Amazing Grace

My granddaughter and I had a "5" day last week. We did things in multiples of 5 to celebrate her birthday.

The Knitting Queen went with us. Our 1st stop was to The Little House. The store was filled with valentines and there we purchased little pink candies for decorating. Betty threw in some edible silver hearts from France, for free. 

The number 2 place was Cafe Luna where we had hot chocolate. My granddaughter ordered hot chocolate without milk? Go figure. That was not on the menu.

The third place was Books By the Way. There we met Lucy, whose mother was reading from her book next door. Her mother is a famous author.

Place No. Four was the Bookshop where we bought a teeny, tiny, book about living pants that followed people around. It was scary, weird but had a good ending.

Here we are in the 5th place, on the aisle in Thriftway where bins of candy line the wall. We bought three more, small (did you get that Mom) bags of candy to add to the two kind of candies we got at the Little House. Does that equal 5?

The next day, GG, helped out in the kitchen where we made dinner for her parents who came to pick her up.

Happy Birthday, dear granddaughter, you have grown a lot in five years. XOXO!

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is not just for commercial profits; it is also for children who need a holiday to celebrate after the long January haul.

So, it was time to decorate at the grand kid's house.

It is fun to get out the scissors, glue, paper and stickers of course.

The boys always surprise me with their artistic ideas.

It warms my liver to see how much they want to express their love. What? Did I say liver? Oh, yes, today is the day to express what is in my heart. Well, my heart is full of good cheer and affection for all I hold dear. For my family who show me a cherished example by how they handle their lives, the good parts and the bad. For my friends who can laugh at me trying way to hard to look good. For my work and all the families I meet who want to give the gift of music to their children. And mostly, to God, who has never left me dangling alone for too long and who owns my heart.

Happy Valentine's Day!

My First Piano Adventures 4

Announcing
I am doing Periscope and perhaps you would like to join me on Tuesday mornings at 10:30am PST. 

I am @GabriB on Periscope

More Piano Adventures here.

The question must be asked when teaching 5-7 year-olds, "How many ways can I re-visit this concept? This week's musical idea was Note Value. 

I remind my students frequently that they have ignored a half note. It becomes obvious when we are playing a duet. If they finish first I ask them how that happened. We scour the score to see if all notes received their due. I like to play "Mr. Music" to lay the foundation of how notes differ from each other.

One player is "Mr. Music". He is the guy in the cool hat. He stands some distance from the group. The other players want to get to him but must ask if they can move. They ask, "Mr. Music, may I have a whole note?" A whole note granted would allow them to take 4 steps closer. Mr. Music may allow it or NOT! If not, he must tell them what kind of note they may have.

You can play this game with all players moving towards the goal, one player at a time, which I prefer in a small space, or one on one with me, the teacher. My students want to play it with me alone because they enjoy the power of telling me what I can do. No matter, the whole time we are playing, the words whole note, half note, dotted half-note, and quarter note are spoken and heard.

 Here is M; she has requested to play Monsieur Mouse without assistance. But there I am butting in. When she plays the song again I remind her of the more rounded hand position we practice when we do Stone on the Mountain. I really appreciate documenting my First Adventures,. I look forward each week to planning the activities and watching the progress.

The Rhythm of My Day 4

The rhythm instruments are placed on the floor. Some scramble to get them, others sneak up slowly to lay claim on a set for themselves. It is time for play-a-long.

Susie Q looks carefully at her instrument. She turns it around in her hand. Since she is younger the impulse to put it in her mouth is strong. Exploration always comes first. She may, or may not, feel the steady beat coming from the music.Some children feel an internal beat but will not be able to match that with the group.Whether they are bells, shakers, or sandblocks, keeping a beat in a group is very stimulating.

Sandblocks are ideal because children are bi-lateral in their movements. It is natural for them to move both hands together. Having two instruments the door opens for the element of sound. What do the sandblocks sound like rubbed together? What happens if we turn them over and tap the knobs on each other?

How does the sound change if the bells on on my arm or if I hit them on the floor?

Parents and caregivers can be models by showing and making a steady beat,

What do these instruments feel like? Are they smooth or rough?

Then of course clean-up time comes. We sing, clean-up, clean-up, everybody, everywhere. Here is an opportunity to teach respect for the instruments by learning to put them away carefully. Some children cannot be separated from the source of their exploration but in time other activities take their focus away and the instrument is forgotten. Someday these children may play in an ensemble and this will be a foundational experience.
Thank-you for playing on the floor with us,

My Ollie

Today is a special day for a little girl in Germany. She is three years old today. As told by her father she is " a lot of fluffy yellow hair and an attitude." She loves Mickey Mouse and Tinker Bell. We have a relationship by phone and she knows it is me calling because I sing to her. Our standard is " Little Black Birds".

Three years ago was a scary time for her. She was born 10 weeks early. Weighing a little over 2 lbs., she was a whisper of a baby. I sat in the Neo-Natal Intensive Care room and watched her labored breathing. She could almost fit in my hand.

Here she is at 3-4 weeks when her siblings came for a visit. She went home from the hospital six weeks after her birth, still on oxygen. Due to her strong Mama, her resourceful Dad, and many skilled physicians and nurses she is a normal three year-old.

I have watched her grow on my few visits and find her delightful, willful but delightful.

She has 3 brothers and a sister who she loves to play with.

Her Dad is in the military and they are overseas. They are in my prayers daily.
Happy Birthday, Ollie!!

Feeling Low

Today is day two of a head cold. Feeling low means everything seems really huge to accomplish. That is when reading a good book becomes the way to escape. I have a few good reads on my night stand. Some of them I received from Jenny at "Books By The Way".

The day I surprised Jenny by showing up and asking to take pictures she must have felt like I do, today. I totally understand her wanting to hide behind "The Poser" by Claire Dederer. But trust me, Jenny is not a poser, she is the real thing. Coming into her store means I have a chance at a great conversation and a safe place to rest. She recommended "The Poser" to me and I fully enjoyed it. Since I do yoga I liked reading about Claire's view that doing yoga helped her focus on what is real and true in her life's story. She is coming to read this Saturday at Cafe Luna, right next door to the bookstore.

There are some great recommendations on her table and shelves.

The kid's section is inviting and I think Jenny has read them all with her children. Do you need a valentine for Monday? Find a book for the one's you love.

Cynthia Rylant is one of my favorite writers for children.

Well, sniff, sniff, I really should get back on the couch. Achoo! Excuse me.

My Early Morning Guests Suck it Up

Learning Games


Let's say you are a teacher and you want to drill a body of facts with your students. They could be math facts, note reading drill, or finding a selection in a great book, quickly. Pair up the students one on one and see who can suck it up before the other person completes his task.

What are they sucking up? M&M's or Skittles work best. And how are they sucking? With a straw. Set the timer for one minute and instruct Student A to start sucking Skittles, one at a time, and moving them from one bowl to the next until Student B finishes his task or the time is up.The contents of the bowl he is filling

 is his to keep.

Student B will not want Student A to get many Skittles so she will hustle to find the correct answers to her task. My early morning seminary guests enjoy this game very much, indeed.

The boys however lack the skill exhibited by my Senior Girl. She wins most every time. Is it her amazing recall of where the certain scripture is? Or is it the finesse she has when she moves those candies from one bowl to the next?

Another Great Game Called Scripture Man