12-13-14 HappyBirthday to ME (by the numbers) Quilted Taggie Blanket

HAPPY FESTIVE, POLKA-DOTTED BIRTHDAY INDEED!

Who else would be so fortunate as to have a birthday on 12-13-14?

It happens once in a century and today's the day: 

MY DAY!!!

I'm the rainbow girl with the rainbow bird!

This is 'our' painted bunting outside my studio window.

Yes. I talk to him as he eats! 

Spoiler Alert: You must watch the entire minute to see his magnificent head colors.

I AM NOT MAKING THIS UP!!!

12*13* 14:Truth be told I have always been something of a numbers person. 

{{{{{Math geek.}}}}} 

AND I have ALWAYS LUV'd Polka-dots!

and I like RIBBON a LOT!

This week while I've been approaching my momentous birthday, I've been thinking daily about just how fortunate I am. How blessed. How very, very grateful I am for this princess-diva life I'm living. For my unique combination of skills, insight and the advantages of longevity. In my gratitude I've been focused on thinking of others. 

So I've taken my ribbon and my polka-dots and set to work.

This is the Christmas present I'm working on for my GRAND niece. 

It's almost done (except for the quilting) a FULL week early!  

Our grand niece is traveling to the United States for the first time ever(!) from Paraguay! Her daddy, my nephew Justin, teaches kindergarten there. She's just a couple of months old right now, but I can imagine her playing with these taggie-ribbons over the year to come. 

How cool is it that her first initial is "M" and that her last name begins with "W." All week I've entertained myself knowing that which ever way her taggie faces it will be apropos! Since Jusin + Jonna are busy packing I think it safe to share here. In any case, I'm REAL sure that baby girl "M" will be surprised! 

Yes. I took the pink 'fluted' ribbon (that you probably over-looked in the ribbon picture up top) and sewed two different, separate black and white polka dot ribbons into the central pink panel. I can just picture baby piggies 'discovering' that little detail and playing with those little ruffled edges. I know. I am easily entertained. 

The over-sized ric-rack that is available also adds a textural detail for finger-fun. 

And now a quick moment in time for the numbers fan in me. To capture a moment in time on 12-13-14. Not every day that Google wishes me a HAPPY BIRTHDAY in CAKE! 

• 169,524: The number of followers I have on Pinterest 
• 54,728: Number of steps I've taken this week according to Pacer 
• 5,084: The number of followers on my FB fanpage
• 4,879: In circles of followers on Google+  
• 4,567: (COOL number on my birthday, get it?) Number of Twitter Tweeps 
• 2, 219: Super-fun followers on Instagram  
• 1,158: Links on LinkedIN
• 737: followers of my Teachers Pay Teachers store 
• 476: Readers via Bloglovin
• 139.6: WHAT I WEIGHED THIS MORNING!***
• 113: Songs I've written and recorded
• 70.21 My Klout score today 
• 58: Trips around the sun I have taken!!! Eat a cupcake on me! 
• 31: Number of states I've presented in professionally
• 22.6: My BMI as of this morning {body mass index}  
• 20: Years that I have been married!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
• 9: The number of CDs I'm produced
• 7.75 The number of years I've survived Breast Cancer!!! 
• 7: The number in our tribe of WonderPeeps {grandchildren} 
• 6: The number in my family of origin 
• 3: The number of picture books I've created as author/illustrator, publisher
• 3: The number of NATIONAL Keynotes I've delivered
• 2: The number of times I've been diagnosed with Breast Cancer
• 2: The number of parents who are still cheering me on
• 1: The number one husband of all times.... Allen
• 1: The number of times I've been baptized into a life eternal

***What do your numbers have to say about you? I am totally over-da-moon delighted in my FREE "Pacer" app on my phone. I've had it now for nine days. It tracks the number of steps you've taken, your weight and gives you your BMI automatcially (body mass index.) 

Mind Mapping & Making Music in Early Childhood with Debbie Clement

MUSIC! MUSIC! MUSIC!!!

