Inspiration and Motivation

As you know I attended the South Dakota Early Childhood Education conference in Pierre SD last weekend! I told you about it some and how excited I was about the opportunity! I took my Employee Sue and my niece Amber with me! We had a great time! The roads were very icy wednesday night when we went! I tell you I got some new driving experience on Black Ice! Scary!!!! But we enjoyed our trip none-the-less.

MK Mueller the author of "8 to Great" and "Taking Care of Me" was amazing! She inspired me to KEEP GOING on my dream and not to give up no matter how tough the road is. The road will be bumpy, twist unexpectadly and make you choose between forks but eventually if I want it bad enough and I keep dreaming and working at it I will get it :)  I purchased her books and workbook and plan to not only implement her plans in my personal life, but also in my Business and the "Mommy & Me Playdates"!!!! One great thing I have started since her keynote is saying and writing down my gratitudes everyday! The challenge is to think of three things everyday that I am grateful for  without ever repeating them again! So I have been doing this myself, with my husband and my two older children (6) and (2).

Denita Dinger was also an awesome Keynote and I have definately started implementing her works into my home life as a mother and at the daycare!!!! LET THEM PLAY! Quit stopping them from making a mess, or doing something that we don't always see as "Right" or doing it the "Right way" Ask the children "What are you doing?" and observe them! Quit having to stick to Schedule and plans! Let them show you what to do today after all everything they do is a learning experience and when they play they learn so much more than when you do a "worksheet" or Structured lesson plan.

There was so much I learned! I connected with toy companies, Outside play equipment companies and other child friendly initiatives in South Dakota! I expressed my plan for a daycare center and all of them were very encouraging! I attended workshops learning more about South Dakota Rules and Regulations for Home daycare and daycare centers and best of all I networked with other child care providers, specialists, and headstart professionals all across the state! I even met an awesome woman who has a daycare center and started from the ground up just like I plan to do! She encouraged me that i don't have to go non-profit! and she would definately be interested in visiting with me more on what to do NEXT! Or what she did and her journey! She had an awesome attitude!

With this being said I feel Inspired and motivated! I can't wait to find that PERFECT building and start! and I may start as a Group Family Daycare Center first and work up to Daycare center when I get enough interest! So with Group family I can still add employees and I will be adding 8 more spots to the daycare! The licensing process is much like applying for a center and then when I get that done becoming a center is just one step or less away!!!! I just need to find a building and start working on it! When you're going through things at home keep me in mind! I'll need many things from Kitchen Appliances, high Chairs, Chairs, Tables, and Toys ect..... Keep me in mind! I am sorry I hadn't updated here for awhile I've been really busy with paperwork and playing with kids :) or Observing them :) They're starting to wake up from their naps now so I'll let you go! I hope you're having an awesome week!

So much Emotions......

Today is a great day over all! Its a continued snow week! Brooklyn had school Monday and has not had school since! Its like another Spring break! Only longer :) She is enjoying this very much and is also very concerned about her PERFECT attendance :) You see she heard that if she had perfect attendance the entire school year that she would be put into a drawing for a FREE IPad and boy oh boy has this girl been working hard to keep her PERFECT attendance!!!! 

I have 3 extra kids here at daycare today and my 3 so a total of 6 kids! They have enjoyed building a 4 bedroom TENT in the toy room, helping me clean the bathroom (Not really) but they thought they were! LOL, Looking out the window identifying the things we see, singing songs, reading books and doing a few exercises! 

So yesterday I woke up at my usual 3:45am to feed the baby and I was not full..... This bothered me a bit or more than a bit because I hadn't planned on stopping breastfeeding until Azylen was a year old and I have about a month left! But there was no milk.... I drank alot of water and ate healthy all day yesterday and still nothing..... I guess I have just stopped producing milk. This is so emotional for me because I feel like I wasn't ready and that I didn't get the choice! Azylen seems to be doing fine with this! She has been weaning for about 3 weeks now. She gets whole milk at lunch time, and now she'll get it all the time.... So far no constipation, or belly aches... :) I think she will be fine... and I'm sure I'll be fine soon..... After all I finally have my body back! I should be excited right?!?!?!?

hmmmmm On another Note this Snow storm has completely made me lose all Spring cleaning desire and all that hard work I did for the past two weeks or more is like GONE! The house is a mess, crowded, cluttered, and the laundry is piling up again! And my KITCHEN is like a tornado went through it..... 

Well this is a very random post! I hope you're all having a great day! I am having a great day despite the decision my body made all by itself!!!! I guess its time to start working out again! :P LOL My only excuse not to run is gone.... NOW the excuse is its too cold! LOL have a wonderful day!

