Santa and Friends

One of my favorite days of the year, is the one when Santa comes to school and I lead the singing. We laugh and there are presents all around. The cameras are clicking as quickly as the shutter allows -- capturing moments of promise and moments of delight. The most amazing part is walking out to my car at the end the day and realizing anew the part I play in the formula.

The children are familiar with me and the songs and the singing. We get settled and comfortable in our formula of music-making and clapping and then in comes the jolly fellow in his big red suit. There's plenty of excitement with his entrance, but there's also some visible trepidation. The bearded one sits in his rocking chair and sings along for several songs and I lead the children in simple puppet shows. We ring those bells together. We sing about reindeer. Santa gives me a high five and there's a soft and audible exhale, a sigh of acceptance.

It's worked like a charm. Year after year. Ho. Ho. Ho.

Marching Parade

Here we are reading, singing, marching, clapping and signing together -- all to my new picture book. I was asked to spell out the lyrics:

"Red, white & blue, I love you. (2X) Sing for our country, sing for our country, sing for our country -- America, brave & true.
Sing for our country, sing for our country, sing for our country -- America, I love you."

I consider this little dittie to be a 'zipper' song, which means once you learn the original tune, you then just 'zip' off the pivitol word from verse one and zip in the next word. Verse two: march. Verse three: clap. Verse four: thank you. Got it?

Put it all together and you have a perfect little song for real preschoolers to sing-a-long. Patriotic. A tribute to 9-11. Flag waving. If you've got the space take a parade around the room.

Love These Faces

What a great day together. These are the preschoolers. Choosing their favorites for my last visit of the year. Ya just gotta loves these faces, these bright smiles. Lion prowling. Birdies doing puppet shows.

The Wee Ones

Shake Those Shakers

I love the month of May. It's the culmination of all the school year's work. The day by day progress is sometimes imperceptible. Yet here we are -- having arrived safely at the finish line of May. Each of those daily increments have stacked into weeks and accumulated into months of effort. Remind me next fall how much I love the month of May. May is a celebration. May is joyous. May is progress. In May, a whole class of two year olds can move as a unit, following directions. The trust has been established. The routines have been established. The enthusiasm and excitement are running on high. Let's hear it for the month of May!!!

Lions on the Move

Everybody's back together. The BIG kids. It's time for a Lion Prowl. Look at all of that theatricallity. (Is that a word? LOL) Such expressions. Such drama in their movements. Today was "lucky-duck" day. I let the teacher choose a child, who then got to have the fortunate job of selecting which of my songs they wanted the group to sing. Let me tell you, that's an enormous responsibility, and a treasured opportunity.

Shake Those Shakers

Shake them up high!!

Shake them down low!!

Shake them over here!!

Shake them over there!!

Shake those shakers, EVERYWHERE!!

Artwork in the Hallway

These are a few of my favorite things!!!
(Please sing that little sentence -- for enthusiasm.)

I LOVE getting to make school visits!!! I LOVE getting to see what's been happening before my arrival. I LOVE getting to share what I see on my travels.

Childrens' artwork: Sculptural jellyfish (he's a reggae island-happenin' jelly-man.) Painting. Collage. My very favorite is the three-dimensional snowman sculputre from a drawing, complete with dictation. This building works hard on the Reggio integration of art into the activities of the day plan. I was so fortunate to get to tour programs in Reggio Emilia, Italy. If you'd like to see those posts, click here.

Love it! Love it! Love it! Would you have any idea that all of these projects were created by children with special needs?

Ta DA!! Made it!!

Wheeeeeeeeeeeo. I made it. Drove myself into town, had six half-an-hour segments with my kiddos and still had the presence of mind to "pose" a picture at the conclusion of my first big day back-in-the-saddle. Thanks to all who helped carry my gear into and out of the building, rearranged Library Square, concocted a whole new schedule and in a gazillion other ways supported my return to the 'work' that fills my heart with joy and allows me to contribute. It does indeed take a whole village. Yeah team!!!

How Much Fun?? Lots!!

Just exactly how much fun do we have when we're together?? A seriously whole big, bunch of fun!! It was great to combine the classes. We had plenty of adults to support the groupings -- between the teachers, therapists and volunteers, there was more than sufficient encouragement for our larger group size experiment. Shake those shakers!!

RETURN TO CHILDREN

How appropriate. To begin at the beginning. My first 'music lady' visit post-surgery was to Library Square at the Childhood League Center. This site was my first full-time position after my graduation from college. I was hired here in 1979, in the old building around the corner. They've given me three different 'going-away' parties over the years, but I keep coming back for "more." More fun, more singing, more dancing, more signing, more books, more joy, more enthusiasm, more hugs, more laughter, more learning.

It took some creative thinking to help ease me back into the center's routine. In the past it has been our tradition for me to go into each of the six classrooms in the morning and then make a swoop thru the six classrooms a second time in the afternoon...... moving my gear and guitar 12 times thru the course of the day, so as not to disrupt the children's routine. After some discussion with Vicki the program director, we decided to take a step further outside of the box and position me in one central location, combine classes into sets of two and let them come to me. In essence they were taking a 'field trip' within the building. The flexibility of the teachers and staff went a long way in allowing me to focus my minimized energy on the children by reducing energy spent on the schlepping-process. A fun time was had by all. What an encouraging return to my 'life already in progress.' Whoop. Whoop!!!