Do you remember your first time? I sure do! I decided to find out what the fuss was all about a few years after IKEA came to Draper Utah. I walked in and might as well have heard angels singing. It was really just the IKEA playroom, but any mom who’s tried shopping with four…
A few years ago I attended an early childhood conference where Richard Paul Evans was the keynote speaker. I have to admit I was a little unsure of what he would be speaking of in regards to Early Childhood. What he did was beautiful and unexpected. He provided each of us as educators with a gift….
Our neighbor, Martha, over the back fence at our Learning Treehouse program, has two AMAZING globe willows. The trees are gorgeous, however a few years ago we noticed they were starting to get so big that some of the lower branches were growing into our fence. I approached Martha and offered to have my husband…
When families tour my program, one thing I tell them is that we don’t push kids on the swings. It seems like an odd thing to point out, but there’s a few specific reasons why we don’t. I can’t have a teacher tied down at the swings during outside time. It’s important that the teacher…
What are the best toys in the world? That’s kind of like asking which child is your favorite, but the toys I’m blogging about today are amazing! They are my top recommendation when anyone ask what they should get their child for a birthday or Christmas. I love these toys because they are open ended, versatile,…
How do you write a tribute to someone who changed your life? How do you say thank you to someone who fundamentally changed the direction of your path? How do you repay the beautiful and sacred gift of mentorship? This post is my attempt to do that, but also to inspire you to seek out mentors…
Almost 14 years ago my oldest daughter was born. Six short weeks later I went back to work. Over the next four and a half years I learned a lot about child care from the perspective of a parent working outside the home. That perspective was invaluable as I transitioned to providing child care in…
Today’s edition of Super Simple Saturday features a preschool basic – paint! Inspired by Bev Bos I suggest this art invitation you might not have considered for your kids – let the kids mix their own colors! Introducing this activity Bev said, “Sadly for many children the art experience is far too narrow, being confined…
Happy Monday! In celebration of a new week I’m sharing one of my all time favorite talks on the subject of criticism and positivity. This is a speech given by Gordon B Hinckley at BYU in 1974, but it could have been given yesterday for how it so perfectly applies to our current cultural climate….
Last week I took my kids to a gymnastics meet at Southern Utah University. The “Flippin’ Birds” were ranked 13th in the nation last week. For a small university in a rural Utah town that is a big deal! Our gymnasts are fantastic though and so much fun to watch! However my experience was tempered by…