May's Short and Sweet 2012 Newsletter



Examining and petting the flowers.



The flowers have bloomed, the bees are busy, the weather is warm and it's all being expeirenced. The deck hasn't seen this much action in months, with the weather being so inviting, the kids gravitate towards the doors. We've ditched the stroller behind on occasion, stopped to smell the roses, and have ventured out for fun. There is so much learning that takes place everyday, the kids' interest have really peaked and we are enjoying more group acvtivities. We are singing more as a group and exercing large motor muscles with games like "No more monkeys jumping on the bed", "Ring around the Rosies", and "Simon Says". Art was really popular last month and the kids have been fine tuning thier small motor muscles with crayons, paint brushes and stickers. This month we will continue to enjoy all of these activities and focus alittle more on sociallizing and working as a team.





Important Dates to Remember:     

• May 13th - Mother's Day
• May 20th - Mateo's 2nd Birthday
• Mon. May 28th- Closed for Memorial Day
• Tues. May 29th - Non-Mandated Furlough Day
• (Please let me know if care is needed, otherwise we will be closed)

Taking turns going up the Tunnel Slide at the Children's Playground.





Kids' Schedule:

M - Claire, Sigal & Mateo

T - Sienna & Mateo

W - Sigal, Sienna & Mateo

Th - Claire & Mateo

F - Claire, Sienna & Mateo

All About Mateo:

With the Geese at Stow Lake.

Mateo is turning 2 this month, which may explain his cognitive growth spurt. He is currently very interested in using two word sentences and saying words with two or three syllables like: sit down, lay down, dirt bike, magenta, hat on, high chair, and cooking. He just started using the word "me" and "mine" the last few days. He grasp the concept of sharing, trading, taking turns, and next although sometimes he's just not ready. He is such a social bugs and always desires a buddy by his side to play with, he can be very pushy with his offers-which is his way of asking you to play with him, he is finding out that not everybody wants to do what he is doing all the time and is learing how to ask nicely with the sign for "please". He knows his shapes pretty well now along with his colors, we are working on counting and letters using songs, puzzles, books, and everyday interactions.

All About Claire:

Hugging the flowers.

Claire has been a nice addition, we are learning so much about her, making friends and learning how to respect them. Claire just started walking alittle more than a month ago and is catching on fast, she is all about moving about on her feet and climbing. We are working up some confidence to help her navigate through the day. She really like to be involved in all the activities we take part in and can be quite opinionated. She loves when we sing, she's chatty and i enjoy the mini conversations we have. She likes story time and being outside. She knows her colors, is interested in almost anything and is a little sponge waiting to soak it all up.



All About Sigal:

Siggy loaded up the truck and taking it for a drive.

Sigal is such a little observer, she likes to sit back, take it all in, and is very purposeful in her play. She loves books, art, and playing the group games. She loves to dance and sing - i love listiening to her try to sing "Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star" and can't help joining in. She is interested in letter, numbers, and shapes. Her vocabulary seems to be growing and she seems to be using more words than she does sign. She is more of a solo player right now but is engaging more with other in her play. I can see that she is getting comfortable in our environment and is less nervous around vistiors and parents droping off and picking up. She greets everyone that we meet on our walks and outings and is very sweet and loving.

All About Sienna:

Water play at the Bay Area Discovery Museum.

Miss Sienna has cut all of her molars without a fuss, just started taking unassisted steps, and his experimenting with cause and effect. She is very effectionate and loves to play with the other kids. She is very persistant and wants to be invloved in every way possible. She is becoming very strong willed and is testing the boundaries. She loves everything and anything that moves and can drive a car or truck around all day long, she has a great attention span for things she is interested in and cannot get enough of Little Foot. While Mateo her her main squeeze she is really interested in playing and interacting with the girls.



~ A Note From Kimberly

Thank you so much for trusting me and allowing me to put my heart and soul into caring for your children and mine. I am truely lucky to be able to a mother my child and teacher your's at the same time. I adore each and everyone and them, they teach me so much and keep a smile on my face. I love that I have the opportunity to get to know them so well and guide them through this very critical time in their lives. Together we are building the foundation they need to be strong, independent and successful members of our society.

