Blast from the past - CASADI Video

The other day Sarah posted a bit of a blast from the past for her Polkadots Blog post! I had totally forgotten about these photos, and it made me have such a good laugh! And now I really want to see the video footage again of this video we made for Caydence and Delta! It was quite fun to see all of this again, so I thought I would share her post here!...

"Recently i stumbled upon this photo that totally makes me LAUGH OUT LOUD and brings back so many funny memories! Let me give you a little bit of back ground on how we came to be doing random poses in this photo while wearing WEIRD green costumes and head bands with matching leg warmers (clearly we didnt have a stylist for these photos,lol).......

So way before the "The Polkadots" Carly, Dionne and i spent  most of our High school and teenage years together... actually thats an almighty understatement, we were joined at the hips! The Three Musketeers! All for one and one for all! We went everywhere together, did everything together, Sang, Danced, Learned and Played together. We shared each others families, siblings, clothes, friends, boyfriends (lol) and even toothbrushes... Yes we were THAT TIGHT! People would always ask us if we were sisters, so much so that we decided we would just tell them that we were....  although we arent "blood sisters" our friendship is forever and we are totally "SISTAS!"

After High school we each got married, Dionne and i had our first little babies, Carly was the best aunty ever and the three of us still maintained our "Musketeer" status."

The Three Musketeers

Untill one day Carly decided that she wanted to be a big girl and explore the world with her husband and her CAMERA. Naturally Dionne and i tried to come up with every excuse as to why we should go too, but it wasnt to be. We werent happy about the seperation but knew how much Carly  loved learning and exploring so we reluctantly let her go, on one condition. Before her depature we had to make a video of Carly reading fun childrens stories, singing songs and dancing so that she could still be an active aunty to Caydence (My daughter) and Delta (Dionnes daughter) who at that time were 6 months old. So we spent a couple of days filming and dressing up in silly costumes singing songs, dancing, reading books and playing funny games in front of a camera so that Caydence and Delta could watch and learn form their Aunty Carly while she was away on her overseas adventure.

CASADI - CArly, SArah, DIonne

We named the video CA-SA-DI (Pronounce Cassidy) which are the first two letters of each of our names (CArly, SArah, DIonne) The video was so amatuer and silly but so so funny to me and it totally served its purpose for Caydence and Delta and was actually really effective, so much so that a few years later we became Musketeers of a different kind.... "THE POLKADOTS"

That is one fabulous pose!

Caydence and Delta helping us with "Story time with Aunty Carly"

Caydence and Delta - The stars of the "Bath Tub song"

I will definately follow this BLOG up with a VLOG (video blog) of some of the footage from CASADI. I may have to get written consent from Dionne and Carly first tho : )

And don’t forget to participate in our new contest, “A Polkadottie Musical!” going on now through to March 23rd! Winner gets an animated ebook created by Mr. Bop! For more details click here

Singing in the Rain!

Ok... I'm going to really put myself out there for this blog, because it was one of those moments that I just couldn't let go "unblogged" (I may have just made up a new word!) 

SPOILER: Be warned... I have no make up on, my hair isn't brushed, and I am still in my pajamas! I look rather scary!

This summer has been pretty shocking this year! It feels like it has rained more than it rains in winter! In the beginning it was really getting to me. I had myself geared for summer outdoor adventures and I wasn't getting them! Then one day I decided, "I am not going to let the weather dictate my day or my attitude towards it!" 

So, when I woke up this morning (Saturday) and the rain had come to play AGAIN, I said to Ashton, "Hey buddy, you want to come and sing in the rain with me."

His reply was very enthusiastic, "YEAH, OK MUM, LETS GO!"

We rain straight outside and I taught him how to sing "I'm singing in the rain!" with the extra "Tuffa taffa" actions at the end of each chorus. Ashton loved it! He copied every move and created his own, dancing around the deck lifting his head to the rain, feeling the drops fall on his face! 

It definitely was a precious and paradigm shift moment for me! I am determined even more now to never let the weather dictate my attitude towards the day... seize every moment to play!

Our Big City Adventure

One 6 year old, one 3 year old, one 2 year old, two 1 year olds, two adults, 2 push chairs, and 3 bags. . . CHECK!

