0.004","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="22-04-bannock02" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/22-04-bannock02.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/22-04-bannock02.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/22-04-bannock02.jpg" data-orig-size="500,405" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2022/08/20/things-i-should-have-said/22-04-bannock02/" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/22-04-bannock02.jpg?w=500" srcset="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/22-04-bannock02.jpg 500w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/22-04-bannock02.jpg?w=150 150w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/22-04-bannock02.jpg?w=300 300w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" /></figure></div><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The bannock cooked in the hotdog roasters did <em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">look</em> rather unappealing – several comments were made about ‘dog turds’ – but it <em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">tasted</em> wonderful! The little nuggets were actually perfect bite-sized pieces for easy snacking.</p><div class="wp-block-image" style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><figure class="aligncenter size-large" style="clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto;"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7340" data-attachment-id="7340" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"DSC-WX10","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1648722871","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.28","iso":"100","shutter_speed":"0.016666666666667","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="22-04-bannock03" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/22-04-bannock03.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/22-04-bannock03.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/22-04-bannock03.jpg" data-orig-size="500,366" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2022/08/20/things-i-should-have-said/22-04-bannock03/" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/22-04-bannock03.jpg?w=500" srcset="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/22-04-bannock03.jpg 500w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/22-04-bannock03.jpg?w=150 150w, https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/22-04-bannock03.jpg?w=300 300w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" /></figure></div><p style="border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">It was a great spring break activity though on subsequent walks there were a few extra reminders that we never pickup anything from the ground when we are out for a walk – even if it looks like bannock.</p>Cheryl's Child Carehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02648950764664242676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1597184604072721926.post-23187693564390295952022-02-12T13:46:00.000-06:002022-02-12T13:46:22.281-06:00Winter Yard 3<p> </p><p>I was excitedly anticipating winter this year – every year actually,
but this year in particular. We loved all the little play areas that
were created during my <a href="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2021/07/20/vacation-2021/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">2021 yard renovation</a>.
Sure there were a lot of fun things to do here in the warmer weather
but, when I first designed the plan for the play spaces in the backyard,
I was actually also considering how we would use it in the winter.</p>
<p>We love snow – climbing on snow piles, digging tunnels and dens,
building with ice and snow. I’ve written posts about our winter yard
in <a href="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2016/01/28/winter-yard/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank"><strong>2016</strong> </a>and <a href="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2019/01/26/winter-yard-2/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank"><strong>2019</strong></a>.
Sometimes though, we have had issues with the ‘climbers’ wrecking the
towers built by the ‘builders’ or the ‘diggers’ destroying the mountains
created for the ‘climbers’ etc. Sure, problem solving and dealing with
social disputes are important skills but sometimes we just want to
engage in our favorite activity – uninterrupted by those who prefer
different activities.</p>
<p>The yard renovation provided an active play area with swings,
pathways, stumps and logs perfect for the climbers and jumpers – and
also for creating pathways around mountains of snow. The yard
renovation had a separated area for digging in gravel – or snow – and a
large building area with plenty of loose parts – or ice blocks and snow.
The plan was to allow space for longer term/larger building projects
without infringing on the needs of the climbers and the diggers.</p>
<p>We have a different problem now though – there is too much snow. For
the past several years we’ve thought there wasn’t enough snow and we
spent more time hiking to parks etc looking for spaces with more snow. I
think the last time I complained about too much snow was in <a href="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2014/03/07/snow-days/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank"><strong>2014</strong></a>. However, in 2013 I wrote about a year we had <strong><a href="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2013/02/21/the-perfect-amount-of-snow/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">the perfect amount of snow</a> </strong>for that yard configuration and the group of children enrolled at that time.</p>
<p>I first started writing this post – and took the pictures – in January and we have received <em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">a lot more snow</span></em> since then<em> *sigh*</em>
I have no desire to take updated photos before I publish this post so
these older pictures will have to do. In the active play area we have
two climbing hills and over 100 feet of ‘hiking’ trails around all the
snow hills and other structures.</p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7317" data-attachment-id="7317" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"7.1","credit":"","camera":"DSC-WX10","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1643386478","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.28","iso":"100","shutter_speed":"0.003125","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="22-01-snow00" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/22-01-snow00.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/22-01-snow00.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/22-01-snow00.jpg" data-orig-size="500,375" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/22-01-snow00/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/22-01-snow00.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<p>OK, in the picture the ‘mountains’ don’t look huge but they have been
packed solid by the climbers. I can’t make them any taller because
they can’t go any wider. Besides, when the preschoolers stand on the
snow hill under the arbour they can touch the beams the swings hang from
in the summer. I usually need a step stool to hang the swings – now
the beams are at my shoulder height. The problem is that the ‘pathways’
between the hills are actually almost 18 inches high. I haven’t had
enough time to clear all the pathways between snow falls this year.</p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7319" data-attachment-id="7319" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"7.1","credit":"","camera":"DSC-WX10","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1643386464","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.28","iso":"100","shutter_speed":"0.003125","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="22-01-snow01" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/22-01-snow01.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/22-01-snow01.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/22-01-snow01.jpg" data-orig-size="500,375" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/22-01-snow01/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/22-01-snow01.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<p>The picture above shows the bench the babies usually hold on to when
they reach up to spin the wheels on the fence. The wheels are now baby
hip height and that snow pile in the back is NOT for climbing on. It is
on the area of the deck I usually keep clear so the babies have a flat
space to practice walking in heavy boots. Besides, if you climb over
that hill you will be in the neighbour’s yard.</p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7321" data-attachment-id="7321" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"7.1","credit":"","camera":"DSC-WX10","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1643386373","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.28","iso":"100","shutter_speed":"0.003125","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="22-01-snow02" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/22-01-snow02.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/22-01-snow02.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/22-01-snow02.jpg" data-orig-size="500,388" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/22-01-snow02/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/22-01-snow02.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<p>Above – another view of the pathway between the climbing hills to the
gate and beyond – to what should be the digging area. It is downhill
all the way from the back door to the gate now – though in the summer it
is slightly uphill. Below is the gate to the toy shed and garden area.</p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7322" data-attachment-id="7322" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"7.1","credit":"","camera":"DSC-WX10","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1643386433","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.28","iso":"100","shutter_speed":"0.003125","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="22-01-snow03" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/22-01-snow03.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/22-01-snow03.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/22-01-snow03.jpg" data-orig-size="500,375" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/22-01-snow03/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/22-01-snow03.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<p>Note: as part of my summer renovation I changed the hinge point of
this gate – it used to open inward which had posed a problem because I
couldn’t open it to clear the snow to the shed. Now it opens outward
and although I’ve cleared a path <strong>to</strong> the gate I’ve given
up trying to clear a path beyond it and can no longer get to the shed.
I have managed to keep one half of the compost bin clear enough that I
can partially open the lid and dump the compost pail when it is full.</p>
<p>I’ve only managed to clear less than a quarter of the building area but not all the way down to the rubber mat.</p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7324" data-attachment-id="7324" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"7.1","credit":"","camera":"DSC-WX10","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1643386261","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.28","iso":"100","shutter_speed":"0.004","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="22-01-snow04" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/22-01-snow04.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/22-01-snow04.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/22-01-snow04.jpg" data-orig-size="500,375" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/22-01-snow04/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/22-01-snow04.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<p>I made dozens of coloured ice blocks for winter construction projects
– we found a few to include in this photo but the rest are buried too
deep. The recent snowfalls have hidden these ones now also. All of the
‘convenient’ storage bins full of wood and loose parts for building are
not accessible now either. No one has any interest in building
anything here – barely enough space to sit – and don’t stand up or
you’ll be stabbed by a tree branch.</p>
<p>I do love the trail to the digging area, past the cedars and into the little house in the back corner of the yard.</p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7325" data-attachment-id="7325" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"7.1","credit":"","camera":"DSC-WX10","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1643386278","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.28","iso":"100","shutter_speed":"0.00625","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="22-01-snow05" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/22-01-snow05.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/22-01-snow05.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/22-01-snow05.jpg" data-orig-size="500,375" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/22-01-snow05/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/22-01-snow05.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<p>That area on the right is the digging area – I don’t clear that area.
I figured the diggers would like to do that – but they can’t find the
shovels…or sticks…or buckets…or even the table or anything else other
than snow.</p>
<p>Arriving at the entrance to the little house is like finding a secret little hideaway.</p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7330" data-attachment-id="7330" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"7.1","credit":"","camera":"DSC-WX10","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1643386297","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.28","iso":"100","shutter_speed":"0.0125","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="22-05-snow06" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/22-05-snow06.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/22-05-snow06.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/22-05-snow06.jpg" data-orig-size="500,375" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/22-05-snow06/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/22-05-snow06.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<p>It is so peaceful and sheltered inside the little house. I’ve tried
to persuade the babies this is a great place to sit and play – no wind,
little snow, level ground – but they don’t seem to like it when I bring
them in here. </p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7327" data-attachment-id="7327" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"7.1","credit":"","camera":"DSC-WX10","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1643386320","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.28","iso":"160","shutter_speed":"0.01","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="22-01-snow07" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/22-01-snow07.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/22-01-snow07.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/22-01-snow07.jpg" data-orig-size="500,375" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/22-01-snow07/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/22-01-snow07.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<p>I think maybe they feel trapped when we sit inside the little house.
If they have to be outdoors they would rather just sit in the sled – I’d
prefer if they were more active – you will be warmer if you keep
moving. To them, from this viewpoint it probably seems like a very long,
arduous journey to get back indoors where all the bulky outerwear is
unnecessary.</p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7329" data-attachment-id="7329" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"7.1","credit":"","camera":"DSC-WX10","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1643386345","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.28","iso":"100","shutter_speed":"0.004","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="22-01-snow08" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/22-01-snow08.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/22-01-snow08.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/22-01-snow08.jpg" data-orig-size="500,375" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/22-01-snow08/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/22-01-snow08.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<p>When I took this photo there were infants and preschoolers playing in
the yard between me and the house but I can’t see them. You know what
would be fun in this yard – a game of hide and seek. I used to have a
group that loved to play hide and seek all the time but there were no
good hiding spaces in the yard at that time. Some of these children
don’t like it if they can’t see me and the ones that like to hide are
probably doing something I’ve asked them not too….</p>
<p>Yep, too much snow. </p>Cheryl's Child Carehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02648950764664242676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1597184604072721926.post-29777222415163459322022-02-03T07:25:00.002-06:002022-02-03T07:25:28.657-06:00Photographs<p> </p><p>In my childcare home I have always used photos to document our
activities. I have created posters and booklets covering all the steps
of big projects. Sometimes the photos are part of the activity – <a href="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2016/02/24/whats-on-your-shirt/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">like this one</a>.
I have used photos in slideshows for workshops, presentations and on a
digital display in the front entrance. As a good bye gift I provide
each child with a photo album containing pictures arranged
chronologically throughout the entire time they have attended.</p>
<p>Some of my oldest childcare photos were taken with a camera that
required film and needed to be taken in to a photo lab to be developed.
