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As you may already know, I like to research things exhaustively and make lists.  Very thorough lists.  (see my Baby Registry List for example)  So, here is my complete and thorough New Puppy Shopping List!  🙂  I’ll even come back and update this list later on, adding and removing things that we didn’t use or needed and I forgot.  Our Shichon puppy comes home in 1 more week; isn’t she adorable??

Everyday Gear:

crate – I found a nice one on Facebook Marketplace.  Be sure to get the correct size, and hopefully one with a divider so you can make it smaller for starting out.

car restraint – I’m going to try using this Mighty Paw Seat Buckle, clipped to the puppy’s harness (never to a collar).  She’ll be on someone’s lap I’m sure, but this way she’s safe in case of an accident.  Update: Cosie tries to climb around quite a bit when someone is holding her.  I found a used Snoozer car seat and she settles better in that.  We use it along with the Mighty Paw buckle clipped into a seat belt next to the car seat.  Whatever you get, take a good look at what you are clipping your dog to.  Will it hold in case of an accident, or is it fabric that will tear?  I’m not comfortable clipping her just to the Snoozer alone.

harness – Check Marketplace for these too, puppies outgrow them quickly, so you may find someone who has one to pass along.  I picked up a couple of them in small sizes rather inexpensively.  We started with a size XXS!  Plan on taking your pup to the store to try them on and get the best fit.  When she is all grown maybe I will get one from Lucy and Co, they’re adorable!  Also this one.

coat/clothing – Small dogs can get cold, especially in winter in MI!  I ordered a Land’s End squall jacket (on sale and with a gift card), it looks like nice quality.  I’ll update on the fit eventually.  I’ve also sewn a dog coat from fleece before, its not too hard.  Update: the Land’s End jacket is ok, it slides around on her a bit.  I just ordered a Canada Pooch slush suit because she gets covered in snowballs when she plays outside.  I want a Lucy and Co raincoat but they’re hard to find in stock.

6 foot leash – Something lightweight is good for a puppy.  Lupine Pet makes some adorable ones and they will replace the leash if it gets chewed through.  (no retractable leashes)

poop bags and dispenser – Earth Rated works well. Update: I like these bags from Amazon better, they open easier and the holder doesn’t have velcro that tears up the leash.

collar – I actually haven’t decided if my puppy will use a collar or not.  If we do, it will just be for holding her tags on her, not for walks.  I may just clip tags on to her harness somewhere, we’ll see.  A harness is much safer for little dogs as a collar can put too much pressure on their little necks. Update: no collar!  A harness is fine, I still don’t have tags on her yet though.

tags – Haven’t found one I like yet, and haven’t decided on her name yet.  🙂 Update: Her name is Cosette.  We call her Cosie.  We’ll be getting tags soon when we do her rabies shot at the vet.

odor remover spray – We have one made by Woolite and it works well.  Nature’s Miracle is another brand.  (Also, stock up on paper towels!)  Update: Nature’s Miracle stinks.  We went back to the Woolite brand, maybe we’re just used to the scent of that one.

bells for potty training – Buy some or make your own.

dog bed or pillow – Get something comfy to put in the bottom of the crate, although maybe start out with old towels or blankets until you see how much of a chewer your pup is!

baby gate or exercise pen – You will want a way to gate the puppy into a safe place.  Use baby gates to block off the kitchen for example, or use an exercise pen.  I am planning to borrow one.  Update: I found a used/ good condition exercise pen and its been great!  We have it in the corner of our dining area and still use it at six months.  I’d say its a necessity for a small dog.  Bigger dogs would outgrow it quickly and in that case use the baby gates to create a safe space.

Health and Grooming: 

shampoo – Earthbath is great. Kin + Kind or Tropiclean look nice too, although I’ve not tried those.  For brushing, I might try a human detangling spray or a small amount of puppy conditioner in a spray bottle diluted with water.

eyes and ears – I’ve heard good things about both Tropiclean Spa Tear Stain Cleanser and Tropiclean ear cleaner.  Update: I really like the Tropiclean Spa Tear Stain Cleaner!  

brushes – Andis comb, Lil Pals comb and small slicker brush, Greenbone detangling brush, and also a Wet brush brand human brush.  I might have gone a little overboard on the brushes, we’ll see.  🙂  Update: yep, overboard.  My favorites are the Andi’s steel comb and the human wet brush. 

