Human babies, doll babies and doodle bug babies have been filling our play, our curiosity and our imagination!

Today, we used embroidered nursery rhyme blankets to warm and comfort our dollies.

When Arleigh picked up a blanket, she wrapped it around her leg as a bandage. This discovery led her to invite her friends to play doctor. We offered a cot, rag bandages and lotion for friends to act out their doctor story.

To support our Doodle Bug study, Elizabeth’s mom, Kristin, has loaned us a microscope. 

This is a really special track that Elliott designed and constructed. He charged $59 to use it. A teacher paid him and then with a slight tilt of the orange beam,  rolled a car down. Elliott expressed that it could not be done that way. A conversation followed about who gets to choose how the car is rolled and why. Elliott said “I made it and they are my cars.” The teacher said “Yes, but I paid you $59.” Elliott finally agreed “Ok-it’s $100 to do it like that.”

“Where is Ben?” asked Leo this morning. He was ecstatic to see Daniel, our new Wee Friend! Welcome Daniel!

We saw the sky darkening and decided to get outside ASAP. Friends expressed fear about  thunderstorms and lightening. Mel read and played our rainstorm book/cd and talked with Wee Friends about their specific fears of the changing weather. They discussed details about clouds, rainstorms, thunder and tornadoes. Finn explained “torrential” rainstorms and elaborated on “rotating winds”. 

We headed outside and when Ada found another mama doodle bug, Lea expressed: “We found another rolly polly giving birds!”

Human babies, doll babies and doodle bug babies have Wee Friends giving bird (or birth!) to new ideas each day. We love it!

Wee Sprouts: Celery. Breakfast: Chex cereal and apples. Lunch: Tami’s ham and bean soup, cornbread and watermelon. Snack: String cheese and crackers.

Good Afternoon!

Music filled our morning with sounds of laughter and joy! Children got out their favorite instrument and played along with music going in the background.

With the outside air feeling fresh after the nice rain we got last night, friends scurried off to the sandbox where children played with the wet sand.

We love building with the sand packing it with our hands . On the log, Emma made a castle using packed sand!

For breakfast, children had chex and banana. Lunch consisted of AWESOME pasta with whole grain noodles and homemade marinara sauce, fresh cantaloupe, mixed vegetables, and fresh garden potatoes. PM snack was homemade zucchini/banana bread and string cheese.

Have a terrific evening.

We spent most of the morning cooking our lunch with our garden harvest. Using chives, zucchini and tomatoes from our garden,  we created a marinara. We roasted our potatoes and used more zucchini in a bread for snack. Friends washed, cracked, snipped, tossed, salted, poured, scooped and stirred everything, helping it make its way to our table.

The tomato/zucchini marinara, roasted potatoes and zucchini bread were all delicious. Friends loved knowing the food on their table came from their garden.

And now we wait on our plum tree.

Other great Tuesday Wee Moments:

• Matching and rhyming with Lisa
• Creating a balancing course under the habitrail
• Playing house (and baby) and switching roles
• Leo and Puff the Magic Garden Dragon
• Daily sign in sheet
• Digging for more fossils
• And looking for more pregnant doodle bugs.

Hope you’re having a great day.

Wee Sprouts: Carrots. Breakfast: Corn Chex and bananas. Lunch: WF Garden marinara with penne pasta, roasted WF potatoes and cantaloupe. Snack: WF zucchini bread and watermelon.

Happy Monday!

Hope everyone’s weekend went well!

We headed outside this morning where our friends dove right into their Monday routine. While friends sprinted to the sandbox, other zoomed down the slide with friends. It was the perfect morning outside!

We had an afternoon filled of various activities. Lu Lu sat with a few friends and played different instruments. Keerthi fed her baby doll with a bottle. She talked to the baby as she was falling asleep.

For breakfast, children had cheerios and oranges. Lunch consisted of whole wheat tortillas, turkey, cheddar cheese slices, cucumber, and banana. PM snack was goldfish and hard boiled eggs.

Have a great evening.

We danced into Monday. We also talked to friends about birthstones and discovered who knows their birth date! Friends practiced writing their names and choosing the jewel that matched the color of their birthstone.

We headed outside as soon as we could and created a fossil dig in the sandbox, using the salt dough fossils we made last week. Finn created rules to follow and shared with us how he found several dino bones in his own backyard!

The Doodle Bug Team continues to collect pill bugs. Today we discovered the difference between a male and female. We also learned how a mama doodle bug hatches her eggs. We think we found a mama in the process of giving birth. Wee Friends were amazed and excited. “Stand back-you’ve got to see this.” exclaimed Elliott.

Ada found a fly who couldn’t fly. She rescued the fly and created another glass jar habitat for it. We studied what flies might eat and fed the new pet a small flower and a dead doodle bug. Ada and Elizabeth are keeping close tabs on their new specimen.

The backyard baby dolls give our Wee Friends and siblings pure comfort and joy-and good practice being a contributing member of a family!

Look how this newly formed family took care of Lea: helping her cocoon herself under the cool, silky sand. This large group of friends collaborated peacefully and worked toward one goal. They showed understanding on how to care for Lea’s body so that she was not hurt.

