The nights are longer, the days are darker, and we love to wander through the dim and mysterious redwood forests at this time of year. We wait with excitement for the glimmer of light, growing to a flame, that comes with festivals, lighting candles, and gradually, the return of the sun! Here are some winter songs … Continue reading
Feliz Otoño — Happy Autumn! Uhuu . . . el otoño llegó . . . Castañas y bellotas Muchas otras cosas Que cogen los niños Con mucho cariño. Uhuu . . . el otoño llegó . . . Autumn brings the last of the harvest, many fruits like manzanas, uvas, granadas, and even giant calabazas! … Continue reading
Summer has officially arrived, so I am finally getting around to posting the Cuento y Canto song list handout from Spring CuentoyCantoPrimavera Songs about gardening, the many colors of spring, and the alegría we felt when the sun and rain brought so much life energy, sprouting, birth and rebirth, and growth. Caterpillars turned into butterflies, … Continue reading
After pondering the layers of meaning to be found in June solstice festivals, I’ve been gathering South American solstice traditions that have meaning to our family. I’m not exactly sure how they connect to the spiritual meaning of the solstice. I hope that while I look for meaning, my experience will come across to my children … Continue reading
The second installment is here! Diego and I worked all morning to make our second set of movies. This time he knew what was going on so it was a bit more complicated . . . but still fun! (Photo is little P as a baby sambista.) I wrote previously about our reasons for playing music at … Continue reading
Do you remember life before kids? It’s a bit of a blur, but we had our own interests, remember? There were late nights and dancing. Definitely music, our own music. Now it’s children’s music on repeat. Or, maybe you’re disciplined enough to keep the mood of the fifth going all day. Are you ready to bust … Continue reading
Once upon a time . . . había una vez . . . a small family who woke up grouchy. So grouchy. A bad night of stuffy noses and coughing: very grouchy. Grouching all morning. At least one of the two kids crying or whining all the way through breakfast, clean up, and some morning … Continue reading
Our family is bilingual, and we speak only Spanish in our home. We constantly remind my daughter to speak to us in Spanish, but since she started going to school in English this has gotten a lot harder. It’s so important to my husband that his children speak with him in the language his own … Continue reading
“Lullabies are love songs,” says music educator Mary Thienes-Schunemann in her book The Wonder of Lullabies. She goes on: It is through the warmth of our own voices that our love for the child is most truly revealed. To a child in the cradle or in arms, these love songs are the first melodies they hear. They … Continue reading