We were all ready for our big adventure into the city, via bus, to go to the Aotea Centre Pick and Mix Broadway Theatre event/workshop for children. These events are put on weekly throughout the winter and are free to the public. Each weekend a different organisation would put on a different kind of workshop for children to learn about.

I must say the actual show and workshop wasn't that fabulous. It could have been done so much better. But that didn't stop Ashton and the girls from getting up and having a boogie. They really wanted to enjoy it, so they made the effort and had a good time anyways.

The children really loved being able to run around and explore the big bustling city. I think this would have been a good enough adventure in itself! (maybe another day.) They loved watching all of the people, some were even interesting enough to make them stop and stare! ha ha. They loved pressing the pedestrian crossing buttons and then crossing the big busy streets as quickly as they could. We played Eye Spy a few times and this made them even more aware of everything around them.

It was a handful at times, trying to keep all 5 children going in the same direction, and we did get quite a few good stares ourselves!!!

One our way home the kids all opened up in their own theatrical rendition of "The Wheels on the bus" keeping everyone on the bus well entertained. When we asked them all what their favourite part of the adventure was they all agreed the bus ride was the best! We were all pretty tired by the end of our big city adventure, but it was lots of fun!

Our bus ride into town on the jam packed bus!

Waiting to cross the street.

Ashton just chilling and enjoying the music!

Cheeky Monkeys waiting for the bus.

Row Row Row Your Boat

Who would have thought that a baby bath would create so many hours of fun! Ashton has used his old baby bath for everything you could imagine lately. But his favourite activity is to turn it into a boat and sing the classic "Row Row Row your boat." So I though I would just share some of the extra verses we have found on our travels and now sing to make the adventure last longer! He loves each verse for its unique sounds and actions. . . he knows them all so well know he is already doing the actions or the sounds before I get to them!

1. Row, row, row your boat

Gently down the stream.

Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,

Life is but a dream.

2. Row, row, row your boat

Gently down the stream.

If you see a crocodile,

Don't forget to scream! Ahh!

3. Rock, rock, rock your boat

Gently to the shore.

If you see a lion,

Don't forget to roar! Rrrr!

4. Row, row, row your boat

Gently down the river.

If you see a polar bear,

Don't forget to shiver! Brrr!

5. Row row row your boat

To the other side

If you see a tiger there

Don't forget to hide!

6. Row row row your boat

carefully through the mist

if you pass a slithery snake

don't forget to hiss! Hisssss!

Ashton and his buddy Darcy going for a row in their boat!

SHUFFLE AND BOOGIE

It was time to let loose and have a boogie today! So we set our iTunes on shuffle and let the music tell us how to dance! Because the music was on shuffle, we never knew what would come on next. It was really rather exciting. If it was a slow, jazzy song, we would do a waltz type dance. Then "Switch" by Will Smith came on and boy did we bust a groove on that one. The Wiggles made their way into our mix and we did the actions that went with the song and we even got some orchestral music "Sonata Alla Turca" to be exact.

We danced and let the music guide our feet and Ashton thought it was hilarious! He was either giggling or had his face beaming with a smile the whole time. He became particularly entranced when he spotted our reflection in the mirror, he really enjoyed watching those crazy people dancing in front of him.

I didn't get any photos of this adventure as we were both just too involved, but it was lots of fun and a great work out for me! ;o)

SOUND HUNT

Every Monday night at our house is family night! And no family night is complete without a game... so for Ashton and I that means daddy gets to join in our adventure for the day and tonights adventure game for family night was a "Sound Hunt"!

Ashton sat on the middle of the bed so that he could turn and look in all directions of the room. Kris and I then took turns hiding the bells in different places and playing them there till Ashton figured out where the sound was and turned in that direction.

At first Ashton was more interested and excited at the fact that Mummy and Daddy were hiding around the room! But eventually he figured out that the bells kept ringing in different

directions and became very good at identifying the new hiding place pretty quickly.

MY LITTLE DRUMER BOY

We've played with shakers, the keyboard, bells and even castanets, so today it was time to bang it out on our very own drum set! The pots, pans and boxes came out and the noise levels went up!

