Shaking Shakers Up High

Do you just love unrestrained enthusiasm? Shake it!!

Beach Boy Smiles

Since I've always loved "The Beach" I keep my eyes open for all things beachie. While singing this morning I had a couple of happy campers in two different classes -- each wearing a 'beach' shirt!! Imagine that?? It must be spring in OH! The sun comes out for two days in a row and we're ready to go surfing. Grab your flip-flops and sunscreen.... here we go!

Little Baby Birdie

Spring is certainly in the air. Today we sang and had puppet shows in celebration of the changing of the seasons. It's fun from the teenies to the big kids. Always a favorite.

Feedback from Facebook

What a fortunate person I am to have work I love to do and an ever growing fanclub that gives me feedback and offers such encouragement in the process.

Returning home from this weekend's big roadtrip, I smiled to recieve this message on Facebook, from dear friend and the former director of BUMP (Bexley United Methodist Preschool) Mary Meyer: "Debbie - I wish you could have seen A.J. and me last night - we had all 6 grandchildren finding "kitchen" instruments and singing and marching at the top of our lungs, "The parade is marching down the street - we thought we were really Neat!!"

So of course I thanked her and asked if anyone had thought to take pictures of this three generation parade and here's Mary's response: "I have no pictures! so sorry - now everyone is back home, the North Carolina grandchildren left this morning. To continue the word on our parade - we marched and marched, then the 2 1/2 year old got tired of marching and sat down on the floor, so we all sat down and I sang "I can hear Julian, he must be close at hand, listen to Julian, he's playing in the band" then Julian got a chance to play solo. We had him call out the name of the next cousin as we sang on. THEN when it got to Noah, 8 yrs. old, he played a pattern for us to try - and we went around again imitating what the named child played. Honestly, we played for a good 20 - 30 minutes, the grandchildren range in age from 6 mos. to 10 years, and they all loved it. Even some of their parents found their own kitchen instruments to join in. So sorry we don't have pictures. "

How very amazing to sit here in my livingroom aware that a dear family has been marching and playing instruments in response to my song recorded nearly a decade ago..... making memories for each and all in the process. Kweeze me!!

"Jerome the Gnome........

........who likes to roam!" How much fun is this picture of Caroline and I in the author's signing area? She travels all over with her classroom mascot and shares her travels with her children in photographs from the road. Now Jerome has met an author/illustrator!! What an amazing way to make the world larger, for a preschooler! Can you see the logo on his gnome hat? He's a "Virginia Tech" gnome. Even more rare due to his 'special needs' he sometimes travels in a wheel chair -- he's had extensive surgery, tho a full recovery is expected. Kudos to Caroline for stretching the box!!

Music Movement Motivation

Third presentation. Third room. This time in the ballroom...... the luxeries of which included a fantastic wireless mic, a sound system tether that connected my little boom box to the house speakers AND a screen on which to project my PowerPoint! They saved the best for last. The really great news is that people were up and at 'em and raring to go at 8:00 a.m., on the third day of the conference!! Whooooohooooooo.

This is the morning that I was introduced to the concept of the "Magic Milkcrate." In all of that mayhem of yesterday, somehow I left the plug for my LCD projector in Salon A..... attempting to make room for the next presenter. As I realized this on Saturday morning, with my heart in my sox, I was busy thinking thru how I used to make presentations before powerpoint. Surely I'd remember in time? Just then the site manager came thru and asked if I needed anything. When I told him of my missing power-cord..... he smiled knowingly and said and I quote, "No worries, I have a Magic Milkcrate!" In under three minutes he'd returned with just the cord that I needed to connect projector to electricity! WOW! We pulled one over on Murphy, this time. Now I just need to remember to pack a "Magic Milkcrate" for the future. Ask and you shall receive.

Big Ending: Slant Dance

And now for the big ending!! The slant dance. At this point of the workshop we'd had so much fun together. Laughing discreetly, so as not to get ourselves into hot water: singing sweetly -- rather than with gusto...... when suddenly the lights in our room took on a mind-of-their-own and fluctuated brighter and dimmer, and brighter and dimmer. It was such a fitting conclusion to all of our pent up energy. So as the lights went on and off and on and off, we concluded with our Slant Dance extravaganza. It was like a Broadway show, only the lighting crew were away for the weekend. Maybe more like off-Broadway? Pretty hard to dampen our enthusiasm. Sardines anyone??