If you’ve never had the opportunity to serve at this Dallas icon, let me tell you a little about the people in this building. Of course it’s a great building–decked out with colorful classrooms filled with age-appropriate centers and toys.

But it’s the people who make Vogel special. The place is staffed to-the-max. Not only is the building fully staffed with competent caring staffers, but there is a steady stream of volunteers (800 per year) in and out, spending time with the children or working on projects. It’s a busy, busy place.

Teachers are the heart of Vogel. We offer classes at several Dallas preschools and this group of educators can match any of them in excellence and passion. They are enthusiastic and loving; gentle, yet firm when needed; and no nonsense, as any good preschool teacher should be.

Outside, you’ll see a health services bus. Children are walked out to it all morning long, getting well-checks and evaluations. In fact before any child comes into the building; one staffer takes a good luck at them to make sure they are healthy and safe.

Then, throughout the day, there is a cadre of social, medical, and educational service providers working with children in one-on-one screening and care. And they’re also well fed with hot and healthy meals and snacks throughout the day. Services for the families include: nutrition counseling, mental health consulting, parent consulting, bilingual counseling, on-site nurse, after-Vogel care and referrals.

Tangible provisions include: homemade meals, diapers, formula, shoes and clothing.

Everything from speech therapy to immunizations, these children get the best of the best care while they’re there.

The reality is, though, that once a family gets on its feet, the children move on. They are eligible to attend the school as long as they are living in an affiliated agency’s homeless shelter, domestic violence shelter, or transitional housing program. For some, that means they are there three months; for others, an entire school year. The center gives them stability and services, routine and safety—all the things a child needs in order to thrive. In fact, a child’s time at Vogel Alcove may perhaps be the best time of his/her early childhood years.

But thankfully, these are the 0-6 years, the years we Kindermusik folks know are the foundation for all future success. These children get a lot of love and we are grateful to be a part of it. While we don’t know who will be there the next time we go, we cherish every moment we have with them.

So let us tell you about the beautiful children of Vogel. They do not look anything like you’d expect a “homeless child” would look like. They are spotless, perfectly clean, well dressed, and easily could be “the child next door.” Well-mannered, polite and well-behaved, they are some of the best preschoolers we work with in any given week. They LOVE to sing and dance and are eager to see what lurks in our box of instruments for them. They are focused and participate eagerly. We may go so far as to say they are some of the best-behaved, sweetest preschoolers we see each week.

The one difference we see between these children and some others is how much they crave touch and hugs. They are always clamoring to be closest to the Kindermusik teacher–for the spot to sit beside her or to hold her hand when we dance. We willingly oblige. And when we sing our goodbye song, we have to steady ourselves for the literal flood of hugs that we receive. Seriously, if we don’t brace ourselves, they’ll topple us over. These children are alive with music from head-to-toe, joy in their smiles, and love in their hearts.

We are so grateful to be part of this wonderful place and we invite you to join us as we “refill” their underwear cache. They ALWAYS need children’s underpants, especially toddler sizes and especially for boys. If you’d like to help out, please consider bringing new underpants to our Kindermusik Family Appreciation Day event on Saturday as a donation for Vogel Alcove children. Thank you in advance for your consideration.

This post brought to you by Miss Lisa

I’ve gotten to know many Nannies over the years so let me tell you about a few who stand out. (Some names have been changed.)

Courtney: I remember this Nanny, an educator at heart, a degreed teacher. She stayed with one of our families from Kindermusik through piano lessons and she sat down with the little girls and practiced with them every day. That little girl made more progress than any of the other children I taught because she had such a wonderful “teacher” at home.

Dalia: This Nanny was the life of the Kindermusik party. She had all the Spanish-speaking Nannies organized into one corner in class and she led them with enthusiastic participation. My favorite memory of her was when we’d dance with scarves. She didn’t just twirl and play peek-a-boo. No, she was having more fun than any child in there. She was “In the Zone” and turned it into quite the dance, if you know what I mean. There is one particular recording I cannot play without thinking fondly of her and smiling.

The Teitze Park Gang: If you live near Teitze Park and you’ve met this group of women, consider yourself fortunate. This is a group of Spanish-speaking Nannies that has bonded and has daily playgroups at the park. I’ve had many of them in Kindermusik over the years and frankly, I think there are too many to count. But they are a wonderful group. Besides the fact that they support each other and socialize with the children, they are best known for their birthday celebrations. Any child lucky enough to have one of these women as a Nanny gets a traditional birthday planned by Mom and Dad PLUS a Nanny party. And these are no small affairs!

