TKW Consulting

• Children who received higher quality child care were better able to think, respond, and interact with the world around them—and had somewhat better reading and math skills—than children who received lower quality child care.
• Children who spent 30 or more hours in child care each week showed somewhat more problem behavior in child care and in kindergarten (but not at home) and had more episodes of minor illness than children who spent fewer hours in child care each week
• Children who attended child care centers had somewhat better language and social skills and better pre-academic skills involving letters and numbers, but showed somewhat more problem behavior when they first entered school than did children who experienced other types of child care settings.

// posted by Tammy Wachter @ 8:14 PM 0 comments

Welcome to the 2007 legislative session and to In the WORKS Online! This section of In the WORKS Online will feature legislative updates and keep you apprised of what’s happening at the State Capitol relating to child care.

As you probably know, the 2007 legislative session began on January 3. The new legislature has a dramatically different face than legislatures of previous years. Both the House and Senate are now led by the DFL, with all leadership positions changing hands. With over 50 new legislators, there is a sense of excitement and purpose in the halls of the State Capitol.

Child care bills will have a different road to follow this session. In the House, child care issues – both policy and finance - will primarily be heard in the Early Childhood Learning Committee, chaired by Rep. Nora Slawik (DFL-Maplewood). In the Senate, child care policy will be heard in Health, Housing and Family Security, chaired by Senator John Marty (DFL-Roseville), while the child care finance bills will be heard in the Health and Human Services Budget Division, chaired by Senator Linda Berglin (DFL-Minneapolis).

After a bit of a slow start in the first week of the session – including members moving into their offices, staff getting started, and new member/new chair training – the session is off to a strong start. Governor Pawlenty issued his State-of-the-State address (details at http://www.governor.state.mn.us) this past Wednesday, which included indication of an early childhood scholarship proposal – more details to come soon. The committees are now deep into the process of being briefed by the various state departments about the budget accounts over which they have jurisdiction. Over the past two weeks in the House Early Childhood committee, both the Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Department of Education presented various programs that the committee will be hearing much more about as the session proceeds. Late in the week, that committee heard presentations by Art Rolnick and Rob Grunewald of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis and Arthur Reynolds of the University of Minnesota. All presented compelling research and data supporting investment in quality early childhood programs. The committee members – made up of eight freshman and six veteran House members – appeared engaged and interested, posing various questions for the speakers until time ran out.

This week promises to be a busy one as well. Today, Monday, January 22, Senator Berglin’s and Senator Marty’s committees will meet in a joint session to hear an overview from DHS of the child care programs. Also today, the Governor will release the details of his budget for 2008-09, which will subsequently be heard in various committees in the coming weeks. On Tuesday, the House Early Learning committee will hear presentations from the Minnesota Early Learning Foundation. On Wednesday, January 24, Senator Berglin will hear discussion about child care development programs in her committee, and on Thursday, January 25, Representative Slawik will hear the details pertinent to early childhood proposed by the Governor. So – no shortage of hearings to attend if you have a few hours to spare!

If you haven’t yet had a chance, I encourage you to take a look at the Child Care WORKS 2007 Legislative Agenda. By the next edition of In the WORKS Online, we’ll have more to share with you about authors and introductions of child care bills, so start getting familiar with the various proposals. As always, if you have any questions, just let us know. Otherwise, stay tuned! This session promises to be a busy one, and hopefully a productive one as well. We’ll need all of your voices from all over the state to make sure it’s a great year for Minnesota’s children and families.

// posted by Tammy Wachter @ 3:41 PM 0 comments

• In the United States the majority of mothers with children under age 18 work, including 59% of those with infants and 74% of those with school-aged children.
• Approximately 13 million infants, toddlers, and preschool children are regularly in non-parental care in the United States, including 45% of children younger than one year.
• The Census Bureau reports that approximately 50% of working families rely on child care providers to help them care for their children while they work; 25% rely on relatives for child care; and nearly 25% arrange work schedules so that no child care is needed (e.g. parents work different hours or days; one parent works during school hours and is home after school).

• Research shows that high-quality early childhood programs help children--especially those from families with low-incomes--develop the skills they need to succeed in school. However, most programs in the United States are rated mediocre, and fewer than 10% meet national accreditation standards. Across the nation child care fees average $4,000 to $10,000 per year, exceeding the cost of public universities in most states. Yet, nationally only 1 in 7 children who are financially eligible for child care subsidies is being served, and only 41% of 3 and 4 year old children living in poverty are enrolled in preschool, compared to 58% of those whose families have higher incomes.
• Communities are becoming increasingly diverse and in order for early childhood educators to be effective they must be sensitive and responsive to children's cultural and linguistic backgrounds. If current population trends continue, by the year 2010 55% of America's children will be white, 22% will be Hispanic, 16% will be black, and 6% will be Asian or Pacific Islander.