I’d have to order reprints to put in family albums and scan photos if I
needed a digital copy. Taking and using photos became so much easier
when I got a digital camera but even then there were occasions when the
camera batteries died while we were on an outing and no more pictures
could be taken until we go back and replaced them.</p>
<p>The number of photos I took increased dramatically when I got a
rechargeable digital camera. So much so that I had to create a separate
folder for unsorted photos and dedicate time on weekends to go through
the week’s photos and file them according to activity like ‘sensory
play’, ‘gross motor’, ‘art’, ‘constructive’, etc so it was easier to
find specific photos when I needed them. My ‘Daycare Photos’ directory
currently has nearly 10,000 photos in 20 folders with many sub-folders
too.</p>
<p>When I got my first smartphone I stopped bringing my digital camera
on everyday outings. It seemed like it would be easier to just use the
camera on my phone instead. I was wrong. Taking photos with my phone
was a slow process which at first I attributed to me learning a new
skill. However, many years have passed and I’ve had several different
phones and I still find it to be a slow process. </p>
<p>At first, I don’t think I noticed the decline in the number of photos I was taking. Actually, maybe I wasn’t<em> taking</em> fewer pictures, but I was definitely <em>deleting</em>
more photos than I was saving. The quality of my phone photos was so
much worse than the photos my little digital camera could take <em>quickly</em>. </p>
<p>Sure, my phone cameras were capable of taking good photos but only if
I was willing to spend the time adjusting settings and planning each
shot. However, most of the photos I take are very spontaneous and even
the time required to load the camera app would be too long so I’d be
left muttering ‘It would have been nice to have a photo of that’ <em>*sigh*</em> </p>
<p>My little point and shoot camera was so much more convenient to use.
I kept the wrist strap on so the camera was always handy. The camera
fit easily in my hand and one finger could reach all the controls. I
never needed two hands to take photos so there was no need to put down
the baby or whatever else I was carrying. This was extremely important
since I rarely take photos when the children ‘pose’. </p>
<p>Most of my photos are pictures of the children in action. Either
they are moving or I am moving or both. All my phone cameras have been
way too slow to take decent action photos. Even if I have the camera
app loaded and I am standing still, holding the phone with two hands the
moving child will usually be just a blur if I even manage to keep them
in the frame. </p>
<p>I suppose I could record videos with my phone and then select photos
from the videos but that seems like a lot of extra work for which I have
no time. My little camera allowed me to take photos while the
children, not the camera controls, were my main focus. Honestly, the
children’s focus is an issue too – many of them are obsessed with phones
and will instantly stop what they are doing if they see a phone in my
hand, so my phone is rarely handy for photos. </p>
<p>Recently I’ve noticed that the good-bye albums I’ve given to
departing children were lacking. It has been surprisingly difficult to
find enough photos to put in a 50 or 100 page album – even when children
had been here for several years. When I was using my old camera I used
to have to be selective and only choose the best photos of our
favourite activities to include in albums – no way I’d have room to
include all the photos.</p>
<p>The last few albums have had another noticeable issue too – the vast
majority of the photos are of the children sitting at the table. Doing
art, playing with small table toys, working on a puzzle, or eating food.
These things are only a very small portion of our activities but
comprise the majority of the photos. I believe it is due to the fact
that when the children are seated at the table, my phone is handy on my
nearby desk. It is the only time it is convenient for me to take photos
with my phone.</p>
<p>Yes, there are some photos of the children in the playroom and of
course more of the children outdoors. Yet, one thing that really
upsetting for me is that there are almost no winter photos. We play
outside every day – even in the winter – but I counted less than 30
pictures of the children in the snow in the last <em>three years!</em>
As difficult and annoying as it is for me to use my phone to take photos
in optimum conditions, the issues are magnified in the winter so
usually I don’t even bother trying.</p>
<p>Last month I was so frustrated by the lack of new photos to add to
the front entrance slideshow that I dug out my old camera and charged.
I’ve even taking it outside when we were playing in the snow. It still
hasn’t become a habit to have it handy but I have definitely take more
photos lately – and generally the photo subject quality has been better
too. Though, many of the children look somewhat confused as they do not
recognize that object in my hand.</p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7310" data-attachment-id="7310" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1643446986","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.03","iso":"1500","shutter_speed":"0.05","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="22-01-camera" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/22-01-camera.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/22-01-camera.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/22-01-camera.jpg" data-orig-size="500,374" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/22-01-camera/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/22-01-camera.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<h3 class="sd-title"><br /></h3>Cheryl's Child Carehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02648950764664242676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1597184604072721926.post-33904476358610367592022-01-15T16:36:00.000-06:002022-01-15T16:36:24.621-06:00Indoor Exercise<p>We usually spend a lot of time outside so there is plenty of
opportunity for the children to engage in active, gross motor play.
During the long winter months our outdoor activity is occasionally
limited by extreme weather conditions so I add some indoor physical
activities like yoga, resistance band exercises and obstacle courses. I
have a a bosu ball, a small balance beam, some balance pods and tunnels
that can be used to enhance these activities but outdoors remains the
preferred space for gross motor play. </p>
<p>Summer 2021 was a particularly active period as I temporarily used
preschool spaces for some additional school age children. Having a
group of older children meant our schedule was more flexible – we could
go on longer outings and more organized group games/activities were
possible. However, in the fall when the older children all returned
to school I enrolled three new infants which resulted in a drastic
change to our schedule. </p>
<p>We still had some long periods of outdoor time in the fall but I was a
little concerned that by winter the two remaining older preschoolers
may not be able to get as much outdoor play/exercise as they were
accustomed to. It was a bit of an impulse purchase when I stumbled
across an ad for this Swedish ladder/stall bar/jungle gym/exercise wall –
and I had the perfect space to install it too.</p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7279" data-attachment-id="7279" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1631380934","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.03","iso":"500","shutter_speed":"0.041666666666667","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="22-01-stretch00" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/22-01-stretch00.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/22-01-stretch00.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/22-01-stretch00.jpg" data-orig-size="500,375" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/22-01-stretch00/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/22-01-stretch00.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<p>Of course the children’s initial excitement about the ‘indoor play
structure’ was anticipation for somewhat reckless behaviours that I
wouldn’t let them do indoors – news flash – still can’t. The various
activities were introduced gradually so it wasn’t overwhelming and we
could discuss the necessary safety rules. </p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7281" data-attachment-id="7281" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1638459534","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.03","iso":"700","shutter_speed":"0.041666666666667","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="22-01-stretch01" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/22-01-stretch01.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/22-01-stretch01.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/22-01-stretch01.jpg" data-orig-size="500,375" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/22-01-stretch01/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/22-01-stretch01.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<p>They soon discovered that using the monkey bars, rings, ladder and
climbing rope were not easy activities. They needed to develop more
skills before they would be able to get far on these. Even the school
age children were surprised at how difficult it is to use only strength
without the assistance of momentum like they could on a large outdoor
play structure. </p>
<p>Luckily the stall bar allows us to do strength and flexibility
exercises any time throughout the day without the extra time to set up
the fall mats and other equipment. The children and I have done
strength training exercises with resistance bands in the past.</p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7284" data-attachment-id="7284" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1583250504","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.03","iso":"850","shutter_speed":"0.041666666666667","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="22-01-stretch02" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/22-01-stretch02.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/22-01-stretch02.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/22-01-stretch02.jpg" data-orig-size="500,389" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/22-01-stretch02/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/22-01-stretch02.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<p>However, we’ve had some limitations on which exercises we could do
because we had very few anchor points available and the children are
different sizes. The stall bar provides various anchor points for the
resistance bands so it is easy to switch from one exercise to another
and to adapt the exercise to the height of each child.</p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7286" data-attachment-id="7286" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"DSC-WX10","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1635952984","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.28","iso":"800","shutter_speed":"0.033333333333333","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="22-01stretch03" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/22-01stretch03.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/22-01stretch03.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/22-01stretch03.jpg" data-orig-size="500,369" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/22-01stretch03/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/22-01stretch03.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7287" data-attachment-id="7287" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"DSC-WX10","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1636998782","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.28","iso":"800","shutter_speed":"0.066666666666667","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="22-01-stretch04" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/22-01-stretch04.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/22-01-stretch04.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/22-01-stretch04.jpg" data-orig-size="500,351" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/22-01-stretch04/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/22-01-stretch04.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<p>They are very interested in watching their reflection in the mirror
and sometimes have difficulty focusing on the actual exercise because
there is so much giggling. The infatuation with the mirror reminds me
of some of the guys I’ve seen at the gym – hilarious! </p>
<p>This handstand backwards walk up and down the stall bar is definitely
one of their favourite activities – and it is so great for the
vestibular and proprioceptive systems <br /></p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7290" data-attachment-id="7290" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"DSC-WX10","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1635953151","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.28","iso":"500","shutter_speed":"0.033333333333333","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="22-01-stretch05" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/22-01-stretch05.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/22-01-stretch05.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/22-01-stretch05.jpg" data-orig-size="500,393" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/22-01-stretch05/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/22-01-stretch05.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<p>Another favourite exercise is the leg raises – great for core strength!</p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7292" data-attachment-id="7292" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"DSC-WX10","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1636472153","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.28","iso":"640","shutter_speed":"0.033333333333333","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="22-01-stretch06" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/22-01-stretch06.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/22-01-stretch06.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/22-01-stretch06.jpg" data-orig-size="500,375" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/22-01-stretch06/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/22-01-stretch06.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<p>There are bars low enough for the toddlers to use if they want to try
and high enough for me to use to demonstrate the exercises. The system
is strong enough to support my adult son doing pull-ups from the top
bar – I can’t reach the top bar without a stool, nor can I do a pull up
LOL.</p>
<p>Stretches are popular too. I model stretches often during the day
especially after spending prolonged periods sitting on the floor with
the children or carrying cranky babies. </p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7295" data-attachment-id="7295" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"DSC-WX10","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1636388144","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.28","iso":"800","shutter_speed":"0.033333333333333","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="22-01-stretch07" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/22-01-stretch07.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/22-01-stretch07.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/22-01-stretch07.jpg" data-orig-size="500,416" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/22-01-stretch07/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/22-01-stretch07.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7297" data-attachment-id="7297" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"DSC-WX10","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1636388200","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.28","iso":"800","shutter_speed":"0.033333333333333","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="22-01-stretch08" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/22-01-stretch08.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/22-01-stretch08.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/22-01-stretch08.jpg" data-orig-size="500,381" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/22-01-stretch08/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/22-01-stretch08.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<p>We use a minute timer for our stretches. It is so rewarding when
after practicing the same stretches every day the children go from ‘It
is too hard, I can’t do it’ to ‘What!? That was a minute already?’ when
the timer beeps. They also realize that if they stretch on an ‘easy’
bar for a minute first, then they can sometimes reach a higher bar
afterwards – one that was not initially possible.</p>
<p>We discuss the importance of choosing the bar height that is an
appropriate stretch for you – not competing with others. Someone who is
tall may not be as flexible as someone who is shorter so their height
does not necessarily determine which bar they use. There are not many
of us that can naturally do this;</p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7299" data-attachment-id="7299" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"DSC-WX10","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1632754761","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.28","iso":"800","shutter_speed":"0.033333333333333","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="22-01-stretch09" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/22-01-stretch09.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/22-01-stretch09.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/22-01-stretch09.jpg" data-orig-size="500,375" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/22-01-stretch09/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/22-01-stretch09.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<p>When I first installed the stall bar I was a little apprehensive that
I may need to be constantly redirecting children who tried to climb the
wall – and I really prefer indirect guidance so I worried I may be
setting them up for failure. I have been pleasantly surprised that it
hasn’t been an issue.</p>
<p>Even the babies – who like to climb on the toys shelves – don’t climb
the bars. Their favourite activity is rolling things down the ramp.</p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7301" data-attachment-id="7301" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1641457476","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.03","iso":"1100","shutter_speed":"0.041666666666667","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="22-01-stretch10" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/22-01-stretch10.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/22-01-stretch10.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/22-01-stretch10.jpg" data-orig-size="500,387" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/22-01-stretch10/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/22-01-stretch10.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<p>Sure, we still much prefer playing outdoors but this purchase has
provided a lot of indoor fun too – and it doesn’t have a screen.</p><p> </p>Cheryl's Child Carehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02648950764664242676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1597184604072721926.post-30800955080443966002022-01-01T13:03:00.000-06:002022-01-01T13:03:39.446-06:00Three Things<p>I must say 2021 had its ups and downs but towards the end it really pushed my limits.</p>
<p><strong>The first thing </strong>was the dishwasher. I know,
dishwashers may be considered a luxury appliance more than a necessity
for most people but the periods of time that I’ve been without a working
dishwasher in my childcare home have proved to be difficult. I’ve
replaced my dishwasher more times in my 25 year childcare career than
all my other appliances combined. I will admit that I work them hard –
running as many as three full loads per day. </p>
<p>My current dishwasher started acting up this past summer –
occasionally it would leak, though not consistently. Sometimes it
leaked immediately though sometimes I didn’t start leaking until it was
more than an hour through the cycle and it often went for weeks without
leaking at all.</p>
<p>It wasn’t just ‘when’ it decided to leak that was inconsistent but
also ‘where’ it decided to leak from. Sure, if it always leaked from
the door I could assume it was the door seal and replacing the gasket
would solve it – but the gasket looked fine. Sometimes the door seal
would be completely dry but there would be a river flowing from under
the dishwasher across the kitchen floor – or worse, a waterfall in the
basement that was not noticeable from upstairs.</p>
<p>Then, in the fall It started intermittently sending codes that it was
unable to reach temperature high enough to sanitize. Being able to
use my dishwasher to sanitize dishes, <em>and toys</em>, is <strong>extremely </strong>important.