Fundraising AGAIN :)

Today I worked pretty hard.....  I found two websites I could fundraise on.... The First is an app on Facebook called FundrazR:

https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/4U7lb?fb_action_ids=10151403112788129&fb_action_types=fundrazr%253Astory_update&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=%257B%252210151403112788129%2522%253A143739182475420%257D&action_type_map=%257B%252210151403112788129%2522%253A%2522fundrazr%253Astory_update%2522%257D&action_ref_map=%255B%255D

The Second is a Crowdfunding site called: Go Fund Me!

http://www.gofundme.com/Daycare-Funding

If you would like to make a donation to the daycare you can also send one to me at
Deanna Coleman
PO Box 314
Martin SD 57551

Checks written to: Deanna Coleman

I just Realized.......

Love, Laugh, Dance & Play Daycare is now State Licensed through the State of South Dakota, we also participate in the Youth and Family Services Food Program of South Dakota, and have been Licensed through Oglala Sioux Tribe Child Care for a year!!!!

I have Enjoyed working with everyone in becoming State Licnesed and am so very proud to show off my license :)

Daycare will be Closed April 18th and 19th due to training in Pierre that Sue and I will be attending! This will all help with our training hours for the state!

OPERATION Obtain my CDA: Child Development Associate: for my Daycare center is now underway! I should be able to work on it at my own pace and its all up to me on how fast I can get the certificate :) THEN I can go back to college in Early Childhood Education anytime I need :)

Um.... we're creeping up on the 2 year anniversary of the daycare :) :) :) May 2, 2011 I started the Daycare out of the house of our current Mayor of Martin SD! We operated there until June 2011 when a good friend of mine let us rent her home and run the daycare from there! We were there until November 2011 when my Aunt let us rent her home and run the daycare from here! We are still in this house and love it very much!

I have looked at a new place for the daycare center! its pretty neat! I'm sure it has its challenges including wanting too much $$ for the rent but I am so very excited and in love with the building, the location and the thought of finally having a place for the daycare center!!!!! I will take a photo of the Floor plan soon for now enjoy these photos of the State License, The Snow Storm and some beautiful children :)

Check out the New Website!!!!!

Fundraising as I am finding out is hard work :) Its fun though, The things the Parents, My husband and myself have thought of are really fun! Its just alot of hard work!!! So with that being said I had advertised on Facebook that I needed help finding ways to fund my Daycare/Community Center Dream because there is such a dire need for Childcare here in Martin SD!

We made $500.00 on Love-a-grams in February!
We Made $322.00 on the Formal Gala in March!
Our Next Fundraiser will be a family dance for Summer time with a Luau theme....
August is the "Martin City Day in The Park" and I'm hoping that becomes annual as well as the Formal :)

ANYONE have any other ideas?!?!?!?
I did get a website set up for funding as well please follow this link to check it out! Also let me know if I need to change or add anything on it :) Thank you So much!

http://www.gofundme.com/Daycare-Funding 


Also just something I'd been wanting to do again is Journaling and I found this AWESOME blog and woman who does Journal Pages! I have printed them all off and am on Day 10! I am in Love! Check out her blog at:

http://www.graceisoverrated.com/p/journal-pages.html

She has a lot of Great Ideas for other things as well, I'm just obsessed with this right now :) Thank you!!!! Please let me know if there are any other ideas for fundraising, or how much you LOVE the journal pages!!!!

State Licensing Update/Food Program

UPDATE UPDATE READ ALL ABOUT IT !!!!! :)

Okay So the State Licensing agent came down to visit with me and do my initial home inspection on February 15th! I really enjoyed having them here, I did find a few things I didn't agree with but all in all it was a great experience. They found 5 discrepancies:
1. There is a refrigerator on my deck that either needs to be locked, bound shut, or taken away!
2. The Dog needs his 2nd set of Rabies Shots in February.
3. The water Temperature was 8 Degrees too hot.
4. The Gun safe needs to be locked.
5. Sue (My Employee) Needed to read/sign a document and it needed to be in her file.....

So everything is complete except the dog and I shall make an appointment for that ASAP, By March 15th I will have everything submitted as done and I should be State Licensed ON or BY April 1st!

HOw exciting! Gosh it seems like it takes FOREVER! At any rate I had a great time, learned alot and am excited to be able to say "I'm a Licensed Daycare Provider!"

On other News:
The Food Program has really kept me on my toes.... I have to prepare menus for 4 weeks that will be served for the next three months! I think i'm done.... Its so hard to stick by the menu because I get the taste for something else and I make that instead..... But they did say I could substitute at any time as long as the meal still went by their guidelines! I'm still having a big issue with the MILK! It has to be 1% and the only 1% milk I can get here in Martin SD is about $5.00 a GALLON! UGH!


