Good Afternoon!

Not only was the weather GORGEOUS for our farm trip today but teachers, parents, and wee wee friends had a terrific time! We want to thank Tami for allowing us to go and to the parents that came!

..And we’re off!

Our first stop was looking at the chickens and turkeys! The chickens had laid two eggs so Miss Charlotte went and retrieved them for us! Friends loved holding and feeling the eggs.

Miss Charlotte bought us out a group of small chicks! We used gentle touches and were able to hold/pet them!

Open air. Endless possibilities. Picking dandelions. Running free.

Goats are friendly. We found this out by just going up to one and petting it. P.K. enjoyed touching the goats tail .

There were a few horses outside today. We gazed on as they were starting to get warmed out. Our friends loved the long tail as well as the size of the horses!

We had an amazing day! We may have gotten a tad dirty and exhausted but memories were formed and fun had .

For breakfast, children had cheerios and oranges. Lunch consisted of egg casserole with hash browns, banana, and peas. PM snack was

Have a lovely evening.

-Mindy

Ben and Leo’s Family: Please check the Wee Wee blog today for pictures of your boys at the farm!

It just takes a flicker of an idea to get a Wee Idea going. When Lisa held up an oblong shaped stencil, Finn shouted “It’s a flame! A flicker of a flame!” He then went on to name the colors he saw in a flame and an art project lit up: cutting out paper flames.

Sloaners created an elaborate housekeeping experience taking care of babies, collecting food and organizing a shelf.

Ada brought in a new game “Snail’s Pace Race” and Jane shared “Ada- this is the best game ever! I’ve played it over and over!”

We gathered together to review what our firefighters taught us yesterday. We also came up with a fire drill. We assured our friends that there is very little chance a fire would start at Wee Friends, but we reviewed what to do in the event it did occur. First we practiced STOP, DROP, COVER YOUR FACE and ROLL. Next we walked through our fire drill, gathering first in the reading area and then walking out together, through the back yard to the alley gate.

We tried a habitrail game where firepersons are sleeping, they hear a bell and then slide down the pole. It wasn’t that fun and friends kept stepping over each other to get to the pole. We quickly redirected our friends and Lisa started a game of Fireperson Telephone.

 

Another small group sat on the music rug improvising with two rhythm sticks. We started by tapping out 1-2-3-4 to our firefighter song. It morphed into an exploration of turning the sticks into different things: noses, lips, babies, guitars, ears…you name it. Two sticks and a eight great imaginations.

Tami gave us an old garden hose. When we got outside, we cut it into five sections and fire people filled the playground fighting fires, playing tug of war and digging  sand.

We followed friends and their flickers and together, created lots of learning opportunities. Tune in tomorrow to see what we do with today’s flames.

Wee Sprouts: Cucumbers. Breakfast: Cheerios and bananas. Lunch: Farm fresh egg casserole, bananas and peas. Snack: Peanuts and apple slices.

Enjoy your day.

Good Afternoon!

**Tomorrow we will be heading to the farm! The weather looks fabulous so therefore make sure friends dressed appropriately. We’ll apply sunscreen on everyone when we get there. Our friends are extremely excited to see the farm (especially the animals)! We will be leaving at 9:30 a.m. so please to ready to go in farm attire by that time . Make sure our friends are in clothes that you don’t mind getting a little dirty. Thanks!!

Our Wednesday morning started off with learning about fire trucks and firemen! Our Wee Friends were kind enough to invite us out with them to enjoy the red fire truck. Children got to hear the engine’s horn as well as look at the gear of a real fire fighter. Thanks Wee Friends for sharing your exciting morning with us!

For breakfast, children had whole grain toast with soy butter and banana. Lunch consisted of pasta salad made with whole grain noodles and veggies, mixed vegetables, and oranges. PM snack was hard boiled eggs and pretzels.

Have a great evening!

-Mindy

This morning, at 10am, Firemen Pete, Doug and Dave, from the South Bend Fire Department came to Wee Friends. Before we went outside to check out the truck, they talked to us a bit about fire safety. Here are some of the questions they asked Wee Friends:

1. Do you know who to call if there is a fire in your house?
2. Have you ever heard “Stop, Drop and Roll?”
3. Does your family have a meeting place in your house, to gather all together if a fire starts?
4. Do you know your neighbors?
5. Do you play with matches?
6. If you see a pack of matches, what do you do with them?
7. Remember, if there’s a fire in your house, just find a way out-only worry about getting yourself out! The firefighters will go back in if your pet is still in the house. That is their job.
8. If your favorite toy is still in the house when there’s a fire, the firefighters will go back in and get it.
9. Remember-get yourself out and the firefighters will worry about pets, toys and even mom and dad.
10. And now, not only do we Stop, Drop and Roll, we STOP, DROP, COVER YOUR FACE and ROLL.

We presented our new friends with the fire truck we’ve been working on.

Then the firefighters took us outside to see and sit in the fire truck!

We also got to see one of the firefighters in full fire fighting dress.

We held the water hose and learned about the different parts of his firefighting suit.

Then Kevin came along, delivering our mail! Community Helper #2 passing right by our firefighters.

Lastly, we took pictures in the back of the truck…and held a fire tool….an ax.

When the fire truck drove away, it sounded the alarm and flashed the lights.

Since our neighbor Les was on his porch, we decided to cross the street and get to know this terrific neighbor a bit better.

We learned that Les has been in his house on 29th St. for 48 years. He said when he moved in, there were lots of families, and once again, he’s starting to see young families moving back in.  He also has an 8 year old dog named Rusty.

We sang our Thumbelina songs and then made our way back to our own house.

