Studio3Music Blog

Archive for the ‘Bits and Pieces’ Category

Dec
30

A Mother Ponders the Christmas Story

Posted in Bits and Pieces

Just because Christmas is officially over, it doesn’t mean it’s not worth still thinking about. And so, this week after Christmas, some things to ponder.

How long did Mary’s first labor last? Was it difficult? Did she have back labor? Were any other women helping in her delivery?

Did Jesus latch on right away?  Did he eat heartily? Did he drop below his birth weight?

Did Jesus have colic?  Cradle cap?  Diaper rash?  Thrush?  Ear infections?  Reflux?

How long did Mary nurse him?  When was his first solid food?  What did he like? Did he throw food on the floor or smear it in his hair?

When was his first smile? When did he roll over? Did he crawl early or late? Did he crawl army style, sideways, on his bottom? When did he take his first step?

Did he share his toys? Did he go through the terrible twos? Did he poke his new baby brother?

Did he and his brothers play sword fighting? Was he athletic?  Did he love to read? Did he like to draw or make things? Did he love animals? Did he think girls have cooties?

Was he a rascal? Did he and his brothers pull pranks? Did they camp in the hills? Make campfires? Tip sheep?

Did Jesus like learning carpentry?  Did he ever cut himself? Lose his dad’s tools? Leave them out in the rain? Carve a fishing lure when he was supposed to be making a shelf?

Was Jesus with his earthly dad when he died? Did take over the carpentry shop? Did his brothers work there? Did they get along? Did his mother play favorites?

Did he have a best friend? Did they fish together?

How did he tell his mother and brothers he was leaving the family business? Did they give him a hard time? Was it difficult to live without a home, or a wife, or his own family? Did he feel lonely, or left out, or sad?

What did it feel like to do a miracle? Did he like the common wine?  Was he showing off when he made miraculous wine and it was said to be the best?

What was his favorite food?  Did he like to garden, or cook?

What did it feel like to be tempted by Satan? Did he feel scared of him, or mad at him? Did they greet one another as familiar enemies? Did Satan push Jesus around? Did Jesus push back?

Where was Mary when Jesus’ trial took place?  Who was with her?  Was she remembering his birth; Gabriel, the inn, the angels, the shepherds, the wise men? Was she feeling confused?

Did Jesus ever appear to Mary after the resurrection?  Did he hug his mother or have a meal with her? Did he tell her details about the home in heaven he had prepared for her?

Luke 2:19 says, “But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” This Christmas season, I’m joining Mary in pondering the wonder of the birth of Jesus.

Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by the power of his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.  Hebrews 2:14

When the shepherds had seen the baby, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child: “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.

And He shall be called Emmanuel, which means, “God with Us.” Matthew 1:23

-posted by Donna Detweiler who wishes you all a very Merry after Christmas!

 

Tags: ,

Join the conversation

Dec
23

Children’s Artwork – Last Minute Gift Ideas with Lasting Value

Posted in Bits and Pieces, Family, Things to do

Need a really great last minute gift idea? You have the perfect resource right at hand, under your roof, under foot too, most likely.  Your kids!  A child’s artwork can be a treasured gift for anyone, especially those close to that child.

Children’s artwork is often refreshing in its simplicity and innocence.  It doesn’t have to follow any rules to be special. From the modern art look of toddlers, to the stick figures of 4 year olds, so the lollipop trees of kindergarteners, the pieces created by children is treasured because of the relationship, not because of the look, although many of us love it whether we know the particular child or not.

Children’s artwork from the Victorian bushfires in February 2009. (Pauline Crosbie ) / CC BY-NC 2.5

I chose to decorate my kitchen with my children’s art.  I bought inexpensive Lucite box frames, which allowed me to easily slip a picture in the front of the cardboard, and then change the pictures at will. The kids glowed with pride seeing their framed pictures.  I hung 6 frames in my white-walled kitchen. The bright colors stood out and created an eye-catching whimsical look that gave me energy whenever I was in there.

These frames plus one or more selections of a child’s artwork make a perfect gift for grandmas and grandpas, aunts, uncles etc.   The frames come in many sizes and cost less than $10 and can be found at most drug and grocery stores than have a frame section. The artwork, of course, is free!

Other repositories for children’s art are easy to make–online calendars, mugs, mouse pads etc. You can buy thermal coffee cups which allow you to slip any artwork in a decoration around the cup. Another popular holiday option is the homemade garden stone or hand print.  Children design their own stone with their name or a theme. Most craft stores carry many inexpensive varieties of these keepsakes.

