2014 – Labor Day to Memorial Day in the Toddler Room

"One more week in the toddler room! We have eight to ten at a time
and they have a blast, but we have to be on GUARD for pinching,
biting, squeezing, hugging, slide blocking, tackling, running wildly
with grocery carts, throwing dolls like tomahawks, and cowboy boots
crushing little fingers or stomping on pretty little white socks in
adorable white sandals. All this, while ours sweaters and pants or
skirt are being hung on and pulled on until close to the ripping point
or holding at least one and sometimes two bodies sobbing tears of
panic and/or howls of anger that someone would dare to leave them in
this room made just for children their age with two adults who are at
the beck and call for 90 minutes. We change diapers and run as fast
as we can run, to the potty door when one of us hears a tiny little *I
HAVE TO GO!!!* If sitting in the glider chairs there will three of
four more holding ten books each saying "Read to me." Snack time is
dictated by the first one to sit in a little orange chair at the table
saying bear, fish or nak!! They do all manage to say "God is good,
God is great let us thank him for our food AMEN!"

By this time half are running around the table with fish and bears
drooling out of their mouths!

Then comes story time. Each one brings their own orange chair to the
lesson teacher vying for the closest spot. They have learned what God
made and that they get to stand up and run around at the end of the
BIBLE song. They will play "MR. DAN SAYS" for the duration of the
class until they see someone they know on the other side of the
counter. Then they grab everything they brought with them except the
wet and dirty diapers and within three minutes we are standing all
alone in the middle of the room staring at each other with our mouths
open with nothing left to say wondering what just happened."

Being part of the spiritual growth of little sponges that when they
arrive can barely talk in small sentences and usually have their own
language to carrying on adult like conversations is truly a blessing.