When you work with kids you can bet on a steady diet of laughs and surprises.

If you’re lucky you’ll get both at the same time.

The other day I got lucky – the girls surprised me and made me laugh so hard I cried.

I went to the bathroom for a moment when you’re the only adult in a houseful of kids you learn to pee quickly and came out to see Peanut toddling Frankenstein-style through the dining room, her bottom half totally nekkid.

Huh?

I did a classic double-take and stood frozen with surprise; up to now Peanut hadn’t shown any interest in taking her clothes off so this was the last thing I expected to see.

As my brain was wrapping itself around the puzzle of how and why Peanut was half-nekkie G came toddling through the dining room as fast as her chubby legs would go, waving Peanut’s diaper over her head and babbling at the top of her lungs. Luckily the diaper was just damp and not poo-ey; that would have been a catastrophe! I could just imagine what she was trying to say:

“Wait! You forgot something! Hey! Come back – I’ve got your diaper!”

Peanut just kept on truckin’ and didn’t look back.

I cracked up laughing and reached for my camera but by the time I had it they were both long gone.

After I retrieved the diaper from G, I scooped up Peanut and took her to the changing table. As I was putting a new diaper on her G returned with a twinkle in her blue eyes and a big grin on her face, waving Peanuts pants over her head. She seemed very proud of herself but I’m not sure if it was because she found Peanut’s discarded clothing or because she was the one to disrobe Peanut in the first place.

I’d lay odds that it was a joint effort.

Who would’a thunk that in just a few months these two cuties would be such troublemakers?

Family child care – never a dull moment.

Every year the Valley AEYC hosts an Annual Award Dinner to vote for new Board members and celebrate the members’ active participation; members who attend five events and help out in some way receive $10 toward their dinner. In addition to elections there’s also a business meeting, but its mainly a night to have fun hanging out with other early childhood professionals.

This year the Dinner was held at Pullman’s, a restaurant I’d never been to before. Pullman’s ison the river almost directly underneath the Oneida Street bridge and has gorgeous views of the river. Since this year’s dinner theme was “Transportation” Pullman’s was a perfect choice.

We had a giant room to ourselves, which is good because sometimes often we get loud and silly; something that’s great for working with kids but tends to annoy other diners. At one end of the room was a table with name tags, door prizes, and an adorable airplane to put the door prize slips in.

As usual, the Dinner Committe did a wonderful job with table decorations; at each place setting was a pen, luggage tag, and potted plant. I’m not sure how potted plants fit into the theme, but they sure were pretty. I had a red one by my place but Mickey traded me for a purple one cuz purple is my favorite color.

We had a smaller group than usual this year but that doesn’t mean we had less fun; it just means we all get a door prize! Hey, whose margarita is that? It looks yummy; I think I need one on the rocks.

Angie is ready to get this party started but Nicole and Michelle are talking business – exchanging Father’s Day gift ideas. One of the things I look forward to at each of our monthly meetings is sharing ideas with other early childhood teachers.

Mickey and Julie, two of the Dinner Committee members, are getting ready to hand out more door prizes. Pick me, pick me!

No, they didn’t pick me. They picked our out-going Vice-President, Robin instead. There must be something funny inside cuz Julie’s totally cracking up.

Cassie is the lucky winner of the suitcase, and was absolutely thrilled. Congratulations Cassie – now you’ll have to plan a vacation!

Every May we elect either President and Secretary or Vice-President and Treasurer. This year V.P and Treasurer were up for grabs, and were won by Angie and Nicole. Congratulations ladies, I’m looking forward to working with you! I’m currently serving as Secretary again; I served two two-year terms several years ago.

That was the short story of our night: good food, good company, good prizes… and a good time was had by all.

Spoiler alert!

If you’re the mother of a child enrolled in my child care program you may want to skip this for now and come back after you open your Mother’s Day gift. I’m just sayin’…

Everyone else feel free to keep reading for a fantastic Mother’s Day craft idea.

Mother’s Day is just around the corner, and if you’re a procrastinator like me you haven’t thought much about it yet. This year I found a quick and easy project that you and your child can do in under two hours – and it’s cheap money-saving too!

