Author Archives: Lil Bebe Academy

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About Lil Bebe Academy

I am a wife and mother to two beautiful children. Since 2008 I have been providing childcare and have tapped into a very rewarding field. My joy has been the ability to watch the metamorphosis of little gems I call butterflies. Browse the website and see why I love my job ~~*

Ready for School – August 13th

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We are up and ready for the school year 2012-2013.  Playschool re-opens on August 13th and I can’t believe how time flies.  This summer was a relatively hot one and even though I am Jamaican I cannot stand the heat…go figure.  Anyways my own children had fun with play dates, dancing, swimming and I had fun planning for the school year, cleaning house, painting the house and oh just plain old caring for my own kids.  My husband had no fun as he worked all summer and had to help me with the ongoing fixing up of the house.  With that said the daycare is up and ready and fully functional.

First we took out all the furniture’s, books, toys….you name it  from the main room and then vacuumed and steam clean the carpet.  Yes my loving husband got down on hand and knees to make this place spotless.  It took us two days to get this done removing the stains (yes children will create lots of stains on carpets), drying out and then vacuuming one last time.

We then arranged the daycare in stations so that the children will know where what belongs and most importantly to avoid distraction and to get our preschoolers ready for Kindergarten.  We now have a science area, circle time area, reading corner, baby area, music area, area for manipulative, train and car station, the dress up room remains unchanged and we have more bookcases that children can reach their books.  I still have to store lots of things (I am still a sucker for anything kids so I have too much toys to display at once)… solution rotate the toys.  The kids will not get bored as everyday is a new day and the toys keep rotating.

Hip Hip Hooray and we are ready for school.

Look at our journey this summer 🙂

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Did not alter the Dramatic Play area as you can see

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Our reading nook

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Circle Time Area completed.  Last school year I used a bell  and songs to open circle time.  This year I added the chime for transition into clean up when songs no longer work 🙂 ….got to have all the strategies ready

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I took the books out and now have the sensory bin that I have manipulative and tactile in to rotate.  I keep the large quantity of puzzles here so I can readily rotate them too

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Our little Science area…meet Sebastian the hermit crab and our fish Dori

The children always love when we discuss our planets.

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We will change this area around depending on the ages of the babies (other baby furniture in storage…jumperoo, swing,  glider, tummy time mats, rocker…and many other things)

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Cars and Trains

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I just love this wall.  The children art beautifully adorn this area to showcase their creativity

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Does the PJ’s indicate that I was working night and day to get this going

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This is our Teachers area…got to have all our resources handy

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Circle Time Area coming together

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Rest thy weary legs

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Looks like a mess but this is progress 🙂

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Trying to figure out what goes where?

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Starting to put back furniture’s in

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Seriously Clean.  He did a great job.  I did tell him of course..got to feed his ego

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Looks spotless already.  The fireplace is surrounded with glass but I use the black board to cover it for added safety.

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Yep! They always think they are helping.  OMG!!!!!!

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Husband on hand and knees cleaning all the stains 🙂

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All the toys are stacked in the dramatic play room to  make the bigger room spotlessly clean

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Garage Sale & Lemonade Stand

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Making a Bracelet for BFF

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This week has been a challenging one because my own children had the hand foot and mouth virus.  It first started with high temperatures of 103 -104.  It was scary but thanks to our pediatrician he advised us to give Tylenol or Motrin every 2-3 hrs and hydrate the children.  What was weird is that it came on suddenly without any warning at all.  One minute they were in the backyard playing like Jolly Phonics and the next they heat up like the Miami Heats.  They both were down for 2-3days but because it is a highly contagious virus we were advised to stay home for a couple days (thankfully the daycare is closed because we are on summer break).  My son’s toenail is falling out but my daughter had pain in her mouth and they both had loss of appetite.  Parents you are welcome to give your take on this hand, foot and mouth virus 😦

So the  question is what to do with children when they are stuck at home on a summer break?  Usually she would have library on Mondays or Tuesdays, Splash park on Wednesdays, dancing on Thursdays, Swimming on Friday, but of course that was a no can’t do.  So she decided to make her BFF a bracelet.  Thanks Melissa & Doug for making toys children do enjoy.

Trying to decide which beads to use

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The beads kept sliding off I had to knot one side for her to keep them on.

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I see someone trying really hard to do this. ..(do you see dirt? yep from Gardening earlier 🙂

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Good job love you are doing GREAT!

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She is trying to figure how to get it through this one with a smaller hole.  Mommy dear had to help

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Look at her finger placement.  She is very good at doing crafts that require fine motor skills.

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So much concentration 🙂

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The finished product.  I helped her tie the knot.

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Doesn’t it look wonderful mommy? Yes my darling it’s Gorgeous!!

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Strike a Pose

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Pretty Isn’t It – can be worn on hands or feet :).  She decided she will make another one for her friend when she is better and can’t pass on any virus.  Two more days to go and she will be 100% (technically she is fine but who knows what lingers)

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Daycare through the years

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I started the operation of Lil’ Bebe Academy in 2008 and through the years the daycare has grown in friendships, numbers, activities, toys and siblings.

To move forward we have to look back.  Journey with me through the years :)..please start from the bottom up:)

Put your back into it son 🙂

As long as the weather is mild we are always outdoors

Cousins..We love when children are able to stay connected 🙂

Me and my kids 🙂

This was a science experience with koolaid 🙂

Flour sensory…children always love to feel the texture of flour

Nature Watch ( I wonder what they would have done if it flew on them)

He always loves the dirt 🙂

Great pair…they are BFF even better now that they are walking..


Senu and her brother Heru..he was only a few months old..:)

Call it our science activity 🙂

Do you think it’s clean up time…?

Driving Mr. :)!

Face Painting!

OMG!!!!! Talk about too cool for school….

Children having fun with side walk chalk

The backyard fixtures keep growing

Baby Andrew

Ring around the Garden

Dress up day

One of her friends in the daycare…toys are still few 🙂

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This jungle gym was a $5 purchase along with some books in  2010

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The downstairs area is coming along..but upstairs still remains scanty

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More stuff animals added to the collection

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Senu always love music

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Even the outdoor toys are increasing

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Still more progress…now the children look like they will be able to write on a table

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Now there is progress as the room starts looking like a daycare

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Senu and my niece who lived with us for a year

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Few toys scattered about…(back then I thought it was enough toys ..lol)

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This is Senu learning to walk ..:)

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Digging the Dirt !!

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Somethings are just fun to play with.

Goofing around

Chicago has seen harsher winters over the years but this past winter was relatively mild.  Spring arrived early, the flowers are in bloom and we are doing our gardening.

Surprisingly our March and April activity was well received and loved by the children. They played in the dirt, dug for worms, toads, and insects.  March’s theme was insects, and April’s was Earth.  Some of our arts and crafts were documented and projects were photographed.

Overall, the children enjoyed every day because each was filled with  a new adventure.

  • Feeding toad…

    Toad is trying desperately to make a run for it!!

  • Yep he is hopping home

    ……run toad run! Rather hop on toad hop.