connect_on
Find us on FacebookVisit our blog
Greetings!
Jessica
Jessica Nunn

 
AUTUMN IS A SECOND SPRING, WHERE EVERY LEAF IS A FLOWER! 
The fall brings beautiful colors and a chance to enjoy football, apple cider and time in front of the fire, but too often with the retreat of summer goes our motivation to get up and move. Cooler temperatures are no reason to hibernate, so don't let them stop you from being active! Instead, enjoy the change of seasons with some fun outdoor adventures.
  • Rake a leaf pile and jump away
  • Take a walk in the park to observe the changing colors
  • Try out new fall games
fall leaves
The fall is also a great time to explore new healthy foods while they are in season. Cook up some squash or make some homemade applesauce and enjoy.
   Upcoming Events



 








PRESCHOOL FIELD TRIP
 In mid-October the preschoolers will be going on a field trip to Lendts Pumpkin Farm. (Watch for the date to be posted soon.) We would like to have 3 parent volunteers. If you are interested, please see Jessica. This is sure to be a fun day filled with great activities. Please be sure that you dress your child in tennis shoes and in clothing appropriate for the weather.  
 
FIRE SAFETY
The Coon Rapids Fire Department will be coming to our center on Friday, October 16. This is always a very exciting day for the children! Fire fighters will be here to speak to the children about fire safety.  They will also get to see some of the fire equipment on the "big, red, fire truck."

ANNUAL FAMILY HALLOWEEN EVENT
We will have our annual family Halloween Event on Monday, October 19, from 6:30-8:00 p.m. Please pick your child up from the center at your usual time and then come back in costumes ready to play games and have fun! Older siblings are welcome to attend and everyone (including parents!) is encouraged to dress up!
 
CLASSROOM HALLOWEEN PARTIES 
The children will have their classroom parties on Friday, October 30. Please bring your child in costume that morning, but send along a bag and clothes for later. We will have fun activities planned for that morning. The children will change out of their costumes before lunch. The children get very excited for all the treats they get for Halloween. Please remember that if you send treats, they must be commercially packaged. We highly encourage non-edible treats (tattoos, stickers, etc).
** Please remember we are a Peanut Free Center! That includes processed on or with peanuts!
 
   Parent Reminders
CONFERENCES
Parent/Teacher Conferences will be held during the end of October and beginning of November. Sign-up sheets will be posted on each classroom door shortly. Please sign up for a 20-minute time slot that works for you. If none of the available times work, please talk with Jessica or the classroom teachers to set up another time or a phone conference.
October Highlights

 

There's still time! Sign up for the TC Family Events on Saturday! 

You can still be a part of the TC Family Events this Saturday at the Capitol. Register in person at the events and enjoy a fun fall day of family and fitness!

 

>> Get more information

 

Twin Cities Family Events 

Now-10/4 RiverWorks Discovery, MN Children's Museum
Now-10/4 Minnesota Renaissance Festival, Shakopee
Now-10/18 Junie B. Jones - The Musical, Stages Theatre, Hopkins
Now-12/6 The Jungle Book, Children's Theatre, Minneapolis
Now-11/1 Shafer Corn Maze, Shafer 
10/3 TC Family Events, St. Paul
10/17 Pumpkin Night in the Park Springbrook Nature Center, Fridley
10/24 Boo Run Run, Harriet Island, St. Paul
10/24-10/31 HallZooWeen, MN Zoo, Apple Valley


Apple Orchards & Pumpkin Patches
Aamodt's, Stillwater
Applewood, Lakeville
Deer Lake, Buffalo
Emma Krumbee's, Belle Plain
Minnetonka, Minnetrista

Find many more local family activities on MN Parent's calendar here
   Especially for Parents
THE PRESENT MOMENT; THE BIG PICTURE
by Angie Williams, EFC Parent
 
Our second daughter was born in May, and with the addition of this wonderful life to our family, parenting has taken on new joy, complexity and intensity. There is a tension I feel between the "big picture" knowledge that this season of life when our children are young is very short--I want to enjoy and make the most of it--and the daily demands of work and home life that can leave me feeling drained. I am experiencing the truth of the phrase "the days are long but the years fly by." And as such, I'm working on ways to keep that big picture perspective in focus so that the challenging moments are a little easier.
 
Enjoying the moment when the moment is good
These days, I find myself more appreciative of our three-year-old's silly phrases, her zest for play, even the adorable way she talks to our dogs...as well as our baby's developing smiles and laughter. I know now how fast things change, and I want to experience and celebrate our girls as they are now. When the funny, interesting and joyful moments present themselves, I'm trying to fully live them.
 
This too shall pass
I also find myself more exhausted, stretched and at times frustrated when things are not going well. Being a parent (whether of one child or five) is not for the faint of heart--emotionally, physically or relationally. I can relate to the parents from a recent German study who cited "the continuous and intense nature of childrearing" as a reason for their high levels of stress. And yet I don't want that stress to be the main marker of my days or these years, so in my most challenging parenting moments, I tell myself, this too shall pass. Twenty minutes from now, the storm will clear. And it almost always does.
 
In it together
Finally, as I enter new stages of parenting with their unique ups and downs, I find myself relying more on my community--our parents, friends and our children's teachers at EFC--for ideas on dealing with the challenges (or often just to hear, "that's normal!"). Our girls are changing; the strategies that work today might not work tomorrow. I am so grateful for the support and insights of this community that help me as our children grow.

   In the Community
WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE COMMUNITY
 
PUMPKIN NIGHT - Saturday, October 17
Pumpkin Night is at the Park 6-10 p.m. Springbrook Nature Center. 
Enjoy more than 700 carved and lit pumpkins, Spooky Bingo, Live Entertainment, Indoor Blacklight, Enchanted Trail and many more fun family activities. Cost is $7 per person, children 2 and under are free.
smallpumpkins

Especially for Children
8885 Evergreen Blvd
Coon Rapids MN 55433
(763) 784-0901

Center Director:
Jessica Nunn

Connect with Us