So as ‘unable to sanitize’ warnings increased and the constant
supervision required to watch for leaks I just decided to stop using it
for anything more than a drying rack. I’ve ordered a new one, but it
won’t be here until February. <em>*sigh*</em></p>
<p><strong>The second thing </strong>was the little stray cat. On
November 12th, just after the first snowstorm, my husband called me from
the back door to tell me there is a very upset kitten shivering in our
yard. I was busy with the children but told him if he could get it into
the cat carrier and put it in the basement I’d post a picture on the
neighbourhood association site to see if anyone in the area had lost it.</p>
<p>Working together my husband and son were able to contain the very
upset kitten. No one in the neighbourhood claimed it though others in
the area reported having seen it around for a month or more. It was
terrified and starving, I could feel all its bones but it just curled,
motionless, in a tight little ball when touched. I made a makeshift
kennel for it in the basement so it could have a litter box and food
dish but it still spent most of its time hiding at the back of the
carrier.</p>
<p>I made several ‘ found cat’ reports and contacted shelters. No one
had room for it – one suggested it sounded semi-feral and I should put
it back outside. I certainly couldn’t do that, however, I also couldn’t
have an unvaccinated cat around my cats or the children. I felt bad
leaving it alone in the basement but at least it was warm, dry and had
plenty of food which it devoured. </p>
<p>I knew it would have a better chance of settling down if it could at
least see people and other cats so I took it to the vet. After two
weeks of four meals a day ‘she’ now weighed 2.4 kg. ‘Beebe the basement
cat’ was estimated to be 8 months old, now fully vaccinated, dewormed,
tested FIV negative and cleared to be around people and other cats. She
still only wanted to hide.</p>
<p>I had ordered a large three tiered kennel for her but the shipment
was delayed. It the meantime I periodically brought her upstairs in the
carrier for visits with us. She seemed to really enjoy watching TV and
was extremely interested in anything on a plate – I was certain she had
been in a home at some point in her past.</p>
<p>My two older cats were unimpressed by her presence but Montgomery <em>absolutely loved her</em>.
He got so excited every time I brought the carrier up from the
basement and sulked when I took it back down. Wherever Beebe was,
Montgomery was as close as possible. Here they are enjoying the
sunshine.</p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7271" data-attachment-id="7271" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1638624472","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.03","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.0046728971962617","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="22-01-things01" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/22-01-things01.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/22-01-things01.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/22-01-things01.jpg" data-orig-size="500,406" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/22-01-things01/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/22-01-things01.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<p> Beebe was not thrilled by all his attention and most definitely did
not want to come out and play with him but she didn’t seem to mind the
company if he remained calm. She also was becoming a little less timid –
mewing from the basement when she heard me get up in the morning.
Watching me prepare her food but running back to hide in the carrier
when I got close. </p>
<p>Once the big kennel arrived she did seem a little more relaxed.
Accepting pets and offering head butts through the bars as long as there
was a barrier between us. Outside the kennel she was still very
stressed. The kennel could be moved easily to various places on the
main floor so she could enjoy the sunshine, watch the children play, or
have some quiet time.</p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7273" data-attachment-id="7273" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1639909908","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.03","iso":"150","shutter_speed":"0.033333333333333","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="22-01-things02" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/22-01-things02.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/22-01-things02.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/22-01-things02.jpg" data-orig-size="500,374" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/22-01-things02/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/22-01-things02.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<p>On December 23rd she went to the vet to be spayed. Initially still
groggy when she came ‘home’ she did eat and move around. The following
day she seemed a little less active but ate her food and used the litter
box. She was alert and greeted me with head butts on Christmas morning
but refused to eat. She deteriorated rapidly throughout the day and in
the evening we took her to the emergency animal hospital. She was in
respiratory distress and had arrhythmia. Sadly, euthanasia was the best
option. RIP my poor little Beebe. – such a short hard life.</p>
<p><strong>The third thing </strong>– day three of my four day Christmas
break I was notified that I was a close contact of someone who had
tested positive for Covid 19. As a precaution I decided to close for
the three days between the Christmas long weekend and the New Year’s
long weekend to give myself a 10 day isolation period and protect the
children in my care. I am fully vaccinated and have now tested negative
so it probably wasn’t entirely necessary.</p>
<p>Still, as 2022 begins I am happy to report that I am off to a great
start. I’ve got almost all of my year end paperwork done already – it
is usually March before I do that. I have completely cleaned and
reorganized the basement – that has been on my ‘to do’ list for a very
long time. </p>
<p>I am getting used to this handwashing all the dishes thing. Yes,
there will be a lot more dishes once the children return, but I know the
new dishwasher is coming so the extra work is temporary. </p>
I have an empty cat kennel. I considered donating it to a shelter
but then also thought it may be good to hold on to in case another stray
cat in need shows up on my doorstep. I’m even contemplating possibly
fostering cats/kittens – could risk becoming the crazy cat lady:) <br /><p> </p>Cheryl's Child Carehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02648950764664242676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1597184604072721926.post-23380951696267844722021-11-07T16:47:00.002-06:002021-11-07T16:47:38.499-06:00Bananas<p> </p><p>There are always bananas on my kitchen counter. I don’t ever need to
write ‘bananas’ on my grocery list – they are one of the things, like
milk, that I buy every time I go to the store. We have bananas for
snack several times each week because they are so convenient to store
and serve.</p>
<p>All the children like bananas – for some they are their favourite
fruit – though occasionally I’ve had a child that briefly got tired of
having bananas. However, I would not put bananas on my personal list of
preferred fruits – I will only eat green bananas. (note: I also choose
savory over sweet, vegetable over fruit consistently).</p>
<p>Whenever possible I will buy green bananas. If the store only has
yellow bananas I will buy just a few and make another trip to the store
later in the week for more. I cannot have ripe bananas in my kitchen –
once I can smell them then somebody better eat them or I’ll have to
freeze the bananas or bake something.</p>
<p>Yes, I do bake a lot of things with bananas – but I don’t usually eat
any banana flavoured things. Luckily, the children do like most baked
banana snack foods too.</p>
<p>I bought a bunch of bright green bananas on one of my shopping trips
last month – and they would not ripen. This picture was taken almost
two weeks after I bought these bananas.</p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7261" data-attachment-id="7261" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1635680013","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.03","iso":"1650","shutter_speed":"0.066666666666667","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="21-11-bananas01" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/11/21-11-bananas01.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/11/21-11-bananas01.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/11/21-11-bananas01.jpg" data-orig-size="500,395" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/21-11-bananas01/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/11/21-11-bananas01.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<p>Not only were these bananas still green, they were too green even for
me – they were very hard and impossible to peel. I had to buy more
yellow bananas to use for snacks. I am stubborn though and was
determined to get these bananas to ripen or find another use for them.</p>
<p>I searched for uses for green bananas. One site suggested boiling
and mashing them like potatoes – that just sounds gross. Another
suggestion was to slice them and pan fry – I tried that at nap time one
day in hope we would be able to have bananas for afternoon snack. </p>
<p>I still couldn’t peel these bananas so I sliced them and then cut the
peel off. I fried them in butter and added brown sugar to make a sweet
glaze. Even with the sugar they tasted just like fried potatoes! I
absolutely <em>LOVED</em> them – the children definitely did not. None of the children finished their afternoon snack.</p>
<p>I placed the remaining green bananas in a paper bag with all the
green tomatoes that I had picked from my garden before it got too cold.
Over the next week, all the tomatoes ripened and we ate them but the
bananas were still green. I thought maybe my house was too cool (I keep
my thermostat set at 18C) so I tried placing the remaining bunch of
green bananas in my oven set on ‘warm’ for half a day – didn’t help.