Thank you ~ Kimberly

April's Short and Sweet 2012 Newsletter

Woo hoo, Spring is here! I can not tell you how excited I am about the warm sun, flowers, and wildlife to see. I look forward to enjoying the outdoors and some fun activities with the kids this month. I am also really excited about a new student. Please welcome, 16 month old Claire, to Little Foot. She will be starting the week of the 16th and will be with us on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays. We will also have a special guest, Kylie (Kaitlyn's big sister), with us the week of the 9th.

I want to Congratulate Travis & Jeanine on the purchase of their house in Livermore! Although, I am so sad that they are moving, I am really happy for them and wish them all the happiness and luck with this new transition in their lives. We will miss Shane so much and look forward to pictures and updates in the future.

Important Dates to Remember:

Fri. the 6th- Furlough Day (Please let me know if you need care this day, otherwise we will be closed)

Sun. the 8th- Happy Easter!

All about Shane:
With his new crawling skills, Shane has been busy rediscovering our play space. He is so happy moving from one place to the next on his own that he has also discovered a strong will for independence. He has his own agenda now and won't , or at least he thinks, be interrupted. He's been so chatty lately, babbling to himself and others. Recently, while using my finger for support, he stood there in front of me just babbling away swaying back and forth to music I couldn't hear. He is too much, I just want to eat him up. I'm going to miss that cute little voice, his dance moves and giant smile.

All about Sienna:
Sienna is getting so close to walking, her confidence is strengthening and she shows it by standing all on her own ( w/o holding on to anything). She is very much into to dumping and loading and will go about throwing toys as far as she can. In the past month she has traded in her bottle for a straw cup and is very happy with her finger foods.

All About Sigal:
I'm so pleased about Sigal's transition into Little Foot. She's making friends, working up an appetite, naps well, and is happy and comfortable with us. She has taught us a few new signs, enjoys books and music as much as we all do, and is a great addition to the group. Sigal and Claire are already neighbors but I know they will become such great freinds now that they have each other at Little Foot.

Kaitlyn and Mateo:
These two have really become a team, from setting the table together to pretend play, they are getting closer. Kaitlyn has been happier and tantrum free this past month. She's learning how to be patient with the little ones and finds pleasure in interacting with them. We are learning that babies aren't bad, and are learning new things everyday. Mateo really looks up to Kaitlyn and wants to be included in the activities that she enjoys. We are re-visiting the idea of using the potty and he is interested. In March we played a pretend restaurant game that continues to get more creative and we have been practicing for Easter Egg Hunting.

March's Short and Sweet 2012 Newsletter

Get ready to spring forward this month, it's time for daylight savings. Speaking of savings, I sure wish everyone luck with the approaching tax season, shamrocks bring us luck! On another note, please welcome 16 month old Sigal to Little Foot, she will be with us on Monday and Wednesdays and may occasionally add Fridays. I plan on having an aid on days when I have all five children.

Important Dates to Remember:

Sun. 11th- Daylight Saving Time

Fri. 16th- Furlough Day (please let me know if you need care this day otherwise we will be closed)

Sun. 17th- Happy St. Patrick's Day

Mon. 26th thru Fri. 30th-(Closed)Spring Break

Tue. 27th- Sienna's 1st Birthday!

All About Kaitlyn:
It has been really great having Kaitlyn with us, she can be a really big help, is fun to be with, and is really sweet with the little ones. I am working on mentally, emotionally, cognitively preparing her for a larger group. She is very easy going and is eager to please. I call her my little gem because she's a very proud lil' helper. She enjoys puzzles, story time and playing house.

All About Mateo:
Mateo had a very physical month. We are really working on expressing our excitement, disappiontment and anger. unfortunately he has really picked up on hitting and pulling hair, Oy vay! It has been very frustrating for him not to have a playmate his own age, so I am very pleased about Sigal starting this month. He is still the very sweet, effectionate and compassionate little guy but I can't wait for this phase to be over.

All about Sienna:
Can you believe this beautiful girl is turning 1 this month?! Why just the other day she was 5 months old in her favorite "airplane" position, lol. She has learned so much year and is very much like the Energizer Bunny, happy as a clam and keeps going and going and going. This month she has really taken an interest in Shane and his hair, lol. Happy Birthday, Sienna!