Mother’s Day Flower Pot Craft Supplies

You don’t need many supplies for this craft project, just:

• A small terra cotta flower pot. Ours were about 3.5″ diameter.
• Acrylic paint. We used metallic gold leftover from another project.
• A regular household sponge. I took cut it into fourths for easier handling.
• Clear acrylic sealer.
• Potpourri.
• Tulle or tissue paper and ribbon, gift wrap or gift bags, etc for wrapping. I used leftover tulle from Princess’s veil and ribbon from her wedding flowers, but you can use whatever you like.

Directions for the Quick and Easy Mother’s Day Flower Pot Craft

This project is so quick and easy it’ll probably take me longer to type the directions than it’ll take your child to do.

1. Prepare:
Make sure your child is wearing something you don’t mind getting paint on. Acrylics stain and kids manage to get full of paint no matter how closely you watch them.

Pour some paint into a shallow container – I use old peanut butter jar lids or the tops to YoCrunch yogurt containers.

2. Paint:
Show your child how to dip the sponge into the paint and dab it on the flower pot.

Young children will need close supervision so they don’t try to taste the paint, and may lose interest before the pot is fully painted. This is OK! Celebrate your child’s self-expression and refrain from finishing it for them.

Older children can put their hands inside the flower pot to turn it, and will be more likely to paint designs or cover their pot entirely with the paint.

This is sixteen month old Peanut’s flower pot. She painted it almost all by herself; she just needed a little guidance to put the paint on the pot instead of in her hair.

This is five year old Z-Man’s pot. He covered the entire thing with paint, including the top rim.

3. Seal:
Allow the flower pots to dry according to the directions for your particular brand of paint.

When the pots are thoroughly dry take them outside and spray them with the clear sealer. Let dry.

4. Have your child fill the pot with potpourri. To make it easier for the younger ones I poured the potpourri into a large bowl, and they all enjoyed picking through the potpourri for specific pieces that appealed to them. Be sure to have your child wash his/her hands afterward.

G loved painting her pot and filling it with potpourri. I think she would have played in the potpourri for an hour if I’d let her.

This was C’s first week in care and first time painting with us. He wasn’t so sure the painting thing but sure got into filling it with potpourri!

Little Guy dug through the bowl to find all the green pieces – green is his favorite color of course. He even picked out a green outfit that day.

5. Wrap:
Finally, wrap the pot. If you’re using tulle or tissue paper cut a large square with a pinking shears that’s the one that makes zig-zag cuts and stand the pot in the center. Bring opposite corners up to meet above the center of the pot and gather them together right above the potpourri. Wrap a pretty ribbon around, tie a bow, and you’re done!

Mother’s Day Flower Pot Craft Variations

Feel free to put your own spin on the project! Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Give a school-age child paintbrushes and several colors of acrylic paint to let them really express themselves.
• Replace the potpourri with Hershey Kisses or other small chocolates, decorative stones or marbles, dirt and a real flower, or pretty much anything you can think of that will fit.
• Instead of paint have your child put stickers or sticky-back fun foam shapes on the flower pot.

Enjoy making this Mother’s Day flower pot craft with your child – and be sure to send me a photo when you’re done. PS- It’s perfectly legit to have your child make one for you!

I used to think that promoting diversity in my childcare program meant having picture books with children from other countries in traditional dress, or serving Cinco de Mayo tacos on May 15.

Was I ever wrong!

True diversity is more than the color of your skin, where your ancestors came from, or whether you’re a boy or a girl. True diversity is what makes you different from everyone else – even members of your own family.

It’s easier than you’d think to celebrate diversity, and to prove it I have several super-simple and free diversity activities you can do at home with your own children.

Free Diversity Activity #1: How Now, Brown Cow

Quick – what color is a cow? A pig? A chicken? If you said cows are black and white, pigs are pink and chickens are white, you’re only partially right. And you didn’t read the title of this activity – the rhyme is How Now, Brown Cow, see?