As the summer progresses, we will be learning more about River Park’s Community Helpers.

Who are the people in your neighborhood?

Wee Sprouts: Carrots. Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with cheddar cheese and apple slices. Lunch: Whole wheat pasta with tuna and mixed veggies, orange and cucumber slices. Snack: Yogurt and animal crackers.

Have a great day.

Hello!

This morning friends got a chance to color using markers. While this isn’t as messy as say painting, it allows children to explore their creative side. Most of our friends are getting to that stage where drawing or coloring means something. Whether they’re drawing a picture of mommy or of a lion, they relate it to themselves which makes it more meaningful.

This is an example that Daniel drew that showed us he’s past the scribble stage and making meaningful marks. He has clear intention throughout the process. Our older friends are doing a great job at this as well as the fine motor aspect of coloring: control and good grip while holding the marker. Some of us even held two markers at a time!

 

For breakfast, children had Chex and oranges. Lunch consisted of pita bread with soy butter, banana, and broccoli. PM snack was cottage cheese and goldfish.

Have a terrific night!

-Mindy

On Mother’s Day, Ellie and her family went to the park! The Tribune was there to catch her photo with mom!

While the swimmers were at the Y, we ignited more fire talk. We began creating a fire truck and, after reading The Firefighter Book, we came up with a list of firefighter words.

This Thursday, Tami is planning on taking Group C to the farm: Leo, Ben, Clara, Eve, Daniel, Zoi and Keerthi.

Wee Sprouts: Carrots. Breakfast: Cheerios and oranges. Lunch: Peanut butter on whole wheat bread, broccoli and bananas. Snack: Goldfish and raisins.

 

 

Have a great day.

Happy Monday!

**Tentative: WWF will be going to the farm this upcoming Thursday, May 16th. Please dress your child in farm attire (clothes/shoes that you don’t mind getting dirty). If the forecast calls for rain, we won’t go. Children under the age of two will need a parent to come along. If you have any questions, please ask!

Our Monday started off terrific!

Monday is an important day in the week. Not only is it the first day back to school after the weekend but it’s a crucial time for friends to reconnect and spend time with one another. We can always tell that friends miss each other. As friends walked through the door this morning, P.K. was heard asking, “Where’s Clara Rose?” Friendships blossom daily in the Wee Wee house and it sure is wonderful to watch those relationships grow into something that these toddlers cherish. Children sure got reacquainted with one another after the weekend. It was a great start to the week.

 

For breakfast, children had whole grain bagels with cinnamon and raisins. Lunch consisted of whole grain noodles with black beans, pears, and mixed vegetables. PM snack was cheddar cheese slices and graham crackers.

Have a wonderful evening.

-Mindy

 

Not only is our Wee garden growing (despite last night’s freezing temp!), but an interest in fire grew today. But before either of these were mentioned, a few friends wanted to continue creating costumes for today’s 4:30 showing of Thumbelina.

Then we gathered and talked about last night’s weather. We headed outside to check on our garden and to take the covers off the tomatoes. Thank you Garden Committee!

We came back inside to talk about our neighborhood.

Firefighter talk ignited so we set out to create a fire station and fire truck under/around/inside the habitrail. We made a hose and found some terrific firehouse music. We stopped, dropped and rolled.

Other friends worked at the art table to create our Wee Friends Garden sign.

And still, others worked with Lisa and the Feely Box. With their new babies.

Both groups rotated through the Blue Bus.

And then Tami pulled out the Wee fire costumes, and oxygen tank. 

And we’re off. Wee Friends, Wee Friends, Mighty Mighty Wee Friends! We play games, we sing songs! Wee Friends, Wee Friends Mighty Mighty Wee Friends, we grow friendships (and fires and gardens) all day long.

Wee Sprouts: Carrots. Breakfast: Whole wheat peanut butter toast and bananas. Lunch: Whole wheat penne pasta with black beans, mixed veggies and pear slices. Snack: Homemade banana bread and cheese slices.

This blog is from yesterday (Thursday) but our internet was down!

Today, we celebrated Clara Rose’s 2nd birthday! Happy birthday to you!

We started out our morning with a little hokey pokey! Not only did our friends find out that it’s extremely fun, but it’s a great way to learn our body parts. We talked about right and left along with arms, legs, and our entire body!

For breakfast, children had chex and oranges. Lunch consisted of hummus on tortillas, green beans, and homemade applesauce. PM snack was Clara’s special birthday snack: a fruit tart and a small lemon or raspberry cupcake along with string cheese. Thanks Clara and family for our wonderful snack! We loved it!

Have a terrific evening.

-Mindy

We had another lovely weather day, “medium cool” (as described by Ada).  Melinda and Tami took group B to Prairie Winds Farm and we: held baby chicks, fed the goats, watched Magic (the horse) get first aid on the cut on his leg, we swung on the rope swing (even Mel did too), we collected dandelions and made our noses yellow, we drank out of the hose, and we walked through the woods and through the prairie (and collected more dandelions). 

Back at WF, Miss Laurie and Miss Lisa worked with the remaining children on costuming for tomorrow’s Thumbelina performance at 4:30.  (Rain or shine the show must go on!  We’ll simple do an indoor performance if the weather isn’t cooperative!)  The children and teachers later worked together to do a deep clean of our WF toy shelves.  Everyone pitched in with towels!

Breakfast was PB toast/Pears.  WeeSprouts are carrots today.  Lunch was hummus on whole wheat tortillas, green beans, and our homemade applesauce (from the apples the children peeled and sliced on Tuesday afternoon!).  Snack will be peanuts and bananas.

Have a great day!

Tami