Good Afternoon!

Here are a few reminders:

• Wee Wee Friends is closed Monday, 12/24-Friday, 1/4. We will re-open Monday, 1/7.
• Here is the Wee Friends Inclement Weather policy, as stated in the handbook (found on-line):

Inclement Weather/ Emergency Closing Policy

Wee Friends will delay opening until 10:00 on any day that Mishawaka OR South Bend Schools are closed or delayed for weather. You will be notified by email by 9:00 if we choose to close for the entire day.

Thanks!!!

Friends read with each other this morning. We read our favorite big books. We’re really working on colors, animals, and objects that we see out in the world.

P.K. stretched from the table to the chair. He tried his hardest to touch both items at the same time!

We rolled around inside the jungle gym. Children lay with one another while laughing and giggling.

“Hello!”

LuLu enjoyed talking to herself and playing with different toys on the baby jungle gym. She is making different noises through the day and loves to play with her older friends!

A few friends gathered this afternoon to play with baby dolls. Between burping them and feeding them, our babies were very much taken care of!

Zoey had a great time this afternoon with P.K. while playing hide-n-seek! She knew that he was back there but was so surprised when he came out from behind the pillow .

For breakfast, children had cheerios and apples. Lunch consisted of fresh egg casserole with hash browns and cheese, applesauce, and green peas. PM snack was pretzels and string cheese.

Have a terrific evening and stay safe!

-Mindy

Reminders:

• Wee Friends is closed Monday, 12/24-Friday, 1/4. We will re-open Monday, 1/7.
• Please pick up the artwork in your child’s cubby and any other materials/bags of clothes, that may have accumulated over these months.
• Please feel free to drop tuition checks off in the Wee Friends check box. As always, tuition is due each Friday and checks will only be deposited on the day they are due.   However, late payments will receive the $10.00 late fee (if paid Monday) and $5.00 additional per day after that. 
• Here is the Wee Friends Inclement Weather policy, as stated in the handbook (found on-line):

Inclement Weather/ Emergency Closing Policy

Wee Friends will delay opening until 10:00 on any day that Mishawaka OR South Bend Schools are closed or delayed for weather.  You will be notified by email by 9:00 if we choose to close for the entire day.

• An FYI: We’ve had several children (from both sites) and a few teachers out with the flu that is making its way around.

Wee Sprouts: (Thanks, Matt D.!)

Breakfast: Cinnamon Swirl whole wheat toast and raisins. Lunch: Egg casserole, whole wheat buttered toast and applesauce. Snack: Goldfish and apple slices.

Have a great day!

Hello!

Our morning started with a painting project. With this age, not only is it an art project but also a sensory activity too. We found out that some children like the feel of paint on their fingers. However, we also found out that some do not care for it at all! Our friends took their fingers and moved the paint around, feeling the texture of the paint.

Clara loved using the sponge. As our friends are getting more mature in their painting skills, they use the sponge as a sponge instead of a paint brush. Clara moved the sponge up and down to make different marks on the paper.

P.K. made sponge marks on the paper but also used it as a paint brush to make streaks across the paper. He pushed his bowl forward when he was ready for a new color.

Eve enjoy mixing the colors together on her paper. She mixed the white and green paints together using her sponge. When paint got on her finger, she studied it for some time. She didn’t mind the paint on her fingers but didn’t care for it either.

Emma tried different techniques and ideas throughout her painting experience today. First, she tried painting her hair. The white streaks did look pretty cool . Second, she put the paint on her fingers and then used her fingers to paint with. She loved the feeling of paint on her fingers. She switched up the sponge from right hand to left hand and finally her just used both hands!

Eren sat up in his chair and went to work! He loved painting in all four corners of the paper. He tried putting it in his mouth which brought up a great conversation starter about things we shouldn’t do with paint. Eren sure did enjoy painting with the sponge today.