South Dakota Early Childhood Learning Conference
April 18-20! Sue and I will both be going, it will be nice to get away and get some fresh new ideas to bring back to our daycare! To make us Even MORE awesome!


Oh By the way! Did you see the newspaper!?!?!? We made the front page!!!! Yeah I'm proud!

Those feelings.....

So I run a Daycare out of my home..... Most of you know this already.... I would like to know how everyone feels when your daycare closes..... 
My children are sick so I feel like I need to close because I don't allow other kids into my daycare when they are sick.... and also because I need to give my babies all the love they need to get all better, or go to the doctor. So why do I feel so HORRIBLE every time I have to shut daycare down?????

I feel like i'm the only person some of my families have to watch their precious babies.... there are the sighs or the silence when told i'm closing for a day that just kill me.... Like I feel bad and mad at the same time is this possible? I mean I shouldn't feel this bad right there in my handbook it says you should have back up care available just in case and i usually call as SOON as I know I can't be open.... and honestly I NEVER shut down Period for just a personal day! My Parents are wonderful they're all about Family first and making me feel comfortable in my decision to shut down.... But its still a feeling I have that I'm not doing enough! 

NOw in Virginia if my Daycare closed or if my "Sitter" said they couldn't watch my baby I was stressed to the MAX! I didn't have back up so i'd have to call in sick and all of you know you don't want to call in sick too many times when its not you yourself that is sick because then you won't have any sick time left when you are in fact actually sick!!!! and if you're single or even if you're married or in a relationship when moneys tight MONEYS TIGHT! So you can't just NOT go to work! 

Maybe I'm rambling I'm just feeling bad. In the past 2 months i've had to close daycare down not once, twice or even three times BUT 4 times!!!!!! Thats more than I shut down ever!!!! I hope these sicknesses LEAVE us all alone and SOON! I'm sick of being sick and taking care of poor sick babies!

At any rate.... Its "those feelings" I needed to talk about today :) I hope you've all had a fantastic day! I know i'm really enjoying giving my babies all the love they need and deserve poor babies anyway. 

Where to Start....

Becoming State Licensed for a HOme daycare Provider is in PROGRESS!!!! I am part of the FOOD PROGRAM! And I have been looking at buildings and such for the Center!!!! I have talked to alot of people, know what I want and its just a matter of where to start! There is SO MUCh to do... where do I start?!?!?

More Thoughts and Catching up....

So I got my State Licensing packet in the mail Saturday..... makes me almost giddy to get started :P Its a lot of paperwork and my screen doors are all messed up.

This weekend I took a bit of time off..... Went to Rapid City and shopped with my hubby! My baby sister and Brother-in-law watched our kiddos for us so we could finish up! It was NOT relaxing by any means, I was pretty stressed out with all the people.... Its funny how I can be in a room with 12 little kids any given day and still not be half as stressed as I am in a huge store full of people! Whew!

Things I plan on working on this week include:
Laundry
Dishes
Cleaning
Taking care of my children and daycare.....
My non-profit to-do list of over 100
Filling out paperwork for State Licensing
Fundraisers to raise money for the Daycare Center
Daydreaming about the center
and the list goes ON AND ON AND ON!!!!!!!




If you would like to help make my dreams come true and Martin SD community better please donate to the cause of "Love, Laugh, Dance & Play Daycare and Community Center."
Please Donate to:
Deanna Coleman
PO Box 314
Martin SD 57551

Good News and doings :)

So today, is supposed to be a day of rest.... I did a lot of cleaning and getting ready for daycare tomorrow morning! I cooked dinner which will serve as lunch tomorrow as well :) I sure love being a stay at home mom/business woman!!!!

Today I talked with another fellow business owner who gave me many more great ideas and venues to look at! I am so very excited about everything!!!! Today I worked a little on possible floor plans and places for the Daycare and Community Center! I thought about how life would be if i acheived all my goals with this project!!!! I imagine my life in the future and truly beleive that I will love it just as much as I love it now!!!!!