I got this cute container at Meijer to keep all the grooming things in so I can have them handy:

nail clipper – Safari small nail trimmer.

styptic powder -necessary to have on hand for when you accidentally clip their little nails too short.  A pinch of it quickly stops the bleeding.

toothbrush and toothpaste – PetzLife is all natural and breaks down tartar even without tons of brushing.

scissors and clippers for home grooming – I have the Wahl KM10 clippers, the guide comb attachments, and a curved scissors with blunt tips for trimming near her eyes.  I did order Geib Gator thinning shears as well, but I’m not quite skilled enough to use those yet.  Yes, this equipment is EXPENSIVE, but so is grooming.  I was determined to do it myself and spent lots of time watching videos on how to do it.  So far I’ve groomed Cosie completely myself and am having fun with it.

If you have a dog that needs grooming and you don’t plan to do it at home you’ll still need a scissors to trim hair from around their eyes.  Cosie also needs her fur trimmed in between her paw pads or it grows so long that her pads can’t grip well.

flea and tick spray – We treat our yard with something natural like Wondercide.  I also spray Wondercide on my dogs when we are headed to an outdoor area where they might pick up fleas or ticks.

first aid/ medications – I’m still working on this.  Will let you know what I come up with!

Food and Treats:

food – Some brands to consider: Orijen, Stella and Chewy, Tiki dog, Halo, Canidae, Wellness, Petguard Lifespan, Holistic Select.  We’ve used Orijen for years with our labrador, its pricey, but top quality and she’s been very healthy.  They’re coming out with a small breed formula I’ll be trying out when puppy is on adult food.  Update: So far we’ve used Stella and Chewy – she loves the meal mixers – and we just opened up a bag of Orijen puppy food.  It might be her favorite thing ever.  I plan to do a post soon with more details about food and treats we like.

training treats – Wellness soft puppy bites, Beef liver bites, Stella and Chewy’s meal mixers

chews – Benebone, Nylabone puppy (I’m on the fence about both of these.  I don’t like my puppy chewing on plastic, but puppies DO need to chew… elk antlers, yak cheese, lamb horn are all natural options, but they can be too hard and break teeth.  I’ll update when we see what works best.) Update: Cosie never loved the Benebone.  She likes her Nylabone; I steal it from her and trim off pieces of plastic whenever she starts to get some loose.  She also loves a lamb’s horn and elk antler.  I’m going to pick up some Tasman brand Buffalo chews soon as I’ve heard they can be a good option.

treat toys – Kong puppy, West Paw tux, and toppl  get used around here almost daily.  You’ll want a couple of Kongs so that you can stuff them and have them ready in the freezer.  Trust me, they buy you some time by keeping your busy puppy occupied!  Planet Dog Snoop is another fun toy.

food scoop – This one is sturdy and has a nice size handle.

container for food – Something like this or we have this smaller one that I keep in my pantry.

treat container – so cute!  Update: I love this little container.  Its super easy to open and seals tightly.  

food and water dishes – Look for a high quality stainless steel.  Plastic can harbor bacteria, and some metal bowls have been found to contain lead or be radioactive.  Basis Pet look like a nice brand, although pricey.  I chose these and like them.

dog treat molds – Something like this.  Check Pinterest for all kinds of fun recipes.  I use these to freeze raw goats milk or pumpkin or all kinds of healthy things!  (Look for another blog post on food/ treats coming soon.)

Toys:

JW holey ball – comes in different sizes.  I’m planning to take my puppy in to the pet store and see which size is best for her.

small tennis balls

Kong Wild Knots bear

Kong Wubba

homemade fleece “rope” toy – We made a bunch of these in small and large sizes.  We’ve sold some to friends and family in order to raise money for our puppy.  🙂

Chuckit – awesome fetch toy, you don’t have to pick up the slobbery tennis ball!  Get the right size for your pup.

ZippyPaws burrow toy – These come in all different styles, I like this cookie jar one.

Lickimat – this is awesome for distracting Cosie while I clip her nails or give her a haircut.

puzzle toys – Trixie and Nina Ottosson both make a variety of games in several difficulty levels

Training:

Baxter and Bella – This is an awesome online training course! Highly recommended. Contains lessons, how to videos, printable checklist and much more. Totally walks you through the process of training your dog and you get lifetime access. Use the code HEALTHY25 for 25% off and train your dog right from home!

