Hello friends – here is our FAMILY MUSIC podcast 106 for you to enjoy with your little one(s) whenever and as often as you like!

Enjoy!

It’s quite a long one this week – 20 minutes – so don’t worry if your little one can’t handle all of it at once. That’s the beauty of these podcasts, you can use them as best fit your needs, repeating parts and skipping past other parts.

THIS WEEK:

WILL YOU SING HELLO WITH ME

HURRY, HURRY, DRIVE THE FIRE TRUCK

LITTLE ARABELLA MILLER

I SEE SOMEBODY WEARING ____ (COLORS)

DUPLE RHYTHM PATTERNS (ECHO)

WALKING, WALKING, WALKING (UP)

HOKEY, POKEY (UP)

TROT, TROT, TROT (STICKS)

TAP YOUR STICKS (STICKS)

1,2,3 (ECHO)

I WENT TO THE FARM

GOODBYE

Each week, on the FAMILY MUSIC podcast I use tapping sticks. On the podcast I suggest alternatives to use if you don’t have any – but they are incredibly easy to make. Simply cut two 7″ pieces from a 3/4″ dowel, sand the ends and you’re good to go. Research has shown this diameter and length work well. (You do NOT want long sticks!)

Here is the link:

And here’s what’s on the podcast:

HELLO, HELLO, HELLO

I’M A LITTLE TEAPOT

RAIN, RAIN, GO AWAY

I LIKE DINOSAURS

TONAL PATTERNS (ECHO)

STOMP, CRASH (UP)

I’VE GOT MY WALKING SHOES ON (UP)

I HEAR THE MILL WHEEL (STICKS)

TAP, TAP, TAP YOUR STICKS (STICKS)

COUNTING SONG (ECHO)

GOODBYE

 

Here’s the fourth FAMILY MUSIC recording  – made so you can sing along with me at your own convenience whenever you are ready! On this week’s recording:

HELLO, HELLO, HELLO

THE WHEELS ON THE BUS

I’M A LITTLE TEAPOT

MAJOR TONAL PATTERNS                            (ECHO)

I’VE GOT MY WALKING SHOES ON           (UP)

HEAD, SHOULDERS                                          (UP)

TAP YOUR STICKS                                             (STICKS)

TWINKLE, TWINKLE                                         (STICKS)

ONE LITTLE, TWO LITTLE, THREE LITTLE FINGERS

TEN LITTLE FINGERS                                        (RHYME)

GOODBYE

Enjoy!

Here’s the third FAMILY MUSIC recording  – made so you can sing along with me at your own convenience whenever you are ready! On this week’s recording:

WILL YOU SING HELLO WITH ME?

FIVE LITTLE DUCKS

I LIKE DINOSAURS

TONAL ECHO PATTERNS

HOKEY POKEY (UP)

WALKING, WALKING, WALKING (UP)

TROT, TROT, TROT (STICKS)

TAP, TAP, TAP YOUR STICKS (STICKS)

FIVE LITTLE PEAS (FINGER PLAY)

GOODBYE

I hope you enjoy it!

Hello friends – here is a brand new FAMILY MUSIC podcast. Last’s week’s is still available if you want to check it out.

Here are the songs:

WILL YOU SING HELLO WITH ME

LEO THE LION

I”M A LITTLE TEAPOT

TAP, TAP, TAP YOUR STICKS (WITH STICKS)

TWINKLE, TWINKLE (WITH STICKS)

WITH MY HEAD (UP!)

ECHO DUPLE RHYTHM PATTERNS

FIVE LITTLE PEAS (FINGER PLAY)

GOODBYE

Enjoy!

Hello friends – here is a link to FAMILY MUSIC. I am trying something new – I have made a recording of FAMILY MUSIC so that you can join me at your convenience. You can stop and start, repeat bits, skip over bits – it’s all in your hands. I hope you and your little ones enjoy it and will visit again for more episodes. (This episode is not perfect – I will get better as I do it more.)