• In the United States 18% of children under age 18 and 24% of children under age 6 live in poverty.
• It is estimated that 12 million children do not have enough food to meet their basic needs and approximately 3.2 million are suffering from hunger.
• In the United States 15% of children under age 18--and 24% of those living in poverty--are not covered by health insurance.
• Approximately one-third of children and nearly one-half of black children born in the United States have at least one health risk at birth.
• More than 20% of 2-year-olds in the United States are not fully immunized.

• Annie E. Casey Foundation: the annual Kids Count report provides state-by-state data on key indicators of children's well being. Visit their Web site at http://www.aecf.org/kidscount/databook/ or call 410-547-6600.
  
• Children's Defense Fund: produces a number of reports about children and how states are meeting their needs. Visit their Web site at http://www.childrensdefense.org or call 202-628-8787.
  Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics: releases an annual report entitled, America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being. Visit their Web site at http://www.childstats.gov or call the National Maternal Child Health Clearinghouse at 703-356-1964.
  
• National Center for Education Statistics: provides online access to education databases and updates national statistics on an annual basis in reports, such as The Condition of Education. Visit their Web site at http://nces.ed.gov/ or call 202-502-7300.
  
• National Child Care Information Center: provides links to child care research, state child care profiles and a searchable, online database with state-by-state information about children and child care. Visit their Web site at http://nccic.org or call 800-616-2242.
  

// posted by Tammy Wachter @ 4:30 PM 0 comments

• According to the U.S. Census Bureau's latest report, 63 percent of the 18.5 million children under age 5 were in some form of child care in 2002. The typical child that year spent 32 hours a week in child care.
• The U.S. Department of Labor's Web site on day care reports that it is one of the fastest-growing industries in the nation. But 45 percent of child-care workers have a high school degree or less, and the average wage for these workers in 2004 was $9.76 an hour. Some experts say this should raise concerns about the industry because of the transient nature of the work force.
• The average annual cost for a pre-schooler in full-time day care in Massachusetts is a nation-high $9,628, according to a 2005 study by the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies. In comparison, New York's average is $8,530, and Vermont's is $6,537.
• The same study said that, over the past 30 years, labor-force participation by women with children has increased substantially. In 1975, 40 percent of women with children younger than 6 held a paid job. In 2004, the figure was 62.2 percent. Currently, 70.7 percent of all women with children work.
• A government-sponsored study — conducted in 10 cities over 10 years — determined that quality day care can give children an academic edge, improving language and cognitive skills.

// posted by Tammy Wachter @ 7:29 PM 0 comments

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) celebrates Week of the Young Child, April 22-28, 2007, to recognize the needs of young children and thank teachers and other adults who work to build better futures for all children. Week of the Young Child is celebrated across the country by hundreds of local organizations working to improve opportunities for all young children.

Labels: week of the young child

// posted by Tammy Wachter @ 4:53 PM 0 comments

• Restore ECFE funding to $120/child and provide funds for parent education for families from underserved populations;
• Implement a coordinated universal newborn visiting program and a targeted intensive home visiting program for those families with the most challenges; and
• Increase reimbursement rates for early childhood screening

• Increase funds for Head Start Programs and School Readiness Programs in the public schools;
• Provide grants for eligible children to attend high quality child care settings;
• Implement a statewide financial aid website to supply parents with information regarding financial resources and options for early learning settings

• Develop early childhood community hubs to coordinate and improve access to school, community early care and education settings, and community services to promote healthy family development, school readiness, and smooth transitions to kindergarten
• Implement PK-3 models with strategically combined quality preschool, full day kindergarten, curriculum alignment through grade 3, and parent involvement
• Expand the MDE Developmental Assessment at Kindergarten Entrance to all school districts by 2012

• Increase the quality and range of professional development opportunities for early care and education providers, trainers and parent educators;
• Expand Service Development Grants that provide funds for start-up, licensing requirements, facility improvement, and staff training;
• Provide state funding for the T.E.A.C.H. and R.E.E.T.A.I.N. Programs;
• Fund at least one annual licensing visit for licensed child care providers and a one time home visit for those legally, unlicensed providers receiving CCAP; and
• Fund an expansion of the Quality Rating System (QRS) pilot project.

