ZB Collaboration Benefits All

The day's fun and training was co-sponsored by my friends @ Zaner-Bloser. Ohio Head Start & ZB!! What a great collaboration..... kinda like peanut butter & jelly. Our brand new Ohio rep, Nancy Matthews, had the opportunity to jump right in and meet folks from all over the place. After an exciting rendition of my first ever song "Goldie" we launched right into "Sky Writing." Some of you know how I love a BIG ending. Today we had a SUPER-DUPER BIG ending, in that I introduced this group to my brand new ZB song, from their seriously brand new Voices Reading program for PreK. This is one of the original theme songs that I wrote for the program and it's entitled "Family & Friends." This was the second group on earth to hear the new song -- as it was premiered @ OAEYC in the spring.

The Great Higgeldy of '09

Here we have captured pictures of my great Scottish circle dance, "Higgeldy Biggeldy." Since everyone was seated at round tables, we had each table's participants circle-round their own spot, which worked out perfectly. Such fun. Patterns, sequencing, crossing the mid-line with our feet, all of that good active-learning material within the context of a group gross motor dancing game. Later on in the afternoon we got to 'freeze frozen' in our animated aliteration action. That's Carla, owner of my orginal cassette, doing her best Bulwinkle the Moose freeze. Rumor has it that I may get an invitation up to that portion of the state -- later this year. Now that would be fun!!

Jazzy Friends

"Step, step, jump, clap, bop!" We're gettin' all jazzy together. Feelin' the beat....... following a gross motor pattern, a la Macarena or the Bunny Hop from another era all together. And then I bet you can figure that last picture. It's me, happy Debbie in the middle of my "Piggy Rap" in the midst of the third little piggy, that's piggy number three.

****My new vest of the summer made it's Ohio premiere. The fellow in the elevator sporting a tank top with tattos on every square inch of visible skin said he thought it was "festive." I told him that's the EXACT word that my family uses to describe my wardrobe choices. So before I even got underway -- I had a smile on my face from ear-to-ear.

You're Wonderful..... Indeed!

At this point of the afternoon my captive audience is learning the sign language to my song & book, "You're Wonderful." The last two pictures are creating a 'pattern' of motions for the music in the coda-ending. We spent the day talking about the significance of crossing the midline to strengthen pre-reading skills.

OH Head Start Institute

Here's the real-reason that we left Shangrala-la-Land. How exciting to be selected to deliver the keynote address and general session to launch our state of Ohio's Head Start Fall Institute. Fun to be back in the land of the Buckeyes (even after our heart-breaking loss to USC over the weekend.) We met to launch the new year. We met to get excited about what we can collectively bring to our classrooms and in the process, celebrate what we bring to our respective communities. We met to sing. We met to dance. We met to laugh. Here we're getting ready to sing my title track, "Celebrate."

*****You know I have a member of my fanclub in the audience when she tells me that she has one of my original cassette tapes!! I'm thinkin' that has to be about 13 years old. As I remember there were only 200 of those ever made...... a real collector's item, now. LOL.

Grandparents Day, 2009

We made it safely thru Chicago and Indy and Columbus and Reynoldsburg and dropped off all of our summer luggage and made a bee line out to see WB and da babeez!! Little did we realize that today is "Grandparent's Day." We were appropriately feted with an incredible meal, fresh flowers, a cake, a card AND the gift of a special t-shirt. It was amazing to see how much everyone has grown in the couple of weeks away. It's great to be back where the hugs and kisses are plentiful. The only challenge is to get my peeps to 'sit still' so I'll have to keep working on that one. Yummy, yummy, yummy.

The Final Count: 827!!

The final count is in for the summer: Eight hundred and twenty-seven miles on my bike!!!! That brings my grand total to 1603 for two summers and some winter FL miles thrown in for good measure. The leaves are indeed turning colors. We had the opportunity to stop @ our friends home on our way east, to have our annual salmon grill out. The summer is now officially over. Back to "real life."