Creature in My Backyard

For the past few weeks I have been memorizing songs, poems and activities for my Kindermusik Summer Camp starting in July. One of my camps is called Creatures in My Back Yard. So early this morning, while making breakfast for J, I noticed something different moving in my backyard. I slipped on some shoes and was happy to find this little guy moving slowly, eating the grass, and just stretching his neck to look around. I came back in to get the camera and J, Cody, and Ruby decided to come outside with me. Needless to say the turtle, just tucked himself up and peeked out. Once we went back inside he began his slow vigil across the yard. He seemed very curious, stretching his head up as high as it could go. Ruby went back outside later and kept his distance. He just sat a few yards away and watched as the turtle slowly moved. At one point the turtle and Ruby were facing off. I wish I could have gotten a picture of that as well, but I knew that just by me going outside the face off would end.

I was happy for our little visitor this morning. I hope he finds our yard pleasant and decides to stay for awhile. I will end this blog with a little poem from Creatures in My Backyard. In this activity, the kids get a large scarf, put it over their backs and pretend to be turtles. In the end the parent lifts the scarf to reveal the hiding turtle. Too cute.

Little Turtle

Little turtle, little turtle
Hide inside your shell.
Little turtle, little turtle
Come and crawl with me.
Little turtle, little turtle
I See You!

Kindermusik International

My first inspiration

On Sunday night Jessie, my 5 year old little girl, came to me and asked if I wanted to know a secret. I told her of course, and she whispered into my ear that she had a loose tooth. I was amazed and asked her if I could see it. Overcoming my tooth phobia, ( don't even ask), I wiggled the tooth and was surprised at how loose it really was. It will probably come out sometime this coming weekend. I also discovered that she actually had two loose teeth. I was determined at this point, that I was going to make her something very special that she could put her teeth in. I had been looking at an item on www.etsy.com, and felt that I could make one just as good as the one online. I went to Hobby Lobby and picked out some colorful felt, yarn for hair, and went to work designing. My first template seemed to be right and I made the tooth fairy that night. I put the face on the next morning.

My next project was to make a note from the tooth fairy to Jessie, letting her know that she had made the fairy doll just for her. She explained that she had heard that Jessie had some loose teeth and wanted her to have something to put the teeth in. I left the note and the doll on her bedside ladder last night, and Jessie found it in the morning. She was so proud and wanted to take the fairy to show and tell at school on Friday. I love that Jessie believes in magical things. She is very interested in fairies, and has set many a fairy trap at home, thanks to the encouragement of her older cousin. I want to encourage Jessie to use her imagination every day and if believing in fairies helps to do that, then I believe too.

I named this blog Musical Dreams of Color, because these are things that mean so much in my life. I have been studying for the past few months to become a licensed Kindermusik Educator and will be starting work this summer at the University of Central Arkansas Community School of Music. I have always loved listening to music, singing, playing it and have tried to instill this love in my daughter. I can not wait to have my first classes and be able to pass this love on to other families in the community. The word dreams came from my own personal hope to always be reaching for my own dreams. Color, is just an inspiration to me. I used to quilt and do other crafts which involved very colorful fabrics and yarns. I feel that colors can give us energy and help determine our moods. I want others to be inspired by color, and will be getting out all of my material, yarn, and crafting things to begin to inspire myself. This blog will highlight some of those inspirations.

Thank you Julie, my wonderful older sister, for giving me the courage to start my own blog. You can see her blog on mylogcabinlife.blogspot.com. Enjoy.