Maybe these bananas were even more stubborn than me.</p>
<p>I checked the bananas again on Friday – almost four weeks since I
bought them – still green, though may be not quite as hard as they had
been. I placed them back in the bag and decided I would fry them all on
the weekend – it would make a wonderful snack for my son and I but I
wouldn’t expect the children to eat them.</p>
<p>I was busy outside all day Saturday – taking advantage of the
unseasonably warm weather – and didn’t check the bananas. On Sunday
morning I prepared to fry the green bananas but when I opened the
bag….ewww !</p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7263" data-attachment-id="7263" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1636268242","copyright":"","focal_length":"2.04","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0.076923076923077","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="21-11-bananas02" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/11/21-11-bananas02.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/11/21-11-bananas02.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/11/21-11-bananas02.jpg" data-orig-size="500,375" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/21-11-bananas02/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/11/21-11-bananas02.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
The bananas were suddenly not only all yellow but are they were even
starting to turn brown. There is no way I will fry or even eat these
bananas – too over ripe for me…but I know what the children will love
for snack on MondayCheryl's Child Carehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02648950764664242676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1597184604072721926.post-36319457367317714362021-10-30T11:32:00.003-05:002021-10-30T11:32:48.442-05:00Apple Burgers<p>One of my childcare families asked for this recipe recently and I
replied that it was ‘on the list of future posts’. I actually have a
list of blog posts waiting to be written…lack of post ideas is not the
reason for the long periods of time between posts. Sometimes I just
need a a nudge to move a post to the top of the list and get busy
writing.</p>
<p>As I mentioned in my last post, this past summer we didn’t follow our
regular four-week-revolving menu. Instead, I had made a list – yes, <em>another</em>
list – of new recipes I would like to try without necessarily adding
them to our regular menu. Apple Burgers were one of the new recipes
that the children requested multiple times over the summer and asked to
have added to the regular menu permanently.</p>
<p>In the spring, when I first started going through my recipe books to
make the ‘new recipes’ list, I almost skipped reading the Apple Burger
recipe…<em>again</em>. I say ‘again’ because all my recipe books are
more than 20 years old, some may even be older than me. There are no
pages in any of my recipe books that I have never looked at but there
are definitely recipes that I have not read past the title.</p>
<p>Apple Burgers fell into the ‘skipped’ list because I don’t generally
like apples. I mean, I won’t entirely refuse to eat them – like seafood
(gag) – but anything apple would be near the bottom of a list. Like on
my ‘pie list’ all other fruit pies and most meat/veggie pies would be
ahead of apple pie. So, my initial response to reading the title ‘Apple
Burgers’ would be ‘eww, why wreck a burger by putting apple on it’ and I
would turn the page.</p>
<p>However, this time I read it – after all, I was looking for recipes
for lunches for the children and even most of the picky eaters will eat
apples. I discovered that ‘Apple Burgers’ are really just
chicken/turkey burgers with applesauce in them. MMmmm, chicken and
turkey are pretty high up on my list so Apple Burgers got added to the
summer recipes to try list. </p>
<p>Now, I will first post the recipe ingredient list as it was originally written with the usual disclaimer that I have <em>NEVER</em> followed a recipe without modifying it. Then I’ll try to guess at what I really did since I don’t measure ingredients.</p>
<h5>Apple Burgers</h5>
<ul><li>1 lb ground chicken (or turkey)</li><li>1/2 cup applesauce</li><li>2 tbsp chopped onion</li><li>2 tbsp chopped red pepper</li><li>1/4 tsp salt</li><li>1/8 tsp pepper</li></ul>
<p>After reading the original recipe my first thoughts were; 1) the
children will not even try these if they see a piece of onion or red
pepper, 2) there is not nearly enough seasoning/flavor, and 3) why is
there no egg or breadcrumbs?</p>
<p>So, when I made them I added the things I thought were missing – and I
have done it differently each time I have made them so I don’t really
have a ‘recipe’. Seriously, I just play with food like the children
mixing potions with loose parts…as long as it is edible I’ll consider
throwing it in a ‘recipe’. Also note, I am cooking for a big group so I
usually start with double the above recipe. These are some of the other
modifications I have made.</p>
<p>First, I add a lot more seasoning. I have dried vegetable seasoning
(onion, peppers, garlic) that I add to things like scrambled eggs or
herb bread etc when I want the flavour but not the chunks or moisture
from chopped or pureed onions and peppers. I have used the dried
vegetable seasoning in these burgers and I have also used oregano,
thyme, rosemary – total of probably at least two or more <em>tablespoons</em> of various dried seasonings. Sometimes I add bacon bits, soya sauce, BBQ sauce, or Thai sweet chili sauce.</p>
<p>Second, I add an egg and some cornmeal/oatmeal/breadcrumbs.
Actually, never breadcrumbs, I don’t buy or make breadcrumbs but they
would work too. I usually add cornmeal to all my ground meat
loaves/balls/burgers. Sometimes I use oatmeal though I put it in the
food processor first because I only buy whole oats and they would make
the burgers chunky if I didn’t grind up a bit it first. If I am adding
pureed onions and peppers I will put the oatmeal in the food processor
at the same time.</p>
<p>How much cornmeal/oatmeal? I have no idea, I just dump it in straight
from the bag, maybe a cup? Normally I would add enough to enable me to
handle the mixture and form patties but honestly every time I have made
these I feel like I’m adding way too much filler and they have still
been too wet to handle. I have spooned the mixture onto a parchment
paper lined baking sheet like a drop cookie, shaped them a bit and then
baked them. I usually get 16 smallish patties out of a recipe starting
with 2 lbs ground chicken. </p>
<p>The original recipe says to broil them 8 minutes per side until no
longer pink. Hmpf – too wet to put on my broiler pan – would make
rippled burgers LOL. I bake them for about 25-30 minutes at 375 F on my
oven’s convection roast setting (400F on regular setting) flipping
after about 15-20 minutes so they brown a bit on both sides. I always
use a thermometer to ensure min internal temp of 165F/74C. They always
set up very solid, never crumble so I don’t know why they are too wet to
handle raw.</p>
<p>AAannnd – no picture. That is probably why I kept putting off
writing this post. I have never remembered to take a picture of the
Apple Burgers – too busy eating them. I let the children choose the
condiments they want on their burgers. For me, it is mayonnaise and
Thai sweet chili sauce for extra flavour. </p>
<p>In lieu of an apple burger pic – here are some barbecued beef patties
my husband cooked for me (I’m a little fearful of the gas BBQ thingy).
I’m always sad when he doesn’t BBQ beef burgers ‘crispy’ enough for me
so he cooked these ones special just the way I like them…</p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7255" data-attachment-id="7255" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"DSC-WX10","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1374946759","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.28","iso":"100","shutter_speed":"0.033333333333333","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="bbqbeefburgers" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/10/bbqbeefburgers.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/10/bbqbeefburgers.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/10/bbqbeefburgers.jpg" data-orig-size="500,375" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/bbqbeefburgers/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/10/bbqbeefburgers.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<p> </p>
<h3 class="sd-title"><br /></h3><p> </p>Cheryl's Child Carehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02648950764664242676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1597184604072721926.post-80021210050924213962021-09-12T10:53:00.003-05:002021-09-12T10:53:42.701-05:00A Variation<p> </p><p>I didn’t manage to write any posts about our activities this summer.
Additional screen time from virtual meetings may have been a factor
that deterred me from computer related activities like paper work and
post writing. My preference for spending time outdoors over indoors was
definitely a factor too, but that is nothing new. Probably the main
reason I didn’t find time to write was due to our schedule and some of
the changes I made to it.</p>
<p>This summer was different than usual because I had a much older group
of children. All my part time ‘inservice day only’ school-age children
needed summer care and with some juggling of family vacation times I
was able to accommodate everyone. I also chose to wait until fall to
fill a vacant infant spot so, for the summer, that space could be used
for a school-age child.</p>
<p>This unusual grouping meant that only one of my children was under four years old. It also meant I was <em>busier</em> than usual and there is <em>oh so much TALKING</em>.
Transitions between indoors and out, play and meals, etc take soooo
loonngg. Honestly, dressing five toddlers for winter play takes less
time than getting seven 4-9 year olds to stay focused on what they need
to do to get ready. So much time discussing/planning what they are
going to do – <em>pleas</em>e <em>just do it!</em></p>
<p>I was expecting this – I had witnessed it on inservice days even when
ALL of them were not here. The older ones tend to arrive later than
the little ones – maybe because they are used to the later start of
school classes or maybe because their parents face similar delays
getting the out the door at home. I decided to make a few changes to
our daily routine to lessen the delays.</p>
<p>Usually the little ones have been here for an hour or more already
and it is almost morning snack time when the older children arrive. If I
let them go play <em>‘for a few minutes’</em> until snack then we have a
transition from arrival to playroom, a transition from playroom to
snack, a transition to get ready to go outside – which will also require
a bathroom break because the first two transitions and snack took an
incredibly long time. It will be at least 10:00AM before we manage to
get everyone out the door – no way I’m waiting that long before going
outside to play in the summer!</p>
<p>So, I decided to make some adjustments to our (my) schedule and in
order to do that I’d have to modify the menu. In past summers we have
occasionally packed snack to take with us to have on a hike or at the
park. On our regular menu not many of the morning snacks are portable
so I created a special ‘summer’ menu in which all the morning snacks
were portable. Our picnic bag was packed and ready before the older
children arrived. The younger ones who arrived early had some indoor
play time, bathroom break and were getting ready to go outside when the
older ones arrived – also ready to go because they hadn’t actually come
in.</p>
<p>That one schedule change meant we were heading out about 30 minutes
ahead of our ‘normal’ schedule when I have only preschool children but
up to 2 hours earlier than if I had let the older ones play indoors and
have snack before going out. It also meant we got our walk, picnic
snack and active play/tag/game time in the park early in the day before
it got too hot. We still had time for lower energy, outdoor
constructive and creative activities in the yard under the sunshade
before lunch.</p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="active play in the park" class="wp-image-7245" data-attachment-id="7245" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1629106938","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.03","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.0012106537530266","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="21-09-summer" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/09/21-09-summer.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/09/21-09-summer.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/09/21-09-summer.jpg" data-orig-size="500,365" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/21-09-summer/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/09/21-09-summer.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<p> Since that schedule change required a modified morning snack menu, I
decided to do a completely different ‘summer’ menu for lunches and
afternoon snacks too. Even though I intended to ‘simplify’ the menu for
summer, it turned out to be a very time consuming endeavor.</p>
<p>I involved the children in the menu planning with discussions on what
they would like to have the following week. They were not very
helpful. There were the some who loved <em>everything</em> and couldn’t
decide and others who really would prefer only marshmallows and gummy
bears. We did try a lot of new recipes – some of them were very popular
and have been/will be added to our regular menu. I might have time to
write a post about them sometime in the future.</p>
<p>However, there were many weekends when I was left scrambling because I
had no idea what groceries I needed for the upcoming week because I
still hadn’t completed writing the menu. Meal prep was also arduous as
unfamiliar recipes required more time and thought even if the recipes
were ‘simple’. </p>
<p>Nap/quiet time in the afternoon was shorter with mostly older
children. I barely had time to clean up lunch and only very
occasionally got to take a ‘break’ before it was time to get nap/quiet
time stuff put away and start prepping afternoon snack. We had
‘refreshing’ afternoon snacks like frozen fruit smoothies or ice cream
and berries before heading outside again until home time. Some days I
didn’t sit down at all between 6AM and 6PM. When I did finally sit
down, writing blog posts was the last thing on my mind.</p>
<p>The older children have all gone to school now. Our routine is
changing again. We have welcomed two new infants into our group. The
four-year-olds are adapting to their new role as the ‘big kids’ setting
examples for the new ones. The former ‘baby’ of the group is now
suddenly the ‘middle’ child. It has been surprisingly quiet – and I’m
doing a lot more sitting because if I stand there will also be an
expectation that I carry one, or more, of the children. </p>
<p>It is another variation – a new phase – in a mixed age group in family childcare.</p>Cheryl's Child Carehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02648950764664242676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1597184604072721926.post-48136987897472410622021-07-20T14:15:00.000-05:002021-07-20T14:15:06.991-05:00Vacation 2021<p>I didn’t take vacation time in 2020 so this year I was really looking
forward to the time off to complete some much needed projects. I had a
total of 19 days this year and <strong>five</strong> projects planned.