I sat Ashton down on his mat and one by one surrounded him with the pots and pans, his eyes watching the scene unfold a little unsure as to what his crazy mum was doing... again! But it didn't take Ashton long to dive down onto the pots and start banging them with his hands.

Next I gave him a wooden spoon, a metal spoon and a plastic spoon to use as his "drum sticks" and although he had to suck on each of them all first, once the initial sensory exploration was over he was into it! Picking up each utensil one by one to pound them on top of the various containers. At one point Ashton even managed to get one spoon in each hand and do a double handed beat! He made sure he made use of every pot, box or pan, turning and twisting where he sat.

As Ashton's little drumming adventure continued he began to explore the pots and pans in different ways, turning the pots over to bang the spoons inside the pot. He placed other toys inside the containers to bang them around and make different sounds. It was really quite exciting to see his little mind ticking over, thinking of how he could make new sounds and then to see him respond with such excitement when he made one! His eyebrows lifting, his little legs kicking, his arms pumping, and we must not forget the squealing of pure delight!!!

A CONCERT FOR MY TOYS

Our keyboard jam sessions a becoming a bit of a regular event at the moment. We have figured out a good set up where Ashton can really get into his groove and he holds nothing back!Today he was really excited to explore the percussion sounds on the keyboard. (Instead of it playing the standard sounds of each note, each key will make the sound of a percussion instrument.) He really seemed to notice the fact that each key was playing a different sound as you explored the whole keyboard, moving up and down the keys. He would play a series of sounds in from of him and the use the other hand to play another lot of keys.

At one point Ashton seemed as though he was even pulling a little bit of a song together as he would play a set of sounds then sit back and make a sound (sounding something like singing) and then proceed to lean back in to play another series of sounds. He repeated this pattern for

some time all the while conveying a mixture of excitement and concentration on his face.

During one of Ashton's breaks in the jam session he happened to spot his row of teddies up on the couch. Although this didn't stop Asthon from wanting to play the keyboard, he couldn't keep his eye off his toys. So I brought the toys down to sit on the keyboard so that he could do a concert for them. He really seemed to respond to having an audience and all of a sudden his playing became quite intense with his whole body getting into his playing, his legs kicking, his head swaying, his squeals more intense! It was like he was really putting on a concert for his toys! A moment I will remember and cherish for quite some time, it was definitely a Kodak moment . . . if those still exist ;o)

EGG SHAKER MANIA

Ashton went crazy with the egg shakers today. While he was in his high chair I put one of the shakers on the tray in front of him, within seconds he pounced on the egg and had a firm grip on it and was shaking it around. (Not long after of course, it ended up... wait for it... In his mouth! The final destination for any object within hands reach for Ashton at the moment!)

He continued to pick up and drop the single egg shaker for a while and then he noticed that I had some other shakers in my hand. He just sat and stared at them, then with his gaze going between his shaker and the shakers in my hand he started to bang his shaker on the tray while reaching out for the other shakers. (I thought this was rather clever for him to communicate what he wanted in this way.)

One by one, I started to place an extra egg on the tray in front of him with a minute or so in between each one. Each time a new egg came onto the tray he would bang his hands around and mix the eggs up, hitting them against each other and making quite the ruckas.

I love these egg shakers, they are just the perfect size for pre-schoolers to get their hands around. They are easily manipulated and make a great sound! This was such a simple little activity but it kept Ashton occupied for ages and I just sat and watched him! It was quite mesmerizing!

SOUND STICKS WALK

We went for a walk with our sound sticks today. It was a beautiful clear morning and the farm seemed to just be asking us to make some noise! And we were more than willing to oblige! So we grabbed our sound sticks and headed out to see what sounds we could find around the farm.

We started with our wooded fence. Just banging along it in different places. I tried to get Aston to hold onto the sticks himself so he could feel the beat as we tapped along . . . this came eventually.

What was really cool about this activity was that there was just sooo many different sounds to explore. Standing in one place and only moving our sound sticks to a different piece of wood, or to a tree we could discover a different sound.

We tapped the aluminum gate, the metal fencing, and the wooden fence posts. We tapped the rocks, the trees, the boat, the garage door, the wooden jetty, the gravel, the grass (which evidently didn't make much noise!) But that was just as valuable to see which objects made loud noises and which made very little noise. Some vibrated, others were dense in sound, and Ashton responded differently to each sound as we found them.