• Restore eligibility to 75% of the State Median Income;
• Provide sliding fee assistance to ALL eligible families;
• Lift the reimbursement rate freeze for child care programs;
• Lower parent co-pays to no more than 10% of the family’s gross income and provide lower parent co-pays for those families choosing high quality child care;
• Ensure a 60-day grace period for CCAP families to allow for employment and education fluctuation, and providing greater continuity for the child

// posted by Tammy Wachter @ 4:05 PM 0 comments

I am often asked (particularly by first-time parents) about what they can do to help their children develop and become well-rounded, healthy, and successful.

Here are the Top Ten Parenting Tips that you can share with the families in your program:

1. Appreciate what makes your child unique.
2. You can't spoil a baby with love and attention.
3. Listen carefully to what your child thinks and feels.
4. Share your child's feelings.
5. Talk, sing, and play together.
6. Read to your child every day.
7. Limit television and video time.
8. Encourage curiosity by following your child's interests.
9. Know that children find comfort in routines.
10. Set consistent limites for toddlers and older children.

For more information direct them to www.pbsparents.org. There, they can find information about their child's development from birth through the early school years. And they'll find lots of fun educational activities to help get their children ready for school. The PBS Parents Guides address important aspects of a child's early years such as school readiness and social and emotional development. They also provide information about children's favorite PBS KIDS programs: schedules for yourlocal area, educational activities related to the programs, explanations of educational goals and even help throwing a birthday party with a PBS KIDS program theme!

Save this site as a great resource...

// posted by Tammy Wachter @ 7:24 PM 0 comments

Here is a poem I hope that you enjoy. It was published in the National Association for Family Child Care magazine a couple of years ago. I really enjoyed it and thought you might too...

There was a provider who lived in a shoe,
But being professional, she knew what to do.
She made best use of the space she could spare
and set up her home for family child care.

She registered with the state, called USDA,
checked in with her R&R the very next day.
She knew she would need help in her situation,
the answer was joining a provider association.

She took CPR and First Aid classes too
and brushed up on all the things kids like to do.
She advertised, interviewed, contracted, and then
she counted the kids carefully... no more than ten.

She fed them good foods and recorded it too.
She potty-trained Jake, helped Mark tie his shoe.
Collected art items and made a new batch of clay
and cut out cute pictures for a new theme's display.

She diapered, she bandaged, she wiped every nose,
she comforted Tim when Sue stepped on his toes.
She cooked and she washed, scrubbing floors, scraping glue.
She recorded attendance, did her bookkeeping too.

She wrote parents notes about the kids in her care,
anecdotes and concerns that they'd want her to share.
She read to the children while they sat in her lap
and sang to them softly when they started to nap.

She called a provider who was feeling depressed.
She spoon fed the baby then got him redressed.
She picked up and dusted when they went out the door.
She updated records, picked up toys, mopped the floor.

She started the laundry, checked the mail, made a list
of groceries she needed and the chores taht she'd missed.
She collapsed in a chair and put her her feet,
then in came her family wanting something to eat.

She fed them all quickly, heard their stories, gave them hugs,
then she rapidly washed up all the dishes and mugs.
As her family retired at the end of the day
she got out some books to study for her CDA.

She reflects on her day, in her eyes there's a gleam,
for this provider is developing pride and esteem.
She works a long day and the pay isn't fair,
but the kids that she works with get quality care.

Their parents comute to their work sites each day,
concerns about child care aren't in their way.
They're free to produce at a marvelous rate,
which benefits business all over the state.

If you live in a big house or even a shoe,
great is the work a provider can do.
Be proud, stand up tall, wear a smile on your face,
you are helping "tomorrow" be a much better place!

-Author unknown

The weekend is almost here. Hope that you have a good Friday...

// posted by Tammy Wachter @ 6:48 PM 0 comments

Yesterday I shared information about the report, From Cradle to Career, Connecting American Education From Birth to Adulthood.  I hope that you check out the website at http://www.edweek.org/ew/toc/2007/01/04/index.html.

For the past decade, Quality Counts has focused on the policy efforts states have undertaken to improve K-12 education. But that schooling is just part of a larger continuum of learning opportunities that starts in infancy and progresses into adulthood. And if Americans are to make the most of those opportunities—both as individuals and as a nation—their learning should build on itself at every step along the way. As Isabel V. Sawhill, a co-director of the Center on Children and Families at the Brookings Institution, puts it: “Skill begets skill, and each stage of education builds on skills acquired at an earlier stage.”