Sure, cows are black and white, but they’re also white, brown, black, red, white and brown, white and red, etc. They also come with short horns, long horns and no horns. With spots and without spots. Hey, I live in Wisconsin, I know cows. Pigs and chickens come in all different colors, with and without spots too. So where does the free diversity activity come in?

Next time you’re shopping for farm animals, bypass the stereotypical black and white cows, pink pigs and white chickens. Instead, look for toy animals in all the beautiful colors and variety that nature provides. Then take a moment with your child to talk about all those difference, and how none is better than another – just different. If your child is really getting into talking about the differences in animals, you can talk about the differences in people. Discuss how people can be the same: two legs, two arms, one head, and how they can be different: eye color, age, favorite foods, talents. Be sure to point out that one isn’t better than another, and different isn’t bad, it’s just… different.

Wasn’t that easy? Ready for another super-simple free diversity activity?

Free Diversity Activity #2: Beans, Beans, the Musical Fruit

For this activity you’ll need a container I use an under-bed sized plastic container, but you could use a smaller one and dried beans – lots and lots of dry beans. Buy enough beans in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes to fill the container about half-way. Do NOT use red kidney beans because they contain a toxic substance that can cause serious illness if as few as 4-5 raw beans are ingested.

This has got to be the simplest diversity activity on the planet. Pour the beans into the container and give your child scoops, spoons, funnels, and other implements to use with the beans. How simple is that?! You child will experience diversity just by playing with the wide variety of beans you’ve provided.

To extend the diversity activity you could name each type of bean, compare their colors, sizes, patterns and textures with your child. You could also have your child sort the beans into a clean egg carton or ice cube tray by color, size or other characteristic.

For a parallel cooking activity don’t put all the beans into the container and use these to make bean soup with your child. A related musical activity would be to teach “Beans, beans, the musical fruit…” to your child, but I’ll leave that up to your discretion.

Free Diversity Activity #3: Dishes and Other Kitchen Items

We’ve all seen them – those adorable play dishes sets with the matching plates, matching bowls, matching cups, matching forks and spoons… I had a set when I was a kid. But wait – where’s the diversity when everything matches?

There isn’t any, that’s the problem.

It’s easy to add variety to your child’s play kitchen! Visit your local thrift shop and look for wooden or metal dishes, small baskets, plastic, wood and metal utensils, etc. Instead of miniature sizes search for “real-life” sized dishes in sturdy materials so your child can experience materials beyond the technicolor plastic most items for children are made of. While you’re at it why not look for placemats or tablecloths in fabrics from other cultures, and silk flowers or plants for your child to use as centerpieces?

To bring diversity to your family dinner table pick up a couple of pretty single pieces of china. Large bowls and plates make beautiful – if not matching – serving platters and dishes.

By the way, boys need access to kitchen supplies that they can play with too, so be sure to provide some for your child, even if he’s a boy. Besides, if you encourage a love of cooking in your son now your future daughter-in-law will adore you later!

And remember, you know your child and what will be safe for him/her better than I do. Please use common sense and check all items for safety before giving them to your child. Dry beans are a choking hazard for small children so don’t introduce bean play until your child is ready, and be sure to monitor your child while he/she is playing with the beans.

I hope you enjoyed these free diversity activities. Promoting diversity is important to me, so watch for more free diversity activities in the future.

Thanks for being part of my life!

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For Earth Day 2010 I thought I’d share a cheap and easy Earth Day art activity you can do with your children or grandchildren. If you don’t have any children or grandchildren beg, borrow, or steal some from the neighbors – just remember to give them back.

This Earth Day art activity was inspired by one of College Boy’s favorite childhood gifts: a box of recycled art materials. It was one of those things that when you first open it you think “I can’t believe people spend money on that!” then “People spend money on this – why didn’t I think of it?! The box was nothing more than a roll of tape, bottle of glue, and a motley collection of “junk” that you could easily collect at home: cardboard cones, plastic netting, plastic springs, string and cording in many colors and thicknesses, textured and metallic paper, corks, various fabric scraps, and the like. College Boy loved it! He spent hours digging through the materials for the perfect ones to cut, tape and glue into fantastic 3D creations. I loved it because it occupied College Boy for hours, and I could keep refilling it with things I found around the house so he never ran out of raw materials.