Only one of the projects was an indoor project – replace foam tiles on
playroom floor. It had originally been on my list for 2020 but then –
no vacation, no reno. </p>
<p>I have replaced the interlocking foam tiles many, many times as a
weekend project because removing old worn tiles and installing new ones
isn’t very difficult. However, this time it was going to take longer as
I was NOT planning on adding more foam tiles because <a href="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2019/12/21/montgomery/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Montgomery eats them </a>and I don’t need more vet bills. </p>
<p>This time I went with much more durable <em>rubber</em> gym flooring.
Like the foam, it provides traction and sound dampening over the
hardwood floor and is so much nicer for sitting or crawling on.</p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7214" data-attachment-id="7214" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1626637002","copyright":"","focal_length":"2.04","iso":"1050","shutter_speed":"0.066666666666667","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="21-07-vacation01" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/21-07-vacation01.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/21-07-vacation01.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/21-07-vacation01.jpg" data-orig-size="500,375" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/21-07-vacation01/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/21-07-vacation01.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<p>My second project was not a play space but it improved access. The
front sidewalk was just off centre of the front yard – two fence panels
on the West side of the walkway and one fence panel on the East. There
were stepping stones from the sidewalk to the front steps and side gate
both located on the East side of the yard. </p>
<p>Now all three fence panels are together and the sidewalk is located
on the East side of the yard and leads directly to the front steps and
back yard gate. Bonus result is I could also expand the native prairie
garden into the space where the sidewalk had been. The opportunity to
add garden space means this project was more ‘relaxing’ than actual work
even though the temps were about 30C every day! Oh, and we also added a
garden bench because we had some extra wood! Only needed to buy a
little soil and mulch, otherwise everything for this project was
recycled/reused so total cost under $100 </p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7215" data-attachment-id="7215" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1626529870","copyright":"","focal_length":"2.04","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.0023980815347722","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="21-07-vacation03" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/21-07-vacation03.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/21-07-vacation03.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/21-07-vacation03.jpg" data-orig-size="500,391" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/21-07-vacation03/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/21-07-vacation03.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<p>The remaining three mini projects were all part of the full back yard
renovation. The main purpose of which was to define the spaces better
and improve storage for all the loose parts. </p>
<p>The picture below is from 2019 and shows the deep gravel ‘digging’
area on the right surrounded by stumps and the lower ‘building’ area on
the left. I tried to keep the gravel in the building area level and
packed – better for building on – but the children tended to dig here
too, after all it was gravel.</p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7216" data-attachment-id="7216" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1563189918","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.03","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.0027777777777778","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="21-07-vacation04" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/21-07-vacation04.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/21-07-vacation04.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/21-07-vacation04.jpg" data-orig-size="500,375" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/21-07-vacation04/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/21-07-vacation04.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<p>The full back yard now looks like this (reverse viewpoint from above photo);</p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7218" data-attachment-id="7218" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1626529316","copyright":"","focal_length":"2.04","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.0025839793281654","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="21-07-vacation05" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/21-07-vacation05.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/21-07-vacation05.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/21-07-vacation05.jpg" data-orig-size="500,355" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/21-07-vacation05/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/21-07-vacation05.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<p>The logs, stumps, table, stepping stones, composter and main garden
have not changed this year. The benches have been removed from the
swing area, a new herb garden space was added and the mulch was replaced
with turf tiles. Though part of the ‘master plan’ this project was
actually completed on a weekend in the Spring prior to my vacation.</p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7220" data-attachment-id="7220" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1626529170","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.03","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.0024390243902439","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="21-07-vacation06" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/21-07-vacation06.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/21-07-vacation06.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/21-07-vacation06.jpg" data-orig-size="500,375" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/21-07-vacation06/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/21-07-vacation06.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<p>The first of the three backyard projects during my vacation was the
loose parts storage wall between the gravel digging area and the new,
larger building area with recycled rubber surfacing (and a carpet in
case it gets too hot to sit on – though it is fully shaded). I kept the
water area adjacent to the building area because the children LOVE
building bridges.</p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7222" data-attachment-id="7222" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1626529369","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.03","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.0019047619047619","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="21-07-vacation07" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/21-07-vacation07.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/21-07-vacation07.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/21-07-vacation07.jpg" data-orig-size="500,364" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/21-07-vacation07/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/21-07-vacation07.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<p>There is so much more space for storing loose parts/building supplies
and it is easier to access than the previous deep bins. I used pallets
for the wall so more recycled wood!</p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7224" data-attachment-id="7224" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1626529400","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.03","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.0058139534883721","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="21-07-vacation08" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/21-07-vacation08.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/21-07-vacation08.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/21-07-vacation08.jpg" data-orig-size="500,375" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/21-07-vacation08/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/21-07-vacation08.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<p>Bigger items are still stored in some of the bins.</p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7226" data-attachment-id="7226" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1626529421","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.03","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.0058139534883721","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="21-07-vacation09" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/21-07-vacation09.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/21-07-vacation09.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/21-07-vacation09.jpg" data-orig-size="500,366" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/21-07-vacation09/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/21-07-vacation09.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<p>The other side of the pallet wall has new storage for the digging
area which never used to have any loose parts or storage, just a few
pails, pots and digging tools. Now there are so many more options.</p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7228" data-attachment-id="7228" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1626529484","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.03","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.002724795640327","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="21-07-vacation11" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/21-07-vacation11.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/21-07-vacation11.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/21-07-vacation11.jpg" data-orig-size="500,375" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/21-07-vacation11/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/21-07-vacation11.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7230" data-attachment-id="7230" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1626529512","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.03","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.00093632958801498","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="21-07-vacation12" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/21-07-vacation12.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/21-07-vacation12.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/21-07-vacation12.jpg" data-orig-size="500,375" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/21-07-vacation12/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/21-07-vacation12.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<p>Backyard project two was to replace the tipi – I know, everyone loved
the tipi but its shape and placement were not very functional. I used
the poles and covering to form a roof over the entire corner of the
yard. It makes a larger ‘house’ and the tunnel was moved here too.</p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7232" data-attachment-id="7232" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1626529582","copyright":"","focal_length":"2.04","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.0083333333333333","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="21-07-vacation13" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/21-07-vacation13.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/21-07-vacation13.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/21-07-vacation13.jpg" data-orig-size="500,375" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/21-07-vacation13/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/21-07-vacation13.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<p>This is the view of the yard from inside the house;</p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7233" data-attachment-id="7233" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1626529711","copyright":"","focal_length":"2.04","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.0083333333333333","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="21-07-vacation14" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/21-07-vacation14.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/21-07-vacation14.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/21-07-vacation14.jpg" data-orig-size="500,375" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/21-07-vacation14/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/21-07-vacation14.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<p>The third backyard project is the new messy play area. Located
inside the garden wall it is separate from the other areas. Made from
reclaimed wood, tile samples, and a salvaged laundry sink, the total
cost for this project was $0. We have not used it yet (only been one
day), I don’t think any of the children even noticed it as they were so
excited to explore all the other new spaces. Besides, I’m still
collecting some containers of ‘ingredients’ for the children to use here
but…soon…</p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7235" data-attachment-id="7235" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1626529442","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.03","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.00062073246430788","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="21-07-vacation10" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/21-07-vacation10.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/21-07-vacation10.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/21-07-vacation10.jpg" data-orig-size="500,394" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/21-07-vacation10/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/21-07-vacation10.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<p> </p>Cheryl's Child Carehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02648950764664242676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1597184604072721926.post-1813289916323546042021-06-26T08:44:00.003-05:002021-06-26T08:44:43.166-05:00What's for Lunch?<p>I include a printed copy of our four week revolving lunch and snack
menu in the handbook that I give to parents when they enroll their
child. I always point out that the menu will change over time –
possibly even before their child’s first day of care. </p>
<p>I have a current version of the full menu posted in my front entrance (licensing requirement) and the lunch menu is <a href="https://cccare.wordpress.com/menu/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">posted on my website</a>
because some of the parents like to check it periodically outside drop
off/pick up times. I also have a printed copy on my fridge to reference
when I am prepping meals and making my shopping list.</p>
<p>Over the years I’ve had some children, or groups of children that
frequently ask “What’s for Lunch?” throughout the day. For this reason I
have posted additional copies in both the main playroom and the art
area. I encourage readers to check the printed menu instead of
automatically expecting me to answer the question for them. </p>
<p>I don’t usually mind answering the question – often it is the
beginning of a wonderful conversation. Occasionally it is more of a
game where each of the preschoolers ask the same question over and over
again leaving me to sometimes say “Same answer as I last time that
question asked.” Still, this repetitive activity is wonderful for turn
taking and communication skills.</p>
<p>I am a little more reluctant to answer the older children because I
feel it is important to encourage them to seek answers instead of
relying on me to provide information. Instead, I may just remind them
of where the menu is posted and suggest they go check for themselves. </p>
<p>There are also options available for them to independently discover
which menu week we are on and what day of the week it is so there is not
really a need to ask these questions either. I won’t entirely refuse
to answer when asked but I’m more inclined to just provide clues.</p>
<p>Many years ago there was a child for whom I was reluctant to answer
the “What’s for lunch?” question. This child was, at home, extremely
picky about what they would eat and adamantly refused to try anything
new. If they knew in advance what we were having for lunch, they would
obsess about it all morning, worried they may not like it, unable to
focus on anything else or participate in play activities. By lunch
they could have themselves so worked up that they would not be able to
eat anything IF they even tried.</p>
<p>So, when they asked what we were having for lunch, I would reply
“Protein, vitamins, fibre, sugar, fat and some dairy”. Then we would
have a discussion about what their favourite foods were and we would
classify those foods. At lunch time I would first Identify each menu
item by its food group followed by “like your favourite food _____”.</p>
<p>With this approach, a group of peers who thoroughly enjoyed all
foods, no pressure to clean their plate, AND no options for alternative
foods, they were willing to at least nibble at what was on the menu.
Over time they became far less stressed and picky about food. Sometimes
they did not only clean their plate but ask for seconds too.</p>
<p>I still occasionally answer the “What’s for lunch?” question with
“Protein, vitamins, fibre, sugar, fat and some dairy” – particularly
when my preschool group has already asked that question multiple times
that day. Most of my current group of children are definitely NOT picky
about food at all. </p>
<p>When I tell them we are having “Protein, vitamins, grains, sugar, fat and some dairy” they respond emphatically with “WE<em> LOVE</em> THAT!”</p>
<p>And it is true, they do :) <br /></p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7206" data-attachment-id="7206" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"7.1","credit":"","camera":"DSC-WX10","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1339412987","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.28","iso":"100","shutter_speed":"0.01","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="21-06-food" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/06/21-06-food.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/06/21-06-food.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/06/21-06-food.jpg" data-orig-size="500,362" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/21-06-food/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/06/21-06-food.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<h3 class="sd-title"><br /></h3><p> </p>Cheryl's Child Carehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02648950764664242676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1597184604072721926.post-60295824187176847362021-05-24T12:17:00.001-05:002021-05-24T12:17:17.986-05:00Lazy<p> </p><p>I don’t seem to be writing blog posts any more – at least not many
compared to previous years. I was pondering why I was so uninspired to
write.</p>
<p>We have done many interesting crafts and activities. We have gone on
some adventures. I have done several small and large play space
modifications. Yet, I have done very few posts about any of these
things.</p>
<p>Is it a result of the pandemic? Maybe, though most of the
restrictions have had very little impact on my day-to-day work life
which is why there should be more posts to write. So, why am I not
writing them? </p>
<p>Is it lack of time? Maybe, though I have always had long work hours
and still managed to find time to write blog posts. Sure, sometimes I
have a lot of bookkeeping work that is more urgent/time sensitive so
blog posts have to wait. I have recently begun a couple of new projects
that had necessary writing components but nothing that required vast
amounts of time.</p>
<p>All of the committees I volunteer on have been meeting virtually – this has actually <em>decreased</em> <em>the time commitment</em>.
