Beat the Heat

It has been so hot this summer! We've spent a lot of time trying to beat the heat with the water table. It takes a bit of time to get everyone ready to play outside and covered with sunscreen, but once we do, it's fun watching them splash and play in the water.

Since I recently acquired my experienced provider licensed, I've been able to watch Owlette's older brother, Alligator who's visiting from South Dakota.  We've also had Crocodile on summer vacation as well, so he's been hanging out with his brother Cheetah and the other boys. It's been a unique schedule this summer with my part-timers rotating days, so some days we have a majority of boys and other days we have mostly girls. The babies stay pretty consistent though.

Piglet is visiting her dad in Florida, so we've been missing her, but will get to see her again in a couple of weeks. Here are some fun pictures to reflect on all of our summer fun so far!

The girls: Ladybug, Chick, and Goose

 The boys:  Cheetah, Crocodile, Alligator, and Caterpillar

All the crew above, but on different days! Below, Cheetah and Ladybug who will be headed to preschool in the fall. Fawn (in the black and white polka dots) will also be going to preschool, so we will miss having her one a day a week. Caterpillar has especially enjoyed hanging out with her! We wish you all the best on your new adventures and hope to see you on some school breaks.

 Last, but not least... the little ones Owelette and Tortoise. The first is starting the adventure of walking, the other is learning to crawl!

 

So Many Changes...... Part 2

This update is long overdue! As promised, I want to introduce the several new faces we have around the den since our recent transitions that we mentioned from our last post.

Let's start with two brothers Cheetah and Crocodile, ages 3 and 5, who started care with us at the end of July on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We picked these names for them because they both showed interest in these animals as we got to know them. Cheetah is with us every week and Crocodile comes on days he doesn't have school. So, we can officially say, "after awhile, Crocodile!" These guys have big smiles and bring lots of joy and adventure to our home. They love the outdoors, playing with dinosaurs and cars, Wild Kratts, and enjoy doing interactive one-on-one activities with us. Most importantly, they are new playmates for Caterpillar since his buddies left.

Next up, we've had the privilege of caring for this little Piglet since July 31st. We picked out her name because she tends to squeal a lot and has very little, light-blonde hair. She is a very smiley and laid back Sweetie! She also has a tendency to stick out her tongue when she's happy and someone is talking to her. She initially came two days a week and recently moved up to three days per week. On the other days, she is with her grandparents, but she will be with us full-time several months out of the year while they are visiting warmer climates. Piglet was army crawling when she first started with us and has recently figured out the art of getting around. She is super strong in her arms and legs, so it won't be long before she ventures onto pulling herself up on furniture, etc.

Meet our little Owlette! She was three months old when she started full-time care on August 15th. We've had her here for 2 months now and it's been a delight getting to know her little personality. She's a cuddler and tends to pucker her lips at times and make little "whoo" sounds. She's becoming more interactive each day with us and starting to explore new toys each day. We've definitely bonded with her, and she has adjusted really well to being in our care. We certainly miss her when mom has occasional Mondays and Fridays off.

And this is our newest and littlest guy! He started part-time October 9th at two months old and will go full-time in November. We decided to call him Tortoise because it seems to fit his mature little face and serious expressions! He's pretty consistent in his schedule by eating every three hours and sleeping a lot or making squeaky whimpers in between when he needs something. We've also discovered that he loves to be cuddled in the baby sling we have. He's definitely a cutie!

All these new faces are getting to know our other full-time cubs (Caterpillar and Lady Bug) and part-time cubs (Goose, and Chick). Overall, it's been a smooth transition. We are thrilled to start this new season, and we are looking forward to watching all these new kiddos learn and grow.