Make Your Own Earth Day Art Activity Box

You can easily put together a recycled art box for your child or grandchild; all it takes is a sturdy box and a little time, thought, and creativity. The hardest thing is remembering to stop before throwing things away to see if the item could be cut, glued, taped or stapled into an art project. Pretty much anything that’s clean, safe and small enough to fit in your box – but not too small for your child – can be part of an art project. Bring out the box and a big bottle of glue on Earth Day, a rainy day, or anytime you want to occupy your child for a while!

Earth Day Art Activity Box – the Box

For extra eco-points I used an old shoe box to collect our items, but you could use any kind of container you want. Use snap-shut plastic containers for a no-spill box or empty paper-ream boxes for collecting large items. I love paper-ream boxes because they’re always the same dimensions and have covers instead of flaps. A bonus Earth Day art activity would be decorating the Earth Day Art Box with recycled materials. Help your child cover the box with newspaper, cut-open paper grocery bags, used gift wrap, etc, and decorate it with markers, stickers, paint, or whatever is handy.

Earth Day Art Activity Box – the Materials

Like I said before, pretty much anything that’s clean, safe and small enough to fit in your box can become part of an art project. For instance, the felt that Little Guy is cutting came from the handbell banner I made last week.

Some things to look for include:

• Plastic lids in various sizes
• Cardboard and styrofoam egg cartons
• Milk, soda and water bottle tops (Possible choking hazard – monitor closely)
• Clean tin cans (cover the cut edge with duct tape
• Milk cartons – plastic and waxed cardboard
• Pompons
• Chenille stems (aka pipe cleaners)
• Corks from wine bottles
• Pieces of cardboard
• Pieces of plastic from toy packaging or the “windows” in envelopes
• Fabric and yarn scraps
• Plastic springs from notebooks
• Cotton balls and Q-tips (unused, of course)
• Orphaned socks
• Orphaned cards, puzzle pieces and game pieces
• Bubble wrap
• Small boxes and gift bags
• Empty 35mm film canisters
• Empty, clean personal care containers
• Plastic mesh bags from oranges or onions
• Rubber bands
• Styrofoam packing peanuts
• Twist ties (Angel Face’s personal favorite when she was in preschool)
• Paper clips
• Clothespins
• Easter grass or shredded paper
• Rinsed, dried eggshells
• Empty thread spools
• Leaves, twigs and other items from the back yard

The list can go on and on and on. Before throwing anything away put on your creativity glasses and take another look at it; if it’s clean and safe toss it into your Earth Day Art Activity Box instead of the garbage can!

Earth Day Art Activity Ideas

The easiest thing to do with all of these materials is create a collage. Cut apart an empty cereal box so the plain inside becomes a collage base or use a sturdy piece of construction paper like we did. Let your child use as much glue as he/she needs or wants, glue is relatively cheap after all, to attach recycled materials to the base.

For older children you could fill a container with plaster of paris and let them stick items into the plaster of paris before it dries. If you’re not comfortable with plaster of paris, place a lump of playdough or Crayola Model Magic on a piece of aluminum foil and have your child stick items in, then let dry. These would make fantastic paperweights for Grandparents Day or any other holiday!

Check out the Imagination Factory’s Trash Masher for more ideas of stuff to collect, and what to do with all that stuff once you’ve got it.

Earth Day Art Activity Resources

I don’t want to sound like an info-mercial but I wanted to share some of the resources I found while looking for more Earth Day art activities to do with the daycare.

First is Earth Day Network where you can learn about Earth Day events planned around the country and discover how you can make a difference in your own corner of the world.

Next, for more Earth Day art activity ideas check out Kaboose Earth Day 2010. They have tons of Earth Day art activities, crafts, games, quizzes, and more.

I also have to mention the adorable books by Innovative Kids that I saw at the bookstore over the weekend. They’re made of 98% post-consumer recycled materials and eco-friendly ink. They would’ve been perfect Easter gifts for Peanut and Sweet Pea if I’d seen them before Easter.