There is no traveling time to/from the meetings and virtual meetings
tend to be shorter than in-person ones which have more social
interactions. Virtual ones are less fun though – often frustrating –
and even somewhat depressing.</p>
<p>So maybe it isn’t the lack of actual<em> time</em> available outside my regular work and volunteer commitments that is the issue. Maybe the problem is the <em>increased screen time</em>.
I have always struggled to stay focused on a screen for any length of
time. I can’t fathom how teachers and students of any age can manage
with online learning exclusively – even briefly. I personally would
find it impossible. I struggle to focus on watching or listening to
anything on a screen without something hands on to do.</p>
<p>I haven’t gone to a movie theater in over 30 years because there is
no way I can sit in a seat though a whole movie with no commercial
breaks or pause button. I don’t binge watch anything – in fact, I have
some of my exercise equipment handy so I can keep ‘busy’ (active) while
watching TV. Plus, I’m often baking things as well – hence the need for
the commercial breaks and pause button. I’ve been known to wander
away, get busy elsewhere and forget I was supposed to be watching
something. </p>
<p>Of course, if too much screen time is the problem then going outside
is the solution. Screen time can be overstimulating – a sensory
overload that zaps creativity. Most certainly I will be much happier
outside but not necessarily more productive. Yes, going outside is
refreshing and offers a ‘reset’ when I am overwhelmed or stressed, but
does not always help me focus.</p>
<p>Outside I can can completely lose track of time, daydreaming, getting
lost in my imagination. It is a wonderful place for reflection, and
wonder but there are far too many distractions for me to stay focused on
an activity like writing a blog post. In fact, just writing about
going outside is currently distracting be from finishing this post.</p>
<p>Outdoors is relaxing – an opportunity to unwind and feel grounded.
Working in the garden, exploring the neighbourhood or going on long
hikes provide connections to nature. So many things to hear, see, smell
and feel. None of these activities feel like exercise to me. Even
very physical outdoor activities like shoveling snow or completing major
landscaping projects don’t feel as strenuous as a gym workout.</p>
<p>So, maybe I’ve now figured out what the problem is…</p>
<p>The gym is closed – and even for the brief periods they have been allowed to open, they had limited hours and did not open <em>early </em>enough for me to go. Many years ago, when I first joined a gym, I went in the evening <em>after</em>
work. I quickly discovered that this was a bad idea. After a high
intensity workout I am so energized that there is absolutely no chance I
would be going to bed any time soon. For a morning person like me,
late nights mean no sleep at all since I simply cannot sleep past dawn
and actually prefer to get up before the sun.</p>
<p>So, for me, the best time for a visit to the gym is 4 or 5 AM several
times each week. High intensity cardio between sets of weight training
and my mind is racing – writing posts, planning activities and
designing spaces – and it keeps going all day long, The limited space
and equipment I have available at home just doesn’t provide the same
opportunity for this type of workout. </p>
<p>Hence, I feel lazy, unmotivated and unable to focus. I am still
getting things done but it is taking me a lot longer. This simple blog
post has taken several hours over many days. I could normally finish a
post like this in under an hour after an invigorating morning gym
workout. </p>
<p>Early morning is my most productive period and that is the part of my
daily routine that has been significantly disrupted. It is the high
intensity morning workout that I need to kick-start my day and improve
my ability to focus.</p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7196" data-attachment-id="7196" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1621849830","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.03","iso":"1400","shutter_speed":"0.041666666666667","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="21-05-exercise" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/05/21-05-exercise.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/05/21-05-exercise.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/05/21-05-exercise.jpg" data-orig-size="500,378" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/21-05-exercise/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/05/21-05-exercise.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<h3 class="sd-title"><br /></h3>Cheryl's Child Carehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02648950764664242676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1597184604072721926.post-2282857219549100162021-02-14T10:58:00.002-06:002021-02-14T10:58:48.028-06:00Traffic Woes<p>I get excited every time I hear mention of lowering speed limits. At
the moment it is only residential streets that the city of Winnipeg is
considering lowering speed limits on but if I had my way it would be ALL
the streets and lanes. If I were in charge back lanes would have a max
speed of 20 km/h, residential streets would be 30 km/h, undivided main
streets could be 40 km/h and only divided ones could be 50 km/h. Main
roads with three or more lanes in each direction could have a speed
limit of 60 km/h. Major roads with absolutely no pedestrian traffic
could allow speeds up to 70 km/h. N<em>o</em> roads <em>anywhere</em> inside city limits require any speed over 70 km/h – if you want to drive faster, take the perimeter.</p>
<p>I’m sure some people may be horrified at the thought of driving that
slow and it may make you angry that I also think there should be traffic
cams and photo radar <em>everywhere</em>. There is photo radar near my
home – and there is also a guy that frequently stands on the corner and
holds a cardboard sign to warn drivers of the camera ahead. I once
told him he should just let them get a ticket – a consequence for their
actions. He probably drives a black truck…I’ll explain why later. </p>
<p>It is no secret that I love to walk places – I do also drive, but
whenever possible I prefer to walk in all types of weather. Actually,
even in very cold weather I would prefer to walk than sit still in a
frigid cold vehicle. Still, sometimes even I must drive instead of
walking. Those drivers (and pedestrians) that choose to defy road rules
cause me angst both as a driver and a pedestrian. Though sometimes
even the drivers that are trying to be ‘helpful’ are really not.</p>
<p>My childcare home is located in a residential area that is bordered
by several major streets. Even if we were to restrict our daily walks
to the sidewalks in our little neighbourhood we would not be able to
avoid disrespectful drivers taking shortcuts to avoid slowing down for
traffic at the busy intersections. That is one reason why, throughout
all our walks, in our neighbourhood and beyond, the children and I have
constant conversations about all aspects of the environment around us.</p>
<p>Those conversation may be observations about decorations in
someone’s yard/garden, birds, plants, people, animals and most
definitely vehicles. Everything is a teachable moment – an opportunity
to share an interesting fact, personal likes/dislikes, and of course
identifying hazards. Is it safe to pet that dog without the owner’s
permission? Is that tree/fence an appropriate place to climb or does if
belong to someone else? Will that driver stop for us or should we
wait?</p>
<p>Long before we have even reached an intersection we will notice if
there are stop signs and count them. We discuss which direction we are
planning to cross and whether the cars should be stopping for us or if
they have the right of way and we should be waiting for them. Respect
for drivers and pedestrians goes both ways. That is where we sometimes
meet those ‘helpful’ (not) drivers that stop where they do not have a
stop sign and try to let us cross – it is confusing for the children but
luckily it doesn’t happen often.</p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="Toy cars and people" class="wp-image-7184" data-attachment-id="7184" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1613113717","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.03","iso":"1050","shutter_speed":"0.041666666666667","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="21-02-traffic" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/02/21-02-traffic.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/02/21-02-traffic.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/02/21-02-traffic.jpg" data-orig-size="500,344" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/21-02-traffic/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/02/21-02-traffic.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<p>I wish our encounters with disrespectful, anti-pedestrian drivers
were as infrequent. As pedestrians we always follow the road rules –
many of which already strongly favour vehicles over pedestrian. For
example, at all the intersections with traffic lights in my
neighbourhood my little group can barely make it all the way across the
intersection before the light turns red IF we start instantly when it
turns green AND we hustle all the way across. If our light is already
green when we reach the intersection we won’t have enough time to cross
and will wait for the next green light – another opportunity to observe
traffic and discuss safety rules.</p>
<p>We have encountered drivers who are too impatient to wait for us to
cross the street before they make their left turn and will try to turn
in front of us instead of waiting for us to cross first. One driver
actually thought it was necessary to turn into the oncoming lanes first
before crossing over to the proper lanes just so he didn’t have to wait
for us to clear the lane he should have turned into. He must have
actually <em>planned</em> this in advance considering, like us, he had
been waiting at a red light prior to entering the intersection and was
most certainly aware of our intention to cross. </p>
<p>Another one of my personal opinions is that all slip lanes should be
eliminated. Even though I put reflective safety vests on all the
children when we go for walks near traffic, some drivers don’t see us –
or choose to ignore our attempt to cross the slip lane. Other cities
have some <a href="https://usa.streetsblog.org/2018/07/13/cities-are-replacing-dangerous-slip-lanes-with-space-for-people/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">great ideas for replacing slip lanes. </a>I’m
certain the businesses on the corner near my home would appreciate the
increased pedestrian traffic if the slip lane was removed.</p>
<p>Back lanes are another issue. I am sure that there are drivers that
think pedestrians shouldn’t use back lanes – ever. Personally I think
both pedestrians and vehicles can both use back lanes <em>if they need to access property located on that lane.</em>
The children and I DO walk down my back lane to get to my back yard
but we don’t travel down back lanes when we have no purpose to go there.
Whenever we see a vehicle we move off the lane, into the nearest
driveway, and stand still respectfully yielding right of way to the
passing vehicle. This is easy to do IF the drivers are also respectful
and obeying speed limits.</p>
<p>I am fairly certain that only the drivers who actually live on our
lane obey the speed limit – which is still too fast. The drivers using
the lane as a thoroughfare or shortcut to avoid the lights drive much
faster than the lane speed of 30 km/h. In fact, there have been
vehicles that sped down my lane so fast that I couldn’t tell you what
colour the vehicle was because all I saw was a blur as they passed my
yard.</p>
<p>When there is no snow the lane is wide enough to allow cars to pass
us even if they don’t choose to wait for us to get off the lane. In
warmer seasons we do always walk on the edge of the lane but we still
try to move into a driveway when a car approaches. In the winter the
piles of snow along the edges of the lane make it impossible to walk
there and the tire ruts are treacherous. For this reason we tend to
walk in the middle of the lane in the winter. </p>
<p>When there is ice and snow, we move slower and have fewer spaces to
get off the lane when we see a vehicle. I always remain in the centre
of the lane until all the children have reached a safe spot and are
standing still so there is no chance they may slip back into the lane.
Consequently sometimes drivers must stop and wait for us and some of
them find this very frustrating – especially the ones that are using our
lane as a shortcut to avoid the traffic at the major intersections.
