May Newsletter

Vrrrroooom! This month’s topic is transportation. Whether by land, by sea or by air our munchkins will learn about all different means of transportation. We will sing songs, read stories and learn finger-plays with cars, trucks, trains, planes and boats as our theme.

Special Dates in May

May 5th – Cinco de Mayo May 12th - Mother’s Day May 27th – Memorial Day – Munchkinland closed

Don’t Freak Out - Top 10 Tips for Surviving a Disaster in Your Vehicle

You are your own best friend when it comes to surviving a disaster especially during those first few hours or days. But even dedicated survivalists who stock their homes with 100 gallons of water, enough MREs (Meals Ready to Eat) for the 82nd Airborne and 500 rounds of ammo have long periods when they are completely vulnerable: When they're in their cars. In your car, is there even a flashlight? A survival blanket? A first aid kit? Water or a way to collect and purify it? Answer "no" to any of those and you join the vast majority of motorists who are totally unprepared for even basic trouble. Here, we'll offer a few tips that may elevate you from helpless victim to thankful survivor.

Don't be your own worst enemy: While fleeing Hurricane Sandy, hundreds became stranded because they began their evacuation with near empty fuel tanks. With a full load of gas, a car will idle for an incredibly long time (don't ask how I know), so these people turned an urgent situation into a potential disaster. If your ride constantly breaks down, your gas gauge regularly hovers around "E," or you defer basic maintenance (such as replacing timing and fan belts, radiator and heater hoses, and rubber fuel lines), it's time to reallocate your priorities. Need we say "Wear your seatbelt"

Prepare appropriately: The less hospitable the environment, the more preparation is required. Comparing the surface of the moon to Michigan's Upper Peninsula in February or Arizona's Sonoran desert in August creates distinctions without differences. But don't think you're off the hook because you live in a Sun Belt city: Even there you can die of exposure if forced to spend a cold March night (or a couple of nights!) in a car.

Keep warm and dry: Along with injury and dehydration, exposure to the cold is a major threat. Those who spend little time outdoors will discover that even when the days are warm, it gets very chilly at 4 A.M. An aluminum-coated Mylar (aka Space-brand) blanket costs $3, is about the size of cell phone, and will help retain body heat in cool weather and reflect sunlight in hot weather. In chilly climates, step up to the slightly bulkier Mylar emergency sleeping . Chemical hand- and body-warmers -- often used by skiers -- make brutal conditions tolerable. Also include a plastic pocket poncho. Your car can act as a tent to protect you from the elements unless a vehicle wreck breaks your window. Mend that with a roll of duct tape and super-thick (3mm) "contractor" trash . (Duct tape and trash bags have a myriad of other uses.)

Water is critical: Without water, death can come within a few days, perhaps in a few hours in very hot weather. But water is heavy and bulky: One gallon -- the subsistence level for two people for one day -- weighs about 8 pounds. When driving in arid areas, carry water in robust : Grocery-store gallon will break and ruin the rest of your kit. Several companies -- Mainstay, Retort, Mayday -- produce Coast Guard-approved emergency water in kids' juicebox-style pouches. For most of the U.S., it's OK to rely on ground water (or snow). But unless you pack your own water, you must have two lightweight containers (one for collecting water, the other for filtering the water into), a filter (cone-shaped coffee filter works), iodine water treatment crystals and, for snow, a heat source. Thusly equipped, you can make stream water safe in a half hour.

Light the darkness: Emergencies and darkness seem to go together. A flashlight is a critical element of a survival kit, but one of the new xenon-bulbed, lithium-batteried units (one brand is Surefire) produce such a powerful beam that it can double as a self-defense device: A blinded bad guy is not quite so bad. Also pack a conventional flashlight and spare batteries. Keep the batteries alive by leaving them in the original packaging or by installing them backward in the flashlight and taping over the terminals. Another solution is to pack a powerful DC-powered work light, which connects to your car's battery through the 12-volt outlet.

Your kit should include some old-fashioned road flares, which can help prevent other motorists from striking your stranded vehicle and can double as excellent fire starters and signaling devices. In an area with no electricity, the flame from even a small candle can be seen from an incredible distance. Store candles and a book of waterproof matches in a zipper-topped . Get a cigarette lighter, available at auto parts stores, as an alternate fire starter. Also consider a compact, lightweight magnesium fire starter, available at camping stores for about $6.