I enjoyed using my children’s art for gift wrap. At Christmas time, I would cover the table with the end roll of newsprint I’d gotten from the newspaper office. I gave the kids red and green markers, crayons and Christmas stickers and let them scribble and draw. After we finished the background, we’d put Christmas stickers all over it. For another year, I did another variation on the gift wrap theme: old-fashioned potato prints.  I cut simple designs in the potatoes, like a tree or a star, and let them dip them in red and green paint.  I used special ribbon to complement the children’s unique wrapping paper and to achieve a finished look.  Rustic twine worked well when I used brown paper one year. Real cloth ribbon makes any package look spectacular.

Win-win is how I describe using children’s art at Christmas time. We need meaningful gifts to give.  Children need to have fun and feel special.  All this is accomplished with little cost and great memory-making when we recognize the lasting value of what is right under our noses at home. Children’s art—which is available up to the last minute too, with no shipping charge!

-posted by Donna Detweiler, who is confident that gifts of children’s artwork makes just about anybody’s Christmas day more special.

Tags: ,

Join the conversation

Dec
22

Miss Beth’s Gift Ideas for any Budget

Posted in Bits and Pieces, Things to do

Well, the holidays are upon us and I thought I would give you a few ideas on so gifts that you and your children might enjoy!  Some are things we talk about or use in class, others you might just enjoy as a fun project!  There are ideas for any budget!  So here we go:

Those fun bilibos that we like to spin in during gathering time!

Melissa and Doug make wonderful wooden puzzles, toys and more.  We have some at the studio, but here is a link to the pattern blocks that some of you were asking about:

These Interstar builders are so fun and the kiddos use their imagination to come up with some amazing things!

And here are some terrific recipes to make at home with your child!

Puffy Paint
1 part white glue
1 part shaving cream
glitter or food coloring
squeeze bottles

Directions: Mix equal parts of the shaving cream and glue in a bowl.  Now you can add food coloring or glitter.  The surprising texture after it has dried is fun, too.

Bubble Bath Finger Paints
2 cups flour
water
1 teaspoon salt
food coloring
bubble bath (not the foamy type)

Directions: Mix water with the flour until you get a paste. Add food coloring and bubble bath until you get the thickness you like. This works well in the bath tub. They can paint themselves or the walls and it washes right off. It may turn the water the color of the food coloring but it won’t stain the child.  If you want to make different colors, try putting them in a muffin tin!

Bubbles
1 cup water
1/3 cup dish soap (Joy, Sunlight, etc.)
2 Tablespoons light corn syrup

Combine ingredients and enjoy. Try using different objects from your utensil drawer as a bubble wand.

Different Bubble Blowing Tools
Use a plastic straw, or make lots of little bubbles by wrapping colored masking tape around five or six plastic straws.
Berry baskets
fly-swatters
Plastic rings from soda six-packs
Wands made from pipe cleaners

Flubber!
In a large container combine:
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 cups white glue
Food coloring

In second, smaller container, combine:
1 1/3 cups warm water
3 tsp. Borax

* Mix ingredients in each container thoroughly.
* Pour contents of smaller container in to large container.
* Gently lift and turn mixture until only about a tablespoon of liquid is left. FLUBBER will be sticky for a moment or two. Let excess liquid drip off then FLUBBER will be ready!
STRETCH IT! BOUNCE IT! ROLL IT!

Store in an airtight container for about three weeks of use!

Silly Putty
Need:
1 part Sta Flo Liquid Starch
1 part Elmer’s White Glue*
Food coloring (optional)

Mix glue and starch together until it feels like a putty. If desired, add food coloring and mix thoroughly. When not in use, Silly Putty may be stored in an airtight container.

*Important Note: Be sure to use Elmer’s White Glue, NOT Elmer’s “Washable” or “School Glue.”

Edible Peanut Butter Playdough
Need: 1/2 cup peanut butter, 1/2 cup honey, 1 cup powdered milk
Knead until smooth.

Slime
Need: Corn starch, Water, Food coloring (optional)
Put cornstarch in bowl. Add enough water to make a paste. If desired, you may also add food coloring. This makes a messy slime that goes from liquid to solid.

-posted by Miss Beth, who would like more sparkles for Christmas. (Though those of us who know and love her can’t imagine she could get even more sparkly than she already is!)

