For parents with toddlers or grandparents of them...

...here's something that might help you deal with them a little better! Click here for a great article.

How to paint the MONA LISA with MS PAINT

Laugh

"Laughter increases white blood cell activity and changes the chemical balance of the blood. This is believed to boost the body's production of chemicals needed for alertness and memory. Laughter reduces stress, and low stress enhances the brains' receptivity to learning. According to researchers, laughing (having fun) also boosts the body's immune system for three days - the day of the fun and the next two." (from Start Smart!: Building Brain Power in the Early Years by Pam Schiller).

Personally, I just love a good belly laugh, don't you? And now I know it does me good!

What is your treasure right now?

Before I left for Kindermusik this morning, I paused to reflect on my blessings...faith, health, my children, a loving husband...there are so many things.

We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures. --Thornton Wilder

What's an everyday treasure in your life right now? Say it outloud. Write it down. Draw it. Photograph it - even if only in your mind. Live it.

Thanks for the idea Amanda Soule.

Do you have upcoming surgery?

I read a blog called The Brain and Music. Here is the latest blog post which I found very interesting:

You may have heard that music enters the brain through the 8th cranial nerve. I believe that music also enters the whole body, as well as the brain through every pore of the body. Dr. Alfred Tomatis, with whom I studied in 1991, stated that rather than the ear being differentiated skin, actually the skin of the entire body is also like an ear, receiving sonic vibrations and relaying them to the brain. Makes sense to me. Therefore when I started hearing and reading about the value of music during surgery I thought "it would be so beneficial if the ideal music for surgery could come directly into the brain through headphones...through the 8th cranial nerve." Different people have promoted ambient music in the operating room, but the fact is, the patient needs the opposite music from the surgeon! The surgeon needs upbeat, active music to focus his energy. The patient needs slow, steady, soothing music.

For that reason, I now have patented and begun to sell my wireless, pre-programmed headphones for surgery. You can also simply buy the music in download format and put it on your own iPod! http://www.healingmusicenterprises.com/.

What's on your child's playlist?

It is believed that children begin to form their earliest musical preferences while still in the womb. This will continue through the early childhood years and will form a foundation for their later musical interests and experiences. The greater their exposure to a variety of musical styles and cultures, the greater their love and appreciation for music as a whole. You should think of it as laying a broad musical foundation for them to build on in the future. My concern is that so many parents buy only the Wiggles or other children's CD for their children. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with any of these CDs, but if that is all that you are exposing your children to musically, then their musical foundation will be very narrow. I would encourage you to listen to a wide variety of styles and rhythms with your children, such as classical, world music, and even R&B, country or rock songs. (with appropriate lyrics of course). The variety of rhythms and pitch contrast will also promote cognitive development in your child. The greater the variety, the broader the musical foundation and development your child will be able to build on throughout their life.

Schweppes Balloons Ad

We've been focusing on fast and slow in Our Time. Fun video about slooooooowwww!