This fall has been quite an adjustment for me. In September I returned to teaching. Teaching grade 4 is a little different from running a daycare, but surprisingly not as different as I thought it would be. Haha! Anyway, the Friday evening after my first week back, we had a play date with the daycare kids. We missed each other so much in that one week!
Maryam's mother ordered Swiss Chalet for all of us. It was delicious!
Marcellus and Drew were already making strange with me because a week, in a baby's life, is like a lifetime. :)
They had a nice healthy dinner of hot dogs, and of course ice cream for desert!
How sweet are they?!
Later, they reflected on their lives thus far, and pondered the deeper mysteries of life, while watching ducks swim in a quiet pond.
We had another play date in late September.
Maryam couldn't make it, but we took Thomas and Amadea to Dairy Queen.
In October we took Thomas in our car to Chudleigh's Apple Farm. We met Amadea and her parents, and Maryam and her mother, there.
Chudleigh's is always a great venue for a play date!
The kids had fun on the playground, and climbing on and around the bales of hay.
Well, hello beautiful!
We took a tractor ride to pick some apples.
There were lots of apples to choose from (as opposed to last year when we visited too late for apple picking).
We had a great time picking and eating the apples.
But in a flash, all is forgiven and they are all best friends again. :)
They hung out in a teepee for a while...
They took turns riding the tree swing...
...and enjoyed some snacks.
In October we had a Halloween party. We invited Oscar, one of our older daycare alumni! It was so ice to see him again!
A few of the kids played a Halloween game that Noah and I had made when he was younger. The kids themselves are the pawns, and they throw a big die to move. First one to make it to the haunted house wins!
Here are the ladies proudly holding their Halloween loot bags.
Next, we wrapped some of the kids up as mummies, using (clean) toilet paper!
In early November, we made time for jumping in the leaves. Aidas, our very first daycare member (and Noah's oldest friend), met us there, as did Thomas and Drew!
A week before Christmas, we had a cookie decorating party. It was so nice to have everyone together! Actually, we were missing Maryam (who had another party to go to - she's a popular woman!). But we had B. here (one of the first daycare members), and also Katie, Leila's friend from school, and her big brother Danny.
After decorating their Christmas cookies, some of the kids cuddled up on the couch to watch Christmas movies.
Others engaged in pretend play that I would title "Santa's Workshop".
Amadea, always a die-hard creator and art lover, came back to our hurricane table to decorate a little more.
Later, Amadea's mom came over with Marcellus. Actually, Drew came with Thomas's parents too but I actually forgot to take photos. It was really sweet to see the babies.
They are growing so fast! Isn't he the cutest little Santa?! I hope everyone is having a great holiday season, and I wish everyone the best for the new year. I hope you like this post daycare update on our daycare family. The daycare may be closed, but our friendship is forever. And so is my love for all the kids who have come into my home. You are always welcome!
