We have, not one, but two new cubs to introduce! I have a little time off this week so I thought I would take a moment and get things up to date about our den. But first, let's start off with an update on our four year old, Mother Hen....
We received notice in May that she was going to be staying home with her mom and begin preschool in the fall. We are so happy for them to create special memories together, but she is already missed by all of us, especially her friends Platypus and Seahorse. She was a big help around here and had a great, interactive imagination at playtime with baby dolls, pretend cooking and the giraffes from our animal bucket. We will also miss her spontaneous renditions of "Let it Go." We know you will do great things and go far, little one!
Now, onto the new arrivals.... One of our current clients referred us to a new little guy named Polar Bear. He came to us in May since they were looking for more of an in-home setting. He turned one in June and was with us for a few weeks before taking a family vacation in Europe. He is a sweet little guy with a head full of light blond hair and loves his little Wubby giraffe pacifier. He loves to snuggle and crawl around exploring everything. We have enjoyed getting to know him and he has settled in really well considering all the changes. The older kids have been pretty gentle with him so far, but Moose and Hippo definitely want him to get bigger so they can wrestle him more!
Our second introduction is our little friend, Hummingbird. She is two and a half years old and also has light blond hair. Her mom is my son's co-worker and they were in need of some summer care while her grandparents were out of town. So, she's flown right in and is super sweet, observant, bold, and talkative. Her favorite thing to ask over and over again is "What are you doing?" She's been a little nervous settling into a daycare setting, but is doing great letting us know her needs. Monarch, being the toddler that she is, has a tendency to be a bit of a tease and take things away from Hummingbird and others. So, our new friend is very bold at telling her no, and Monarch thinks it's quite a funny game to test her patience. Aside from that minor adjustment, we are really enjoying her company and personality, and she has adapted quite well.
As summer ends soon and fall draws near, we will probably have a few more changes in store as Snow Leopard will be moving and Kinkajou will be heading off to Kindergarten! In the meantime, here are some pictures of my crazy crew and our summer adventures.....
