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!

Ten Days of Thanksgiving

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I’m back from Florida and really excited to share today’s song with all of you. Since Thanksgiving is ten days away, I thought it was the perfect time to post “The Ten Days of Thanksgiving”. This is a huge hit with my students, though the staff at my school prides themselves on being able to sing along with me:) So I hope you’re hungry; and if you’re not, you will be before this song is through!

On the first day of Thanksgiving, this is what I ate:
Some turkey on my plate.

On the second day of Thanksgiving, this is what I ate:
Two cobs of corn,
And some turkey on my plate.

On the third day of Thanksgiving, this is what I ate:
Three mashed potatoes,
Two cobs of corn,
And some turkey on my plate.

On the fourth day of Thanksgiving, this is what I ate:
Four heaps of green beans,
Three mashed potatoes,
Two cobs of corn,
And some turkey on my plate.

On the fifth day of Thanksgiving, this is what I ate:
Five golden rolls!
Four heaps of green beans,
Three mashed potatoes,
Two cobs of corn,
And some turkey on my plate.

On the sixth day of Thanksgiving, this is what I ate:
Six scoops of stuffing,
Five golden rolls!
Four heaps of green beans,
Three mashed potatoes,
Two cobs of corn,
And some turkey on my plate.

On the seventh day of Thanksgiving, this is what I ate:
Seven sips of soup,
Six scoops of stuffing,
Five golden rolls!
Four heaps of green beans,
Three mashed potatoes,
Two cobs of corn,
And some turkey on my plate.

On the eighth day of Thanksgiving, this is what I ate:
Eight cups of eggnog,
Seven sips of soup,
Six scoops of stuffing,
Five golden rolls!
Four heaps of green beans,
Three mashed potatoes,
Two cobs of corn,
And some turkey on my plate.

On the ninth day of Thanksgiving, this is what I ate:
Nine cranberries,
Eight cups of eggnog,
Seven sips of soup,
Six scoops of stuffing,
Five golden rolls!
Four heaps of green beans,
Three mashed potatoes,
Two cobs of corn,
And some turkey on my plate.

On the tenth day of Thanksgiving, this is what I ate:
Ten pumpkin pies,
Nine cranberries,
Eight cups of eggnog,
Seven sips of soup,
Six scoops of stuffing,
Five golden rolls!
Four heaps of green beans,
Three mashed potatoes,
Two cobs of corn,
And some turkey on my plate.

How did you do? You’ll be a pro after listening to the song just a few times, trust me! Well it’s Monday, which means my to-do list is long and I better get to it before my first class begins. Have a wonderful day, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Friday Fave: Kristin Chenoweth

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You may or may not have heard of this Broadway-turned-TV star, depending on if you’re a fan of Wicked or the television show Pushing Daisies (her most well-known endeavors). I actually became aware of her almost ten years ago, when she starred as Sally Brown in the Broadway production of You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown. Since then, she has gone on to star in the made-for-TV versions of Annie and The Music Man, and she’s also done a couple movies, including RV and the upcoming Four Christmases.

Kristin has made several solo albums, including her latest, a Christmas CD called A Lovely Way to Spend Christmas. I am a huge sucker for holiday tunes, so of course I had to buy it, and I’m very glad I did. Her voice really is amazing. Check out this video of her singing one of her best and most impressive songs, “The Girl in 14G”.

Well that does it for this week’s Friday Fave. I will be absent over the weekend (I’m off to Orlando as you read this!) but be sure to check back in on Monday. Have a great Friday, and a wonderful weekend!

Chilly Day

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Hey there, everyone! I hope you are all doing well on this Wednesday – though it feels like another Monday to me after the Veteran’s Day holiday. It’s a short week, as I’ll be heading to Orlando on Friday for my friend Vanessa’s wedding. But for now, I thought I’d share another weather song with you.