Be able to play doctor: It's a toss-up as to which is more difficult, fixing a modern car or treating an injured person. But in an emergency, you might be forced to play doctor. The best bet is to start with an off-the-shelf "vehicle first aid kit." In addition to standard items found in such kits, add a of Super Glue (for closing small wounds), latex surgical gloves, a topical antibiotic (like Neosporin), aspirin or other pain reliever, and an anti-diarrhea medication (such as Imodium tablets). Include critical personal medication and, if you're sensitive to bee stings or ant bites, an antihistamine such as Benadryl.

Fill your belly: In an emergency, many learn the difference between "hungry" and "starving." Without food, most folks will survive for a couple of weeks: Consider it the "disaster diet." But you'll be more comfortable if you pack a couple of military-style MREs (available from camping or survival stores) or cans of Spam (Hormel says it lasts "indefinitely" and it's unattractive to pilferers). One way to tell you're truly hungry: You're eating Spam.

Carry some extras: Roadside car repair is beyond the scope of this article, but a few tools will help in an emergency. Pack a can of tire inflator/sealant (or more if you live in earthquake country) and a of radiator stop-leak. Creative types will want to include a multipurpose tool (such as a Leatherman), a multiheaded screwdriver, a razor-blade-style cutter, and a few cable ties. Duct tape can be used for anything from repairing a punctured radiator hose to securing bandages. Also include a pair of thick leather work gloves, a small fire extinguisher, an old pair of running shoes and toilet . Include some cash (in fives and tens) and a couple of dollars in quarters. Carrying your survival kit in a backpack will help you transport your supplies should you be forced to leave your vehicle.

Defend yourself: If TV coverage of Hurricane Sandy didn't convince you that a form of self- defense is a critical part of an emergency kit, you weren't paying attention. Except when thrown by a major league pitcher, a cell phone is not a self-defense device. Self-defense choices range from pepper spray to a police-style baton to a firearm. Whatever you choose, it's your responsibility to research how to legally transport and employ it. Even more critical: You must train and become proficient in its use. For most, a large "for use on bears" pepper spray is probably the best choice.

In addition to everything mentioned above, your car already comes with some survival equipment: The radio supplies emergency information; the rearview mirror can be removed and used as a signaling device. Headliner material can even be fashioned into tourniquets or bandages. When disaster strikes, take a good look around you and use whatever is available.

Gianna has become our little helper. She hands us toys to wash and ‘cleans’ the playpen floor with a paper towel. Gianna also likes to rock herself in our rocker. Nikolas has developed an artistic side. He loves to color with crayons and paint with dot markers, paintbrushes, and sponges. Nikolas also likes to draw on our magic doodle and has learned to draw ‘circles’. Isabella likes playing with our colorful vinyl blocks. She is able to stack 5 blocks on top of each other to build tall towers. Isabella also likes playing with our pop up animal toy and is learning to manipulate the different buttons on the toy which cause the animals to pop up. John Carlos enjoys sitting in our jumperoo and playing with the attached toys, especially the spinner and the musical buttons. He is also learning to bounce in it and likes this new experience. Vasili has started sitting in the exersaucer and likes watching his friends playing in the playpen. Our youngest, Ryan enjoys laying on a boppy pillow in his crib and watching his mobile go round and round. Both Vasili and Ryan are very alert and break into big smiles when they are spoken to. During the month, we welcomed Serena and Elijah to our class. We are happy to have them with us and look forward to getting to know them. We also said goodbye to Kaliahna and wish her much happiness in her new home in Florida.

The Little Bees had so much fun during the month of April. The theme of the month was “Things that Grow” and Earth Day. We made a really big fruit and vegetable garden. We created colorful flowers and beautiful butterflies. We worked on the letters N and O. We made a collage of children’s faces as they grow from babies to big kids. For earth day we talked all about how we can help our planet Earth by and made our very own recycling bin. We enjoyed singing lots of songs, dancing and playing circle time games.

In the month of April, the Big Bees enjoyed learning about things that grow, like babies, flowers and caterpillars. We learned all about the different parts of a flower and what they need to grow. We learned how caterpillars turn into butterflies and enjoyed reading, “The Very Hungry Caterpillar”. For Earth Day we celebrated our planet and made recyclable art with paper towels rolls and magazine collages. We talked about the letters S, T, U and V, learned how to write them and different words that start with each letter. April was such a busy fun-filled month.

April was a fun and exciting month in the Dinosaur room. We started practicing songs for two very important days, Graduation and Mother’s Day. The children learned about the letters P,M,E and B and the numbers 1 and 3. We talked about Earth Day and pretended we were the Earth, the Sun and the Moon. We all planted special flowers and take care of them by taking turns watching them and making sure they get enough sun. Now we are watching them grow and waiting for our caterpillars to turn into butterflies. We can’t wait!!