The Give-away Winners are......

Congratulations to "anonymous" (I have your email address, thanks) for winning the Disney CD, Velika for winning the Eyre book and Greg for winning the guitar lullabies CD.  I'll send your email addresses to the publishers.

I still have several more items to give away, so stay turned.....keep checking my blog!

Thanks for reading!

Parenting Tip - BRR (Bedtime Reminiscence Routine)

My daughter in law told me something she does with my 17 month old grandson as part of his bedtime routine.  As she rocks him in the rocking chair, she goes over all the events of the day.  She enumerates what he ate for breakfast and how he played with his toys.  She mentions his nap time and lunch and anything else they did during the day.  Then she talks about when Daddy came home and they ate dinner, and how Daddy played with him and put his pajamas on. She said she discovered that when she does this and then puts him in his crib, he lays there peacefully without fussing.  But if she doesn’t go over the day’s routine, he seems to always cry when she puts him in bed and it takes longer for him to settle down.  Interesting, isn’t it?

 

I wonder if my daughter in law has counted up all the valuable skills she is teaching my grandson.  She is helping him learn about time value, and chronological order, about sequencing and prepositions like before and after.  She is teaching him science and astronomy as she talks about the sun shining during the day and the moon coming out at night, about climate and weather when she talks about the rain and the wind.  She’s teaching the days of the week.  She’s increasing his vocabulary as she uses adjectives to describe the soft fur on the bunny and the delicious taste of applesauce.

 

 I've been learning about autistic children and how they need structure and routine to their day. They even benefit from visual sequencing of their daily activities.  When their routine is changed or they are confused about what is happening, then a major meltdown can ensue.  My grandson is not autistic but he is approaching his “terrific twos” and anything that can help in making his life be more structured and less frustrating is good for not only him, but Mom too.

 

Wow. Who would have thought so much learning could come from 3 minutes of bedtime reminiscing?

Parenting Tip -No Fuss Hair Do Idea

Here's a great idea I saw my daughter do
when I visited her family last week.

 

While her daughters were eating breakfast, she combed and braided their hair.  Now this is a good idea, but she took a good idea and made it a GREAT idea.  She hated to try and figure out every morning how to do her two daughter’s hair, so she made photograph books that contained pictures of hairstyles from blogs she liked.  

 

 

 

 She also had a basket that contained everything she needed like combs, brush, rubberbands, etc. 

 

 In the basket was the “magic hairbrush”.  That’s what she called it.  Actually it is a brush that contains two different sizes of bristles and can brush through tangles “magically”.  It’s the truth—my granddaughters didn’t wince one time. She said it’s kind of expensive but so worth the money.    

    

So in about 4 minutes she had both hairdos done and the girls were ready to go to the bus stop. 

No fuss, no muss!  

 

Do you have any great time saving ideas to share?

A Give-Away is Here!

I've been really behind in giving away some great CDs and a book.  So here's your chance to win a free prize.

Jenny Oaks Baker has come out with another fun CD called "Wish Upon a Star".  This CD is a tribute to the "Music of Walt Disney" and has some gorgeous orchestrated renditions of favorites like Colors of the Wind, Beauty and the Beast, A Dream is a Wish....and lots more.

Another CD   I'm giving away is "Lullaby Christmas".  I previously gave away one of the Daddy Plays Cds a few months ago called "Guitar Lullabies".  He does another great job of playing acoustic guitar with beautiful Christmas music that will have your child sleeping and dreaming sweet dreams.



The book I'm giving away is Linda Eyre and Shawni Eyre Pothier's "A Mother's Book of Secrets".  This is a mother-daughter team who write like they "have been there and are doing it now".  They share great thoughts and ideas that will lift and inspire you and encourage you to keep on trying.

I have lots more CDs and DVDs to share so keep reading my blog.  If you would like to enter this giveaway, leave me a comment.  Please be sure I have your email address, too.

Giveaway closes on Monday, Oct 31.

Music Tip -Ostinato

I’ve been teaching general music at school for 11 years.  Every year we talk about what an ostinato is and every year no one can remember from one week to the next what it is.  This always amazes and perplexes me because we play simple ostinatos on nonpitched and pitched instruments all the time as we use them to accompany chants and songs.

I decided that it is not that my students are dumb—it’s ME.  Evidently I’m not teaching the definition of an ostinato correctly. So I thought back to a brain research class I took and decided I need to teach the definition in a catchy, memorable way.  I decided to put the definition to a catchy tune. Here is what I came up with:

Did you notice the melody was the Hallelujah Chorus.  Thanks, Handel.  BTW, the kids are standing backwards so I could maintain their privacy on the internet.

