Upside Down Cats

On a daily basis I attempt to empower my daycare children by teaching them to be assertive, stand up for themselves and express their feelings. Today that philosophy sent Scott and I into fits of laughter...

I have three-year-old brother - sister twins in my home daycare. In one of the standard, run-of-the-mill, "Mine!! No, Mine!!" scenarios, the twins were tug-or-warring with a toy they both fancied at the same moment. Suddenly the sister (who had the toy first) had enough of the verbal confrontation and made it physical, pushing her brother in the chest.

Needless to say, brother resented the shove, tattling, "Gina, Sissy pushed me!" My reply, intended to encourage him to confront the affront directly with the aggressor was, "Well, tell her how it made you feel."

The next thing we heard as he attempted to comply was, "How it made you feel!"

I can't say he didn't follow my instruction...I just didn't expect such a literal execution!

The Classics at daycare...

Pinocchio meets Hi Ho Cherry-O

Today at my daycare there were three preschoolers: Four-and-a-half and almost four-year-old girls and an almost four-year-old boy. At one point the girls ganged up on the boy and excluded him from their dramatic play, demanding, "Leave us alone!" As far as I could tell, he hadn't done anything to cause him to be ostracized, other than be a boy at that particular point in time... You know, wrong time, wrong gender...

When he pressed to continue to play with the girls, the 4 1/2-year-old stomped off, arms crossed angrily across her midsection, exclaiming, "I quick!"

Of course she meant, "I quit!" but it was a very amusing turn for a volatile situation...at least for me!

Five minutes later, of course, they were all playing happily together again...

Go figure... Those flighty females!

it is not only creative, but colorful and fun - not to mention resourceful!

'Tower With Stuffed Elements'

By NZT Artists' Collaborative Effort

Today's installment of Too Cute! is brought to you by a four-year-old girl in my daycare - and Disney.

We were watching the previews before the movie Pocahontas and she said, "Look, Gina, it's The Punchback" (of Notre Dame)!

I suppose the word punch is a lot more common in a four-year-old's world than hunch...and I'm glad for that!

I'm back on schedule posting the meals I've planned in advance for the week ahead. Although I also pre-plan and often utilize many of the same ingredients in meals for my daycare children, these meals posted here are the ones I prepare strictly for Scott and me. Here's some of what I'll be cooking for us this week:



Chicken Parmesan Sandwiches on Toasted Club Rolls, Garlic French Fries & Mixed Greens Salad

Pasticcio* & Wilted Spinach Salad

Cheese & Rice Casserole & Oven-Roasted Asparagus

Shrimp Fajitas & Tortilla Chips w/ Salsa & Refried Beans

Waffles, Chicken-Apple Sausage Links & Fresh Fruit

Chicken Burgers w/ Bleu Cheese & Bacon, Beer-Battered Onion Rings & Raw Vegetable Platter w/ Ranch Dip

Bacon & Cheddar Omlettes & Bagels w/ Garlic-Herb Cream Cheese



*Pasticcio - Thanks, Kelly, for recently reminding me of a dish I haven't made in years! Greek food rocks!

Today's installment of Too Cute! is compliments of the two-year-old girl in my daycare. She is extremely verbal, even considering her age and gender! We commonly have riveting conversations, so I am accustomed to her being able to express herself with great facility.

But today she just made me laugh... Continue reading "Too Cute! 6/3/08" »

Friday was impromptu movie day at my home daycare. The children had seen a commercial for the movie E.T. all week on a station we watch regularly. They were enthralled by the commercial itself and asked if they could watch the movie when the network showed it. Unfortunately, it was going to be on at 7 P.M. which is after my daycare closes.

But hey! I have E.T. on videotape. Yes, videotape. I refuse to be ashamed of still watching the gazillion videos I own, so don't even start on calling me a technology dinosaur...

I was glad to be able to indulge the children's desire to see the movie during the course of the daycare day.

Continue reading "E.T. Revisited" »

The daycare children have got me laughing early this week...

A five-year-old girl is going on a preschool field trip to a place called Exploration Station.

While excitedly reporting the details of her upcoming excursion to me she kept referring to it as Expiration Station.

I wonder what there is to explore there?

You get a bonus in this installment of Too Cute!...a too-fer, if you will.

Overheard today during the daycare children's rendition of Ring Around the Rosey: "Asses, asses, we all fall down!"

And today's second preschoolism: "I am a moymaid!" (Perhaps there are parts of the country where this is not as much of a departure from the familiar-to-my-ears Midwestern pronunciation of Mermaid...)

Hope these help you laugh your way into a pleasant weekend, compliments of my unintententionally entertaining little friends!