The “Mannies:” We’ve even have had a couple “Mannies” over the years including Junior and Carlos. What a treat for these lucky children.

I’ve also had the privilege of “Repeat Nannies”. That means that I’ve been doing this long enough to have the same Nanny, but with two or even three different families. I cannot tell you how wonderful it feels when a new child comes into Kindermusik and then I see a Nanny from years back. Shout outs go to Marina, Debra, Isabel, and a few others, too many to name here.

Special mention in this category goes to:

Tina—our Jamaican “firecracker”. This woman knows how to wear a baby in a sling like no other. With her second family, when the new brother came along, she wore him alone until he was easily 30 pounds or more. She never batted an eye, just tied that wrap and danced with big sister. Tina Nannied two or three different families through Kindermusik. If you were in the class with her, you wouldn’t forget her. She was always the most enthusiastic singer and dancer!

Elydia—she cared for a boy with the chubbiest cheeks you’ve ever seen. She was a mother herself of big kids, and while caring for her charge, had a bonus baby of her own! We loved both those boys in class. Now, she’s back with a sweet little girl. Seeing her walk into class again, so many years later, like seeing an old friend, was a rush of joy for me! I adore this woman. She is so strong and loving and hard working (and has a lovely voice, too).

Debbie—I’ve known Debbie for maybe 12 years and three different families. She still works for two of them. She’s pretty much as good as it gets. When I saw her name on the family’s Kindermusik registration form, I immediately emailed mom, “You mean THE Debbie!” I was happy to let mom know she happened to have her child in the care of one of the neighborhood’s very best.

From our Music for Aardvarks class:

I have a Nanny named Annie she’s really uncanny and always happy.
I’m never alone when my parents aren’t home, cause Annie the Nanny’s with me.
When we’re together we don’t mind the weather, all over the city we roam.
We’ll have an adventure and quite a big tale to tell when Mom and Daddy come home.

Today, we welcome guest blogger, Beth of from Wisemommies.com

During pregnancy and right after having my first born, I just loved it when my friends would tell me, “you’re going to be a great mom.” This was so reassuring because honestly I worried with the thought that maybe I wouldn’t be a good mom. It doesn’t help that I had the greatest mom in the world, and not only did I know this but everyone told me so. I always thought, how will I ever be as good as my mom or just a good mom in general. Parenthood is such a responsibility. I knew who I was as a wife, daughter, teacher, pet owner, and individual, but what would happen when the baby arrived? Even after the baby arrived, my fears of being a good mom continued.

Having a child is truly an unknown adventure different for each individual. No, I’m not the mom my mom was but I’d like to think that I’ve emulated the best from her as a mother and have continued on with that; perfecting it even more. Of course, my mothering style differs in some ways to my mother, but I think that happens naturally and instinctively. I’ve also realized that there really isn’t a perfect mom because truly nobody is perfect.

We moms also have the advantage of the internet. Aren’t we lucky as mothers, in this century, to have endless access to helpful tips and tricks and other motherly examples and support? We have the advantage of taking the best from all other mothers out there and implementing them into our home and own style of parenting.

So, if you are like me, asking the question, “am I going to be a good mom” then fear not. It’s actually a good question. It means that you really care and you are going to be a good mom. Remember that there is no perfect ideal mom to live up to in this world. Be yourself as a mother while also being open-minded enough to learn from other mothers. If you are striving and wanting to be a good mom through your time, attention, and love then you are a good mom.

Years ago, when I still taught elementary school music, I only offered afternoon and evening classes. At one point, I was so tired, I thought, “I’ll take that Tuesday 6 pm class off the schedule.” One of the Dads in that class begged and begged me, “Noooo! That’s my time with my baby.” He figured it out and I gladly conceded.

Similarly, many grandparents have figured out how to get their own special activity with their grandchild. They know how these first few years just fly by. And they would agree that it’s much more fun to be a grandparent!

And finally, we’ll tell you about our awesome neighborhood Nannies. They not only get those children to class, but have them dressed perfectly with matching hair accessories! No Nanny Diaries blues here. Kindermusik Nannies are the best.