Once upon a time there was a music-lady. 

Actually. Before that she was an elementary Art teacher..... 

but let's just start with the music-lady chapter, 

which is now unfolding in the 19th year of evolution. 

The music-lady travels about the country sharing her ideas, songs and 

happy sing-song simple, repetitive approach with teachers near and far. 

In the course of those travels she saw this "Mind Map" displayed in the hallways of Concordia College's Early Childhood Building, in Chicago. 

It stole her heart. Literally. Completely.

This simple graphic inspired our artsy-music-lady. 

This mind-map started a gazillion thoughts all these years later. 

What if she could capture & summarize her insight onto one page?

So she got out her dry erase board and started thinking. 

That lead to grabbing a great drawing marker and some colored pencils.

Here's what things looked like early on. 

[Maybe you saw that image on her Instagram feed this summer?] 

MUSIC: At the heart of it all! 

Singing is 'within' music. 

So that's where I started. 

I put the word singing in the middle of my page.  

Then I built everything out from that starting point. 

There are a bajillion benefits to singing {and music.} 

I looked at two major categories of benefits. 

Moving above the word singing are all of the benefits that arise in what I have classified as the 'language' division, arising from the lyrics within the song. 

Below the word 'singing' are the benefits that arise from the beat. 

I think of the beat as the foundation for my song/the music. 

You will see I have then divided those benefits into two major compartments: 

-INSTRUMENTS 

-MOVEMENT 

My finished "Mind Map" is now in pdf format and can be downloaded for

 FREE at Teachers Pay Teachers!

This is what it looked like just prior to being 'finished.'

----------------------------------------------------

***I have TWO earlier articles here at blog-Rainbow, 

where I have attempted to spell out my approach. 

If you click the picture you will be transported back in time. 

Debbie's Dozen Directions for Classroom Music 

Music as Motivator: Intelligence Theory and MORE! 


I spend an inordinate amount of time sharing visual images here. 
Let's conclude today with some of my favorite 'visuals' from the MUSIC world. 


This first bulletin board was so WIDE it was impossible
 for me to photograph the entire image. 
This is from my school visit in Arlington, outside of DC.

Look at the 'header' from one of my newest Twitter followers! 

What an incredible collaborative MUSIC bulletin Board. 

Sue gave me permission to use it in this article. 

THANKS!

MUSIC PEOPLE. TEACHERS. LIBRARIANS! 
My intro-freebie song is "Going to the Library" 
which is available for immediate download at Teachers Pay Teachers. 



I have written over 100 original songs. 
The two that I think are the *MOST* perfect for the beginning of the school year are: 

"You're Wonderful" and 
"Red, White and Blue" 



Each of these two songs I have turned into the traditional picture book format. 
There is a CD insert with the sung version & also the instrumental version. 
Also included in the end-matter are charts for both sign language and music instrumentation. 

-- Debbie 

Top 10 Reasons We Love Mom! (Preschool Perspective)

Mother's Day:Top 10 Preschool Reasons for Loving Mom!

In honor of Mother's Day on the horizon I wanted to give you a Letterman-like count down! I gathered up these images on one of my many cross-country Author-Illustrator school visits. I'm not telling you where, because they are just too universal to matter. 

***Reality check. If you're new here, I'm no longer a 'mom-in-the-trenches' as I have graduated from mom school and been promoted to being a GeeGee, with 7, yes I said SEVEN WonderPeep grandchildren in our tribe. Even better? We are a living four generation line of motherhood, as my mom is still at the helm guiding us all! If you're a mom, I know you'll LUV eating up these thoughts and images. ENJOY!

I LOVE MY MOM, BECAUSE.............

10. "She gives me candy and Oreos."