From Needles to Natural by Dr Judy Morgan – I have this book on the way to me, it looks like a great resource.

101 Dog Tricks and 101 Dog Tricks For Kids by Kyra Sundance – these are fun books, we have them from the library right now

training dumbbell, training leash 30′ (This is good for letting Cosie get some exercise in our large unfenced backyard.)

maybe get at some point: dog life jacket, Coolaroo bed, paw washer cup, and definitely a plush cake for her first birthday!

There you have it!  I feel like I’m kind of showing all my crazy here, but maybe this is helpful to someone.  🙂  Enjoy your puppies!

Along with the curriculum plans in my last post, the homeschool elective I’m most excited about doing with the kids is … Dog Training 101!  We are hoping to get a little Shichon puppy at the end of September (a Shih tzu/ Bichon mix).  The kids and I have been busy doing all sorts of research on dogs and making dog toys to sell as a fundraiser.  We already have a labrador that we love dearly, she’s just a bit too big and strong for the kids to take on walks, and she can’t quite sit on our laps.  🙂  I’m looking forward to this newest member of our family for several reasons:

– I’ve always said that when I grow up I would get a small fluffy dog.  You know, the kind that needs it hair brushed daily and sits on a small pink bed, wears a diamond collar, and answers to Princess or Fluffy or something like that?  I’m turning 40 in September, so its totally time to go for it!

– The kids are going to help train the dog!  I think its really important in our homeschool to focus on learning skills along with our academics – cooking, sewing, piano, and the like.  Dog training is a great skill to learn and something the kids could build on later in life as an animal trainer, vet tech, or many other occupations.  Its also basically a beginning communication course for kids – I’ll explain what I mean by that in a minute.

How am I going to make this into a school subject?  Well, initially I was planning on training the dog myself and attending local classes.  I emailed a couple of trainers and asked them about classes and fees and so on.  A couple of them I even sent more than one email, but NO ONE responded to me.  With covid happening right now, I can only assume its thrown their schedules up in the air.  Eventually after searching through various books and online offerings, we came across Baxter and Bella.  I am super impressed with what they have to offer!  It didn’t take me long to realize that this is a course I can use with my kids.  Along with videos and clear lessons, it walks you completely through the process of dog training and helps you step by step.  We’ve been listening to some of their podcasts and are excited to get started with lessons.

Baxter and Bella online dog training program provides everything you will need in order to successfully train a dog.  There are more than 65 lessons, over 100 how-to videos, printable charts & checklists, as well as lifetime access to many other supporting resources, even including unlimited one-on-one video coaching, phone calling, events, classes and courses too!  You can learn more about who they are, what they offer and how to get started by visiting: https://www.baxterandbella.com/learn-more  Use the code “HEALTHY25” for 25% off the membership! 

Now, let me explain what I mean with my comparison of dog training to a communications course.  Dogs do not communicate exactly the way that people do.  In fact, sometimes they have the opposite response than you want them to.  For example, you might be calling a dog’s name and chasing it while trying to get it to come inside.  The dog, however, is happily running around the yard, convinced that you’re playing a fun game.  Dogs don’t read minds, respond to long explanations, or understand that “what you’re really saying is…”  Training a dog involves thinking ahead through what you want the dog to do, giving a clear, consistent command, and following up with a treat or praise.  It often involves problem solving and putting yourself in the dog’s shoes for a minute to figure out how or why your dog is doing something.

It is a valuable skill to learn that your audience may not receive communication the way you intended them to. It is a valuable skill to think through what you are trying to say and how to best convey that.  Its a valuable skill to consider how someone else is going to respond to your words, actions, and even tone of voice. 

Best of all, dog training comes with such high value rewards!  Clear communication is rewarded by the dog’s response.  And this is repeated over and over again!  Its a huge confidence builder to unlock the secrets of communication and successfully implement them.  What kid doesn’t love to show off his dog’s tricks?  Can you tell I’m super excited about our new fluffy family member?  I am!  

So, let me leave you with these two things:

I’ve created a Facebook group called The Healthy Small Breed Dog where I’m compiling lots of info, research, links, and more.  Come join us!

Check out BaxterandBella.com and see what you think.  If you’re interested in joining, use the code “HEALTHY25” for 25% off.  (Yes, its my affiliate code, only shared because its something I love.)