Finally, I felt that I should give a shoutout to the creators of the clip art in this post: Wonder Clip Arts. If you want free graphics to decorate your Earth Day Art Activity Box, for Earth Day in general, or any other major holiday, check out them out.

Have fun making some recycled Earth Day Art with your child, and be sure to email me a photo!

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Link to Earth Day Art Activity

Title: Earth Day Art Activity
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If you know me you’ll know that I don’t like to cook. The problem is that I’m running a child care and the kiddos like to be fed – three times a day! Over the years I’ve found some recipes that are quick and easy enough that they don’t take much time or attention away from the children.

Pizza Casserole is basically a mixed up pizza with noodles instead of crust. It’s one of my favorite recipes because not only is it quick and easy, the kiddos love it and we usually have all the ingredients on hand. Best of all, it’s adaptable enough that if you don’t have all the ingredients you can make substitutions, and you can add your own favorite pizza toppings to make it just the way you like it.

I’m not big into measuring when I make this so bear with me; I’ll guesstimate measurements as well as I can. Here’s the ingredients:
1 can Spaghetti sauce, your favorite type
1 package Rotini pasta, or any other shape you have on hand
1 lb Hamburger
1-2 C Mozzerella cheese
Your favorite pizza toppings like:
Sliced pepperoni
Peppers
Tomatoes
Olives
Mushrooms
Sardines I won’t eat ‘em but if you like them, go for it.
Etc.

Put water on to boil as you brown the hamburger. If you’re using veggies you should cook them now too. When the water is boiling add the pasta and cook according to the package directions. When the hamburger is brown, drain the grease and stir in the can of spaghetti sauce.

Add a handful or two of sliced pepperoni, but be sure to peel the slices apart or you’ll end up with a huge pepperoni chunk in your casserole. If you want to include any other toppings, now’s the time to toss them in. Turn the heat down to simmer to keep this mixture warm until the pasta is done.

When the pasta is done and drained, add about half of it to the meat and sauce mixture. Stir well and take a look at the casserole. If it’s too saucy or there doesn’t seem to be enough for the number of people you’re feeding add more pasta. If there’s not enough sauce you can add a little water, tomato juice or tomato sauce. When you done messing with it you can either stir in about 1 cup of cheese and serve, or pour the casserole into a 9″ x 13″ pan and sprinkle the cheese on the top. Bake in a 350 oven until the cheese melts and serve. Since I’m usually rushing to get lunch done I just stir in the cheese and serve right away. The cheese melts and the casserole has usually cooled to the perfect temperature for the kiddos.

Enjoy!

I recently attended a Shaken Baby Training for my child care program, and would like to share what I learned.

Do have a plan to protect your child from Shaken Baby Syndrome?

If you’re a parent you need one, because in as little as five seconds your child’s life can be changed forever.

Shaken Baby Syndrome occurs when a baby or young child is violently shaken. As little as five seconds of shaking can cause irreversible brain damage or death. Some of the permanent effects of Shaken Baby Syndrome include:

• impaired motor skills
• impaired cognitive skills
• blindness
• cerebral palsy
• hearing loss
• spinal cord injury
• paralysis
• seizures

When an infant or young child is shaken the brain bounces back and forth inside the skull, causing blood vessels to tear and causing damage to the brain. Imagine a covered plastic container filled with gelatin. Mild shaking will cause the gelatin to separate from the sides of the container, harder shaking will cause the gelatin to break up, and prolonged severe shaking will cause the gelatin to liquify until it can be poured out of the container.

Violent shaking causes immediate damage to the brain, so symptoms of Shaken Baby Syndrome will usually appear right away. Symptoms may vary, and often appear to be a minor illness. Some of these minor symptoms are:

• Trouble sucking or swallowing
• Decreased appetite
• Trouble sleeping
• Fussiness or irritability
• Vomiting

Severe shaking causes more brain damage and obvious symptoms:

• Difficulty breathing or turning blue
• Lethargy or unresponsiveness
• Convulsions
• Unconsciousness

If you suspect your child is a victim of Shaken Baby Syndrome call 911 or take your child to the emergency room right away! Immediate medical attention may save your child from permanent problems and may even save your baby’s life.

