Another fun thing we did on this day was to take the parachute outside. I thought it resembled a pinwheel and was lots of fun to play with.

I hope to use this site to share the many experiences I have had with preschoolers during my 20 years of teaching. I would like to share crafts, activities, and some insights.
A little while back a reader of mine, Patricia from Illinois, asked if she could share an article about a subject very dear to her. It is on the topic of Type 2 Diabetes. Patricia feels it is very important to get the word out about proper diet and exercise to help or maybe even prevent type 2 diabetes, and it is never too early to start. Thanks Patricia for sharing some insight.
Type 2 diabetes is among the most common form of diabetes. Millions of Americans have been told they have diabetes type 2, and many more don't even suspect that they are at high risk.
Some groups have a higher risk for developing diabetes type 2 than others. Type 2 diabetes is much more common in African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, and Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians along with other Pacific Islanders, and older people.
With type 2 diabetes, either your body will not produce enough insulin or the cells ignore the insulin. Insulin is essential for your body to be able to use glucose for energy. After you eat food, the entire body breaks down the sugars and starches into glucose, which is the basic fuel for any cells in your body. Insulin takes the sugar from blood to the cells. When glucose generates in your blood rather then going into cells, it can lead to diabetic complications.
There is the capability to increase and protect one's quality of life. With proper nutrition, exercise and practicing good life choices (like not smoking), you can actually feel better, stronger, healthier, and decrease your risk of diseases including cancer, diabetes, coronary disease and stroke.
What exactly is Healthy Weight?
There's a good way to find if your current weight puts you in danger of developing serious diseases. Check out www.diabetes.org/bmi and take the Body Mass Index (BMI) test. The final results will help you decide if you need to give consideration to your weight.
The Better You Eat, Better Your Experience
Here are a few basic guidelines to help you and your family make healthier food decisions.
* Eat numerous fruit and veggies.
* Choose whole grain foods over processed grain products. (Try brown rice as a substitute for white. Substitute whole wheat bread for white.)
* Eat fish 2 about 3 times per week.
* Select leaner cuts of meat like the ones that end in "loin."
* Remove the skin from poultry and turkey.
* Eat low fat dairy
* Drink water and calorie-free non-carbonated drinks.
* Use liquid oils for cooking as an alternative to solid fats.
* Minimize junk food like chips, cookies, cakes, and regular frozen goodies.(Hunt for baked chips and reduced calorie snacks. Or have some fruit instead.)
* Be careful about your serving sizes. Even a lot of "healthy" food could potentially cause an increase in weight.
Tips:
* Compare labels of similar foods, and then choose the one with smaller amounts of saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium.
* Adults should eat under 2400 mg. of sodium daily. For people with high blood pressure, you must aim for even less.
* Try adding spices and herbs as part of your cooking to take the place of salt for enhancing flavor.
A Bit of Exercise Goes a Long Way
Anything that gets you up and moving will work for you. Some advantages of exercise;
* Decrease your risk of developing type 2 diabetes
* Reduce your risk of coronary disease and stroke. Lower blood pressure and cholesterol
* Reduce blood glucose (sugar) levels in case you have diabetes, which could lessen your risk of developing diabetes-related complications
* Alleviate tension
* Allow you to slim down
* Provide you with more energy
* Allow you to sleep better
* Build stronger bones and muscle mass
It’s not necessary to go to a gym, play sports, or use fancy equipment; just taking a walk reaps many benefits. Certainly, you must consult your physician prior to starting any exercise routine, but especially when you have diabetes.
Maintaining a healthy diet and staying active are even more important if you have diabetes. Well-balanced meals may help keep your glucose (sugar) level stay as close to normal as possible. Being active also helps you reduce your blood glucose. If you increase your physical activity levels, you might be able to take less insulin or diabetes pills. If you're very inactive, have heart disease, or maybe a history of foot ulcers, talk to your doctor about safe exercise for you.
Check your blood glucose before exercising. If it's under 100 mg/dl, eat some fruit, crackers or drink a glass of milk or juice. Check it again after exercising to know how your blood glucose reacts to exercise. Bring a snack if you will be active for some hour.
Putting some of these ideas into practice today, may increase your probability of a longer, healthier, and happier life.
About the writer -Patricia Harris writes for the Diabetic Menu blog, which is her personal hobby web log centered on ways to eat healthy, and to avoid or manage diabetes.
Our oldest son graduated from college last week--imagine that. He recently wrote us a thank you note that got me thinking and I just wanted to share.
Many of us as parents look back on things we did and think, "Why did I do that?", "Why didn't I do this?", "I should have done this, or that," etc. So many times we focus on all things we forget to do, or should have done, or wish we had done, or did wrong. Or, we focus on the things we wish we hadn't done. We spend a lot of our time focusing on our regrets.
I will tell you that I even tend to do it with school--"Why didn't I do this with them, or that with them?" When in fact they are perfectly happy with what I actually did get to do with them.
My son's note reminded me that we did "okay." That he grew up well, and he is happy with us.
When in doubt, take a few moments and look at it "on the flip side." Instead of what thinking what could I have done, think what good did I actually do.
Have a good day!
Hi everyone. I just wanted to drop a quick note that Carly over at Early Childhood Resources recently posted an interview she had with me. If you think it may be interesting, pop on over to take a read. Carly has a great site too. Lots of wonderful information from Australia. Thanks so much Carly for thinking me worthy!
Well, we are coming down to the wire. (Whatever that means? Where did that saying come from anyway? I have to admit knowing the origins of common phrases fascinates me.) Now that I'm off track, back to the present.
As of Tuesday, I only had three more days of classes left. It's time to make sure we get all the "important" stuff done, and make sure everything goes home with the right person. I took yesterday to try and finish up the Me Books.
The book is almost complete, except for a couple of pages. First, if you remember, in September we weighed and measured all the children for the "Who Am I" theme. In May we always weigh and measure the children again so they can see how big they have gotten during the course of the school year. I myself am always amazed that each child averages between 1 1/2 - 2 inches of growth. Not to mention their intellectual growth:).
Next is to allow the children to write their name the final time on the "Here is My Name" page. I just let the children write their name to the best of their ability--no coaching on my part. I was amazed at how well they did. And here I thought I had laxed off in this area this year.
Finally, the last page to add is a picture page. We take photographs during the course of the year and keep photo albums to share with families. At the end of the year I separate all the photographs and tape them into the children's Me Books. I always think this is such a wonderful keepsake for them.
I just have to finish the cover and staple them together and off they go!
A couple of Thursdays back, it was "Take Your Child to Work Day." (That's how far behind I am). Well, my two middle school aged children wanted to come along with me. My thoughts? "Wow, I can do something extra messy and fun." Boy will I rethink that next time.
It's not that they were in the way, they wanted to help, but didn't really know how to help. I would give them something to do and have to go over and explain the process. It was almost like having a couple of trainees on my hands. They seemed to enjoy themselves, but boy was I tuckered out.
We were in the midst of our pet unit, so I had planned a pet activity, plus I thought it would be fun to do some shaving cream play. If you read, you know I have some very active children in the class. Our shaving cream fun was quite extensive.
Did they enjoy it? I would have to say without a doubt. Even though they wore smocks, some had shaving cream head, body, and all the way up the arms. I guess, for all intent and purposes, that's what it's all about, but it did take quite a while to clean up between each set of children.
I do have one question for all the magnificent teachers out there. How do you add color to your shaving cream? I have used a couple of different ways, but the children usually leave the class quite colorful.