As we tapped all of the different objects we also tried to explore different tempos and beats. We tapped fast and slow. We tapped loudly and quietly. It was lots of fun and made our simple walk very eventful! I think we will do that again!

If you want to watch a bit of our Sound Sticks Adventure follow this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qx_Fa2UUzEU

KEYBOARD JAM SESSION

It was jam session time on the keyboard today! And boy did we have fun!!! At first I just sat the keyboard in front of Ashton to let him discover what it would do by himself. With anything Ashton's natural reaction is to reach out and grab the object in his focus and put it in his mouth . . . and the keyboard was no exception! Obviously he hasn't learnt about volume or size comparison yet! But as he reached out and made contact with the keys and the sound came right back to him, a flurry of notes combined together, his eyes opened wide, his back went straight and his hands went banging straight back down in a second attempt to create this bang of sound! You could see all over his body the excitment the keyboard and the sounds he was creating had on him.

I just held him up to the keyboard for what seemed like an eternity (need to work those mummy muscles at bit better I think!) letting him explore the different sounds coming from the different keys. He went up and down the keyboard and on the odd occasion would turn back to look at me and to share the moment with him.

As I saw his interest level start to drop away I re-sparked his interest by changing the sound the notes made to be like a violin. The sound each note made was longer and for lack of a better description "more shrill". But I could see Ashton noticed the difference, as he refocused his attention. I continued to refocus Ashton whenever I saw his attention wavering by introducing a new way of using the keyboard. We explored the backing beats, which really got him jumping around and even playing the keyboard differently. We played the scale over and over, his hand on mine, my hand guiding his fingers, his eyes watching my hand move up and down. We played some simple nursery rhymes or well known children's songs (the extent of my abilities on the piano.) In the end we spent a good 35-40 minutes playing on the keyboard!

Now who said babies have a short attention span! We just need to help them develop it, by refocusing them and keeping learning interesting!

INSTRUMENTS OF OUR OWN

So we don't have violins or cellos, clarinets or flutes but we have got lots of random bits and pieces around the house that we get creative with to make our own instruments! and thats what Ashton and I have done!

We have started by making our own shakers with different containers and different mediums to go inside. We have used dry wheat inside a peanut butter jar, an old bead necklace cut up into a Body Shop Body Butter container, and some colourful pegs put inside an old CD container. Each shaker making its own unique sound when it Ashton shakes it. (There are obviously lots of other options that you can do to make different sounding shakers and if your child is older you could even take it a step further and decorate your shakers with paints or stickers.)

Ashton really enjoyed getting all of the shakers on his high chair tray all at once and banging the shakers up against each other, making an array of shaking sound! We did make a point of exploring each shaker one at a time and listening to the unique sound each one made.

I'm rather excited about using these shakers for more musical exploration and have already got lots of ideas for other instruments I want to try and make with Ashton to explore different sounds. If you have any ideas or experience with making musical instruments with materials that are lying about the house... please share!

A MORNING WITH THE ORCHESTRA

Ashton and I along with Mr Bop, Dez, Dionne and their kid, were able to go and see the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra playing at the Bruce Mason Theatre on the weekend, for their special children's "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" show. I am so glad we were able to attend as all of us thoroughly enjoyed it!

Ashton was captivated and watching the stage intently most of the time. He was jumping around and responding as the music changed tempo and rhythm. All of us were encouraged to help conduct the orchestra (the children were even given little straws as baton's.) The conductor showed us some basic movements that we could do to conduct and all of our children loved being involved in this way.

I loved seeing how the orchestra brought children's songs to life and engaged the children's imaginations as they gave them a little story to go along with each piece they played.

At the end of the show the families were invited to walk through the orchestra as they played and Ashton was looking from left to right at each of the instruments in action around him. It

inspired me to want to come home and explore instruments and different genre's of music with him so that he can continue to develop and appreciation for all types of music and in time use music as a medium for expressing himself and for extending his imagination!

This week I'm going to have a music focus with Ashton! We will let you know what musical adventures we find out ourselves on soon! For more information about the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra and when they are performing go tohttp://apo.co.nz/home.aspx