So Many Changes....

Once again, as I sneak a few minutes away from my busy schedule to write a blog update, I am reminded of all the changes we have encountered. This summer has had a lot of transition for us. We've learned that life brings changes and with those changes we often see the cubs in our care move on in different directions. Several of our cubs have left our care in the past several months due to varying circumstances, and we've had the opportunity once again to begin care with some new little ones.

So, without further ado, let's get things up to date! First of all, Little Robin's mama found out they were expecting a second child, so in May she made the decision to be a stay at home mama and also nanny other children. We definitely miss this little spunky personality and hope to have visit's with her when we can! I am certain she will be a great big sister.

Next up, our little guys Chinchilla and Hamster are staying full-time with their Grandpa now. Although they were only coming once a week, we definitely miss their personalities and adorable smiles. We were so glad to care for them this past year and enjoyed our time together.

The month of August brought the most change for us as we said our goodbyes to three of our daycare kids.  Two of them, Bullfrog and Butterfly had been with us for 2 1/2 years! Bullfrog ventured off to a new adventure in preschool and Butterfly's departure was a bit unexpected, but it worked best for her mom to have a daycare closer to Bullfrog's preschool. It was a sad goodbye considering we've had so much history with these two, but our hope is to stay in touch and still make it to their fun birthdays and other visits since they are like family now.

 

 

The third cub, Dove, who also left in August was only with us for 6 short months. Her mama's plan all along was to be a stay at home mommy, so we knew initially that we would only have her for a little while. We had the privilege of watching her grow and learn so quickly! She was almost walking when we said our goodbyes at only 10 months old and her vocabulary was also starting to blossom. It was a bit mind blowing to see how smart she was! Dove will also be missed, but we are so glad she can be with her mama now.

We miss you already Robin, Chinchilla, Hamster, Bullfrog, Butterfly, and Dove. We hope you will be blessed in your new adventures and pray God's continued protection over you as you grow up.

To be continued with all the new faces......

Year-End Update

As 2016 is nearing an end, I thought I would use my day off to catch up on the blog. So many changes have occurred since August, so I'm well overdue for an update on our cubs.

When Pony headed off to preschool, we gained four part-timers! Teddy Bear Hamster and his brother started care mid-August on Wednesdays and Fridays so his mom could go back to school and earn her teaching degree. It's great having Hamster back and seeing how much he's grown over the past year. We've named his brother Chinchilla since they look alike but are unique in their own personalities. They bring lots of smiles, busyness, and laughter to our home. Bullfrog and Caterpillar love to push trucks around with Hamster and enjoy having their buddy back. Chinchilla recently started walking everywhere and celebrated his first birthday. He is just as sweet as his brother, and we love his cuddles!

In August and early September, we began care with Fawn and Robin. Fawn is a very sweet 3 year old who loves Paw Patrol along with all the boys. She loves to giggle and when you ask her to take a picture, she sticks her little tongue out and makes a goofy face. She fits right in with the crew and is super helpful when it comes to clean up time or helping someone with a need. Unfortunately, her dad lost his job in October, so Fawn's 3 days per week have changed to drop-in care. We sure do love her visits though!

Robin is our sweet and quiet little toddler who is now 18 months old and comes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. She is very laid back and very mellow around all the kids. We are told by her mom, one of KylieBird's childhood friends, that she talks all the time at home, but here we are lucky to catch a few words from her. She tends to be shy yet very interactive with us. Her first few days were an adjustment for her in leaving Mama, but now she gets dropped off and loves to jump into playtime with the others.

So, our crew has grown. Our part-timers join our full-timers, Bullfrog, Caterpillar, Butterfly, and Ladybug. They are all learning a growing each day and building some special memories with each other. They especially enjoy puzzles, toy cars, building activities, singing and dancing, and train tracks on a daily basis.

A few more changes are coming in January with Hamster and Chinchilla coming on Fridays only and another family potentially starting care on Wednesdays with their two little girls. We also hope to have a new little one starting care in February. It's been a lot of work but also a lot of fun having all of these blessings in our care! We are thankful to be a part of each families lives and look forward to what 2017 has in store for us.

Meet Our Cubs - Season 7

We've been working on an updated slideshow in honor of the cubs that have moved on this year: Duck, Pony, Hamster, Caterpillar, and Bumblebee. We've enjoyed having you with us, and we'll cherish our time with you. In addition, we've captured highlights of the new cubs that have joined us. We've experienced some new memories, and we hope you enjoy watching the show!