Lucy – 10th

History – Saint Raphael/ Schole Academy online course: Ancient Greeks

Literature – Saint Raphael/Schole Academy online course: Ancient Greeks, Usborne Book of Greek Myths

Science – PAC Chemisty, Chemistry 101 dvd

Math – Teaching Textbooks Geometry

Grammar – Fix It Grammar Book 2

Personal Finance – Dave Ramsey’s high school course (one semester)

Logic – Art of Argument (second semester)

Typing – typingclub.com

Piano

Spanish – Talkbox.mom

Ballet 

Kiwi Maker Crate

 

Julia – 8th Grade

History – Story of the World 1

Literature – Evan-Moor Read and Understand Poetry 5-6 (once a week)

Shiloh: Novel Thinking guide from Critical Thinking Company (first semester),

Evan-Moor Literature Pockets Greek and Roman Myths, Usborne Illustrated Stories from Greek Myths (second semester)

Science – Apologia Human Anatomy and Physiology with notebook journal

Math – Teaching Textbooks Pre-algebra

Grammar – Fix It Grammar Book 2

Writing – Usborne Write and Design Your Own Magazine, Creative Writer’s Handbook

Spelling – Rod and Staff 7

Piano lessons

Spanish – Talkbox.mom

Personal Finance – Dave Ramsey’s middle school course

Art – Artistic Pursuits 6-8

Gymnastics

Extras – Julia is planning to help out at a therapeutic riding center this fall.  She loves horseback riding and is excited to volunteer.

also, Dog Training 101!

 

Esther – 5th

History – Story of the World 1

Literature – Evan-Moor Read and Understand Poetry 5-6 (once a week)

Shiloh: Novel Thinking guide from Critical Thinking Company (first semester),

Evan-Moor Literature Pockets Greek and Roman Myths, Usborne Illustrated Stories from Greek Myths (second semester)

Science – Apologia Human Anatomy and Physiology with notebook journal

Math – Math Mammoth 5

Grammar/ English – Critical Thinking Company Language Smarts book E

Writing – Usborne Creative Writing Book, Creative Writer’s Handbook

Spelling – Rod and Staff 5

Piano

Spanish – Talkbox.mom

Art – Artistic Pursuits 6-8

Gymnastics

and Dog Training 101!

 

Isaac – 3rd

History – Story of the World 1

Literature – Shiloh: Novel Thinking guide from Critical Thinking Company (first semester),

Evan-Moor Literature Pockets Greek and Roman Myths, Usborne Illustrated Stories from Greek Myths (second semester)

Science – Apologia Human Anatomy and Physiology with notebook journal

Math – Math Mammoth 3

Grammar/ English – Language Smarts Book D from Critical Thinking Company

Spelling – Rod and Staff 3

Piano

Spanish – Talkbox.mom

Art – Artistic Pursuits 6-8

Kiwi Crate

and Dog Training 101!

 

Colin – K

continuing with My Father’s World K for reading and early math, will move to Rod and Staff phonics when we finish MFW

Prodigies music with deskbells

Math – Evan-Moor Skill Sharpeners Math K

Spanish – Talkbox.mom

Raddish Kids Cooking

 

Annette – 3 1/2 years old

A Year of Playing Skillfully

Prodigies music

Due to the Coronavirus and a shortage of masks, many people are making cloth masks and donating them.  Hospitals, nursing homes, any place that uses masks might be in need of these!  I started out pretty confused by all the different patterns, but finally came up with something that seems to work well.  My sister in law is a nurse and this is the pattern she requested.  Check with your local hospital to see what they are accepting and know that things are constantly changing.  From what I can tell right now though, this is a great place to start.  This version has a pocket for a filter to be inserted, and a channel where a nose wire can be placed.  (Note: please leave the twisty tie out when donating as many hospitals are concerned about the wire holding up in the wash.)

I can NOT take credit for this pattern.  Its mostly taken from THIS youtube video, and my adaptations are mostly things that my friend Megan told me she was doing!  Thanks to video chat and me being thoroughly confused for a while and asking her lots of questions… we finally sorted it out.  I just wanted to show a couple of other people what I ended up learning, and well, we’re all quarantined, so this is the only way I can show my friends who are sewing these along with me.  🙂

Start with a piece of fabric, 15″ x 7.5″.

