Raspberries

Today was raspberry kind of day!

Loaded all the kids in the car along with Granny Annie and headed out to the fields.

It was funny to watch this time as the kids devoured the berries straight off the bush.

When we picked the strawberries  month earlier they had filled some of their baskets before realizing that chloe and I were eating them.... this time no berries came into contact with their baskets until near the end of the row!

Strawberries

Ahhhh....the taste of summer coming!

Our local fresh strawberries are ready! 

This past week we had a spontaneous field trip to the strawberry patch.

It was so cute to watch then pick berries to fill there baskets until they saw myself and Chloe eating one and saying YUMMMMM....

After that it was game over for filling their baskets!

  

Spring 2016

Spring time.... are you sure? The past week has felt more like summer!

We have filled our days with planting seeds, popsicles and the sprinkler!

Everleigh is TWO

 Happy birthday my little friend Everleigh!

It was so cute how excited she got that it was her turn to wear the hat and blow out the candles!

It was really hard to get a IN FOCUS photo of the candle blowing because each of the three tries she had at blowing out the candles she would get closer and closer to them... i was worried about burning those cute little eyebrows!

Thanks for inviting me to your awesome birthday party! 

Your mom was very thoughtful for getting me special gluten free muffins and cupcakes!

Doing...

 What a magnificent day it was out there today! The gang and I walked up to Seaview park to play where we met a preschool group of kids playing at the playground. We weren't there for long before the preschool teacher informed me that they had to leave due to that day was aboriginal story day, then gym time and in the afternoon it was music  ect... she said their days are very busy and broken up often with all the wonderful activities they offered at the center. At first i thought wow... maybe i don't do enough with the children, look at all the things I am  not  offering.  But then tonight, i sat down to get the recent photos off my camera, and i saw the look of wonder, enjoyment, friendship, exploring, and happiness on the faces of the children in my program.Those children we met today,  might be seen as lucky, but upon a second glance, i see kids who are hurried along all day.  It reinforced that with all the 'doing of programs' you would miss out on all the other things that fill our day. Staying at the park longer, going on the adventure, imaginative play, puppet shows, learning about sharing, making mud muffins to feed the play horse, waiting for our turn, kindness, trust, how to play and get along with others, and best of all..popsicles! We are always busy 'doing', just in a different sort of way

Easter 2016

Easter this year was really early. only a week and a bit after St Patrick's day!

So there wasn't really a lot of time spent on creating Easter treasures.

Of course we did manage to squeak in egg hunts, art and bunny ears.... and everyone's favorite song... little bunny Foo Foo!

Happy Easter everyone!

Leprechaun Day 2016

We have the luck of the Irish..... even though i'm not Irish!

Once again we have made the best leprechaun trap and filled it with the most delicious shamrocks we could find.... because.....it worked!!!!

We caught a leprechaun!

The making of the perfect trap is a group effort. first it needs to be painted with shades of green and gold,

bedazzled with shiny things and sprinkles.

Then a hike through the woods in search of the perfect 'Y' shaped stick to hold up our trap

Off to the park to collect a bucketful of shamrocks and the trap is ready!

After nap time we check the trap and BAM..... the trap is down!

WE HAVE CAUGHT A LEPRECHAUN!

Now is the tricky part... we all need to place a hand on the trap, close our eyes and wish with all our hearts while we say "I set you free"

And like magic.... the leprechaun is gone ... and in exchange for his freedom he has left us treasures!

Now, to divide the loot!

Happy leprechaun day everyone!

January birthdays

Wow... time truly does fly by....Happy birthday to Ben who is officially not a 'baby' anymore.... 

congratulations big guy! Thanks for picking marshmallows for your  cupcakes... and for still having pajama days, and of course for being such a HUGE Thomas fan!

22... REALLY! It is such a weird feeling that i could possibly be old enough to be the mother of a 22 year old!!! 

Now my friend Lila.... its funny that she is turning 4.... I have thought in my brain that she already WAS 4.With the way she plays, the early language development, her desire to learn letters ect.... all those little things. STOP growing up so fast! Happy birthday my friend! 

time...

The past few weeks i have taken my camera outside with me trying to capture the ease and flow of our outside time. Taking time to take in the little things.... time....such a gift!