 

Tags: , ,

Join the conversation

Dec
20

The Latke Song for Hanukkah, Studio3Music Style

Posted in Bits and Pieces, Family, Symphony Concerts

If you came to our Holiday Concert, you were at the premiere of a brand new Hanukkah song! We thought you and your children would like to see it here. Be sure to note how the kitchen gets messier and messier as the days go on! Here it is in digital format.

Click on the image below to see the book full-size. For the best viewing, click on the double page button to the left of the X on the top bar. As you listen to the song, flip the pages in time to the words.  Please feel free to share this with your family and friends via Facebook or email them the blog link. Enjoy!

-posted by Miss Analiisa on behalf of all of us at Studio3Music, who wish you a very warm and happy Hanukkah and Christmas season, filled with love, joy and peace.

Tags: , ,

Join the conversation

Dec
17

Reimagining Jingle Bells

Posted in Bits and Pieces, Family

If Jingle Bells is the first Christmas song you remember, you’re in good company.  Jingle Bells is possibly the most performed and recognized secular holiday song all around the world.

Just imagine you weren’t slightly sick of this ubiquitous song and think about it as though it was the first time you’d ever heard it.  It has a lively tune. It’s really easy to sing along with, and the lyrics paint a compelling picture. Dashing through the snow.  A one-horse open sleigh, Laughing all the way. Making spirits bright. A sleighing song tonight. No wonder people love this song. Wouldn’t you enjoy riding in that sleigh on a dark, starry night, being pulled behind some Belgian horses with steam coming from their nostrils as they tossed their manes and bells jingled in the crisp night air? I would!

Back in the 1800’s, when horses were still the main mode of transportation, sleigh riding was popular.  James Lord Pierpont wrote his song originally titled “One Horse Open Sleigh” about the sleigh races held on Salem Street in Medford Square, Massachusetts.  Records show Pierpont’s song about this winter event was copyrighted September 16, 1857.

Today in Medford, you can find a plaque commemorating the “Birthplace of Jingle Bells” at the Simpson Tavern–19 High Street, in case you go looking. The lively tone and mood of Pierpont’s song befits a tavern.  I can picture the men and women, exhilarated and flushed from the brisk outdoor air, coming in to Simpson’s place to laugh and talk about the race. I picture Pierpont at the piano, coaxed into entertaining the crowd, coming up with this lively ballad about their winter night reveries as the fire of the tavern crackles in the background.  Laughter rings through the warm room and the horses bells can be heard in the distance. Perhaps some races are still in progress as the group warms up with ale and friendship.

To be fair I must tell you that there is some controversy about the writing of Jingle Bells. Some claim that the song was written by Pierpont for a Thanksgiving program for Sunday school children while he lived in Savannah, Georgia. The citizens of Medford, MA, refute that claim and historians continue the debate.

I obviously think Jingle Bells is a song worthy of a fresh look this holiday season. So, here are the lyrics for you to enjoy as you picture yourself back in New England during a snowy Christmas season. Frankly, I’m having trouble imaging Pierpont writing this song in Georgia!

Dashing thro’ the snow,
In a one-horse open sleigh,
O’er the hills we go,
Laughing all the way;
Bells on bob tail ring,
Making spirits bright,
Oh what sport to ride and sing
A sleighing song to night.

Chorus:
Jingle bells, Jingle bells,
Jingle all the way;
Oh! what joy it is to ride
In a one horse open sleigh.
Jingle bells, Jingle bells,
Jingle all the way;
Oh! what joy it is to ride
In a one horse open sleigh.

A day or two ago,
I thought I’d take a ride,
And soon Miss Fannie Bright
Was seated by my side,
The horse was lean and lank;
Misfortune seemed his lot,
He got into a drifted bank,
And we, we got upsot.

Chorus

A day or two ago,
The story I must tell
I went out on the snow
And on my back I fell;
A gent was riding by
In a one-horse open sleigh,
He laughed as there I sprawling lie,
But quickly drove away.

Chorus

Now the ground is white
Go it while you’re young,
Take the girls to night
And sing this sleighing song;
Just get a bob tailed bay
Two forty as his speed.
Hitch him to an open sleigh
And crack, you’ll take the lead.

Chorus

Additional song notes:  Jingle is not a kind of bell, it is an imperative verb. And bobtail simply means that they “bobbed” or cut short the tail of the horse, which was the style of the day.

-posted by Donna Detweiler, who has actually ridden in a one-horse open sleigh on a starry night in Montana—one of the highlights of her life!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Tags: ,

Join the conversation

« Older Posts
Newer Posts »