As serious as Shaken Baby Syndrome is, it CAN be prevented! No one wakes up in the morning and thinks “I think I’ll shake a baby today.” Most Shaken Baby Syndrome occurs when a parent, babysitter or other caregiver becomes frustrated and loses control. The most common trigger for Shaken Baby Syndrome is inconsolable crying, but toilet training and feeding problems are other major triggers.

Everyone knows that it’s normal for babies to cry, but that doesn’t make it easy. Babies cry for many reasons and what matters most is how you deal with the crying. Some of the reasons that babies cry are:

• Hunger
• Tired
• Bored
• Scared
• Overstimulated
• Understimulated
• Too hot
• Too cold
• Wet
• Dirty diaper
• Anxious
• Sick
• Uncomfortable
• Want Mom/Dad/Other caregiver
• Just want to

When a baby is crying our instinct is to try to comfort the baby. Many times the baby can be comforted, but sometimes the baby is going to cry no matter what you do. Here are some ideas you can try to help soothe a crying baby:

• Check for illness or pain
• Feed slowly, burp frequently
• Change baby’s diaper
• Take baby for a walk outside
• Swaddle or cuddle baby in a blanket
• Play quiet music
• Run a vacuum or hair dryer away from baby
• Gently rub baby’s tummy, back or bottom
• Pat baby’s bottom gently and rhythmically
• Snuggle baby against your chest
• Rock
• Sing, read a book, talk softly
• Put baby in a baby swing
• Give baby a warm bath
• Reduce light, noise and movement
• Put baby in a vibrating infant seat
• Encourage baby to suck a pacifier or your pinkie finger
• Put baby in a sling or other baby carrier
• Try TV to distract baby
• Nurse baby if you’re breastfeeding

Having a plan for dealing with frustration is the key in preventing Shaken Baby Syndrome. Sometimes babies cry and can’t be soothed, no matter what you do. When you feel yourself getting upset remember that it’s more important to stay calm than to stop the crying. Some ways to keep your cool are:

• Gently place baby in a safe place, like a crib, and leave the room for ten minutes
• Imagine yourself in a relaxing place, like a beach
• Listen to music
• Call a friend or relative
• Take a shower or bath
• Exercise
• Read a book or magazine
• Close your eyes and take deep breaths
• Ask friends or relatives for help
• Count to 100
• Write down 5 best things about yourself
• Write down 5 best things about your child
• Do housework, like vacuuming
• Use positive self-talk such as “I am a good parent” “I can stay calm” “Baby knows I love him”
• Do something that makes you laugh
• Rip up a telephone book or newspater
• Beat on pillows, cushions or a mattresses
• Join a parenting group for support and encouragement
• Yell in your head, into a pillow or in a room away from others
• Call the baby’s doctor or a nurse helpline
• Whatever else it takes to keep yourself calm and your baby safe

Babies cry, but if you have a plan to soothe baby, to keep yourself calm and where to get help you can keep your baby safe from Shaken Baby Syndrome. Remember that it’s more important to keep yourself calm than to stop the crying, and NEVER shake a baby or young child!

There’s a new baby at our house! Isn’t she a doll? Baby Gemma joined our child care group just a little while ago and we all love her already. The older children love to talk to her, make her smile, tickle her toes, and pet her hair. She loves watching them play, smiling and cooing to them. It’s wonderful having a little one to cuddle again!

Last Saturday I spent most of the day at the Valley AEYC mini-conference. I’m co-chair with Nicole – she’s a family child care provider too, and one of my best friends.

This is Nicole making announcements at the beginning of the conference – doesn’t she look official?

We had Professor Gizmo as keynote speaker and he was SO funny! He told us how to make one of these floaty balloon things with the guts of a Diaper Champ. (New guts of course!)

These lovely ladies volunteered to help with a demonstration on sound waves – look how dry they are! For now… Professor Gizmo struck a tuning fork to make it vibrate, then had the volunteers look closely as he lowered it into a cup of water. When the tuning fork hit the water the vibrations made the water shoot out all over!

Here’s their reaction, hee hee!