A little about me: My name is Deanna Coleman. My maiden name was Deanna Smith! I grew up and graduated from Bennett County, Martin, South Dakota in 2003! I taught dance here in my high school years and after. I attended Black Hills State University with intentions of becoming a High School Counselor and was on the Dance team there. I then moved home and attended Oglala Lakota College for Psychology. I worked with Bennett County Extension office and 4-H for about 6 months before moving to Charlottesville VA as a Nanny! There I met my now Husband, Cedric Coleman. We lived in Lynchburg, VA and had our first daughter Brooklyn in 2006. I worked at Old Dominion Job Corps Center from 2005 to 2008 as a residential advisor! In 2008 I got a job as a HUC (Health Unit Coordinator) at Lynchburg General Hospital where I worked until we moved back home to Martin! We had our son Easton in 2010 and Azylen in 2012! I have had an in home daycare since May 2011, here in Martin and really enjoy being part of these childrens lives!!! The added plus to loving my job is I also get to spend everyday with my children :)

I have observed the past year and a half the lack of jobs here in Martin, the amount of people struggling to make a living, and even find childcare.... Every home daycare in Martin is either completely full or over full, The newer families are either not able to work because there is NO daycare openings OR they are not able to pay for daycare. It would be really nice to have more young people staying in our community and more things to do for younger adults as well as older adults! :)  I am so excited to begin this adventure!!!!!

Asking for Donations.....

How do you ask for Donations for something you've dreamed about for forever?!?!?! How do you Accept Help from someone you don't know? Many things have been going through my head the last week.... How am I going to do this? Where is the money going to come from to build my business from the ground up?!?!?!?


So here Goes: I am asking for any Donations.... ANy Ideas on Funding from you! I have outlined in an earlier post what I am working on doing for the Martin Community! I have a dream and I'm going to achieve it! My goal is to achieve it within ONE YEAR!

I have started planning on two fundraisers for the coming year:

• A Block Party and 
• A Formal Gala or in other words (Adult Prom) 

I will be looking into grants, and also will look into Loans.... But i need to raise the majority of the funds by myself with your help.... Please help me built the very needed and wanted Daycare Community Center here in Martin SD. 

Any Donations can be sent to:

Deanna Coleman

PO Box 314

Martin SD 57551

Love, Laugh, Dance & Play Daycare..... :) Its a dream..... It will happen :) 

Christmas Ornament Craft

So I was looking on Pinterest which seems to be one of my NEWEST favorite websites and was specifically looking for something the kids could make as a christmas present for their parents!

I found this on: http://forums.canadianbride.com/Topic807804-15-1.aspx  It is a Handprint Christmas Santa Ornament! I am SO EXCITED to try this with the kids :) Last year we made Construction Paper Reindeers! Those were pretty adorable too, but mine got torn in a spot and they didn't last long :(

Check out the website for how to make it for your daycare or even for your family :) I hope you're doing great!!!!

Ideas on Funding my Future Daycare Center

I have owned and operated my very own Home Daycare since May 2, 2011. I absolutely LOVE what I do. I have been filled to capacity for over 6 months now and there is such a huge need here in the Martin, South Dakota Community. I am looking to start the only Daycare Center here in Martin. I would like to have it be a Daycare Center and a Community Center. The location is negotiable but I would love to be on Main Street or Hwy 18! My biggest issue is funding.

The Daycare Community Center would include:

A Fully Staffed Daycare Center for Infants to 5 years old.
An Indoor PLayground for Daycare and community use. (Mommy & me PLaydates, and winter fun)
An Outdoor Playground for Daycare use.
A community Room.
A Dance Studio (This would be used for Daycare and dance classes which are not currently offered in Martin)

I know Martin is a small community and funding to start and keep this going would be hard in the first few years.... But I have dreams and I feel like our community NEEDS all of this :) I grew up here and LOVED to dance, I taught the Millennium Dance Team in 1999-2003 and again in 2011/2012. I also had my own dance group in high school and went on to teach a jr. high-12th dance team after graduating from Bennett County. I then taught dance in 2005-2008 while working for Job Corps in Virginia.

The Community Room would be used for VERY many different things.... I thought if this room was not used as much as it needed since there are like 4 different places in Martin with community rooms that I would turn it into another Daycare room....

The Indoor PLayground is something I utilized with my own children in Virginia... Its great, Since winters are so cold and so long here in South Dakota I thought it would be awesome to have the FIRST indoor playground in Martin, this would be used for Daycare, Mommy & Me PLaydates, Birthday Parties, ect.... It would be open to the community as long as everyone was respectful of the rules.

I would offer jobs to the community something that this community NEEDS! It would eventually add about 25 new jobs for Martin South Dakota community! I would also make hours available to people in College and working at the BC Hospital and Nursing Home.... The hours would be from 5:30 am till 8:30pm..... That is when I get staffed and started :)

I"m looking at quite a steep price but I figured I would try to see if anyone else would like to help me support my dreams for this community?!?!?!


I need to Purchase

Land:
Building:
Toys/equipment:
among many other Start up and maintaining costs..... I have so many ideas and thoughts.... Just looking to find ways to fund it.... If you think you have any ideas or would like to donate please let me know :) Thank you
Deanna Coleman
Love, Laugh, Dance & Play Daycare,
Mommy & Me Playdates