All about Shane:
Guess who learned how to crawl and pull himself up?! You got it, it's Shane! He's been getting around by rolling and crawling a bit here and there but I just recently saw a really exciting video of him and he surely has it now, Thank you, Jeanine! Aside from being very physical Shane has also been very observant and has taken a liking to Kaitlyn. He watches her in awe at the lunch table and once successfully rolled out of the Bumbo to get closer to hear. No worries, I was right there with him, he now has a tray to keep him and Kaitlyn safe and secure.

February's Short and Sweet 2012 Newsletter

Is it February already? I'm ready to spread the love. Please Welcome 3 1/2 year old Kaitlyn to Little Foot. I am so pleased to have her join us, Mateo will love having his friend around. We are not sure how long Kaitlyn will be with us, she is on a waiting list for preschool, but might stick around with us until she is ready for Kindergarten. I wish that I was able to post a picture of her here but unfortunately I still can't get my computer to start up, ugh. Thank you for your patience with these "Short and Sweet" newsletters.

Important Dates To Remember:
Tuesday, February 14th-(Open)Valentine's Day/ Field Trip to Tay's hearing appt.

Friday, February 17th-Furlough Day (Our first! Not mandatory, please let me know if you need care this day :)

Monday, February 20th-(Closed)President's Day

All About Mateo
Mateo is adding to his vocabulary! Here are some of his new words: car, milk, good, ice, juice, quack, Pa-Pa (Grandpa), Luna, Ne-Na (Sienna) and Yay-Yay (Shay Shay; Shane) He also now knows the signs for spoon, fork, fruit, candle, fire, truck, helicopter, and like. Mateo surprised me one day when he put his boots on all by himself, he is really interested in undressing and is working on putting on his clothes. I just recently brought out a potty seat for him to use. He is starting to show some signs that he maybe ready for potty training by asking me to change his diaper when it's dirty, pointing to himself when I tell him I need to use the potty, and wanting to sit on it too. We tried using the potty one morning and he almost made it. The first lesson in potty traing should be pee in the pot before you stand to up to take a peak, lol, he immediately started to pee once he stood. LOL. You may have noticed that he has been clingy and really moody recently, swatting at the babies and not sharing as well as he usually does. I believe that he has been having a rough time with all off the interviews we've had these last few weeks. They kids don't understand what's going on and the few visitors we have had must seem to be a lot for him. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Kaitlyns long-term stay.


All about Sienna
Congratulations to Sienna on her newest tooth! It snuck up on her and we really didn't notice any discomfort she may have had. She's a pretty fast girl and slipping and sliding on the hard wood floor won't hold her back. She's starting to pull up! Before we know it she's going to be cruising along the train table and anything else she can manage to hold on to. Her favorite thing to do is play peek-a-boo in her bed before falling asleep and of course standing up to observe what everyone else is doing. She loves playing in the puzzle area and exploring all the different pieces and materials. She's so busy that she can't sit long enough to finish a bottle LOl, but can be impatient when you aren't scooping yummy food fast enough. I've introduced the sign for more and milk. Sometimes I think she might be trying to use the sign for more but her "oh o's" cannot be mistaken. Lol. She also says "Ma Ma" and tries to imitate sounds we use, like blowing a kiss and making raspberries.


All about Shane
Shane loves to be on his feet! He is really determined to walk and stand like a big boy, it's really too cute to see this little guy clutching to the train table with a huge grin on his face. He can hold on and stand for a few seconds without assistance but he has a ways to go before he can do it by himself, but don't tell him that, LOL. When he isn't on his feet or dancing to music he is playing with his favorite toy; a blue plush Eric Carle elephant. His stomach muscles are getting stronger everyday and he can sit with the safety of a pillow behind him. I bet he'll be really happy to move when his his pal Sienna comes to snatch away what he has. He has also been introduced to the signs for more and milk.

Really sweet moments:
While recapping a walk around Stow Lake, Tay takes my hand in his and gently kisses it a few times. Sniff sniff, tear.

Sienna giving Mateo a smooch on the forehead.

