Hello, dear Friends in Music!

We are back from the summer break, and ready for singing and fun and rarin' to go with another fabulous semester of Kindermusik. As usual, you can enroll at our website, or just give us a call.

At the beginning of the school year, it would benefit us to reflect on some realities of child-rearing that often get forgotten in our extremely fast-paced lives. The miracle is that our children grow marvelously, without too much intervention from us. Their brains, their skills, their cognitive function, their physical coordination... develop naturally on a curve that is largely beyond our ability to manipulate. Development happens in its own time and so we trust... and it happens!  They have their own unique gifts.

Mr. Michael and Miss Mary would like to encourage those new parents who have all the usual 21st-century anxieties about their children being "ready" for preschool, "ready" for Kindergarten, or "ready" for first grade... Let us relax a bit. Remember, the one thing our kids need above all else is the easiest (and the least expensive!) item we can offer them. Our kids need love to make them "ready." They require our time, and our joy.  Actually, that is about all that's required. Everything else we give them -- the programs, the kiddie-gyms, the structured playgroups, their Kindermusik class -- stand or fall based on the emotional security of the child.

Of course, we read to our children. Instruct them. Play math games with them, if they are TRULY old enough to handle that level of abstraction. And sports are great! ....But our little ones mostly need to know their base with us secure; and then their natural drive and curiosity will take care of the rest. If you've never read this quote from Dr. Suzuki, the creator of the Suzuki method, now would be a great time. (Of course, Kindermusik is not the Suzuki Method, nor is affiliated with it; but Kindermusik educators share many of the same philosophical and pedagogical views with our Suzuki Method colleagues.)

In our classes we strive to give you the tools to make great parenting easier. Come check us out, and we'll show you what we're all about!

Blessings for the new school year,

Mr. Michael and Miss Mary

Our Kindermusik Adventures Summer Camp schedule is now ready and the enrollments are coming in. Join in the fun today! (And yes, there's an early enrollment special -- enroll and pay in full before Friday, April 29, and we'll waive the usual $50 registration fee and take 10% off your tuition. Gotta love that.)

We have eight camps scheduled from late June through early August, for all children newborn to 7 years. Mr. Michael and Miss Mary particularly enjoy teaching these camps, because there's SO MUCH packed into 5 crazy days! It's like half a semester in one week. Wow!

Here's the description from our website: In just five lessons experience a summer’s worth of music, stories, and activities created to inspire a lifetime of learning. In a Kindermusik summer camp, parents and children will play, learn, sing (encouraged, not required!), dance, create, and share in the fun of making music together. A trusted Kindermusik educator guides the class through each research-proven and giggle-approved activity.

Inspire children’s love of learning in our delightfully engaging summer sessions. Best of all, every one of our summer camp activities - the music, stories, and crafts - is specially designed to nurture every child's natural curiosity, eventually drawing each child toward learning new words, new concepts, and new big ideas.

This is some serious fun, people. And as always, it's great aerobic exercise for the grownups! :-)

Hope to see you there!

All classes at Round Hill Community Church are canceled for February 1st, 2011. It's a SNOW DAY! We will resume next Tuesday the 8th as usual.

Snow Days are made up at the end of the semester. Due to the nature of our year-long schedule, we can only make up two snow days at most, so let's hope for the best.

Stay warm, and see you next week!

Baby Massage, which is formally called Intentional Touch, is an important component of our "youngest" Kindermusik classes. The various benefits are too numerous to list here in their entirety, but here's a representative sampling:

• The skin is the largest producer of growth hormone in the body; when you stimulate your baby's skin directly, you cause a "shower" of growth factors into her little body. When mothers (and fathers!) feel the desire to pick up and stroke their little one, it's because we know instinctively that it makes them grow.
• The skin also produces many, many immune factors, including T-Cells, Interleukin 2 and 3, etc. These are also released into his bloodstream during massage stimulation. Massage stimulates the immune system and strengthens resistance to disease.
• Infant massage reduces cortisol (stress hormone) in the baby's body, while heightening the presence of endorphins. Lowers blood pressure and heart rate. Increases stress tolerance. A calm, happy baby learns, explores, and grows better!
• When combined with gentle humming, chanting, or singing, Baby Massage promotes whole-brain functioning on the part of both baby and parent.
• Gentle, soft eye contact combined with intentional touch increases bonding between baby and parent.
• Baby Massage strengthens the circulatory system and helps blood flow, as well as the elimination of waste. Increases red blood cell count. Increases flow of nutrients and oxygen to cells and tissues.
• Massage stimulates the lymphatic system.
• Massage promotes body awareness.

We've included a PDF about How to do Intentional Touch at Home. It can become a beautiful, gentle, and powerful addition to your baby's routine. They love it! You'll love it! Try it tonight!

We have a new Kindermusik iPhone app available. This is well worth checking into. Just $1.99 from the iTunes store! With 5 stations to choose from, the Kindermusik app will give you access to over 100 tracks, with lyrics.

And... there's an activity to go with each song! Pretty cool when you need an "instant distraction." You don't need to be enrolled in a Kindermusik class to buy or use the app. Just download and enjoy! For iPhone and iPod touch.

Learn more about the new app here.

Here's a delicious soup that every child in Greece loves (especially when Yia Yia makes it!) This is Miss Mary's quick-and-easy take on the classic recipe -- it takes a little less time to prepare than the "orthodox" version (pardon the pun). She makes the longer and more involved version on special occasions. Miss Mary uses organic ingredients when she makes this at home. Included here is the recipe itself, as well as a downloadable PDF. Yassou!

Miss Mary’s Avgolemono Soupa (Quick Version)

2 32-oz (1 quart) containers of chicken broth
2 eggs
Juice of 1 lemon
¼ cup rice or orzo
Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Heat 1 container of broth to boiling.
2. Cook pasta or rice in the broth per directions on the package. You’ll end up with quite a bit of broth left over – it will not all be absorbed.
3. Use the second container of broth to thin the soup to your liking.
4. Remove from heat, cool for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. While you’re waiting for the soup to cool, blend two eggs and lemon juice in a blender on medium speed till frothy.
6. Now here’s the tricky part: Bring the pitcher over to the pot of broth. Hold the pitcher in one hand and a ladle in the other. Now SLOWLY pour the egg mixture into the very hot (but no longer boiling) broth, while simultaneously ladling some of the broth back into the pitcher. The idea is to gradually raise the temperature of the eggs – if you simply pour them into the broth, they will curdle! The final mixture should be very thick and smooth.
7. Salt to taste.

ALL children in Greece love this soup! Adults usually grind some fresh black pepper into it.

This is the quick-and-easy version of the soup. There is a longer version to come!

Click here for the easy-to-save and easy-to-print PDF: Avgolemono Soup.pdf

Enroll in any of our Kindermusik classes before the close of business on Friday, January 7th, and receive a 10% discount off your tuition. In addition, we'll waive the usual registration fee. We expect classes to fill exceptionally fast in the next few weeks, so don't hesitate. Enroll online today!

Our Spring schedule is posted and ready for viewing. Classes begin on January 31st in Clifton, NJ, and in the first week of February at our CT locations. Once again, we're offering the full menu of Kindermusik classes. Lots to choose from!

Enrolling online is fast and easy. Check us out today!