But let’s start with our Dads. I really enjoy having a Dad in class. Children always gravitate to the Dads. They’re instant celebrities. This past spring, one of our big-boy twins, Isaac, decided that class was much more fun with Alexandra’s dad. He pretty much waved goodbye to his Mom from the moment he saw this Dad. Indeed, they had a blast and Alexandra was kind enough to share.

Another memory was Agnes’ Dad, Sunday. Agnes was in my first group of Kindermusik families 15 years ago! Her Dad, Sunday, came with Agnes, and later Jane and Isaac. With all 3 children, Sunday was the clear hands down favorite of any Dad I’ve ever had in Kindermusik. He didn’t have to do much except walk into the room and whoosh! Like a magnet, the children flocked to his lap.

Dads are always aware of the reality of how challenging it is to care for a child, whether full time or just for an hour. As Josey’s Dad once said, “This is the hardest job I’ve ever had or ever will have!”

We have quite a few stay-at-home Dads and I salute their confidence coming into a room full of children and women talking about smocks, monogramming and playgroups. But that’s just the start of it. We start pulling out scarves and dancing on our tiptoes. It takes a confident man to do Kindermusik!

We have lots of Dads who pop in, alongside mom, or Dads who take their lunch hour to come to Kindermusik. They always agree with me: Kindermusik is MUCH more fun than working.

And during late afternoon classes and Saturday mornings, we often have lots of Dads joining in the fun. I especially love my Saturday Dads. I tease them–a year or two ago, would they have imagined that they’d be spending their Saturday mornings in a room full of babies, dancing with scarves, doing the polka, and Skipping to My Lou? Oh, but you know they love it. Just this past Saturday, we were doing Rig-A-Jig-Jig with the babies. (Hold the baby in one arm and “skip”, then partner with another adult/child, hook elbows, and swing your partner.) Well, I caught two Dads swinging their partner during the independent verse. They were just having too much fun.

But if there’s anything our Dads have brought to Kindermusik, it’s the sanctity of Rest Time. When I first began teaching Kindermusik, we did not include a “do-nothing” rest song as we now do. Of course, we all understand the importance of this ritual now, both in giving the children’s brains and bodies a chance to recover and also the adult’s a chance to take a deep breath. So back in 1998, when our curricula were revised and rest time was added, we weren’t quite sure what to do when we were supposed to “do nothing.” Alas, Dads to the rescue. If anyone knows how to rest, it’s a Kindermusik Dad. I remember all too clearly, my Tuesday evening group, almost entirely Dads. When rest time came upon us, they took it seriously. No chit chat, no worrying that their child wasn’t relaxed, they just did collapsed. And it worked! The children always followed. I think everyone in classes now owes a huge thank you to the Dads who showed us how to rest.

Please share your memories of your favorite Kindermusik Dads (maybe even the one right there in your own house).

We *heart* teachers!

Did you ever suppose a significant yet unlikely economic driver could be school teachers? I hadn’t considered it until recently.

During a Starbucks visit, I overheard a young couple with a newborn meeting with a realtor. “New Parents 101: Time to move to the ‘burbs.”

Mom and Dad were doing their due diligence as parents as they plan their growing family’s life around the needs of their child.

The realtor laid a huge map of the entire metroplex on the table and they were pointing and talking, bouncing baby boy all the while. But then, I heard Dad, in his most stern voice, remind the realtor, “We need consistently Recognized Schools. Not just Recognized, but schools that have been Recognized for several consecutive years.”

So I’d conclude that it’s fair to say that a large part of our entire economy depends on teachers. We are emerging from testing season here in Texas and when all is said and done, the teachers bear the responsibility of getting those test scores up. If they are successful in getting them high enough, the school earns “Recognized” Status.

If a school becomes “Recognized”, families who value education gravitate to the neighborhood. I know very little about the economy, but I do know that the desirability of such neighborhoods will only escalate. Homes will be sought after and the housing market will become competitive, and resale values will rise.

It really is that simple. Isn’t it in everyone’s best interest to support our educators? Unfortunately, they feel so much pressure about testing that they spend a disproportionate amount of what should be instructional time to “teach the test.” It’s sad, but true. Whether districts are aware that the economy relies on these scores or not, the reality is that the burden is on the classroom teachers day in and day out. It’s no wonder these hard workers are exhausted.