Serge or zigzag both short edges of your piece of fabric.  I used a G foot and selected stitch 6 on my machine.

Fold your piece in half, right sides together.  Place pins 1 1/2″ in from each edge and sew, leaving the middle open.

Iron the seam open and sew across each side of the opening.  This gets a little tricky, see the video I linked to above for a how-to.

I’ve been using two pieces of elastic, 8″ each.  This is where we stray a bit from the video… leave the piece inside out as shown and tuck one end of the elastic inside in the bottom corner and sew up the side, leaving 3-4″ open – don’t close the side all the way.  Be sure you situate the opening near the top of one side like this:  (It should even be a little bit farther up than shown, you just need to leave space for the nose wire channel you’ll make in a minute.)

Now turn it right side out.  Grab the free end of the elastic and tuck it in the top corner.  Turn the raw edges in and seal them up at the same time.  Sew down one side, across the bottom, and up the other side (tucking in the other edges and sticking the other elastic in, just as you did on the first side).

Being sure not to block your opening, add three pleats and clip or pin them.  (See, if my opening were just a bit higher here I’d have more room for the pleats.)

Hold the mask in front of you and be sure the pleats are even.

Sew across one side.  When you get to the end, go ahead and turn the fabric and sew back across that same side a second time so that it is nice and secure.

Measure 2″ in from each edge and sew a line across the middle, just under where my fingers are.  Make it about the width of your presser foot.  This is a space where a nose wire can be inserted.  (twisty tie, pipe cleaner, etc)  It can be removed for washing.  Also, some of the hospitals are requesting no wires, so this makes the mask useable either way.

In the very center of the bottom of the mask, make a little fold and sew back and forth across it.  This helps the mask to fit nicely around the chin.

This shows a twisty tie being inserted into the mask:

You’re all set!

Ok, for versions 2 and 3, keep scrolling.  Elastic is hard to find around here because all the crafters snapped it up to sew masks with!  I’ve made two different versions of this mask with cloth ties.  For this version, make four cloth ties (15-18″ each is what I’ve heard is best).  Add them in right where you would place the elastic, using the above pattern pretty much the same way.  My tie pieces started at 2″ wide, iron them in half the long way, then fold the edges in just like double fold bias tape and sew it up, tucking in the raw edge on the one end that will be loose.

For version 3, you will sew the main mask piece closed, pleat it, and add the nose wire channel first.  You can cut two pieces of fabric, 2″ x 40″ (the width of my fabric) and make straps.  Iron the strap piece in half long ways (so now it is 1″ wide).

Open your strap and find the middle of it.  Sew the back of the mask on to the strap like the picture shows:

Fold your strap around and pin or clip it shut, being sure to tuck in the raw edge at the end.  Sew from one end all the way down, over the mask, and on to the other end of the strap. Do this on both sides and you’re all set!  I think I left the chin tuck off of this one, but you could add one.

Let me know if you have any questions, I’ll try to answer.  Hope this is helpful!  Thanks for sewing!

 

Our Story:

It all started at the nursing home.  I was holding a toddler on my hip and had two other small children clinging to me, one on each leg… they were terrified.  I smiled and nodded in the direction of an elderly resident and my kids shuffled in closer to me.  We looked ridiculous huddled in the corner, me unable to move without setting off a panic attack in one of my kids.  Thankfully a few of my other children and the group we were with milled about the room chatting and receiving compliments on the piano performance they had just done.  Meanwhile I was suffocating.  We were supposed to be here, right?  Why was this so hard?  

I didn’t want to give up our visits to the nursing home, but in that moment I realized that there must be other ways we could volunteer.  I needed to find opportunities that would fit my kids personalities better.  This set off a year long kind of experiment that I pulled together.  I wanted to prove to my kids that they could enjoy serving others.  I wanted to show them the many ways that people see a need and step in.  I want them to be the kind of people who volunteer, who help, who see needs and fill them. 

In the past I felt like volunteering with kids was a lot of “purchase these items at the store and donate them.”  While we were happy to do that from time to time, it just wasn’t the type of thing we could do regularly.  … um, have you been to the store with six kids?  Its not an experience I want to repeat often, but mostly it just feels very disconnected for my kids.  We needed to find some hands on projects to be involved with as well.

