Greetings!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY EFC!
On
February 22, Especially for Children will have been providing quality child development programs for 43 years! Congratulations, EFC!
MINNESOTA LICENSING VISIT
We will be having our annual MN licensing visit the first quarter of the year. We are auditing our children’s files in preparation for our visit and may need to reach out to you to update forms for your child. We would appreciate assistance by returning these forms as quickly as you are able. Thank you!
A reminder to all families, water bottles are not allowed at the center per MN licensing policies. Children have access to water breaks through a drinking fountain or single service cups provided by the center. Any water bottle brought to the center will be sent home.
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I LOVE TO READ MONTH
Eagan Celebration of Books
We are excited about books at EFC and love to share in the joys of reading with the children! The week of
February 11-15
we will be enjoying our favorite books with fun days.
Monday - Cozy Reading Day
Bring in a book you’d like to curl up with as you wear
your PJs
to school!
Tuesday - Silly Reading Day
Read in a silly spot in your classroom while wearing
silly socks
to school!
Wednesday - Flashlight Reading Day
Bring a
flashlight
to read a favorite book in the dark!
Thursday - Dress Your Best/Favorite Book Day
Bring your favorite book to read while looking your best!
Friday - Funny Book Day
Bring in your joke books while enjoying
crazy hair
! We will be laughing all day long!
Your child may participate in any or all of the “fun days”, but participation is optional. If you choose to bring in a book to share, please be sure to label it with your child’s/family’s name. Thank you!
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STAR WELLNESS RECIPE
COOKING WITH CHILDREN: CHICKEN AVOCADO ROLL-UPS
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Ingredients
2 avocados, cubed
Juice of 1 lime
2 c. shredded chicken
1 bell peppers, seeds and cores removed, chopped
1/2 small red onion, chopped
1/2 c. shredded Monterey Jack
1/2 c. shredded Cheddar
2 tbsp. sour cream
2 tbsp. finely chopped chives
4 large flour tortillas
Directions
In a medium bowl, combine avocado and lime juice and mash until only small chunks of avocado remain. Add chicken, bell pepper, red onion, Monterey Jack, cheddar, sour cream and chives and stir until evenly combined.
Spread a thin layer of the chicken avocado mixture onto a large tortilla, leaving a small border around the edges. Roll the tortilla up tightly, then cut off the edges and slice into 1” rolls. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Serve cold or at room temperature.
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LITTLE CHEFS, BIG BENEFITS
Sundays are cooking days at our house. My husband loves to use the weekend as an excuse to simmer, roast or slow cook. With weeknight mealtimes often feeling a bit chaotic (serious understatement), we both relish the opportunity to slow down a bit. And mostly thanks to him, the results are usually pretty tasty.
But what I have come to love even more than the food is the opportunity to watch our 3-year-old in the kitchen. He is the ultimate helper. Loving to get involved, he is constantly asking me what jobs he can do. On busy weeknights, when there are onions to chop and tantrums to sooth, I sometimes find myself rushing through things on my own. My desire to include him butts up against my desire to get the food on the table before our 16-month-old implodes. But on the weekends, when things slow down, we make a point to find ways for him to help.
This often involves stirring, measuring, scooping, spilling (!) and pouring. And always, without fail, it involves several requests to taste each ingredient as it goes in. Even the baking soda - ew! That simple act of tasting is actually an incredibly important step in developing healthy eating habits. Tasting exposes kids to different flavors and textures, making them more likely to grow up as balanced eaters. For my son, there are times when he will taste something as we cook it, only to reject it once it is on his plate. But that’s ok with me, because I know that those little tastes build up to a lot of exposure over time.
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Last Sunday, I walked into the kitchen and saw his face beaming with pride. He and his dad were making pasta, and my littlest chef had chopped all the (soft) cheese on his own. With a butter knife. It was the most excited I have seen him in the kitchen. He felt a sense of accomplishment, knowing that he had done it all on his own. And when the time came to eat, he couldn’t wait to tell his cousins all about “his” pasta.
It was a good reminder to me that with just a little adjustment, kids can do many things alongside us in the kitchen. There are age appropriate ways to get all kids involved and help them grow their skills as they get older. The pride they feel in working alongside us helps them to develop confidence, coordination and patience – and as a bonus, the results are delicious.
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Allison Zomer
Director of Operations
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TWIN CITIES
FAMILY EVENTS
Now-2/23
Night Trains
, Twin City Model Railroad Museum, St. Paul
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Especially for Children
3370 Coachman Rd.
Eagan, MN 55121
(651) 452-0043
Center Directors:
Bri
Dieffenbach and Kate Beck
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