The joy of potty training

Many of you may laugh at the title,or think to yourself, "that's not how I would describe potty training..." That being said, I was reminded this week how great the potty training process can be as I had the opportunity to begin training one of my babies. I am very old school about PT. I don't believe in pull ups, potty chairs, or dragging out the process. I think we underestimate the miraculous ability to learn that our children possess from birth. Take my sweet baby from this week, she is 15 months old and we began formally training on Thursday and by Friday she stayed dry all day and used the potty for all her needs. She also has wonderful parents who committed to using the same techniques at home, which helps tremendously. Its an awesome privilege to help a child through this process, to cheer for them as they succeed, and partner with parents. PT takes time, resolve, and the ability to let your child have accidents and LEARN from them. It's not easy but I think it's worth the effort (: Congrats to my sweet little friend who trained this week and congrats to her parents.

The cutest reading nook

Since we received our license last week, I've been working on our infant/toddler space. I envision a room full of soft, cozy, and inviting areas that allow for lots of exploration. With that in mind, here's the latest addition to the room, a reading nook as well as a few other random photos.

Lots of learning

Everyday so much learning occurs in our program. It's so fascinating to watch as a child grasps the concept of writing their name or fitting a circle into the right hole. The ability to be an observer of this is a privilege that is not taken lightly here. Thank you for sharing your children with us!

Information for the week of January 2

Happy New Year! This week we will be learning about Day and Night. Our color is blue, number 18, letter Rr, our nursery rhyme is twinkle, twinkle little star, and the shape is crescent. Our virtue word for the month is sharing. Have a great week!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies- Tuesday's Recipe of the day

Here's what the kiddos will be making today:

Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; stir into the creamed mixture until just blended. Mix in the quick oats, walnuts, and chocolate chips. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets.
3. Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving Calories: 145 | Total Fat: 8.1g | Cholesterol: 22mg

Chocolate Chip Biscotti

Chocolate chip biscotti recipe courtesy of the Wheat Foods Council.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla

Preparation:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. In medium bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and chocolate chips. Add eggs and vanilla, stirring until blended. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; knead 8 to 10 times. Form dough into a log about 2-inches wide and 16-inches thick.
Place log onto baking sheet coated with non-stick spray. Bake 30 minutes; remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes.
Place log on cutting board and with a serrated knife, cut log diagonally into 1/2 inch slices, using a sawing motion. Place slices cut side up, on baking sheet.
Reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake for 10 minutes. Turn slices over and bake an additional 10 to 12 minutes until golden. Centers will be slightly soft, but will harden as they cool. Remove to wire rack to cool.
Servings: 2 dozen
Calories/Serving: 92
Nutrition: One biscotti provides approximately: 92 calories, 2 g protein, 17 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 2 g fat (1 g saturated), 27 mg cholesterol, 19 mcg folate, 1 g iron, 109 mg sodium.

Information for the week of December 12

Our theme this week will be Yummy Treats and we will be cooking sweet treats all week long!  I look forward to this special time with the kids all year long.  Cooking with our kids is an important activity that provides so many teachable moments.  Math skills are taught by measuring, science is covered as we combine different ingredients to create something totally new, and most importantly, sharing is reinforced as we share the fruits of our labor.  This should be a very fun week.  Our shape this week is Square, the Color is Tan, the letter is Q q, and the number is 17.  Have a great weekend!