All this in mind, I started searching.  It actually took quite a bit of planning and work.  Some organizations just didn’t have a need my kids could fill, others were happy to have us.  Some places I had never even heard of until I started keeping my eyes open for opportunities.  Since August, we’ve met my goal of serving somewhere at least once a month (and we still go back to see our friends at the nursing home too!).  Over time my kids got excited about this plan and they often ask “Where are we going next month?  And where after that?”  By God’s grace, volunteering has become regular for our family.  Its not a box that we check every now and then, but an exciting part of my kids’ lives.  

Q and A:

How do you do it?

I just email places and ask if we can volunteer.  I tell them I have a group of 16 kids, ages 14 down to 3.  I say we’re learning about volunteering and going to lots of different places and ask if we can help them somehow.  (The 16 kids?  We take 4 other families with us!  As long as I’m setting something up, I might as well invite friends too!)  I usually start looking for our next volunteer place a month or two ahead because it can take some time to coordinate schedules and set everything up.

Where have you gone? 

Love INC – a thrift store/ food bank.  This was one of my kids all time favorite places to go and the lady there was fabulous with the kids. 

Kids Food Basket – packages up lunches and snacks for kids in need

Rescue Mission – helped with the Thanksgiving banquet

Nestlings Diaper Bank – packaged up diapers to be distributed around the county

Salvation Army – helped sort toys for low income families at Christmas

Hope Packages – collected items and made backpacks for kids entering foster care

Family Hope Center (Rescue Mission’s women and children center) – sewed bright fun pillowcases to be given to residents, had a tour of the center

Days For Girls – helped sew cloth kits for girls in Africa

Medilodge nursing home – the kids play their instruments, sing, and sometimes sit and color with the residents.  We also like to make cards and deliver them to bedridden people here.

What do you have lined up for the future?

Oh I have a whole list!  We are going back to Love Inc and Medilodge.  We’re taking a tour of Mobility Worldwide, a place that makes carts for disabled kids in other countries (and this summer we plan to raise the money to sponsor a cart).  The Salvation Army has a food drive in the spring.  We are signed up to go help sort food on a Saturday.  My kids love going to the monastery so I’m hoping to attend the spring clean up day (May 30).  I’m interested in meeting with a therapy dog/owner team and hearing about what they do.  As I think of ideas or come across opportunities I make note of it.  Sometimes they pan out, sometimes they lead me to something else.  I’m not sure if we’ll keep trying everything we come across, or if we’ll eventually settle in to some favorite places we return regularly.  We’ll see what happens.

Do you specifically “teach” your kids anything as you take these trips?

For the most part I’ve tried to let the experiences speak for themselves, but we have had some good talks about the power of teamwork.  (“12 of us worked for an hour packing up food, if Miss Lisa had done that all by herself how long would that have taken her?  12 hours, a whole day!  Wow, we got a lot done just by working with our friends for an hour and that was really helpful for them!”)  I also like to point out to my kids that there are so many different ways to serve and that every personality can find something they enjoy and are good at.  I love learning about the various organizations and how they started and so on.  I’m learning just as much as my kids.

What changes have you seen or do you hope to see in your kids?

Well for one thing, we’ve volunteered so much that my kids just expect it.  Its not a big deal to take time out of our week to go somewhere, even though it didn’t start out feeling that way.  I’m thankful for that.  As we’ve gone to the nursing home over time the kids have learned some of the elderly people’s names and look forward to seeing them.  I’ve even started volunteering on my own at a place called Love Sews.  They sew quilts for people who’ve had life changing circumstances.  Its a really nice mama evening out when I can get away and sew for a few hours and Love Sews is a fabulous organization.  We all look forward to our various volunteer trips and I’m excited to see what happens next!  We’ll definitely keep volunteering!

Anything else you want to share?

Yes!  Please don’t take this as me bragging about what we’ve done!  It was a friend of mine who got my family started going to the nursing home in the first place.  🙂  I’ve just become really passionate about volunteering and wanted to share our experience.  Of course that experience isn’t going to be exactly the same for everyone and you’ll find what works best for you.  I just want to encourage people to get out there and try something.  Even with a large family, even with really shy kids, even if you don’t know what you’re doing! 

If this inspires you to try volunteering somewhere new, I’d love to hear about it.  And if you hear of new volunteer opportunities my kids and I could do, please let me know!