I use sticks, something I will do often. Mine are about 7 inches long and about 3/4 inch diameter. It is easy to make some from a dowel. They are the absolute best instrument you can give to a young child. Otherwise, a couple of wooden spoons work, or you can clap ot tap your knees instead of using tapping sticks.

 

 

 

TRUTH

Whoever would have thought, at the beginning of the pandemic, that our reactions to science would become politically motivated? That “truth” becomes merely an opinion. In the early days, not much was known about this coronavirus and we were told wearing masks would not be helpful. Indeed we should not wear masks and allow medical professionals access to the needed N95 masks. As scientists learned more we were asked to wear masks in stores and outside when we could not socially distance at least 6 feet. Many people decided that this was an infringement on their civil liberty and no one was going to tell them to wear a mask. They would simply not do it. They invented their own truth, ignoring science. You could see how, generally speaking, the mask-wearers tended to be democratic, and anti-maskers republican. How could this be? Surely scientists have a wide variety of political views. The request to wear masks was not political, but somehow became so. Science is truth.

SHOES

I have finished one new podcast during this pandemic and it’s called SHOES. Three songs and a short story for subscribers.  Here is a preview of one of the songs – with me singing it. Have fun with it – you can add any kind of shoes you like to the song.

 

 

 

I wrote this post in August and just discovered I never published it. I am beginning to feel a bit more optimistic – vaccines around the corner.

I am resigned. Six months into this pandemic I am resigned. It is not going to end soon. We need to keep doing everything we can to reduce the spread by social distancing and wearing masks. But, by now, many of us have been trying to figure out ways to live our lives without being in a total isolation bubble, but, at the same time, reducing risk of infection as much as possible. Is it possible?

I have not been out for a meal since March. I have been to the house of friends exactly once since March – and that was a socially distanced “get-together” on their deck. I grocery shop once a week. And I’ve been in a clothes shop once.

So what do I do? I have hosted a weekly quiz for 24 weeks via zoom. I’m planning two fundraiser zoom quizzes for two non-profits. I zoom quiz with family members weekly. I happy hour zoom with a group weekly. I walk alone several days a week. My biggest outing is a 16 mile round trip drive to pick up my CSA share. I take care of this website and recently created a new podcast – SHOES – which you can find here.

But I have to start doing other things, safely. Like getting my hair cut! I will – one day. When it feels safe.

QUAIL

Quail are such fun birds. The males dorky with their little head tufts, and the babies – adorable little bundles of fluff.

A couple of years ago standing at the kitchen sink looking out the window, I noticed a male quail bobbing around and then disappearing into an overgrown flowerbed. Over the next few days, I saw both male and female come and go, so I decided to investigate. I approached the flowerbed cautiously, from the side, and gently moved an overhanging branch aside, and disturbed the mama quail that flew off and really shouted at me. I left quickly, not sure who was more surprised. I worried that she would not return, but she did and all was well. I was hoping to be able to see the baby quail. On a Saturday morning I thought I could see some movement from the nest, which was becoming more visible as the vegetation became more and more dried up, and decided to check on the nest when we got back from the farmer’s market. However, by then, everyone had left. I counted 18 eggshells!!

But quail also means to cringe in fear of something. And I do – I inwardly cringe, or quail, at things I see and hear around me. People seem to forget (or don’t believe, or don’t care) that we are still in the midst of a pandemic. A close friend told me about friends of theirs, both in their 70s, diagnosed with covid. She was doing fine; he, not so good. Still exhausted several weeks on. But what was most shocking was the number of their contacts. In the week prior to diagnosis, they had been in contact (less than 6 feet for 15 minutes plus) with 70 people. 70 people!!!

Since March I have been in close contact (less than 6 feet for 15 minutes plus) with 2 people, both of whom I live with. If I can do it why can’t they??

Meanwhile the numbers go up.