After our sensorial painting experience was complete, we headed to the living room where we worked with trains. Friends shared with one another and made sure to give a piece to someone who didn’t have anything.

Zoey sure is getting around easily these days. While she’s not walking yet, there’s nothing this child won’t try! She’s especially getting good at walking from thing to thing while holding onto a bookshelf or chair. This allows her to really interact with the older kids.

Smiles from the jungle gym!

P.K.’s action shot of the day!

Up, through, under, over. P.K. found many ways to maneuver through the jungle gym.

Eren worked his little heart out at trying to climb through the hole. There were times that he got stuck so a friend would give him a boost!

For breakfast, children had chex and raisins. AM snack was corn. Lunch consisted of couscous with chicken, mixed vegetables, and pears. PM snack was whole wheat crackers with hummus.

Have a terrific night! (We hear there might be a winter storm a-brewing? )

-Mindy

*Wee Friends will be closed Monday Dec. 24-Friday January 4. We will re-open Monday January 7.

Our friends have developed an on-going interest in puzzles.

We decided to create our own puzzles using the front picture of our recycled holiday cards.

Mel led a Mystery Box game in which friends had to put their hand in the box and guess what object they were touching.

Next, friends played Kids Onstage-a charades game for young children.

Wee Sprouts: Carrots. Breakfast: Cheerios and apple slices. Lunch: Whole grain cous cous with chicken, mixed veggies and orange slices. Snack: Yogurt and pear slices.

Happy Wednesday!

Good Afternoon!

I’ve gotten a couple inquiries about my wedding that was over the weekend so I figured I’d just share a photo. Thanks for all of the well wishes within the last week! It is greatly appreciated.

*Wee Wee Friends will be closed for Winter Break Monday, Dec. 24-Friday Jan. 4. We will re-open Monday, January 7th.

It felt so good to get back to work!

We started off our Tuesday with gross motor time. Friends jumped on the jungle gym and watched as cars drove by. We’re becoming very aware of our surroundings!

Fine motor work came next where we built tall towers with blocks. When the towers got too tall, they fell over!

Children headed outside after we bundled up!

P.K. heard a doggie bark and walked to the gate to see if he could see the pup.

We spent a long time on the phone with family today. Mommy, Pa Pa, and Daddy were called many times throughout the day.

Trains went speeding throughout the house today. “Choo-choo!”

Clara made some delicious pancakes with syrup and wonderful ‘foffee’ or coffee.

“Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!”

P.K. let us know that the babies were sleeping so he told us to “shhhh”.

P.K.’s word of the day was yellow. Anything that he saw that was yellow, he let his friends and teachers know!

Breakfast was Chex and raisins. AM snack was corn. Lunch consisted of soy butter on whole grain bread, banana, and green peas. PM snack was string cheese and oranges.

Have a great night!

-Mindy

Back at school……

Wee Sprouts: Carrots. Breakfast: Corn Chex and bananas. Lunch: Peanut butter sandwiches on whole wheat bread, peas and bananas. Snack: Cottage cheese and pineapple.

Have a great day!

*Wee Friends will be closed for Winter Break Monday, Dec. 24-Friday Jan. 4. We will re-open Monday, January 7th.

Today began with peanut butter on whole wheat toast, bananas and a good game of Candy Land. Afterwards, friends decided to create their own versions of the game.

Lisa worked with a rotating group of friends on a flower petal counting game.

We read Jan Brett’s The Night Before Christmas and The Wild Christmas Reindeer. We learned a song about reindeer, “Clip, Clip, Clop, Clop” and headed to the music rug to create our own sleigh and great music.

We realized that Santa’s sleigh had no gifts so we got busy wrapping more presents.

Lunch: Whole wheat pasta with cheese and marinara, pear slices and corn. Snack: Cheddar cheese and apple slices.

Have a great day!

Remember way back to September 21st when WNIT came out to film the Sesame Street Grow Up Great segments (funded by PNC Bank)?  Well, I finally can share them! Enjoy!

