Tina's Tots - ABCs & Memories

Past, present and future tots families — we hope you can join us for our 2nd annual get together in August! 🏡💚

“The roots of who we are are discovered in play.”

I shared this quote recently with my Tots families, and I’ve been thinking about it even more since.

When children play, it can look silly, random, or just like imagination running wild—but sometimes we’re watching the very first hints of who they might become.

It reminds me of my niece, who is actually a big reason I started Tina’s Tots back in 2011. As a child, she was endlessly creative and always “building” things out of Play-Doh—one of her creations was a model of teeth and gums. (Have never seen any other kid do that!)

She didn’t just stop there… she would come up with elaborate (and very imaginative!) ways to remove her “teeth,” like tying dental floss to a tooth and a remote-control car and using it to pull it out. It was inventive, dramatic, and completely her own little world of pretend.

At the time, it was just play. We had no idea those small moments were early clues pointing toward her future.

Now she is studying to become a dentist, and looking back, it feels like those pieces were there all along.

It’s a reminder that play is never “just play.” It’s learning, experimenting, imagining, and sometimes, it’s the very beginning of a life path.

I feel so lucky to witness those early pieces every day with all of our Tots. 💚

(Thanks, Hopie, for letting me share your story 🦷😁)

As another school year wraps up, I’m feeling extra grateful watching our own kids grow into such wonderful, kind, capable humans.

One more year until we have two in high school. Two more years left of elementary school. Three more years until our oldest graduates, which is wild. Time needs to slow down.

This year brought some exciting academic milestones too — our ninth grader recently scored in the 99th percentile on the PSAT, our youngest continues thriving in gifted programming, and all three boys have naturally gravitated toward advanced classes over the years.

But more than the academic achievements themselves, I think what means the most to me is that they are happy and thriving.

We never heavily pushed academics at home in the early years. We prioritized outdoor play, family time, creativity, music lessons, reading, good nutrition, curiosity, independence, exploring a variety of activities outside of school and simply letting them be kids.

I truly believe intelligence is largely innate, but confidence, curiosity, resilience, and a love of learning are nurtured over time — and we’ve been incredibly fortunate to have amazing teachers who helped foster those things along the way.

Watching them become not only strong students, but genuinely well-rounded people, feels like the real accomplishment.

Feeling very proud, very grateful, and very aware of how fast these years are going. ❤️

It is not lost on me how fortunate we are to be able to spend ~3.5 hours a day outdoors! ☀️

Connecting with nature is essential 🌻🍃❄️

Add in good nutrition, quality rest, good books and we’ve got it made 💚🏡

🌱 “The roots of who you are
are discovered in play” ☀️

1KHO 791: Play Is the Untold Hero | Dr. Deborah McNamara, Rest, Play Grow Podcast Episode · The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast · May 7 · 55m

Pro tip: fill their bellies and get them outside and watch any behavior concerns melt away ☀️🤸‍♀️

🌎 Every day is Earth Day for the tots and I! Our favorite place to be is outside exploring nature, and we are so lucky to have such a beautiful little corner of the Earth to enjoy! 💙

Not a day goes by that we aren’t grateful for the food it provides, the creatures we share it with, and beautiful little surprises that inspire curiosity! 💚🏡