The weather here in the midwest is completely unpredictable, and in the last week and a half, we’ve had 70 degree days, 40 degree days, and everything in between. Today it’s a little above average for (almost) mid-November, so it’s the perfect time to post “Chilly Day.” It goes like this:

I had to wear my jacket when I went outside today
I’ll have to wear it at recess if I go outside to play
Because it’s chilly, it’s chilly,
The air outside is chilly
It’s chilly, it’s chilly,
It’s chilly out today.

It’s fall and that is why the nice warm weather’s gone away
The temperature is lower and the cold is here to stay
That’s why it’s chilly, it’s chilly,
The air outside is chilly
It’s chilly, it’s chilly,
It’s chilly out today.

So bundle up when you go outside and do not catch a cold,
Zip up your jacket nice and warm, well this is what I’m told.
Because it’s chilly, it’s chilly,
The air outside is chilly
It’s chilly, it’s chilly,
It’s chilly out today.

I’m off to a Bulldog Pep Rally, where I’ll be singing the now-famous Hope School Fight Song. Enjoy your afternoon, and see you tomorrow!

Tap Tap Your Rhythm Sticks

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Kids love rhythm sticks, and with good reason: they are loud, and they get to hit them together. It doesn’t get much better than that when it comes to instruments. I use the 8″ Basic Beat sticks, which you can find at West Music, but there are lots of others out there from which to choose.

Playing rhythm sticks is not only fun, but they are a good tool to use when addressing skills such as discrimination of loud, soft, fast, and slow. I put all of the above to work in this rhythm stick song:

Tap tap, your rhythm sticks
Oh 1, 2, 3,
Tap tap, your rhythm sticks
Oh tap along with me.
We’ll tap and tap, and tap some more,
We’ll tap until we hit the floor,
So tap tap, your rhythm sticks with me,
Oooh-wee!

Now you’re gonna tap tap, your rhythm sticks so soft,
Shh, shh!
Tap tap, your rhythm sticks so soft,
Shh, shh!
We’ll tap and tap so softly now,
No worries ‘cause we all know how,
So tap tap your rhythm sticks so soft,
Shh, shh!

Now you’re gonna tap tap, your rhythm sticks so loud,
Mmm, hmm!
Tap tap, your rhythm sticks so loud,
Mmm, hmm!
We’ll tap and tap so loudly now,
No worries ‘cause we all know how,
So tap tap your rhythm sticks so loud,
Mmm, hmm!

Tap tap, your rhythm sticks
Oh 1, 2, 3,
Tap tap, your rhythm sticks
Oh tap along with me.
We’ll tap and tap, and tap some more,
We’ll tap until we hit the floor,
So tap tap, your rhythm sticks with me,
Oooh-wee!

Friday Fave: Wedding Music

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Zach and I have dubbed November as “Wedding Month” due to the fact that we’ll be spending the next two weekends traveling the country for the nuptials of our friends and family. Next Friday we’ll be jet-setting to Orlando for the wedding of my friend (and former bridesmaid) Vanessa and her fiance Luis. Then the following weekend, we’ll head to Connecticut to participate in the wedding of Zach’s brother Rob and his fiance Shannon.

I’m extremely excited about both events – I love weddings! And one of my favorite aspects of the special day is (no surprises here) the music. I love it all: the instrumental (Pachelbel’s Canon in D, Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desire, The Wedding March), the vocal (Ave Maria, The Prayer, Sunrise, Sunset), and of course the dancing (American Pie, Sweet Caroline, and Hey Ya! are always fun).

I am singing at both of the weddings we’ll be attending this month, and both brides have discovered that choosing the selections isn’t as easy as one might assume. I got married last summer (08/08/08 to be exact) so I know firsthand that planning the music can be an overwhelming responsibility. Luckily, I had a wonderful advisor (aka my mom) who not only helped choose the music, but actually wrote one of the songs that was performed at the ceremony. She named it “Child of Mine” and asked my good friend and bridesmaid, Victoria, to sing it at the wedding. Listen to a recording of it (sung by me!) below:

Isn’t it beautiful? It was such a special and amazing day, and hearing a song written especially for me by my mom made it even that much more spectacular.