This isn’t meant to be a post to bash the testing system or echo teacher frustrations. I just think that we all need to be more aware of what really affects our economy, and teachers are at the heart of it.

What can you do? A teacher friend reminds me, “ A teacher’s success depends on the readiness of the learners in front of them.” Ask any teacher and they will agree–learning starts at home. If you’re a Kindermusik parent, you already know you are your child’s first and most important teacher. You always will be, so never assume that your job is done or passed off to the school teacher. That will be the best thing you can ever do to support your child’s learning.

Beyond that, ask the teachers you know (surely you know plenty). They can tell you what they would like to see in terms of support. Maybe it’s as simple as a hug or call of concern. Maybe they have some input about local policymakers who can make a difference. Most of all, our school teachers need to be appreciated and their work should be recognized because the results they produce are significant and affect ALL of us.

This post brought to you by Miss Lisa

Join us next time!

• Thursday, May 17th at 11:00am at Skillman Southwestern Library
• Friday, June 1st at 10:30am at Audelia Road Public Library

It’s always fun and it’s FREE!

Nope, I forgot that 2012 marks the 15th year of Kindermusik by SoundSteps. What’s that you say? “Miss Lisa, you must have started this when you were but a babe yourself!” Alas, Miss Lisa isn’t getting any younger. In fact, the first Kindermusik class from January 1997 will be going to college next year. (Yikes!)

So here’s a little background of how it all began. I’m from California and planned to teach high school music (another Yikes!) During my teaching certification program, I realized I could venture out a bit before settling into a teaching career. While some would choose Peace Corps or backpacking through Europe, I chose a Masters Degree in Music Ed, far away in the Carolinas (where I have aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents).

During the course of that Masters work, I quickly realized that high school wasn’t the way to go and in fact, elementary music ed wasn’t for me either. Instead, I concluded that because music education seemed to be falling out of schools, there was a need for music education in alternative and private settings. I connected with a professor who recognized this as well and I wanted to learn more So I finished my Masters of Music Ed at Appalachian State and headed for Dallas to pursue a Masters of Theology at SMU so I could study with him.

That first fall in Dallas, I taught elementary music and it took me all of a month to decide that I needed Kindermusik in my life. I had heard about Kindermusik while I was in North Carolina (it’s headquartered in Greensboro). So during that first fall of teaching school, I immediately became a Licensed Kindermusik Educator and started my first class in January of 1997.

It was at the St. Thomas Aquinas Preschool, before the “new addition” with St. Anne’s was even there! The first class had just four lucky children, but they were dedicated.

That summer, Kindermusik introduced its first summer camp and we grew from four to six. That fall, we kept six and by Spring, we were ready to add a second class! I continued to teach elementary music for a total of three years and completed the Master of Theology during that time as well. After that, I went full time into Kindermusik and before I knew it, I was adding locations and educators with me.

I have been fortunate for slow and steady growth. I have been fortunate to have wonderful locations that have been convenient and appealing for young families. But most of all, I have been fortunate to have exceptionally talented women come to me and teach alongside me.

We are proud to boast that we are ranked the 2nd largest Kindermusik program in the US (our friends in Seattle are #1). We are also proud that we donate our time offering weekly classes at Vogel Alcove Preschool for Homeless Children.

Join us on May 19 as we celebrate our 15th year by saying a huge thank you for your support. Our annual Family Appreciation Day Picnic will feature train rides around the parking lot at Our Redeemer Lutheran, balloon animals and popsicles. Bring a snack or a picnic and bring a friend—it’s free. Your child’s favorite Kindermusik educator will be there giving out free hugs, too!

This post brought to you by Miss Lisa who might just wear a party hat all year long.

Lesson #1: It’s your job to put it on their plate, it’s their job to eat it! Our family’s first pediatrician told me this and to this day, you will hear it at least once a week in our house. Don’t get caught up in what your toddler likes or doesn’t like this week, because next week it will be something different. Don’t underestimate your kids’ willingness to try new foods and for sure, don’t withhold something from them that you don’t like. With equal parts of delight and disgust, my sister’s four year old loves avocados and tomatoes! Put salad on their plate! Offer it up with a little “dippy sauce” like ranch dressing or plain yogurt. If you’ve put a balanced meal in front of them and they choose not to eat, well…breakfast is at 7:00, Champ.