Hamster Heads Home

We said farewell to Hamster on August 21st. His mamma is having another baby boy in October, and she will be staying at home with them. We have enjoyed his time here and watched him grow from a quiet, content 13-month-old to an expressive, active 20-month-old. He is definitely approaching the two-year-old stage and shows lots of determination. We will treasure and miss his smile and the way Keegaroo could randomly make him laugh. My kids and all our cubs adored him, especially Bullfrog. They were good buddies and loved riding cars together around the backyard. They also shared a common love for "Thomas the Tank Engine" and would excitedly exclaim "Choo, Choo" and bounce back and forth together on the couch while the beginning song played. Hopefully, we will visit with him soon and also meet his new baby brother. Here are some pictures to enjoy from his final days with us.

Just Keep Swimming...

April and May kept us quite busy with the little ones around here. Bullfrog, Butterfly, and Bumblebee have all adjusted well since starting in February.

Our time watching Caterpillar in April went by very quickly. He is such an energetic little boy full of joy and smiles! We enjoyed being around his infectious laughter and the little way he gave us "noggin" by putting his forehead against ours (taught by his uncle based on the "Finding Nemo" movie).

Luckily, we still get some regular visits from him since his mama comes to our house and cuts our hair every few months.

In other news, Duck's mama made the decision to stop her teaching job and be a stay-at-home mom. We had the privilege and amazing talent of gathering all the kids together for a group picture on her last day in May. We also had a few hours to visit with her in June, only to discover that her daddy recently got a job offer in Minnesota. They have already relocated and are now expecting their second child! We've enjoyed caring for her for the past year and a half and will miss her goofy and fun spirit in our home!

Hamster will also be leaving the den in August since his mama is due to have another baby in October. So Pony, Bullfrog, Butterfly, and Bumblebee will hopefully have a new playmate soon. In the meantime, we just keep swimming and having some fun times together!

 

Springtime and New Faces

It's Spring 2015, and we have some new faces in our midst. We've had several months of interviews and facing new transition since November of last year. In February, things shifted for us, and we took some new kiddos under our wing.  So... let's do some proper introductions and give an update on all our cubs. 

First off, we have Butterfly and Bullfrog. They are siblings... can you see the resemblance? Butterfly is a new little life that is 8 months old and brings lots of joy and smiles to our home. She recently had surgery, and we are thankful that things went well in her recovery. Big brother, Bullfrog, is two years old and named after a famous bull rider by his parents, thus we thought his animal name would be fitting. He also is full of smiles, cuteness, and strength! We've enjoyed getting to know these guys on a part-time basis, and look forward to having them full-time in May.

 

Next, we have Bumblebee and Caterpillar. Bumblebee joined our crew a few months ago and comes a few days a week. She is 15 months old and a very, busy toddler. She's full of joy and spunk and loves to keep up with the two-year olds. She also gets along well with Hamster since they are close in age. Caterpillar also keeps up with the toddlers by crawling around everywhere and fits right in. He is here for a season, this month only, while his aunt is having a new baby. He is 10 months old, also very strong and cute!

  

Since all the kiddos are so photogenic and growing fast, here are some new photos of our other sweet cubs. Pony and Duck are the best of buds and look forward to seeing each other each week. They are both learning how to share and express their needs to each other as they face the challenges of being two.

 

Hamster joined us in December of last year and has made himself quite at home. He's adapted to a normal routine with us and is starting to be a busier toddler with new words, expressions, and discoveries each day. He especially enjoys being around all the other kids each day and gives lots of cuddles to the littler ones.

Puppy is going to school now, but she comes over when she can to hang out with Rabbit. They have developed a good friendship over the years of hanging out together, and we often joke that they are like sisters now. They share a birthday too, which is coming up soon within the next few weeks!

Once again... we are very grateful for all these little ones that God has blessed us with to watch over while their Moms and Dads are at work. Some days are very busy and full of challenges at times, but we enjoy each and every unique personality in our cubs. We most of all enjoy the laughter and smiles that each one gives us on a daily basis. We have quite the crew!

Hello Hamster, Goodbye Lemur

December 1st brought a new little guy into our care. He turned one on December 20th, and he's been a big joy to watch over. It took us a few weeks to name him since we had many options, but wanted to find just the right fit. After much debate and thought, we finally decided that Hamster fit him the best. Not just any hamster though, specifically the "Teddy Bear Hamster".

Teddy bear hamster's tend to make great pets because they are easy to care for and cuddly too. This little guy is pretty cuddly and likes to nuzzle his face into his Mama's chest each day that she comes to pick him up. He gives great little hugs. He's very easy going, yet busy too. We've even heard him growl or squeak at times when he's trying to talk to you and get you to respond back to him. He smiles often and enjoys being with K-Bird, Rabbit, and Keegaroo each day that he's hear. His time overlapped with Lemur's last month here before he moved, and they shared some fun interactions with each other. Here are some pictures of our new little Hamster and also Lemur's last day with the family.