Mateo giving hugs and kisses to Shay Shay and Ne-Na.

Mateo asks for Yay Yay and Ne-Na on their off days, or asking to including them for snack, walks or outings. I love this!

Happy Valentine's Day!!! And Happy Birthday, Heather!

January's Short and Sweet 2012 Newsletter

Happy New Year! Good-bye 2011, Welcome 2012! We hope you all had a great winter break celebrating the holidays and ringing in the new year with your family, friends, and loved ones. We can't wait to start this new year with you.

Important Dates:
Monday, Jan. 2nd Closed - New Year's Observation Day
Monday, Jan. 16th Closed - Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Monday, Jan. 23rd Closed - Lunar New Year's Observation Day

Mateo's Updates:
The first year and a half of Mateo's life has been great, he has discovered and accomplished so much in this short time, I can not believe that he will be two in May. During Winter Break Mateo has been keeping me busy, we've been out and about, had some great play dates, and has been busy scattering all of his new gifts all around the house. His interest in verbal communication has peaked, he has been babbling like crazy and has been practicing some new words and sounds. He misses Shane and Seinna and can't wait to play with them.

Sienna's Updates:
Give a round of applause to this Little Mover, before the Winter Break, Sienna was getting comfortable with her new crawling ways. She also mastered the skills to sit up from a laying down position, which made bed time pretty challenging. She was also working on cutting a sharp painful tooth! With her new skills at hand I bet she's been keeping Heather and Evan busy, too, LOL.

Shane's Updates:
Congratulations to Shane for his first set of top teeth last month. Just before our long break, Shane started practicing the art of sitting up, he did well for short periods of time with the help of a Boppy pillow. I am so glad to hear that his "sleep training" at home worked out well, we hope that nap-time has also been a success.

We can't wait to see you!

December's Very Short and Sweet Newsletter

Hello Everybody,i'm having some difficulties with my lab top and am forced to use my new iPhone for all of my Internet needs, so I do apologize for this very short and sweet newsletter. Please take note of our Winter Break and New Year's Recup. Day feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns regarding this very long hibernation. Happy Holidays!

Important Dates To Remember:

Closed for Winter Break/New Year's Recup. Day: Mon. Dec. 19th - Mon. Jan. 2nd

Mateo Updates:
He is learning the colors in Sign Language and we are also adding some animals into the mix, too. He is finding the music in everything these days and has really impressed us with his dancing skills. Must be the puerto rican in him :D I can tell that he really misses his playmate and is manifesting that loss of play into more envolvement with the two little ones.

Sienna updates:
This little ones is getting around and into whatever she can get her little hands on. She is very comfortable sitting up and is now twisting and turning. She has even started to rock back and forth on her knees!

Shane's Updates:
Shane's eye - hand coordination has really impressed me all of a sudden. He is also strengthing his core and holding himself up better with a nice long back. He's personality is really starting to shine through now that he is really engaging and interacting. He's really taking a liking to Mateo.

November 2011 Newsletter



Our Scarecrow! Scary?



Time is flying by. Nights will be getting longer, the days shorter, and families will be coming together. Get ready to turn your clocks back and gain some winter weight, LOL. With all the chaos of the holidays to come let's not forget the importance of family and how really dear they are to us. Little Foot may have suffered some loses but we are growing closer each and everyday.


 Important Dates to Remember:

• Tues. Nov. 1st- All Saints Day (open)
• Wed. Nov. 2nd- El Dia De Los Muertos (open)
• Sun. Nov. 6th- Clocks fall back 1 Hr
• Fri. Nov. 11th- Closed for Veteran's Day
• Wed. Nov. 23rd - Fri. Nov. 25th- Closed for Thanksgiving Break

Congratulations to Sienna! What big strides she is taking, not only is she sitting up all by herself now but

Happy to finally meet

 she has also cut two teeth and has been introduced to some yummy suppers. What a lucky girl, and just in time for pumpkin pie. Sienna has settled into Daycare with little to no adjustments. She is very engaging and even though she can be very serious at times she can be quite the chatter box. She loves to fall asleep face down on her face but has traded in her once loved airplane tummy position, preferring to sit up like a big girl to play. She watches Camilla and Mateo's every move with curiosity and happily excepts their offers, but don't get too close she likes her space!
Shane is also adjusting well to Little Foot although transitioning back home is a tricky balance. Shane is a very opinionated one and knows exactly what he could do without. He loves so be cozy and have all eyes on him. He likes to be apart of what's going on but also likes to observe from a distance. Shane just learned how to roll onto his side where he can reach for colorful objects and naw on them without them escaping his grasp. He's also managed to roll all the way over onto his tummy, his arms get trapped under his body which isn't much fun, but each time he does it it gets less scary. I'm sure he'll be doing push ups in no time!