True Confessions. One of my least favorite responsibilities of parenthood was the cooking of all of the those meals: the planning, the preparation, the shopping, the cleaning up, the unrelenting need to pull one more meal together? Not my favorite part of motherhood. While I can't say enough about taking your child's health and well being to heart: balancing the food pyramid, reasonable portion sizes, plenty of fruits and veggies, lots of fresh air, exercise, an apple a day and all of the organics you can afford..... the truth of the matter? Allowing the occasional bit of candy or a cookie makes for a special sparkle between mom and child. Memorable. Appreciated. You see the evidence above for yourself. 

  9. "Her hair is cut and I love her work shirt." 

When they're little? We're loved for the simple fashion statements that we make -- just by getting our hair cut and dressing for work. They want to be like us at this magic age. No details are lost on the littles! Blue lipstick makes quite an impression after all. Fast forward to the time when they're in junior high and whatever you wear garners an eye roll at best. Treasure the years where your unique flair is appreciated, mommies! 

  8. "She does almost everything for me." 

There's a tight rope walk that we teeter upon as mothers. Roots and wings. Wings and roots. Teaching our children to ride their bike without training wheels is to allow them the opportunity for space and independence. All too soon, they travel beyond our immediate reach. How much do we 'do' for them? ALMOST everything when they're tiny and with the golden insight of giving further and further responsibility as they mature. After all. Our main goal in motherhood is to work ourselves out of the day-to-day job and support their growth over time. How soon? How quick? Apron strings getting severed is a very personal quest. Critical, but emotional. Time flies.

  7. "She helps do things I like to do, but not everything." 

Nate has the right idea, too! She helps do things, but not EVERYthing. Yup. It is a tightrope. 

   6. "I have her around the house." 

You simply must smile and sigh a little over Karly's insight. Having mom 'around the house' is indeed enough for a preschooler to ponder the meaning of love. Proximity. Availability. Time. Focus. Opportunity. Connection. Closeness. Immediacy. Togetherness. That's what they really want. Need. Crave. Desire. Having you near. 

  5. "She helps me find something." 

One of the super powers bestowed upon mom's in the delivery room, (or the courthouse in the case of adoption) is the ability to help their beloved children find things. Knowing where everything is goes well beyond the adage a place for everything and everything it its place. Mothers have x-ray vision and can spot the missing sippy cup underneath a monumental pile of nonsense. Clairvoyance may be called for when the beloved snuggle pal goes missing. It is a huge responsibility to know where everything is for everyone, but that's why they love us! 

  4. "She says good night to me." 

All the bells and whistles. They love you for the biggies. You say good night. That end-of-the-day routine, with all of its rituals is VERY HIGH on the list for establishing an emotionally stable mini-person. That's why you're loved. You say good night! {{{And you bring in a glass of water, and you fluff the pillows, and retrieve the misplaced bankie, and run them back to the potty, and then another glass of water and then a backrub and then........ another two or three good nights and then...............

  3. "She lays with me and tells stories." 

Show of hands. Be honest. How many of you caught yourself falling asleep as you told stories? I was notorious for falling asleep mid story moment. The stories that I made up would morph as I'd nod up and the story I started suddenly had new and different characters. That's why they LOVE us! 'Cuz we tell them stories. That's what makes us great and wonderful: our story telling abilities.

  2. "She gives me hugs and kisses." 

Hugs and kisses. Hugs and kisses. Hugs and kisses. Enough said! 

And the number one reasons for LOVING mom? 

  1. "She likes me." 

The number one reason they love you, mom? It's not the blue lipstick. It's not that you can find their lost stuff. Its not even that you tell good night stories or that you give the best hugs and kisses on the face of the planet. Our kiddos love us, because at the very basic essence of our relationship? They know that we LIKE them. Of course we are also in LOVE with them. Their eyelashes. Their giggles. Their completely unpredictable way that they melt our hearts at the most inopportune moments. Yeah all that. But even a four and a half year old recognizes that the reason that they love us..... is that we are always there and that we LIKE them! 

There ya have it! The Top 10! A list!!! 

I have quite a few other Mother's Day gems around here. Here's a few things I learned at "Mom School." 

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