Yet in the United States, the historical separation between various levels of education, and the consequent lack of communication and coherence across sectors, means that children and older students are lost at every juncture. Just consider:

• Even before kindergarten, the average cognitive scores of children from the highest socioeconomic group are 60 percent above those of children from the lowest socioeconomic one.
• Fewer than one-third of 4th graders read at the “proficient” level or higher on national tests, and fewer than a third of 8th graders reach that benchmark in reading or mathematics.
• The gaps in reading and math performance between poor, African-American, and Hispanic students and their better-off, white, and Asian peers are roughly two grade levels—or at least 20 points on a 500-point scale.
• Fewer than eight in 10 white teenagers graduate from high school on time with a regular diploma. That figure drops to 52 percent for black students and 56 percent for Hispanic students.
• While some 33 percent of white Americans ages 25 to 64 have at least a four-year college degree, that’s true for only 18 percent of black Americans and 13 percent of Hispanic Americans.

I hope that you spend some time at this website, it contains a weath of information and statistics. i would like to share part of the report talking about the importance of quality early education...

Paying Attention Earlier On
High-quality early education can help mitigate disparities in school readiness that exist between children of different socioeconomic backgrounds.

     By Lynn Olson

In his 2006 book Building Blocks: Making Children Successful in the Early Years of School, the author and education observer Gene I. Maeroff argues, “Unprecedented attention to schooling from preschool through 3rd grade offers greater promise for improving outcomes than almost any other step that educators might take.”

“Doing it right in the first place,” he explains, “is the most obvious way to give students what they will need to prosper in the classroom.”

Striking disparities in what children know and can do are evident well before they enter kindergarten. While the average 4-year-old in a family receiving welfare has heard some 13 million spoken words, for example, a child from a working-class family has heard about 26 million, and a child from a professional family almost 45 million, according to a study by Betty Hart and Todd R. Risley, summarized in their 1995 book Meaningful Differences.

Research has found that participation in intensive, high-quality early-childhood education can improve school readiness. Children who attend such programs are less likely to drop out of school, repeat grades, or need special education than children who have not had such experiences. As adults, they are less likely to commit crimes, more likely to be employed, and likely to have higher earnings.

Studies also suggest that poor and minority children stand to benefit the most academically from attending high-quality early-childhood programs.

Read the full article...

// posted by Tammy Wachter @ 5:22 PM 0 comments

An article from the LaCrosse Tribune:

Study: Minn. successful in teaching kids from cradle to career

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota ranked third in the nation when it comes to preparing its children for a successful career, according to a study released Wednesday.

Only Connecticut and Virginia scored higher in the study, “From Cradle to Career: Connecting American Education from Birth Through Adulthood.” It was prepared by Education Week to tally which states give children the best chance for success as educated, wage-earning adults.

The study used 13 indicators including family income, parent education, pre-school enrollment, reading and math scores, and high school graduation rates to rank all 50 states on how well they integrate early childhood efforts all the way through post-secondary options.

A major finding of the study overall is that the state or region in which a person grows up has a huge impact on the likelihood of their success in life.
Minnesota scored particularly well in several areas:

Family income. More than 72 percent of children in the state come from families earning 200 percent or more of poverty level. Nationally, 60 percent of Americans earn at that level.

Parent education. Nearly 55 percent of Minnesota children had at least one parent with a post-secondary degree, compared to a national average of 42.5 percent.

Parental employment. More than 76 percent of Minnesota children had at least one parent working full-time, year-round. Nationally, it’s 71 percent.

Elementary reading. Thirty-eight percent of fourth-graders in Minnesota were proficient on the National Assessments of Educational Progress, compared to a national average of just under 30 percent.

Middle school math skills. Forty-three percent of eighth-graders in Minnesota were proficient on national math tests, compared to 28.5 percent nationally.

High school graduation. Minnesota’s 79 percent graduation rate compares favorably to the 69-percent national average.

The study’s authors said they hope the rankings highlight the importance of integrating all areas of life that impact education and success. For instance, it found that factors like low birthweight, high poverty and low parent education creates an early disadvantage for children.

The study urged states to beef up early intervention, including early childhood education, saying it can help to offset the effects of family poverty. It also recommended that states do more to prepare young people for success after high school.

