The Flow of the Day

People often ask about our Schedule.
That seems so weird to me, the word "schedule".
So harsh and formidable.
It sounds rigid and too much like work.

I prefer the term "Flow".
We are on no clock around here.
Maybe we do things about the same time everyday - but certainly not by a clock.

If the kids get hungry at 11:00 - I feed them.
If the kids get tired by 12:00 - we break out the nap-mats.
If the sun is shining - we stay outside longer!

More often than they get ready for something "earlier than usual" -
We just plain loose track of time in our daily fun,
and end up scurrying to "catch up" before the hungries or the sleepies hit.

So here is the "Official Flow" - with my disclaimer regarding adjustment:

• Open Play
• Breakfast
• Morning Circle
  ...which has order and focus on age-appropriate learning/preschool activities
• Outside time
  ...which includes directed & free play - more "socially centered"
• Lunch
• Nap time
• Bus Stop Watch (okay, so this one happens everyday at 3:20 )
• Snack time
• Outside time
  ...usually includes a group activity such as Play-doh or Arts & Crafts
• Clean-up / 2nd Story-time / Quieter Free Play
  ...until Mommies and Daddies arrive.
  

We have a "Theme of the Week".
We sing and dance everyday.
Weekly we get in Art, Cooking, Gardening, and a vast list of various Pre-K readiness skills.

Top that off with my duties of diaper changing, feeding & burping, cuddling, and the general clean-up necessary for 5 Little Monkeys and you'll see why I am "happily exhausted" at the end of each day!

Trucks, Circle, Books, and Blankets...

It started quite innocently. I forgot to 'tuck-in' the Mega Block Bus last night at clean-up time.

Little found it this morning, and Prince wanted it right away.

Toddler Rule #1 - "If You Have It, I Want It." Also known as: "If You Have It, Its Mine."

And my Babies, being so intellectually advanced, often apply Toddler Rules to their play.

So Game On.

Up and down the hall they chase each other - they haven't learned to defend their property yet.

If someone tries to take what you have, let them.

Then chase them down and take it back - because you love them, and it's fun too.

And they do it nicely.

But really, I have plenty of trucks in the Big Truck Box - stashed for just such occasions.

Yeah! Miss Marty - these Trucks are AWESOME.

Trucks everywhere. All over. It's craziness. It's fun.

Trucks up and down the hall.

Trucks parked in all kinds of silliness around the room.

How can 11 Trucks look like 110?

Well, you have to play hard to get a place to look this good.

Night, night Prince. The Trucks have tuckered you out. Time for a morning nap.

Trucks join us in Morning Circle.

There is a lot to talk about, when you are talking Trucks - even if Circle is 'all girls' today.

Girls like Trucks too, we don't need to 'stuff' gender-confusing feelings around here.

We find the books about Trucks on the bookshelf.

Amazing, I've had 4 girls myself and have many, many, books about Trucks.

And guess what? An 18 month-old, even a 3 year-old can't read yet.

So, even if the book isn't titled "Trucks", if there is even 1 truck in it - it can be about Trucks.

You may have to practice Creative Story Telling - but it's possible.

We sing a few songs in Circle - to our Trucks.

We count our Trucks.

We point out all the various colors on our Trucks.

We compare the sizes of our Trucks - BIG, BIGGER, BIGGEST.

We talk about the order of our Trucks - END, MIDDLE, END.

We are reminded about Patterns - so we make a row SMALL, BIG, SMALL, BIG, SMALL, BIG.

We show Marty which Truck in the row is BIGGER and which is SMALLER.

Oops! Hold on, Prince has awaken from his royal morning nap - let me get him.

We get out some blankets and tuck-in our Trucks.

"Everyone! Grab a blanket!" I direct them - handing a blanket to Prince.

"Let's tuck-in our sleepy Trucks, so they can have a nap!"

Can they see through this diversionary tactic?

Do I fail to mention about how "intellectually advanced" my kids in care are? I know I did, but the truth is usually worth repeating - and I'm a pretty Proud Momma.

I may have been tired of playing with Trucks, but they were not.

Girl4 decides she need to "read" a bedtime story to her Truck.

Out come more books.

Yeah! Miss Marty - these Books are great!

Trucks, Books, and Blankets - fun (and learning) is where you make (or insert) it.