I taught the song to the 3^rd-6^th graders and then had them go outside and sing it to the universe.  They looked at me like I was crazy but loved the idea of leaving the classroom.  We also walked down the sidewalk and sang it to the neighbors’ homes across the street from the school. At that point the students KNEW I was crazy.  But guess what?  Three weeks later, when I asked what an ostinato was, every child raised his arm and knew the answer.  And we all burst out singing,

    “Ostinato, ostinato, repeated pattern, repeated pattern”……….

Do you have something you are trying to teach your child at home?  Something he seems to never remember?  Put it to a song, make it silly and enjoy watching the astounding magic that will take place.

Music Tip -Download for Pout Pout Fish Song

I can't figure out how to give you a copy of the MP3 download for the Pout Pout Fish song.  So anyone who would like it, please email me, and I'll email the download to you.  Or....if anyone smart out there can tell me how to post it, I'll try it.

Parenting Tip -Jellyfish

Here's a fun project you can make with your child.  A jellyfish in a bottle!

Info on how to make it is here.

Music Tip - The Pout Pout Fish

This is my new favorite book.  It's about a fish who thinks he's a pout pout fish and has no other choice than to spread the "drearie wearies all over the place".  Then a new fish does something unexpected to him and changes his view of himself.  It's really cute. 

A dad wrote the cutest song to go with it.    I would love to get a copy of the music but haven't been able to contact the composer.  I even found out he lives in my city!  So if anyone knows Gordon G, please have him contact me!

UPDATE!  I did contact the composer of the song and he gave me an MP3 download.  I'll see if I have permission to post it. Thanks, Gordon!

Parenting Tip -You are an Artist!

I listened to an interesting podcast today about the stained glass artist, Tom Holdman.   He is a young man who has created and made stained glass windows for LDS temples, Catholic churches, commercial buildings, residences and public art projects. What fascinated me the most about him though, was that he has a speech impediment.  And it was that disability that has shaped him into what he has become today. 

 

As I read more about Tom and his work with stained glass, I was amazed at how many thousands of small pieces of glass go into each window.  I thought of the hours and hours of time it took to work with so many pieces of glass to create a work of art.

 

I think that is one of the reasons we are fascinated and in awe of artists---at least that is why I am.  It not only takes talent, but it takes time and patience to create art.  Any art. 

 

I’m interested in quilting.  That medium uses many small pieces of fabric that are sewn together to create a beautiful masterpiece.   A great painting contains hundreds of strokes of paint.  A symphony is composed of note after note after note to make a beautiful harmonic masterpiece.

 

All great art takes time, patience and the willingness to let the work evolve into a creation of its own.

 

Mothers are artists.  We help create people.  We spend hours, weeks and years teaching and loving and showing patience through many small pieces of daily experiences.  We watch and wonder as our work of art begins to emerge into a beautiful masterpiece.

 

Do we view ourselves as artists or as bored and tired wives and mothers?  An artist works many hours alone with his project.  There is no one encouraging him while he is working laboriously and sometimes tediously on each project.  It is only at the unveiling that he is rewarded with the praise he deserves.

 

So it is with mothers.  Day in and day out we change diapers, cook meals, wash clothes and listen to whining children.  There is no one there to give us a high five and say “good job, Mom!”  But if we’re patient, if we keep in our mind’s eye the long range goal, and if we enjoy the small moments of each day, then we, too, will receive the praise and reward we deserve when our project is finished (is it ever finished?).

 

If we think of ourselves as artists, our daily struggles will seem more glamorous.  If we think of ourselves as artists we will view our “work” as a creative endeavor. If we think of ourselves as artists, we can enjoy the journey and feel gratitude for the magnificent work we have been entrusted with.

Music Tip - Black Socks

I got a message on facebook this week which said, “hi I  just remembered something I think it was you.. I was in 3rd grade and you were a sub one day you had brought your guitar and sang a song _ black socks they never get dirty the longer  you wear them the hurder they get some times i think I should wash them but some thing keeps telling me not yet not yet... was that you???”

I replied, “Oh my gosh!!!! You remembered!!!!! Yes, that was me. I'm famous (?) for that song-----I think. You just got one little word wrong, however. It's ...the longer you wear them the "stronger" they get. Stronger as in stiffness AND smell.”

She wrote back, “yeah it got stuck in my head i sang it to my little brother because he would wear his black socks for about a week,,,yuck... but yeah.lol...will now I know the song better an I'll be singing to my boys...it's funny that i remembered this was when I was 7 an now im 27.lol”

The power of music---remembering a funny song 20 years later!

I did some research on this song so you, my wonderful readers, could enjoy it too.  Since this is a silly, camp style song, there are many versions.  Here are a couple:

Black socks, they never get dirty.
The longer you wear 'em, the stiffer they get.

Sometimes, I think of the laundry,
But something inside me says "Don't send them yet"

Black socks, they never get dirty.
The longer you wear them, the blacker they get.
Sometimes I think of the laundry;
But something keeps telling me don't wash them yet not yet, not yet, not yet...

