"Lena is gifted in the art of loving children well.  She knows how to live in the moment.  Seasonally, I have found that Lena engages the children in stimulating activity year round.  Summer is for sandboxes and kiddie pools, Spring and Fall are for walks along the nearby natural trail, and even winter is a special time for touching snow and cuddling up with books and blankets.   Every day feels like an exciting day in her home no matter what the weather.  Developmentally, I feel that Lena has never rushed my son along through any phase for the sake of her own itinerary.  When our babies were very young she cooed and sang songs to them, took them on walks, and enthusiastically talked to them about everything in their environment.  When they took their first steps Lena was just as engaged with these little people as they played hide and seek in found cardboard boxes, made their first attempts at artwork, took their first bites of new and exciting foods, and uttered their first ideas.  No matter the age I have always felt that Lena’s home is one that has a sense of order and discipline along with a healthy dose of creativity and silly fun.  It is the perfect environment to inspire a little person to explore their potential safely.  I feel that the message children in her care are learning is “I am very special and loved, and I am lucky to have special friends that make my life more exciting and fun."
-Melanie Jones

"My husband and I admire Lena so much. She's smart, unflappable, easy-going but still attentive. We appreciate the seriousness with which she approaches her job. She treats the children with respect, compassion, always with an eye toward their safety, but with a sense of fun too. When we drop off our daughter at the Purple Crayon Playschool, we know that she is going to be greeted with affection and excitement that will follow her throughout the day. I know that she feels safe and comfortable with Lena as her teacher and the other children as her playmates. She talks excitedly about going to "Kool" and looks forward to seeing the other children.  Her days are filled with dancing, singing, and art projects (I was thoroughly in awe to see that one lesson included sensory play with with colored strands of cooked spaghetti!). The children play outside with fresh air and a sandbox. The yard is fenced-in too so it's safe. There are just a few kids so everyone receives Lena's attention and the families get to know each other. The other families have been a wonderful source of information for us. We feel as if we are part of a special community.  "
-Jennifer Hoffman Jones

"We have been entrusting our son to Lena’s care.  From our initial meeting I noticed her kind and thoughtful nature.  However, it wasn’t until after our son’s first month with her that I came to realize how important she would become to our family. That month was a difficult period of adjustment for our son to be at ease away from home.  Daily pickups were stressful for me as his mom having to hear of his anxiety.  Finally one Friday I received the email at work titled “wonderful day” describing how this was the day she felt like she “had finally earned his trust” and recounted the transformation that occurred as he finally became comfortable with her. I then understood how invested she was in the care of our son and from that point on we have been continually impressed by her commitment to our son’s development.  He comes home expressing new words and concepts daily and can never wait to go back after a weekend. Our decision to bring our son to Lena is the best we could have made."
-Laura Panzerella