Recuperating with Spunky after surgery.

 Mateo's surgery went very well. We woke up bright and early and went straight to the hospital to get ready. I was worried about food and drinks, the first thing Mateo wants to do when he wakes is eat and drink, but he was so distracted that it wasn't an issue. All of the nurses and Dr.s were very kind and thorough. Our biggest surprise was having my very first nanny client, Gretchen Wengenroth, in the operating room. I started caring for Miles when he was 9 months old and he is now 10! Talk about how time flies, am I really that old? LOL Mateo's procedures only took about an hour, he woke up from the anesthesia without any problems and after a few hours of napping he was ready to eat and play.

In the past month Mateo has really learned and acknowledged a lot. He has acknowledge that babies are different, they can't eat food, walk, and need gentle interactions. He cares for the babies very much and will try to console them when they are unhappy by patting their back, stroking their head (sometimes face, haha) and getting them a toy to play with. He has tried to bottle feed them, too. His interest in verbal language has really sprouted, here are some of the words he is working on: Ball, Broom, Thank You, Up, Off, On, Out, Meow, Mama, Dada, No. Here are some of his new signs: Please, Drink, Help, Open, Close. He has also discovered his belly button, nipples, eyes, ears, nose, nostrils and hair. The other day he pulled his shirt over his head (after I helped put it on his head) and then put his arms through the sleeves by himself!



Learning how to clean up.

I'm so happy to tell you that we have Camila for one more week! We anticipated Camila's last days were to be at the end of October, but we get her for the 1st week of November before she leaves this country for good on the 15th. Camila started Little Foot when she was 9 months old. When she began she was getting around by crawling, she had no teeth, and she wasn't speaking. I am so honored to have had the opportunity to watch her grow and have her be my little guy's best friend. I'm so glad that she was able to meet my 2 yr old niece, Kayla. Some new words Camila's has been using: Shoe, Baby, Cracker, Off and No.Over the past few months Camila has discovered and developed so much. We are look forward to pictures and updates from Panema.             



Camila and Ciello on her first day.

 Speaking of losses, our beloved 5 yr old cat Ciello past away unexpectedly on October 15th. We adopted him when he was an itty bitty thing no bigger than your hand. He was too young to take home so we had to wait patiently for two whole weeks just to bring him home, he was 8 weeks old. Ciello was very effectionate from the start, he loved to cuddle up to you and be carried by your face. He was so small that we were afraid to let him round Luna and Estrella who are two years older than he.  It was quite awhile before we actually introduced them to each other but once we did we could see who wanted to be alpha. We still remember when he pranced around the house sideways with the fur from his neck down to his back standing straight up. After his first two years he finally settled down at night and began to cuddle up with us in bed and sleep. Anybody who has raised a kitten knows exactly what I'm talking about when I say our nights were finally peaceful agian. LOL Ciello was an extremely great cat and we are so fortunate to have had him in our lives and in the meet Mateo. This dog-cat as we called him, was so sweet, he would greet us at the door, follow you all around the house and watch over Mateo and the other children in the house. We miss him, and no other kitty will ever fill our hearts as much as he did.                  





May you R.I.P Ciello.





The Holiday season is right around the cornor! Let's not forget about the POA (Police Officer Association) and their "Parade of Stars" show on Sunday December 18, 2011 at the McKenna Theatre at S.F State University. Aprogram benifitting the POA and PAL (Police Athlectic League) a program dedicated to children and their communities by bringing activities and sports into their lives. Officers put their lives on the line for us everyday so let's support them in their efforts by contributing $10 which will help to send a less than fortunate family of five to this event in our place.