This is where we have met the driver of the black truck…</p>
<p>The first time we saw this particular truck approaching, I stood in
the middle of the lane as usual however, when the driver did not slow
his approach I grabbed the last child and jumped to the side of the lane
as he swerved slightly around us. I don’t care how great you think
your steering skills are, I still expect that you will also use your
brake pedal! We have encountered this truck several times now and he
has never slowed down.</p>
<p>We haven’t been for long walks since the weather got very cold so our
schedule has changed. We’ve also taken to only walking the short way
down the lane just in case the driver of the black truck chooses that
route. Still, one day when we were almost to my driveway, the
three-year-old ahead of me yells “Ackk, it’s him again! I don’t like
that guy.” and then scurries up the driveway into my yard.</p>
<p>The black truck had just turned onto the far end of the lane ahead of
us. I find it sad that a three-year-old can recognize a disrespectful
driver from almost a block away. Just slow down. Please.</p><p> </p>Cheryl's Child Carehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02648950764664242676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1597184604072721926.post-7871196240040125102021-01-17T10:29:00.011-06:002021-01-17T10:29:51.864-06:00Unexpected<p>We love playing outdoors in the winter. Compared to the warmer
seasons our winter walks are shorter as is our total time outdoors but
we still manage to spend 1-2 hours playing outdoors everyday. </p>
<p>In the winter there are no ‘toys’ in the yard – most break easily in
the cold. Of course we still have sticks, pots, and the ultimate loose
part – SNOW! I also routinely make various ice blocks for building,
collecting and sorting. It is the perfect activity for frigid cold
winters.</p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="small coloured blocks of ice" class="wp-image-7163" data-attachment-id="7163" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"7.1","credit":"","camera":"DSC-WX10","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1387189817","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.28","iso":"100","shutter_speed":"0.00625","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="21-01-ice00" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/21-01-ice00.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/21-01-ice00.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/21-01-ice00.jpg" data-orig-size="500,327" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/21-01-ice00/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/21-01-ice00.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<p>With the addition of liquid watercolour paint to the water before
freezing these blocks add a nice pop of colour to the yard. Sometimes I
freeze dozens of trays full of coloured ice cubes and scatter them all
over the yard. It is best done just before a snowfall because the
children love hunting and digging for ‘gems’.</p>
<p>This year I decided to make some bigger ice blocks using both ice
cream pails and square containers. I imagined the children may enjoy
using them for stepping stones – they love the slippery spots in the
yard. I also figured with bigger blocks they could build bigger
structures than they could with small ice blocks. The gross motor
skills required for manipulating the large blocks would be a bonus.</p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="ice blocks and pails" class="wp-image-7167" data-attachment-id="7167" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1610447337","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.03","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.0026315789473684","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="21-01-ice01" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/21-01-ice01.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/21-01-ice01.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/21-01-ice01.jpg" data-orig-size="500,375" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/21-01-ice01/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/21-01-ice01.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<p>The result was unexpected. The combination of the large containers
and the above normal January temperatures meant the blocks took longer
to freeze – I expected that. What I didn’t expect was that the liquid
watercolour would separate from the water during freezing and even
disappear completely!</p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="green circular block of ice" class="wp-image-7166" data-attachment-id="7166" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1610622463","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.03","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.0012738853503185","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="21-01-ice02" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/21-01-ice02.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/21-01-ice02.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/21-01-ice02.jpg" data-orig-size="500,334" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/21-01-ice02/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/21-01-ice02.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<p>Only four of the ten blocks remained intact when I removed them from the containers. The other ones were fragile <em>because they were hollow!</em> That was certainly unexpected and why it happened I do not know. </p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="hollow round ice block" class="wp-image-7169" data-attachment-id="7169" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1610447372","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.03","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.0031446540880503","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="21-01-ice03" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/21-01-ice03.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/21-01-ice03.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/21-01-ice03.jpg" data-orig-size="500,375" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/21-01-ice03/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/21-01-ice03.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<p>The centers of these hollow ice blocks were not wet and any colour
that remained was a fine powdery texture. It was like, once the liquid
watercolour paint separated from the tap water, the liquid part of the
paint evaporated. How that was possible confuses me – the tops of all
the blocks are solid thick ice – the bottoms are the thin delicate parts
that shatter when touched to reveal the hollow centers.</p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="hollow square ice block" class="wp-image-7171" data-attachment-id="7171" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1610447409","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.03","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.0031446540880503","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="21-01-ice04" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/21-01-ice04.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/21-01-ice04.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/21-01-ice04.jpg" data-orig-size="500,357" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/21-01-ice04/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/21-01-ice04.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<p>Well that was unexpected and I still wanted some usable ice blocks so
I filled all the containers with water again. I decided to not use any
liquid water colour paint this time but I wanted something to make the
ice blocks stand out a little in the snow. I found an old bag of
potpourri and tossed a few pieces in each bucket. Interestingly, the
next day the water had turned a nice shade of red,</p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="containers full or red water" class="wp-image-7173" data-attachment-id="7173" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1610621065","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.03","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.025","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="21-01-ice05" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/21-01-ice05.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/21-01-ice05.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/21-01-ice05.jpg" data-orig-size="500,375" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/21-01-ice05/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/21-01-ice05.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<p>However, after<em> four days</em> outside, in the shade, in January,
there is only a thin partial layer of ice on the surface of each bucket
of water. How is it possible that in Manitoba I cannot freeze water
outside in January.</p>
<p>That is unexpected.</p><p> </p>Cheryl's Child Carehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02648950764664242676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1597184604072721926.post-29812995475504873452021-01-01T11:33:00.000-06:002021-01-01T11:33:01.071-06:00Hamburger Tarts<p>When discussing menu items in my childcare home ‘favourites’ can be defined in many ways. It could be a meal that <em>all </em>of the children eat <em>at least some of </em>and no one refuses to eat. It could also mean that <em>some</em> of the children <em>really enjoy it</em>
and consistently ask for seconds but there may be one or two children
who barely eat any at all. After all, not everyone likes the same
things.</p>
<p>Sometimes it may be defined as one of <em>my</em> favourite things to
make because it either doesn’t require a lot of work or it can be
prepared well in advance and baked for lunch. I always prefer meals
that don’t add to the already busy lunch time – between returning from
outdoors and getting ready for nap time there is already a lot to do
without including food prep.</p>
<p>Hamburger Tarts are one of the items that tick a lot of boxes. They
require a bit of fairly easy prep early in the morning before the
children arrive and then bake a bit just before we come in from outside.
Most of the children like them – some don’t – some ask for seconds.
Personally I find them addictive and left unchecked I could wipe out the
whole batch because seriously – bread, meat and cheese is really just
like pizza which I could eat all day every day.</p>
<p>This is the ‘original’ recipe which of course I only use as a starting point and then modify – a lot.</p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7152" data-attachment-id="7152" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"Cheryl Tremblay","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1609492240","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="21-01-tarts00" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/21-01-tarts00.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/21-01-tarts00.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/21-01-tarts00.jpg" data-orig-size="661,464" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/21-01-tarts00/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/21-01-tarts00.jpg?w=661" /></figure></div>
<p> First of all, I don’t fiddle with cutting crusts (best part) off
bread, buttering the slices and pressing them into muffin tins to
essentially make more crusts. I use yummy brioche buns, placed upside
down in a 9×13 pan, and hollowed out (keep for free bread crumbs). I
have also tried this step using scratch made bread dough pressed in the
pan and using a cup to make 12 indents for filling – good too but it
requires much more effort and time and most of the children prefer the
brioche buns </p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7153" data-attachment-id="7153" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1603097877","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.03","iso":"1050","shutter_speed":"0.041666666666667","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="21-01-tarts01" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/21-01-tarts01.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/21-01-tarts01.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/21-01-tarts01.jpg" data-orig-size="500,375" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/21-01-tarts01/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/21-01-tarts01.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<p>For the filling I do saute the onion and lean ground beef though I
use much more than half an onion – more like one very large or two
medium and very well cooked before adding the beef. One lb of ground
beef will fill 12 buns. I never use the yucky mushroom soup – usually
tomato soup or cheddar cheese soup. </p>
<p>I add all the saved ‘bread crumbs’ from the buns, eggs, and ketchup
as well as some mustard and BBQ sauce too. I don’t usually grate the
cheddar cheese to add to the filling. To save time I most often just
place a thick square slice of cheddar in the bottom of each bun cup
before filling with the meat mixture. At this point I cover with foil
and refrigerate until closer to lunch time then bake covered at 325F for
about an hour to heat through. Uncover for the last bit of time to
brown a little without drying out.</p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7155" data-attachment-id="7155" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1603108534","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.03","iso":"1550","shutter_speed":"0.066666666666667","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="21-01-tarts02" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/21-01-tarts02.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/21-01-tarts02.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/21-01-tarts02.jpg" data-orig-size="500,348" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/21-01-tarts02/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/21-01-tarts02.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<p>Serve with salad or coleslaw – pick them up and eat like a burger or cut them up and use a fork (not as fun) – Mmmmm good.</p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7157" data-attachment-id="7157" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1603109003","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.03","iso":"300","shutter_speed":"0.041666666666667","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="21-01-tarts03" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/21-01-tarts03.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/21-01-tarts03.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/21-01-tarts03.jpg" data-orig-size="500,350" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/21-01-tarts03/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/21-01-tarts03.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<h3 class="sd-title"><br /></h3><p> </p>Cheryl's Child Carehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02648950764664242676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1597184604072721926.post-46805051646402028592020-12-27T11:41:00.001-06:002020-12-27T11:41:18.785-06:00Catching Up<p> </p><p>I’m spending a portion of this four day holiday weekend catching up
on some of the things I never seem to have enough time for. This
morning my task list included going through a multitude of photos I have
taken and deciding which to delete, file, add to the entrance area
slideshow or write blog posts about. </p>
<p>Now I have to actually write some posts – this first one is actually
about TWO projects that we worked on last summer. Yes, I am that far
behind which is why I’m combining two projects in one post. </p>
<p>Back in June I <a href="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2020/06/05/the-table/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">wrote about the new octagon shaped dining table</a>.
I also wanted to write about the place mats the children (aged 2-8)
made to define their spaces at the table. Each child worked on their
place mat design independently so each one would be unique as some of
the children are prone to copying or competing with others. </p>
<p>When they were all complete and dry I covered the place mats with
clear plastic film to protect them from spills. Only once they were all
together on the table did the children get to see what the others had
created.</p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7139" data-attachment-id="7139" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1595320149","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.03","iso":"350","shutter_speed":"0.041666666666667","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="20-12-placemats01" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/20-12-placemats01.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/20-12-placemats01.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/20-12-placemats01.jpg" data-orig-size="500,375" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/20-12-placemats01/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/20-12-placemats01.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<p>For several weeks these place mats were the main focus of discussions
around the table at meal/snack times. The conversations were amazing.
So many questions. So much interest in what others had done. </p>
<p>Interestingly it was the work of the two-year-old that garnered the most attention – <em>‘Hey, how did he do that?’</em></p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7141" data-attachment-id="7141" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1595320158","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.03","iso":"450","shutter_speed":"0.041666666666667","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="20-12-placemats02" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/20-12-placemats02.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/20-12-placemats02.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/20-12-placemats02.jpg" data-orig-size="500,375" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/20-12-placemats02/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/20-12-placemats02.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<p>The answer to that question is <em>‘After he added paint, he used the handle of the brush to create the textured pattern’</em>.