Right now we are harvesting tomatoes, potatoes and cucumbers. Thank you to the Garden Committee who came this weekend and weeded the garden. It looks beautiful and inviting-and delicious!

Wee Sprouts: Elliott’s garden tomatoes (thank you!). Breakfast: Whole wheat toast with cinnamon and pear slices. Lunch: Turkey and cheddar cheese sandwiches, WF garden cucumbers and apple slices. Snack: Bananas and cottage cheese.

Have a happy day.

Happy Friday!

Clara and Eve took advantage of our low crew this morning and spent a while in the kitchen painting. They used different supplies such as a cardboard circle and rectangular paper. We talked about the different sizes. Friends did a GREAT job at describing what they were painting. Clara said, “I’m painting Mommy’s office!” Eve also let us know that she was painting a doggie! She also let everyone know that the doggie says, “Woof!”

Not only did our friends have a lovely sensorial painting session, but the vocabulary to go along with it was AWESOME!

During the late morning, friends gathered for a couple of Eren’s requested favorites!

In one of the books, it says to wish for what you want. We closed our eyes and wished with all of our heart!

For breakfast, children had whole wheat toast with cinnamon and blueberries. Lunch consisted of soy butter on whole wheat bread, mixed vegetables, and blueberries. PM snack was crackers and cheddar cheese.

Have a great weekend!

-Mindy

SWIMMING REGISTRATION DUE TODAY!

It’s been a wonderfully busy Friday!

First, today we say goodbye to Amanda Brown! Amanda has spent two weeks with us earning service hours for her senior year at Washington HS. The kids adored her and the teachers appreciated her initiative and terrific ideas! Thank you, Amanda! We hope you’ll come back and visit us!

We welcomed friends to school today with a table full of gems. We matched them and sorted them. We created more scrabble rocks and spelled out names with them. Sloane and Marina requested a game of Candy Land for more color matching and sequencing.

Having a trapeze in the classroom has given Wee Friends a chance to conquer the twists, turns and flips introduced to them on the Blue Bus. We keep a close eye on them!

The older girls joined the younger new sisters in housekeeping story telling.

Ada and Elizabeth created another new habitat today, this time for a Black Garden Ant. We studied characteristics of the Black Ant, including its habitat. Then the girls got to work.

Lisa’s mani/pedi salon was open for business and had a waiting list.

We studied another form of rock: sea shells. These were found on the beach with holes in them. We talked about erosion and breakage. Friends made necklaces.

Leo found weights. We experimented with heavy/light and he laughed out loud watching the light weights being tossed in the air. He counted them-1-11.

Mel brought the book Listen to the Raindrops by Kirk Lignell. She read it, played the accompanying song and then invited friends to curl up on cozy green mats and listen to our own gentle rain falling outside. We experienced the sprinkle of raindrops (spray bottle), the clap of thunder (two wooden blocks) and the flash of lightening (camera flash). Friends expressed that each of the sensory experiences was fun-not scary at all!

And then we ate tacos. What a terrific fine motor exercise to roll the tortillas and hold the taco intact while eating it!

Lunch: Tacos with fresh WF garden tomatoes, cheddar cheese and blueberries. Wee Sprouts: Carrots. Breakfast: Kashi and pear slices. Snack: Apples and yogurt.

Have a great weekend!

Happy Thursday! It’s August already?!

Today, we celebrated Emma Claire turning TWO! Her birthday is tomorrow but we celebrated it today! Thanks to the James family for bringing in our afternoon snack: a fruit cookie for every friend! Happy birthday Emmie!

For breakfast, children had whole wheat toast with cinnamon and banana. Lunch consisted of chicken noodle soup, blueberries, and mixed veggies. PM snack was Emma birthday snack (fruit cookie) and string cheese.

Have a lovely night.

Caleb kept his birthday a secret yesterday—we found out on the sly today and want to say HAPPY Big 4th BIRTHDAY, CALEB! We love having you at Wee Friends!

And there was another reason to celebrate today: Jane is in the house! She made everyone’s day by dropping by.

We spent most of morning outside, painting our rock collage and looking for moist spots in that might be home to slugs, bugs or other creatures. A black garden ant made its home in the Doodle Bug Habitat today. The question and concern is “Will the doodle bugs mind that an ant is in their house?”.

On a sad note, today we say goodbye to Ben. Ben, we love you! We will truly miss you and your lovely family at Wee Friends.

Have a good. day.

Wee Sprouts: Carrots and squash. Breakfast: Corn flakes and apple slices. Lunch: Homemade chicken soup, blueberries and melted cheese on whole grain flatbread. Snack: Peanuts and pear slices.

Happy last day of July!

Our mood throughout the day reflected the weather. Friends were spotted just kind of relaxing with friends or reading a good book in the reading spot. Of course, there were moments during the day where the volume got amped and friends got active. Children got together and paired up this afternoon and threw the balls to each other. They even matched a few balls with the colored blocks they were sitting in! We had the best of both worlds .

For breakfast, children had kix and banana. Lunch consisted of homemade egg salad, mixed fruit, and peas. PM snack was rice cakes with soy butter and cottage cheese.

Have a great evening. See you in August .