I would like to add that while this is encouraging news for the well-being of children in Minnesota, I would caution that there is still much work to do.  To read the report in part or in full or check out the highlights of different states go to the Education Week website at http://www.edweek.org/ew/toc/2007/01/04/index.html.

// posted by Tammy Wachter @ 11:12 PM 0 comments

Why Child Care and Early Education Matter

FACT – Minnesota Parents Work and They Need Child Care to Stay in the Work Force

• Over 70% of Minnesota mothers of young children work, more than doubled from 30.7% in 1970.
• More than 670,000 children statewide need some kind of non-parental care
• Nearly seven in ten (68.8%) Minnesota children under six had both parents or their single parent in the labor force in 2000.
• Approximately 20% of parents say child care problems interfered with getting or keeping a job.
• 37% lost time from work in the past 6 months because of child care problems.
• Parents of young children seeking welfare benefits in Minnesota report that “help paying for child care” is the most common reason driving them to seek assistance.

FACT – Many Working Parents Cannot Afford Child Care

• The average cost of child care for two children is more than $20,000 per year – more than double the yearly undergraduate tuition at the University of Minnesota.
• Most parents of young children are at their lowest point of earning power.
• High costs of child care hit lowest income families the hardest – families earning below $20,000 annually pay, on average, 28% of their income for child care.

FACT – Quality Early Childhood Education Makes a Difference for Kids

• The first five years of life are particularly critical for brain development. Experts say more than 75% of a child’s brain is developed by age 5.
• Quality child care prepares children for school by developing higher cognitive skills, better math & reading skills, and higher educational achievement.

FACT – Early Education is a Smart Investment

• The Federal Reserve Bank of Minnesota has estimated a “return on public investment” of at least $12 for every $1 spent on quality early childhood
• Perry Preschool study found that early learning is a significant cost-benefit to society.
• Better school success means less use of juvenile and adult justice systems, better socialization, and more.

For more information or to get involved visit www.childcareworks.org

// posted by Tammy Wachter @ 4:55 PM 0 comments

Here is an article about early childhood education in the Montgomery County, IN paper.

Importance of early childhood education
By DR. ROBERT BROWER

The research on the importance of early childhood education is becoming more and more convincing with each research study conducted around the world. It is now a safe assumption to make that the earlier we can expose children to language, the better their long term academic achievement will be. That is not to say that pre-kindergarten programs must become so highly structured with academic learning that we forget that young kids need to play, socialize, and learn the many natural facets of growing up. Rather, the more we learn about children and their brain development, the more we know that there are critical windows of opportunity for children to learn language that unlocks learning puzzles in a child's future.

Learning and knowledge tend to be exponential in nature and not arithmetic…meaning, with each new piece of knowledge exposure comes an exponential explosion of further learning. Everything learned early in life is used for mastering new challenges later in life. As redundant and nonsensical as this next statement may appear on the surface, these five words hold resoundingly truths…"We must know to know." We cannot build on knowledge and learning in which we have not been exposed. Yogi Berra once was credited with saying, "You don't know what you don't know." There is profound truth in that statement that applies to early childhood education. Children must be exposed to quality learning environments at a very early age if they are to develop cognitively to their potential.

Read the rest of the article... Dr. Brower has some interesting data to back up his conclusions about how quality early childhood education can help children for the rest of theri lives.

// posted by Tammy Wachter @ 5:02 PM 0 comments

Here is dedication to increasing the amount of child care facilities in Kathmandu, Nepal. I hope that the same is true of improving the quality...

Plan to set up 74,000 child centres by 2015
KATHMANDU, Dec. 26: There are a total of 13,023 pre-primary centres in operation in the country, according to the Ministry of Education and Sports.

The Ministry plans to add more than 3,000 centres during the current fiscal year. The government has a target to set up 74,000 child development centres by 2015 under the Education for All programme.

Meanwhile, speakers at a press conference organised by Youth and Child Development Organisation (YEDO) on Tuesday said the performance of such centres was far from satisfactory. Their claim was based on a study conducted by the Organisation in Panchthar, Taplejung, Saptari and Siraha.

President of the YCDO Nirbikar Shrestha said the reasons behind the poor performance were nepotism in teaching appointments, low salary (Rs. 1000) to the teachers, no admission to Dalits children, and promotion of the students without completing the courses of lower class.

Lava Prasad Tripathi, spokesperson at the Ministry of Education and Sports, said that the classes would be productive if they could run in coordination with the community. Education expert Dr. Tirtha Khaniya said that the pre-primary classes were vital for the physical and mental development of the children.