This was exactly why I had them all work independently. Had they all
been painting at the same time then either someone would have
‘corrected’ him by telling him he was using the wrong end of his paint
brush or everyone would have copied him and the place mats would have
all looked the same… End of conversation.</p>
<p>The second project didn’t involve the children but was a space I
created for the children. The ‘Nature Area’ is the small room off the
main play space. It has always been a quiet space to read, relax or
reflect. <a href="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2019/04/01/quiet-spaces-2/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">This post from last year</a> show what it used to look like after the addition of the nest swing.</p>
<p>The babies’ cribs used to be situated on opposite sides of the room
with their long side against the wall and the ‘quiet’ space in the
centre of the room. There was some ‘extra’ space at the ends of the
cribs – not really enough to be considered useful for storage space or
play space just wasted space. Wasted space bothers me immensely.</p>
<p>Last summer I moved both cribs to the same side of the room with
their short sides against the wall and the cot storage between them – no
more wasted space. At nap time a temporary divider wall is placed
between the cribs to provide a little privacy for sleeping babies now
that they are much closer to each other. </p>
<p>The open area of the room is now considerably larger with the
addition of the space on the other side of the room. I rearranged the
trees and added some cushions and a wall tapestry. It is now a much
more cozy, comfortable area for reading and relaxing.</p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7143" data-attachment-id="7143" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1597300904","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.03","iso":"1550","shutter_speed":"0.066666666666667","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="20-12-cozy01" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/20-12-cozy01.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/20-12-cozy01.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/20-12-cozy01.jpg" data-orig-size="500,374" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/20-12-cozy01/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/20-12-cozy01.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<p> There is still plenty of open space in front of the window if the
children want to stand and look outside at ‘real’ nature. Of course
there are still fake branches, bird and butterflies to look up at when
you lay on the nest swing.</p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7145" data-attachment-id="7145" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1597300852","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.03","iso":"1450","shutter_speed":"0.058823529411765","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="20-12-cozy02" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/20-12-cozy02.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/20-12-cozy02.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/20-12-cozy02.jpg" data-orig-size="500,375" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/20-12-cozy02/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/20-12-cozy02.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<p>But that could change too. I did buy another tapestry that I
considered hanging on the ceiling here…but I love it so much I might put
it somewhere else. I just haven’t yet decided where that may be…</p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7147" data-attachment-id="7147" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1609058678","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.03","iso":"1500","shutter_speed":"0.041666666666667","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="20-12-cozy03" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/20-12-cozy03.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/20-12-cozy03.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/20-12-cozy03.jpg" data-orig-size="500,375" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/20-12-cozy03/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/20-12-cozy03.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<h3 class="sd-title"><br /></h3>Cheryl's Child Carehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02648950764664242676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1597184604072721926.post-3560390633735806322020-12-06T12:32:00.006-06:002020-12-06T12:32:46.564-06:00The Compromise<p>More than a decade ago I wrote my <a href="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2010/11/08/our-daily-walk/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">first post about walking with children</a>
– since then I’ve written many more posts about the subject – search
‘walking’ or ‘hiking’ in my search bar if you want to read some of them.
</p>
<p>We go on some very long walks though distance and time are not always
relative as other factors like snack breaks, exploring, playing games
and destinations like the library or store may affect the length of time
but not the distance. Some of our walks are great distances – our
longest has been about 10 kilometers – though these long distance walks
require advance planning so they can’t be spontaneous when the children
ask. </p>
<p>I’ve received stunned responses like “Why do you make them walk so far?” and I have to explain that I don’t <em>‘make’</em> them – I <em>‘let’ </em>them.
Most of the time it is the children choose the destination and/or the
route. We go on a walk everyday as part of our daily routine. As soon
as babies take their first steps I let them walk – they become our pace
setters. At first it may just be out the front door and around the
short block to the back yard. Once they become more confident we add
some more distance.</p>
<p>Back in 2012 I wrote about <a href="https://cccare.wordpress.com/2012/10/10/baby-steps/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">adapting our walks</a>
to accommodate the abilities of children at various stages of
development. Being able to understand/accept the needs of the younger
children is a learning experience for the older children too. I am not
opposed to carrying or putting a baby in a stroller when they <em>don’t want to</em> walk, however, I am opposed to assuming they <em>can’t walk </em>as far as the older children when given the opportunity. Please don’t underestimate their abilities! </p>
<p>I have had a 19 month old child that walked nearly 9 km in under 4
hours – I had the stroller available if he wanted to use it but he
adamantly insisted on walking until we were almost all the way back (and
it was approaching nap time). Last summer on our longest/farthest (4.5
hour 10 km) walk, every time we stopped for water/snack breaks <strong>I </strong>was the only one who chose to ‘rest’ – the children (aged 18 months-8 years) always wanted to <em>run </em>around and played tag instead.</p>
<p>Over the years there have been a few children here who were reluctant
to walk anywhere – honestly most were school-age who came here only
briefly and had never been required to nor given the opportunity to walk
anywhere – they also struggled with the complete lack of screen time
options here. With the little ones often all they need is a chance to
choose their walking partner, or the destination, or even just carry a
stick or leaf to make walking an enjoyable activity.</p>
<p>Winter tends to be the biggest obstacle that limits the distance of
our walks. Even experienced walkers sometimes struggle with winter
conditions. Slippery ice, deep snow, cold wind gusts and bulky winter
clothing can be frustrating so we don’t often go on very long winter
walks. </p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7130" data-attachment-id="7130" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"4.5","credit":"","camera":"KODAK EASYSHARE C315 DIGITAL CAMERA","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1169765100","copyright":"","focal_length":"6","iso":"100","shutter_speed":"0.004496","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="20-12-compromise" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/20-12-compromise.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/20-12-compromise.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/20-12-compromise.jpg" data-orig-size="500,381" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/20-12-compromise/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/20-12-compromise.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<p>However, even in winter we do play outside<em> every day</em> so at
minimum we walk around the short block from the front entrance to the
back yard. The side yard and back entrance are not childcare areas and
that makes them more difficult routes than the familiar walk around the
block. </p>
<p>This past summer/fall was one of the few years that it wasn’t the
weather that made walking difficult. Baby One did not like to take more
than about 10, very slow, consecutive steps without being picked up and
carried – but not for more than a minute before demanding to be given
the opportunity to take a few more independent steps. They did like
long stroller rides and that was fine until Baby Two – an accomplished
hiker – decided it was not fair that Baby One got to ride. <em>*sigh*</em></p>
<p>I do have two little strollers but I can’t push both of them at the
same time or push one while carrying a baby. Some of the school-age
don’t mind pushing a stroller but when they are in school they are not
available to help. Besides, if the older children do not enjoy the
additional responsibility it could ultimately lessen their desire to
walk and we don’t want that.</p>
<p>I have discovered that often it is easier/quicker/better to just
leave the stroller(s) and take the chance that I may have to carry TWO
babies if they both decide to quit walking. Someone suggested I should
get a double stroller but I am stubborn, haven’t needed a double
stroller in 23 years – not going to concede defeat now. Besides, the
gym is closed and I need a workout.</p>
<p>The short block hike from the front door to the back yard is my
physical limit for carrying two babies – but with the addition of
slippery snowsuits it is extremely difficult. The three older
preschoolers have threatened to mutiny if we have to walk super slow
baby speed – all the time. They have also lamented that they miss the
longer walks.</p>
<p>So, I compromised and bought a sled – the heavy duty cargo kind with
high sides. The babies love it. The three older ones have been so
excited about not being limited by baby steps they have demanded some
longer walks. In fact, with all their pent up energy their 1-2 km
winter (actually fall with snow) ‘walks’ are really <em>runs</em>. Great – more non-gym workouts for me to keep up with energetic preschool pace-setters while pulling babies in the sled.</p>
<p>Sadly, most of our early snow has melted away so we are back to
walking slow again until we get some more snow for the sled.
Interestingly though, Baby Two has decided they don’t need to be
carried any more so we’ve managed to take a couple slightly longer walks
without the sled and only one baby to carry. </p>
<p>Maybe I didn’t need to compromise after all – I just needed to wait a
little bit longer for this particular group to find a balance that
works for all of them – together. I bet by Spring even Baby One will be
itching to walk independently on a long walk too – they just need a
little more confidence and the opportunity to discover how fun it can
be. </p><p> </p>Cheryl's Child Carehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02648950764664242676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1597184604072721926.post-53768600504367526852020-11-07T12:26:00.002-06:002020-11-07T12:26:52.727-06:00The Scary Pumpkin<p>We go outside to play every day after morning snack. This is our
routine in all seasons. As the children finish eating I start sending
the more independent ones to begin dressing to go outside. I finish
cleaning up snack dishes and then bring the little ones to get dressed.</p>
<p>On this particular day, as I was cleaning off the table I was
listening to the three year olds chatting as they put on their coats and
boots. They were discussing the ‘scary pumpkin’ – I assumed they were
talking about the jack-o-lanterns we see in neighbours’ yards when we
are walking around the block.</p>
<p>However, I was a little confused when I heard them asked each other <em>“Why did Cheryl put the scary pumpkin up there? ” </em></p>
<p>I didn’t put up any Halloween decorations this year. I do have some
autumn/fall decorations at the front entrance including a pumpkin with a
face but I wouldn’t consider it ‘scary’. Besides, it has been there
for almost two months already – not likely to be something new to
discuss.</p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7111" data-attachment-id="7111" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1604491743","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.03","iso":"350","shutter_speed":"0.041666666666667","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="20-11-pumpkin1" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2020/11/20-11-pumpkin1.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2020/11/20-11-pumpkin1.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2020/11/20-11-pumpkin1.jpg" data-orig-size="500,338" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/20-11-pumpkin1/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2020/11/20-11-pumpkin1.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<p> I finished cleaning up and took the little ones to the entrance to
get dressed. I asked the three year olds why they thought that pumpkin
was scary. They corrected me “Not that pumpkin, the one up there”
pointing to the ceiling in the hallway.</p>
<p><em>Whoa!</em> That is…pretty cool actually.</p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7113" data-attachment-id="7113" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1604484246","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.03","iso":"300","shutter_speed":"0.041666666666667","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="20-11-pumpkin2" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2020/11/20-11-pumpkin2.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2020/11/20-11-pumpkin2.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2020/11/20-11-pumpkin2.jpg" data-orig-size="500,378" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/20-11-pumpkin2/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2020/11/20-11-pumpkin2.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<p>I can’t take any credit for putting the ‘pumpkin’ there though. All
the ‘pieces’ have been there for years – the Welcome wreath hung on the
front of the cats’ loft and the little red tent in the loft where
Montgomery likes to sleep. </p>
<p>At this particular moment however, the sun beam coming in through the
stairway window is shining directly into the tent behind the Welcome
wreath. A combination we haven’t noticed before – or since. The
location of the sun in the sky at this time of the season, following the
recent time change – that is what created the conditions for this to
occur at the moment we were getting ready to go outside to play.</p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7114" data-attachment-id="7114" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"LG-H873","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1604484246","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.03","iso":"300","shutter_speed":"0.041666666666667","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="20-11-pumpkin3" data-large-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2020/11/20-11-pumpkin3.jpg?w=474" data-medium-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2020/11/20-11-pumpkin3.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2020/11/20-11-pumpkin3.jpg" data-orig-size="500,375" data-permalink="https://cccare.wordpress.com/20-11-pumpkin3/" src="https://cccare.files.wordpress.com/2020/11/20-11-pumpkin3.jpg?w=500" /></figure></div>
<p>Yes, a very cool, not-so-scary ‘pumpkin’ – and some very observant three year olds. </p><p> </p>Cheryl's Child Carehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02648950764664242676noreply@blogger.com0