Over the river and through the woods

> Today (right now) we are traveling to Grandmother's house for
> Thanksgiving day. The scenery is just beautiful and I am thankful
> for time with my family and no distractions. Along the way I have
> made a few discoveries. First, XM satellite radio is really great
> for a roadtrip. But my iPod is feeling a little left out. Second,
> gas is only $1.47 a gallon just outside of Lima, Ohio. Next
> Starbucks makes great iced tea. Who knew? And I have just learned
> how to blog from my iPhone!! That is so cool.
> There is only one question left to ask: "Are we there yet?"
>
>

A Plump and Perky Turkey

One of our family's favorite Thanksgiving books is A Plump and Perky Turkey by Teresa Bateman (author) and Jeff Shelley (illustrator).  It's been a favorite since my daughter Sara was 4 years old and we still read it every year for the fun and sense of tradition.  

This book gives a turkey's perspective on Thanksgiving using rhyming words and humorous phrases that capture the attention of your child and help to develop their imagination and their vocabulary.  On top of that, I love having family traditions that my children ask for every year.  These traditions provide a sense of security for our children that is priceless.   So enjoy the book!

Just a reminder:  Kindermusik with Kathy's Music is on Thanksgiving break from Tuesday, November 25th through Monday, December 1st.

Won't You Be My Darlin'?

Meet my darling friend, Emma.  She loves singing and made this video for me one day. What could be more magical than a child singing and making music for the pure joy of doing so?  This is why I teach Kindermusik!

"Bumping up and down in my little red wagon.

Bumping up and down in my little red wagon.

Bumping up and down in my little red wagon.

Won't you be my darlin'?"

Morrison Family Thanksgiving Tradition

When my husband and I were married on November 30, 1991, we spent part of our honeymoon in Williamsburg, VA.  Its a magical place, especially during the holiday season.  We were really drawn to the holiday decorations made of apples, pineapples, and magnolia leaves.  AND we fell in love with some of the traditional foods served in Williamsburg during the holiday season.  So from our house to yours, here's a recipe we've been making every Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday since then.  Enjoy!

Cranberry Orange Relish

2 cups cranberries

1 orange, quartered and seeded

1/2 lemon, seeded (I often just use lemon juice instead)

1 cup sugar (or sugar substitute)

1 cup pecans

Chop the cranberries, orange, and lemon in a food processor.

Add the sugar and pecans. Process briefly.

Cover and let stand at room temperature for 12 hours.

Refrigerate overnight.

Here's my addition:

Serve in a glass turkey bowl.  My turkey server came from Williams-Sonoma.

  

You Know You are a Kindermusik Teacher When....

....Your laundry room is filled with scarves on a Friday night!  Sure, they look pretty. But when I walked downstairs to see if they were dry, the sight of all those scarves made me laugh out loud. (Because only a Kindermusik teacher would be washing scarves on a Friday night!)  For all those Imagine That! students, this picture is a new take on the "Colors of the Rainbow" song from our Hello Weather! unit.  

Parents - We are committed to providing families with age-appropriate instruments and props that are safe and clean EVERY week. The health and safety of your child is just as important to us as their brain development and music education. Thanks for sharing your children with us each week.

Recess is Back!

How hard is it to stop counting at the number 2? Pretty hard. But it is a fun game and the beginning of another in a long line of ensemble development play and practice that children are experiencing in our Imagine That! program here at Kindermusik with Kathy's Music.  We think it is AMAZING how much self control and anticipatory thinking is going on in a little song like: Can Everyone Clap Hands With Me? 1-2!!!

Check out these Hand Clapping Games, many of which you'll know from your own "recess" days. My favorite is "Come All You Playmates." Why? Becuase that's the one my grandmother, Louise Dame, taught me as a little girl. She's not living anymore, but I can still hear her singing it...What a great memory! Makes me want to create some new memories with my own girls, Lyndsey and Sara.

Leaf Angels

Autumn leaves are falling down, falling, falling, falling down.

Autumn leaves are swirling round, swirling, swirling, swirling round.

Autumn leaves make crunching sounds, crunching, crunching, crunching sounds.

Just how might leaves move in the wind on this fall day?  

Would they twist while hanging on a branch?

Flutter to the ground?

Swirl in circles?

This is a great week to play together in the Autumn leaves.  Invite your child to move like the leaves:  If she's a toddler, you may need to model the movements for her to learn.  If she's a preschooler, then consider waiting to see how your child moves first, then copy her movements.  Label all these creative movements to build your child's vocabulary while developing their creativity and physical coordination.

Making sounds is fun, too!  How many different ways can you both crunch, squish, toss, rake, and blow leaves to make unique leaf sounds?  Enjoy playing together!  That's really the most important part.

See my daughter, Sara, age 9.  She calls it making "leaf angels".

Creating Connections!

Just returned from our Kindermusik Convention in Raleigh, NC.  I am thrilled with all the new connections I was able to make with other Kindermusik Educators around the world - in the US, Canada, Bermuda, Germany, Australia, China, Phillipines, and more.  Meet me friends to the right:  Amy, Helen, and Katie.  (Ginger was feeding her baby and couldn't be in the picture!)  These are my fellow PKE Board members and some of the most wonderful and inspiring women I know!  We spent 4 days sharpening our teaching and business skills and learning so much from each other.  

One of the things we celebrated at convention was Kindermusik's 30th birthday!  I'm looking forward to the next 30 years of Kindermusik starting today --- as we continue to bring the best in early childhood music classes to families around the world.  

As a result of one session I attended, I decided to start my own blog.  Special thanks to my friend, Helen, in Minnesota.  She's been inspiring me with her blog for a couple of years now! I'm finally ready to do this thing.  

Being with other educators in all those session was such a motivating experience!!  Looking forward to connecting with more educators next year as we hold events around the country.  But for now, I'm just thrilled to be back home with my family.  They are the best!