Besides Professor Gizmo we had other great workshops, like:
Puppets in the Classroom – I went to this one, Mickey and Cassie were really goofy and made us laugh a LOT.

Creating Classroom Books – I went to this one too and got some great ideas of books to do in my child care.

Infant Sensory Experiences – I didn’t get to go to this one, but it looks like they had a ton of ideas.

Stepping Stones – I went to this one several years ago and made stepping stones as a Mother’s Day gift. All the moms loved them! (I’ll post a “How to” after I find the concrete recipe)

Gardening with Children – Nicole walked her kids to her mom’s house to garden all summer, then they put together this workshop. It sounded like a lot of fun so I may try it next summer.

During the breaks between sessions we gave away a ton of cool door prizes. I won a winter theme book! (The blue one in the back row, next to the dog…)

If that wasn’t enough, we had a delicious lunch – taco bar and BROWNIES!!!

I don’t do field trips. Yes, I know they’re an important (and fun) part of the child care experience, but I’m just not meant to do field trips.

Several years ago I planned a trip to a pumpkin patch. For $6 you took a hayride to a field where you could pick out your own pumpkin plus 2 ears of maize, 2 mini-pumpkins, and 2 gourds. I had parents lined up to help chaperone and drive, the permission slips were signed and the money was collected. The morning of the field trip it was sprinkling a little, and by the time we got to the field it was sleeting heavily. Two families decided to skip the field trip and bring their children to my house after we got home. The rest of us went anyway, but the weather was so bad it wasn’t much fun. Trying to pick up wet slippery pumpkins and gourds from a field of mud with cold-numbed fingers was quite the challenge.

In May I thought it would be fun to go to the zoo. Again, I had parents signed up to chaperone and drive, the money was collected early. After a week of sunny warm weather the morning of our field trip dawned dark and rainy. It sprinkled or rained the entire time we were at the zoo. The animals were hiding from the rain inside their shelters, peering at us crazy humans walking in the rain while they were dry in their homes. We spent more time looking at the photos and descriptions of the animals than the animals themselves. At the end of the path there was a large petting area where the children could pet chickens, goats, a baby tiger, and other animals. The children had fun even though the animals were wet, and I chose not to think about what “organic” matter was probably mixed in the mud we were sloshing through. We got a coupon for a free trip back, due to the weather but I didn’t risk it and we haven’t been back since.

The following fall I decided to try the pumpkin patch again – after all, what are the chances of being rained out 2 years in a row? Yeah well, whatever the chances were, it rained again. This time we were prepared with umbrellas and blankets, but it was still a cold, wet and miserable trip again. I decided at this point to swear off field trips forever.

Well, now it’s been several years and I started getting the field trip itch again. I’d taken my children to the local Children’s Museum and they had so much fun I thought I’d make it a field trip. I thought I was pretty smart, it was an indoor trip so the weather didn’t matter. Since I only have 1 child care child on Monday mornings I decided that Monday would be the perfect day to go, I wouldn’t have to get another chaperone and could easily fit her car seat in my van. Monday morning I packed my 2 yr old, 8 yr old and 11 yr old children in the car with the 4 yr old and took off for a morning of fun. How was I to know they’d scheduled a maintenance day and were closed! We must have looked pretty funny standing outside the doors staring at the CLOSED sign dumbfounded. Since the permission slip was specific to the Children’s Museum I didn’t have any choice but to take 4 very disappointed children home.

I consoled them with a plan to reschedule for the following Tuesday, when in addition to the 4 yr old I also have an 18 month old. I was a little concerned about adding the 18 mo old, to the group because I was afraid the children would want to go separate ways, and I didn’t have enough room in my van for 3 car seats and the other children. So I arranged for a parent to come along to help drive and chaperone. The night before the field trip I got a message saying the parent was ill and couldn’t come. Oh no, now what do I do?! I decided to go anyway and have my older children help with the younger ones. The morning of the trip dawned clear and sunny, the 18 mo old arrived first and everything seemed fine. Then I realized her dad had forgotten to leave her car seat, the fee, and the permission slip. So much for this field trip!

The new plan is to go back to my No Field Trip policy. We’ll take walks around the block instead.