November was a month filled with seasonal excitement, frosty mornings and warm winter jackets. We collected acorns, made leaf creations, and jumped in piles and piles of leaves.
On November 19, children invited their Grandparents to our Annual Grandparent Pie Social. Parents donated pies and families came together as we welcomed the beginning of the holiday season. The Preschool Panda’s and Terrific Tiger’s shared a few of their favorite songs and we all enjoyed the chance to meet and share our morning with these very special people. Some of the Grandparents traveled hours to attend. We had lots of smiling faces and happy children.
On November 20, the children enjoyed a Turkey Trot. Together we explored the town in search of turkey feathers to add to our very cold featherless Turkey back at the Inn. The children visited many local businesses and explored the campus in search of feathers. It was a fun filled morning searching for feathers and finding only clues that lead us to our next stop. We found feathers on the football field, by the pond, on a bench, and throughout the entire town. Together the children found over 50 stations and collected thousands and thousands of feathers! The collected feathers helped decorate a HUGE classroom turkey back at the Inn. It never ceases to amaze me how wonderful the town and community are to the children here in Andover. Special thanks to all our friends at Pizza Chef, Jakes, Lake Sunapee Bank, New Horizons, The Andover Library, Ragged Mountain Physical Therapy, everyone at Dr. Amy Schneider’s office, and the wonderful ladies at Town Hall. The children were so excited to search for the feathers and your smiling faces and welcoming arms made the day quite a memorable event. Thank you for all you do throughout the year for our little ones.
December had Jack Frost nipping at our noses. Winter mittens and hats joined our winter coats and visions of snow falling danced in our heads. During the month of December we will be enjoying a Winter Wonderland Pajama Family night. Families will wear their Christmas pajamas to the Inn and enjoy hot cocoa and cookies. The children will follow the snowflakes through the school and explore different fun hands on stations. Each classroom will have a holiday theme and children will follow the gumdrop trail into the Reindeer Game Room, the Gingerbread Room, a Christmas Tree Room, and finally through our Winter Wonderland classroom. Along the way, they will collect a homemade themed cookie to add to their goody bag, enjoy a warm mug of hot cocoa, make reindeer food, snowman soup, and play reindeer games. I expect Santa will stop by and check on our busy little elves here at Imagination Inn. A tremendous thank you to Bill Bates (a.k.a. Santa) for bringing the joy of the season to our little ones year after year. It’s heartwarming to watch the children climb on his lap each year eager to share their Christmas wishes, it is a truly magical moment and we are forever grateful for your time and generosity ♥
When we return from the winter break, we will be welcoming 2015 and celebrating our fourth year here as Imagination Inn! January will bring many outdoor snow ball fights, angel making, and a little bit of snow painting as well. We will be walking the rail trails and leaving our footprints in the snow. With any luck Mother Nature will be dropping some wonderful white fluffy snow our way. After all, what would January be without a few feet of snow? Hmmm…I wonder how long it would take for a bucket of snow to melt in our watertable? How big can we make our snow man this year and how many little ones we can we fit in a sled? Ahhh, the joy of winter at the Inn, so many questions, so much to do and explore and so little time.
To all our families, to our friends in our amazing community, we wish you 365 delightful days ,12 marvelous months, 52 wonderful weeks, 1 fabulous year and an abundance of peace, joy and hope. Remember to spread the warmth of the Christmas season to all those around you. On behalf of everyone here at Imagination Inn, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Christmas is forever, not for just one day, for loving, sharing, giving, are not to put away like bells and lights and tinsel, in some box upon a shelf. The good you do for others is good you do yourself…
– Norman Wesley Brooks, “Let Every Day Be Christmas,” 1976