2 Eggs Segment 2 Eggs -MPEG-4 features Macy, Ada, and Miss Laurie.

The Energize segment Energize -MPEG-4 has  Finn and Nate in the spotlight and background support from Ellie, Elizabeth and Jada.

The Build It segment Build It -MPEG-4 starts with Jane and Ada, but moves to the back yard and shows some group shots with many kids.

The Garden segment Garden -MPEG-4 is Nate, Finn, and Miss Tami.  Tami sounds weird (what did they do to my voice????) and Finn performs the line of the year!  And it was total improv on his part.  Ha!

Loan It Loan it_LQ has Arleigh and Macy as the main characters with Sophia and Marta in the background.  However, they also use many group shots and parts of the other clips to pull this one together.

 

Today we celebrated a big milestone! Ada completed the entire Bob Book cycle, Books 1-5! She is a fantastic reader and is excited about moving on to chapter books! Congratulations, Ada!

Another celebration was created at the art table, but it’s a surprise..for you!

We have puzzles for every developmental stage. We have daily celebrations for friends who have either mastered challenging ones or just plain finished one!

Have you noticed our rocker? Perfect for friends who want to snuggle, or a good book.

The habitrail….pure Gross Motor celebration.

Outside today’s fort, Beach Boys Max, Nate and Finn were surfing.

Then it morphed into a train. We added music “The Cheesehead Special” and other friends jumped on board.

The boys disappeared and I heard Marta announce: “I am the chef, do you want pizza?” Arleigh put on a backpack ( 2×4 boards) and said “We’re going on a trip, remember?” To that Marta replied “Ok, I’ll make sandwiches for the trip.” They also turned the choo-choo into a living room. Ada experimented with the pole and how to make it vibrate. Jada read to the whole gang.

After some time had passed the surf boards became guitars and Marta and Finn belted out “Jack and the Beanstalk.”

Sophie inspired rhythm stick work starting with The Nutcracker. We counted 1,2,3,4 and explored different tempos with several different songs. It turned into an exploration on how many different ways to use our rhythm sticks. Holiday Celebration is in the air as Wee Friends created reindeer antlers.

Macy, Jane, Arleigh and Ada sorted like colored stones. They decorated their tree and then counted the number of stones they used.

Wee Celebrate Good Times.

Wee Sprouts: Carrots. Breakfast: Scrambled egg sandwiches on whole wheat toast and bananas. Lunch: Melted turkey and cheddar on whole grain flatbread, fresh pineapple and mixed veggies. Snack: Pretzels and orange slices.

Enjoy your day.

This morning a small group of friends asked to hear The Polar Express read aloud. After we finished, we moved to the sensory table to find bells, like the one in the story. Friends found and sorted red and green bells. Then they filled three different containers with bells: a tin box, a cardboard box and a mitten. We explored how the bells sounded different in each container.

Several friends spent time at the art table wrapping presents. We used more empty containers to practice wrapping paper and using tape. Some friends chose to create art with their container before wrapping it up.

Lisa set out felt Christmas trees and jewels. Friends adorned their tree with jewels, counting and patterning as they went. They charted how many jewels they used.

A fort was erected under the habitrail. The cast was 4 babies, a big brother and Mr. Fix It. I am told that Finn was Mr. Fix It.

Arleigh and Ada gift created and wrapped for 1/ 1/2.

Jane used one of the cardboard wrapping containers to create a person. On the back of the wrapping paper she drew a house for her 3-D character.

On the oval rug, Lisa guided a small group of friends in Musical Puppy.

Tami created an obstacle course in the habitrail. She strategically placed Little People and friends climbed up and down, encountering the Little People as they crawled through.

Wee Sprouts: Carrots. Breakfast: Kashi and pear slices. Lunch: Whole grain rice with red beans, banana fruit salad and peas. Snack: Graham crackers and peanut butter.

Have a great day.