Like Bob Seger sang...
I think I'm going to Katmandu,
That's really where I think I'm going to.
Hey, if i ever get out of here,
That's what I'm gonna do....

// posted by Tammy Wachter @ 4:14 PM 0 comments

Happy New Year! Have you made your resolutions yet? Have you broken them already? Personally, I have resolved to make no resolutions.... Wouldn't it be great if there was one resolution that lasted all year, made you and your children healthier and happier — and didn’t cost a cent and didn't take any great physical exertion?

KidsPeace (a 125 year old national children's charity) and the author of a new book, “Manners I. Care,” are teaming up to offer weary, overstressed families a different idea for a holiday gift or New Year’s resolution … a pledge to focus on and improve their children’s — and their families’ — lives by helping to improve their manners. This is not, experts say, just a “nice” thing to do. According to child crisis specialists, manners are more than the social glue that holds our society together. Good manners and behavior can greatly improve the quality of our lives and bad manners and behavior can often be signs that something is amiss. As child care provviders, we can help parents aid their children in developing better behavior and discover the sometimes unseen, underlying causes of less-than-perfect behavior, such as increasing stress and unsuspected physical or emotional problems.

“So often, we look only within ourselves for ways to improve our lives,” says KidsPeace President & CEO C.T. O’Donnell II. “The truth is that our greatest happiness generally comes from positive experiences with others. Peace on earth starts with peace in the family — and it shouldn’t last only a day or a week.”

Dr. Herbert Mandell, medical director for KidsPeace and the KidsPeace Children’s Hospital, notes, “Poor social interactions lead to a breakdown in communication, and lack of communication leads to misunderstandings and lost opportunities to help children when they face the normal crises of growing up. A family that improves its interactions improves its communications, and is likelier to become not just happier, but healthier.”

“Kids are under lots of stresses today and these often come out in they way they act,” says Dr. Lorrie Henderson, child expert and chief operating officer for KidsPeace. “We’ve developed some simple ways adults and children can start making their lives healthier and happier — not just for the holiday season or as a resolution for the New Year, but for forever.”

Order the book, take a look at some helpful tips for teaching good manners, and give the gift of good manners to bring peace to the lives of children and families in crisis and that are vital to social order, building mutual respect, tolerance, and cooperation, without which conflict and chaos will prevail.

// posted by Tammy Wachter @ 6:13 PM 0 comments

I thought I share a Christmas poem with you. A bit belated and perhaps slightly exaggerated, but I'm sure you can relate...

T'was the last day of child care and all through the house
The children were crazy and flying about
The broken tree ornaments were swept up with care
In hopes that the parents soon would be there.

The children were nestled all restless on the floor   
When will the first parent come knock on my door?
And I with my dishtowel stretched in my hand
Just about to deliver a sharp reprimand.

When from the back of the room there arose such a clatter
I sprang from my knees to see what was the matter.
Away to the back I flew like a flash
Ran into the table and my shin I did smash.

Then what from my watering eyes did I see
But a head peeking out from the tipped Christmas tree
His squeals and howls, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment that he was not St. Nick.

More rapid than eagles his playmates they came
I whistled and shouted and called them by name
Now Cassie, now Ethan, now Logan, now Mary
Go back to your seats, Roberta and Terry.

So up to the front the playmates they flew
Looking for something else novel to do.
With all the excitement, I peeked out the door
And gazed down the street. I can't take any more!

But as I drew in my head and was turning around
Up the driveway St. Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in furs, from his toes to his ears
In a Santa Claus suit he'd purchased from Sears.

The children so joyfully leapt on his back
Pulled off his fake beard and scattered his pack.
His eyes, tired and bloodshot... his padding like blubber
His cheeks were all painted and his nose made of rubber.

He had a thin face and was shaped like a willow
His little round belly was stuffed with a pillow.
He was skinny and tired, this seasonal elf
And I laughed when I say him... all by myself.

The stare of his eye and the droop of his head
Made me realize he was practically dead.
But biting his lip, he smirked, then he smiled
And gave a sweet nod... then tripped on a child.

But he sprang to his feet and the group gave a whistle
And away they all flew like the down on a thistle
But I heard the kids shout as they ran down the hall,
"Why is our provider climbing the wall?"

Well... maybe it wasn't that bad before Christmas. But all the excitment of the season sure does tend to get the children out of their routines.

// posted by Tammy Wachter @ 3:30 PM 0 comments