And since I know you’re dying to hear the melody, here are a couple of versions I found online:

 This next version is sung as a round, which is how I taught it.

You can listen to it here:     

So there you have it.  Another silly song to add to your repertoire. Have fun singing!

The Power of Unconditional Love

It’s been two and half weeks since my husband passed away.  My emotions have been up and down and all around several times a day.  My wonderful children have had to tell me repeatedly, that whatever I’m feeling is okay.  I can do no wrong.  Everything I’m feeling is right. 

For instance, my brothers drove from Texas, California and Utah to come to the funeral.  We have a close knit family and have always loved to play games together.  But during the days after the funeral I  couldn’t bring myself to go visit and play games with them.  I cloistered myself in my house, surrounded by my children and grandchildren and couldn’t interact with anyone else.  I felt guilty but my children reminded me that anything I felt was okay and no one was judging me.  My brothers understood and respected my need for seclusion.

As I pondered the gift of unconditional love my children and brothers gave me I thought of how powerful that gift was.  To know that I was loved for myself—not judged, and that anything I felt would be taken with an understanding heart by others was such a freeing and peaceful feeling.

Do we give our children unconditional love?  Do we accept their feelings, no matter how different they may be from ours and let them have those feelings?  Instead of saying things like “you shouldn’t be mad at your friend,” or “you shouldn’t be so sensitive,” maybe we could say things like “wow, you’re really upset about that” or “that really hurt your feelings didn’t it?”

There is power in communication--power in reaching heart to heart with our children, spouse and friends.  Letting our children talk about their feelings and explore them will help them own their feelings and learn how to control them.  Actions need to be controlled-you don’t hit because you’re mad, but you can be mad.  Then comes the teaching moments when you help your child explore why he is mad, and what he can do about it. 

We are all humans and we all have feelings.  Accepting our own feelings and others is a lifetime job.

The Comfort of Music

My husband has been very sick and recently passed away.  This has been a very hard time for me.  But what I want to share with you is the comfort that music gave to him and myself.  He was hospitalized twice this month and each time he would find the music channel on t.v. and listen to it all day.  The music soothed and comforted him. 

On Sunday mornings at home we like to play Cds of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and other religious music.  We love the cello music of Stephen Sharp Nelson because it reminds us of our daughter who plays the cello. We also like the violin arrangements of Jenny Oaks Baker. Another daughter recorded  a Cd of religious vocal music that we love to listen to.

While my husband was in the hospital on Sunday, I brought up our favorite Cds to listen to and it made both of us feel more at home and peaceful.

Music is powerful.  It heals, comforts and brings peace.  It soothes an aching heart.

Parenting Tip -How to Remember Those Family Stories

My daughter in law presented a segment for KSL TV in Utah on different ways to preserve your family stories.  Every family has those stories that are told and retold when everyone gets together.  The stories sometimes get stretched and embellished, but they bind your family  with fun --and sometimes embarrassing--memories.

What stories does your family have?  How can you keep them alive and cherished?  It doesn't matter how you preserve them, just do it.

Parenting Tip - Laughter - The Best Medicine

Is life going crazy for you right now?  Are the kids driving you up a wall?  Then take 5 minutes out of your day and laugh.

We all know there is value in laughing.  It lowers your blood pressure, protects your heart, boosts your immune system, relieves pain and depression, bla, bla, bla. You can probably remember a time from your past when you and a friend laughed so hard you cried.  I can.  I remember lots of times, but if I told you the reason why we were laughing, it wouldn't even be funny to you.  Or me.  But it sure was funny then.

Laughing bonds you to those you laugh with. Why?  Because you are sharing a personal, intense emotion.   So shouldn't you be laughing at home so you can bond with your children and husband?  Many times while parents watch their baby's and children's antics they will laugh and feel closer because of it.

Why can children laugh so easily?  Because they don't have the stress and responsibilities that we as adults have, of course.  But we can learn from children.  Learn to live in the moment, enjoy the now, be enchanted with what your eyes are seeing and your heart is feeling.

Maybe we should all have funny pictures hanging in our homes (you know the ones where the kids are messing around when you want to take a photograph) and CDs of laughter (or just watch you tube once a day).  Maybe we should make funny faces in the mirror and play jokes on each other.

I just couldn't resist sharing this video of one of  my grandsons laughing.

Parenting Tip - Preschool Writing Attempts

It’s always fun when your preschooler gets interested in learning to write his name and other family member’s names.

My daughter-in-law sent me this hilarious picture of how Tac-age 3- wrote his dad’s name. The curve on the “p’s” didn’t quite get down as far as they should have or else he's confused about "p" and "d", and his “a” needs a lot of help. He must have been sounding out d-a-a-d to get two “a’s” in there!



Way to go, Tac, keep practicing