Toy Recall

With the latest toy recall from Mattel, and so many millions of children's products slipping through the cracks of safety testing it is nice to know there is a place like Mahar Drygoods. These are lovely toys, they can be costly, but just a few quality toys that inspire imagination and can be played with in lots of different ways, and in different venues may be worth it.
How many ways are there really to play with a toy army jeep?

Simple is best

This is a newsletter worth getting. Kids Craft Weekly, will send you links to good activities once a month. I love this one. Twelve simple, no fuss craft ideas

Check it out

I35W Bridge

Just one week since the collapse of the I 35W bridge in Minneapolis. We continue to keep the families of those killed, hurt and still missing in our thoughts and prayers.

Baby Einstein - more harm than good

In the Journal of Pediatrics today there is an article about the effects of Baby Einstein and similar videos on vocabulary of very young children.

For every hour a day that babies 8 to 16 months old were shown such popular series as "Brainy Baby" or "Baby Einstein," they knew six to eight fewer words than other children, the study found.

Parents aiming to put their babies on the fast track, even if they are still working on walking, each year buy hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of the videos.

Read more HERE
And another article HERE

movies

I have learned how to add some video clips to my blog. Just look to the right, and click on any picture that says "powered by google" underneath it. After you click the picture the video will show at the top of the page, so scroll back up to watch.

Green

I am trying out this new look. It is so dry and hot I am feeling like a little green. How do you like it?

If you ain't got it in ya

We loved Paris!

Home from France, Lorelei and I are forever changed. Spending time with our dear friend Charline (above). This sweet girl walked us over every inch of Paris. We were so blessed by the whole Brune family who welcomed us into their home, taught us about French cooking, and culture. We spent time at their house in the country and saw many small villages, beautiful cathedrals and even the beaches of Normandy. Also this amazing monument, which although I have seen the image a million times seeing it in person was breath taking.

Bon Jour

This blog may be quiet for the next few weeks - unless I can find a cyber cafe somewhere here in Paris - the city of love. In which case, I will post a picture of Lorelei and I near something old and beautiful. Au Revoir

A lovely poem

Poem: "At the Children's Violin Concert" by Susan Cataldo, from drenched: Selected Poems of Susan Cataldo 1979–1999. © Telephone Books.

At the Children's Violin Concert

Firmly bowed
strands of horse hair
tightened or
gathered up by
a small hand to play
a piece by J.S. Bach
who drank 36 cups of coffee every day.

I like him because he was
inspired by his belief in God
& he played the organ in a church
in Leipzig & he walked on
cobblestone streets to his home
every evening where he fathered
many children & wrote music
for his wife to clean house by.
He worked hard all his life
& when he died, he left us
all the little notes he made
for himself while he was alone.

Mowing

What mowing the lawn can get you. A Dean ML electric bass for my electric boy.
Way to go Tucker!

What do you hear?

Listening to the brush strokes, the colors mixing in this room that was the place where so much was created. A few hours packing of body casts (for eye training I am told) unscrewing of paint dropped easels and still life props, this room is slowly readying itself for a new kind of art. The kind that jingles, taps, colors, skips, hops, rolls, massages, loves, shares, sings, and more and more and more. I can almost hear the sweet songs, squeals of delight and toddling footsteps.

Caponi Art Park

The Caponi Art Park in Eagan is one of our areas most wonderful spots to see huge outdoor sculpture, hear music, see a play or join a discussion group. Tuesday is FAMIL DAY at Caponi art park. Check their calendar here. There are some great concerts and performances coming up.

Music in our Schools

The beautiful thing about music is that it can give kids skills that transfer over into their reading, writing, and math.”

Andrea Peterson, the 2007 Teacher of the Year

Watch Andrea on ed.gov

(from Molly McGinn)

yum

This is what we are planning for our 4th of July Picnic this week. This
Peach Vanilla Pie just sounds too good to pass up. Maple Brined Turkey roasted on grill.

The sweet corn isn't quite sweet yet up here - so maybe something else, baked sweet potato fries sound good.

Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July! Enjoy the celebrations
Click on the patriotic family to see a great parade.

Marvelous Me Camp

If this slideshow could sing you would hear . . .

Look at me Marvelous Me! See what I can do.
By Myself thats right just ME!
See what I can do.

Music Education Counts

“Music education opens doors that help children pass from school into the world around them — a world of work, culture, intellectual activity, and human involvement. The future of our nation depends on providing our children with a complete education that includes music.” — Gerald Ford, former President, United States of America

The National Association for Music Education narrows down the benefits of a music education into four categories:

• Success in society
• Success in school
• Success in developing intelligence
• Success in life

“Every student [should] have an education in the arts,” they write. “Music is the fabric of our society.”

Read this inspiring article here and congratulate yourself for a choosing to give such a gift to your children!

Thanks to Mollie Greene for finding these words.

Good Reads

If you would like to be my reading friend, I will be posting books that I like. Mostly great stories to check out for your kids - but I do like novels too, and I will let you know what I am reading. Just click below to check my shelf so far.

my 'read' shelf: