The Last Month of the Year is December

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There was no question when I woke up this morning that it was December. All I had to do was see the thin layer of snow on the ground, and my suspicions were later confirmed when I ventured outside and was covered in the white stuff myself. December is here, ladies and gentlemen, and winter is not far behind!

So to kick off this twelfth month, here is a song all about these festive thirty-one days. Enjoy!

The last month of the year is December
It is number twelve, this we know
There are thirty one days and then the year is new
In December there’s so much for us to do.

The last month of the year is December
The air is cold and it may even snow
We’ll start to see all sorts of decorations
In all the different places that we go.

CHORUS

The last month of the year is December
There are many holidays to celebrate.
Some of my friends have Hannukah and Kwanzaa
Learning about traditions is so great.

CHORUS

The last month of the year is December
And our friends and family will soon arrive.
There’ll be trees and lights and cookies and some presents
‘Cause Christmas comes on day twenty-five.

CHORUS

The last month of the year is December
New Year’s Eve is on day thirty-one
We’ll stay up late and count down to midnight
Oh, isn’t December lots of fun!

Today begins a brand new batch of seasonal songs at school and in my students’ homes. I can’t wait to share them all with you over the next few weeks. But for now, enjoy the first day of December and if your weather is anything like mine, be careful out there!

It’s Holiday Time

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The holiday season is officially here! I skipped the crowds at the mall on Black Friday and instead spent the morning dragging the decorations out of the basement and putting up the Christmas tree with the help of my wonderful husband. Now that my house is full of holiday cheer, I decided that it’s time to spread a little bit of it here at Listen & Learn. After all, December begins tomorrow!

It’s holiday time, so here is a rhyme,
For us all to sing together.
Spreading joy and good cheer,
This time of the year,
No matter how cold the weather.

It’s time for giving,
Helping others and being kind.
It’s time for sharing,
Which will make you feel good inside.

It’s holiday time, so here is a rhyme,
For us all to sing together.
Spreading joy and good cheer,
This time of the year,
No matter how cold the weather.

It’s time for music,
Come on and ring your bell.
It’s time for carols,
Silent Night and The First Noel.

It’s holiday time, so here is a rhyme,
For us all to sing together.
Spreading joy and good cheer,
This time of the year,
No matter how cold the weather.

It’s time for parties,
Spending time with your family and friends.
It’s time for celebration,
Hope the laughter never ends.

It’s holiday time, so here is a rhyme,
For us all to sing together.
Spreading joy and good cheer,
This time of the year,
No matter how cold the weather.

I have lots of traditions to uphold in the coming weeks. Some of these include watching “White Christmas” about six dozen times, making homemade chex mix with my dad, singing along to the Carpenters’ “Christmas Portrait” album, and much more. What are your holiday traditions?

Thanksgiving Eve

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It’s almost here! If you’re like me, you’re probably looking forward to a few days off so that you can relax, spend time with family, and enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday. I have one more song to share with you that I think really captures the spirit of Thanksgiving in a fun, cheerful, and kid-friendly way.

Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving
The day that we give thanks
For the food that’s on our plates and friends with whom we celebrate
Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving
We sing this joyful song
For all the good things that we have to last the whole year long.

Let’s think about the pilgrims,
Who settled long ago.
They started this tradition
The one that we all know as

Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving
The day that we give thanks
For the food that’s on our plates and friends with whom we celebrate
Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving
We sing this joyful song
For all the good things that we have to last the whole year long.

We’ll all eat lots of turkey,
Mashed potatoes, green beans too
End with a slice of pumpkin pie
And then when we are through, we’ll sing

Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving
The day that we give thanks
For the food that’s on our plates and friends with whom we celebrate
Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving
We sing this joyful song
For all the good things that we have to last the whole year long.

What are your plans for Turkey Day? Mine include LOTS of eating – first with my family, and then with my husband Zach’s family. But hey, I’m not complaining :) I hope you all have a very happy Thanksgiving! I’ll be dropping in over the weekend to give a little preview of what is to come in December…hope to see you then!

Ten Little Scarecrows

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Surprise! Here I am, blogging away from Connecticut in the midst of wedding excitement. In just a few hours, Rob and Shannon will tie the knot, and I’m lucky enough to provide the soundtrack (well, the vocals, at least) to the ceremony. But I couldn’t forget about all my faithful readers, so I stopped in to share a counting song with you. This time it’s Scarecrows, which aren’t exactly Thanksgiving-related, but hey, it’s still fall!

Counting time, it’s counting time,
So let’s all sing this simple rhyme.
Ten little scarecrows in a row,
Now let’s count them nice and slow!

One, two, three, four, five,
Six, seven, eight, nine, ten.
Again!
One, two, three, four, five,
Six, seven, eight, nine, ten.

How many scarecrows?
Ten little scarecrows!
All lined up in a row.

Be sure to stay tuned for the last few Thanksgiving songs I’ve been waiting to share with you! Have a great weekend, and see you on Monday :)

The Turkey Dinner Dance

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Good morning! The countdown is on: Thanksgiving is a week from today, which means I only have a few more days to share the rest of my turkey day songs with you. I’d have to say that today’s song, “The Turkey Dinner Dance”, is my favorite of the bunch, mostly because I love watching my students bust a move.

Let’s do the Turkey Dinner Dance,
Come on, come on let’s go.
Join right in and follow me,
You can do it fast or slow!

Turkey to the left, cha cha cha
Turkey to the right, cha cha cha
Turkey up and turkey down,
Turkey all around!

CHORUS

Stirring gravy to the left, cha cha cha
Stirring gravy to the right, cha cha cha
Stirring gravy up and down,
Stirring gravy all around!

CHORUS

Mashed potatoes to the left, cha cha cha
Mashed potatoes to the right, cha cha cha
Mashed potatoes up and down,
Mashed potatoes all around!

CHORUS

Pumpkin pie to the left, cha cha cha
Pumpkie pie to the right, cha cha cha
Pumpkin pie up and down,
Pumpkin pie all around!

CHORUS

The choreography is so basic that it really can’t be called choreography. Each element in the song has its own move, explained below:

Turkey
What you’d expect…tucking your thumbs under your armpits and flapping your arms.

Stirring Gravy
Hold your right arm in front of you, curving it to make a half circle (this is the pot). Then use your left to “stir” inside the pot.

Mashed Potatoes
I’m sure you all know this basic dance move, where you pump your fists up and down in front of you.

Pumpkin Pie
Hold your arms out in front of you, curved at the elbow, and twist back and forth at the waist.

Or you can make up your own movements – but if you do, be sure to share them with the rest of us! Enjoy :)

It’s a Cold Day!

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Happy Tuesday to you all! You might recall that a few days ago, I shared with you the “Chilly Day” song since the temperature finally decided to head downwards. Well it didn’t stop there; now it’s just downright cold. In fact, we even had a few snowflakes yesterday. Luckily they have subsided (I’m not ready for that yet!), but the cold remains. So here’s a very fitting song to complement the current conditions here in the good ol’ Midwest:

Cold day, it’s a cold day
The temperature is low, this I know.
Cold day, it’s a cold day
So I’ll stay inside and watch the cold wind blow.

Cold day, it’s a cold day
I can see my breath each time I sing or talk.
Cold day, it’s a cold day
I need to bundle up if I go for a walk.

Cold day, it’s a cold day
The heat is on inside at home and school.
Cold day, it’s a cold day
I’ll zip my coat up because being warm is cool!

I spent last weekend in sunny Orlando, and now I’m bracing for the opposite end of the spectrum weatherwise as I head to Connecticut on Thursday. It will be a wonderful weekend no matter what the weather, as my family will be celebrating my brother-in-law Rob’s marriage to his beautiful bride, Shannon.

But until then, look for another Thanksgiving tune tomorrow as we inch closer to that yummy holiday. I can’t wait!