December 2009

So Long, 2009!

December 31, 2009

I can’t believe that I am writing my last blog post of 2009. Where did the last twelve months go? This year seems to have flown by faster than any previous year, which I’m told happens as you get older. But as quickly as it went, 2009 was a fabulous year, in terms of both [...]

Ahh, Winter Break

December 28, 2009

In my last post, I was anxiously awaiting snow…and it came! We got our white Christmas here in central Illinois, so I just had to share a picture of our current house covered in it. As you can see, we haven’t quite gotten around to shoveling the walkways, but what can I say – we’ve [...]

Merry Karaoke: Home for the Holidays

December 23, 2009

That is how our first holiday in our first home looked. It was certainly a white Christmas, and I was hoping to take a similar picture of our new home this year, as we get ready to celebrate our first Christmas in it. Unfortunately, we’ve only had a tiny bit of snow, and it is [...]

Let the Festivities Begin

December 22, 2009

Well, maybe not quite yet…but how about in 7 hours, when school is out? Today is our last day before Christmas break officially begins, and I’m wasting no time getting the party started. Zach and I are celebrating tonight by heading down to St. Louis for dinner, and then we get to see Allison Weiss [...]

Merry Karaoke!

December 20, 2009

There’s nothing like a little snow and an early Christmas celebration with family to put you in the holiday spirit. As we drove home from my in-laws’ house this afternoon, all I could think about was singing along to some of my favorite Christmas songs, and that is just what I did. In fact, I [...]

Friday Fave: My Guitar

December 18, 2009

This week, I’ve been thinking a lot about my career thus far as a music therapist. Since graduating from college with a performance degree and making the decision to pursue music therapy back in 2004, I’ve had quite a journey! I have experienced a lot of change – three different cities, many settings, countless new [...]

‘Tis the Season for Singalongs

December 15, 2009

One of my favorite traditions at The Hope Institute is gathering all of the students and staff for an all-school holiday singalong. We really go all out: our Hope House Band (comprised of me on guitar and vocals with three other members on guitar, drums, and bass) sets up, we pass out song packets with [...]

Friday Fave: Reindeer Games

December 11, 2009

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of leading the music portion of my church’s “Breakfast With Santa” event. This was the second year of my involvement, so I knew better what to expect and what the kids wanted (the chance to get up, dance around, and sing Christmas songs) as well as their parents (happy, [...]

Ways to Spend Holiday Break

December 9, 2009

There’s a certain electricity in the air, now that the holiday season is upon us and winter is creeping in. Today in Springfield, that air is freezing cold, gusting, and carrying snow showers, but electric nonetheless. Most kids are counting down the days until their much-anticipated holiday break, and truth be told, so are many [...]

Red, Yellow, and Green

December 7, 2009

Teaching functional skills and real-world concepts are high on my list of priorities, since the ultimate goal for my students is independence. The Hope Institute uses a Skills Assessment to determine whether or not each student is reaching goals such as dressing, eating properly, interacting with peers appropriately, and so on. Included on this list [...]

Friday Fave: Springfield’s Own Magazine

December 4, 2009

The Hope Institute has been featured in several local publications recently, and I feel honored that our music therapy program has been mentioned in a few of those articles. Today’s cover story in Springfield’s Own Magazine highlights many aspects of Hope, including music therapy. Another way Hope is thinking outward is by employing innovative teaching [...]

Green Money

December 3, 2009

With the holidays just around the corner, buying gifts for friends and family is on just about everyone’s to-do list. Many of you probably include your children in this activity, and they may even use some of their own money to purchase presents. Although the concept of exchanging money can be foreign to little ones, [...]

Listen & Learn: Christmas

December 2, 2009

It’s that time of year again…holiday time, of course! Although I have been listening to Christmas tunes since the beginning of November, the rest of the world seems to accept Thanksgiving as the official kick-off to the holiday season. And now that it is December, many classrooms are taking part in seasonal activities and lessons. [...]

On the Radio

December 1, 2009

My experience as being a part of the WDBR Cares for Kids Radiothon was amazing from start to finish, but I’d have to say that the best moment of all was when they announced the total amount raised for the Children’s Miracle Network: $92, 365. Incredible, right? I just had to have my picture taken [...]

                      


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