Happy Thanksgiving...what a busy time for everyone...trying not to miss the last few days of summer-like weather, putting away lawn and garden ornaments, cutting the grass one more time, cleaning the chimney, pulling out the shovels and toboggans so they are ready to go, stocking the shelves for the winter....

On Monday this week I hosted a Thanksgiving dinner for the kids from my daycare and Marilyn's too. They enjoyed turkey, mashed potatoes, corn, and stuffing with the less traditional "timbits" for dessert. Our crafts this week were based on the turkey...
one was a turkey cut from bristol board, the tail and body were decorated with felt squares, googly eyes, a coloured beak and feathers for the wings made a handsome table center-piece when a stand was added. Another craft used hand prints for the tail each of the four prints a different colour, then a brown print of one foot upside down for the body, it was decorated with googly eyes, a beak, waddle and feet cut from fun foam.

It was a beautiful fall day for a trip to Smith's Apple Orchard. Marilyn, her daycare kids and I with mine spent a couple of hours this morning climbing on circles of hay bales, playing twister the orchard way, listening to a story about visiting the apple farm, walking through the giant sunflowers, viewing huge gourds, measuring up against Smith's "How Tall this Fall?" wooden display board, choosing just the right apple to go home with, counting pumpkins, eating "slinky" apples, watching the bakers make delicious pies and turnovers, playing "Twister" the orchard way and singing some apple and harvest songs.

"Way up high in the apple tree
Two red apples smiled at me
I shook that tree as hard as I could
Down came the apples
Mmmmmm VERY GOOD!"



"I am an apple shiny you can see
I used to grown in an apple tree
Now I'm delicious as can be
Won't you put me in your tummy"

"I am a pumpkin big and round
Once upon a time
I grew on the ground
I have two eyes
A mouth
And nose
What are they for do you suppose?
With a candle burning oh so bright
I'll be a Jack O Lantern on Halloween Night!"

The kids all went home with a delicious apple of their choosing, some took home fresh baked turnovers and EVERYONE took home some wonderful memories!!!

Another Trip to Northern Bruce Peninsula

Ready to Jump into some summer fun????
Try a visit to the Northern Bruce Peninsula.
Each year our family takes a vacation, staying at the Lion's Head Campground. We visit the Grotto, Greig's Caves, Tobermory, take a ride on a glass bottom boat, visit the new Tobermory museum and Sweet Shoppe, hike Cyprus Lake, Cape Head Lighthouse and more.

Making plans for next summer...give it a try!

Well, It's been quite a week....

I would like to begin this posting by sending my deepest condolences to a local family who lost their daughter (sister) to a brain tumor after a very courageous battle.

"God seen her getting tired,
A cure not meant to be,
So he wrapped his arms around her,
And whispered come with me."

Just this week I was also told a of a cousin (one of my 25 on my dad's side) that was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor as well. He is a little older than me, but with his name added to the list there are now 8 people from my dad's family that have been attacked by cancer. My dad was one of 7 children and 5 of them had cancer. Both of his parents died of cancer and now the first of my 25 cousins has been diagnosed. So if you look at the overall picture of blood relatives 2 grandparents, 7 children and 25 grandchildren the total is 34 people. 8 out of those 34 have been diagnosed with some form of cancer that is 23.5% I really don't think I like those odds.



On the lighter side last week we seen friends get married...a very happy moment for them. The bride was absolutely beautiful and no one's spirits were dampened by the torrential rain. I also visited with an old friend from high school, here from Ottawa and with friends from Guelph. It sure is nice to reconnect and find out what everyone is doing.

Beautiful Bruce County

Is there anywhere else in the world that is truly this beautiful??

Carribean Pirate Party A Huge Success

Well, our Carribean Pirate Party appeared to be a huge success. Fellow daycare provider "Marilyn" and I hosted our party from 10 am until 1:30 pm. With a variety of games and activities. I did not post any pictures of the children due to privacy issues, but assure you they had a great time. Activities included "walk the plank" they walk on a board like a balance beam and jump into their life raft (a miniature blow up pool) that is in a bed of blowup crocodiles waiting to nip at their toes if they miss! a set of tunnels was part of the day, water fun in our wading pool, a treasure hunt that lead the children to a cave where Mr. Bones the pirate (a Halloween skeleton dressed as a pirate) guarded the treasure in the enclosed treehouse, a jello eating contest seen our senior winner retain his title for the second year...he is small but mighty and truly enjoys his J E L L O......the pirate seen above is one of the many craft displays I made for the party...we had a pirate teddy bear, Tigger, a frog, a RCMP moose and two pirate ships made of old cardboard, some paint and a little imagination. The day ended with an awards ceremony where the children each received a small trophy and medallion for their efforts in making our day special....jello eating winner, good attitude, great at taking turns, good friend, great enthusiasm etc. ...everyone is a winner. Each child went home with their own "booty" of treasure and as I develop the pictures and put together my scrap book I realize that they are not the only lucky ones...I got to enjoy the day as much as they did.

Cancer Research

Wondering if if you canhelp me?

I am interested in finding out how many people out there have a family member or friend that has been affected by cancer. I would like to know where those people live. I am trying to put facts together about heredity, location and types of cancer.

My dad died of lung cancer and we lived in Bruce County for almost 40 years, although he was born in Scarborough.
His dad died of lung cancer, his mother died of bowel cancer, he lost a brother to lung cancer, a brother to brain cancer, a sister to brain, bowel? cancer and has a brother who is battling skin cancer.

I know of a 14 year old child (girl) that was diagnosed with a brain tumour a year and a half ago and lives in Bruce County outside of Port Elgin and a five year old boy from Port Elgin diagnosed with leukemia. There is also a child (boy) in grade one at a local school diagnosed with leukemia.

I would like to see as many people as possible post their cancer experiences here on my blog so that I or others can see how heredity, location and sex play a part in cancer.

In the Daycare Business???

Looking to share craft and activity ideas, problem solving related to home daycare...I have been in business almost 17 years and I am still learning...have an idea you would like to share...post it here on my blog. This month I am hosting a Carribean Pirate Party...with homemade boats for the kids to "ride" in (just like the cars on Romper Room years ago), a pirate ship cake, walk the plank game, treasure map search, pirate mask making etc.

Thought of the day...or thought for life???

Can you be honest with yourself and others or are you one of those people who tend to talk about others when they aren't around???
Learn the value of a trusted friend, it took me years to realize that superficial friendships just aren't worth it....you shouldn't say something if you don't want the person you were talking about to hear it....cause it always gets back to them.

Slow Dance

SLOW DANCE (Anonymous author - Possiblywritten by a six year old girl with terminal cancer in a New York Hospital)

Have you ever watched kids
On a merry-go-round?
Or listened to the rainSlapping on the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?
You better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.
Do you run through each dayOn the fly?
When you ask "How are you?"
Do you hear the reply?
When the day is done
Do you lie in your bed
With the next hundred chores
Running through your head?
You'd better slow down
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.
Ever told your child,
We'll do it tomorrow?
And in your haste,
Not see his sorrow?
Ever lost touch,
Let a good friendship die
Cause you never had time
To call and say "Hi"?
You'd better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.
When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through your day,
It is like an unopened gift....Thrown away.
Life is not a race.
Do take it slower
Hear the music
Before the song is over.