Lesson #2: Experiment with new foods together! Monkey see, monkey do is more true than you can imagine when it comes to your children. Never is it more true than with eating habits and preferences. Do you turn your nose up at something new and say, “Whut is it?” They’re waaaatch-iiiiiing! Introduce foods from different regions and enjoy not only the new tastes, but dinner conversations turn international! Start small; hummus, exotic fruits, maybe a bit of a fun spice on popcorn. Show your kids that you, in fact, don’t know everything, but you do know how to learn something new and try something new. Learning to learn is a gift!

Lesson #3: Where there’s buy-in, there’s success! Make grocery lists together! Ask for their ideas–I wonder what they’ll say! Put a grocery list on the fridge that everyone is invited to add to when they are inspired to try something they saw on a movie or read in a book or heard a friend talk about. Then shop together, let them help you smell the cantaloupe or count the apples. Let them help you put the groceries away. And of course, find something they can do to help you cook. From one high-achiever to another–it’s hard to let your kids help; they slow you down, they make more messes, they’re easily distracted. But, practice makes perfect, and that goes for these little parenting opportunities, too. The payoff in their proud little faces far outweigh the extra floor clean-up.

Pinterest has Great Ideas!

Lesson #4: It’s all in the presentation! We all like an attractive plate. No one likes gray meat or over-cooked green beans. If you’re on a mission to get them to like some basics, try packaging it differently. Pinterest has an endless supply of ideas and inspiration for fun ways of presenting food for everyday consumption. Some of them are great time-saving ideas, too. I love the one that has you pre-pack a bunch of healthy, small snacks and store them at kid-level so that they can help themselves with permission. How fun!

This post brought to you by Jenny Leggett who is now chastising herself for making three different kinds of sandwiches everyday for her own three little turkeys’ school lunches. :/

Grow containers of wheat grass!

Here we are! Spring has sprung and Easter is around the corner. Do you dress up in sundresses and hats for the girlies and ties for the little boys? Do you go to church and get together for a family dinner? Do you color eggs and hide them? Or maybe the Easter bunny hides them and you hunt for them on Easter afternoon? Do you put quarters in plastic eggs and maybe a five dollar bill in one lucky finder’s egg? My eight year old loves the egg toss game that Grammy always has for us after Easter dinner. They’re all supposed to be boiled eggs, but Grammy loves a good prank and sure enough, there’s always a raw egg in there!

It’s another opportunity to establish your family’s traditions. It’s great to carry some over from the way you grew up, but maybe you’d like to change it up too and add  your own traditions as a new family. Maybe it’s all fun, or maybe it has a deeper meaning. Don’t worry about pleasing everyone or living up to unreal expectations. Keep it simple, be intentional and make it sustainable–who knows how many kids you might have to keep this up for!

Who needs another basket? Maybe you use and store the same ones each year. If you do, nice work! If you keep buying new baskets each year, think about getting a little creative this year. How about a nice square basket with a fabric liner that can be re-purposed in his bedroom to hold books? Maybe a sand bucket and shovel are your base and you add more Easter treats. For little girls, buy a cute little purse or tote that you can load with sunglasses, gum, crayons and paper, etc. Think outside the basket and start with spending that money on something that can have a real purpose beyond holding plastic grass and chocolate bunnies.

Who needs more sugar? Ugh. The management of the sugar intake is never-ending. And yet, those are often the first five things that come to mind when you think of filling the Easter baskets: Peeps, chocolate bunnies, malted eggs, and jelly beans. I love the suggestions from Design Mom Gabrielle Blair like puzzles, paper dolls, sticker books, Playdoh, yo-yos, and art supplies. Do grandparents need some hints and ideas? How about finding a Kindermusik gift certificate in one of those plastic eggs?

From our Pinterest Boards

Who loves a happy ending? The Easter story is a big one! This Easter garden is a great centerpiece for your table for you and your children to make together. We found it on Pinterest. There are few things more precious than sharing these important Bible stories with our little ones. I can still hear their little voices re-telling the story with such joy saying, “But then He rosed again!”

What are some of your ideas?

This post brought to you by Jenny Leggett who went and had two children with birthdays around Easter time! Save me from all of the celebrations! J/K!