Halloween Costume Contest

Lucy as "Spider"


Ricky as "Lack o'Lantern"




We didn't win this year's contest but "Dad" was proud of our fur babies! Have a safe and happy Halloween Kindermusik families!!!

William Tell Overture

One of my Kindermusik Our Time parents sent me the following video and thought you'd all like to take a look! Sound familiar?-- and I don't just mean the tune! Thanks for sharing, BettMarie!

Pregnancy Journey in Natomas

Compare standard 2D ultrasound image on the left to Pregnancy Journey's thrilling image of 3D/4D ultrasounds!

According to Christa Luminare-Rosen, PhD, author of Parenting Begins Before Conception: A Guide to Preparing Body, Mind, and Spirit for You and Your Future Child, "Prenates can see, hear, feel, remember, taste and think before birth. Babies can recognize music they've heard in the womb after they're born."

At Pregnancy Journey, Elizabeth Aragona and Christina Marapao (two prior military nurses who first met each other at David Grant Medical Center on Travis Air Force Base, California) are in the business of helping parents bond with their babies before their births.

"One of the best ways you can bond with your baby", says Thomas Ivester, MD, clinical instructor in maternal-fetal medicine at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, "is having an ultrasound." "Bonding during pregnancy gives a mom a better sense of responsibility in caring for herself, and be extension the baby. In the second trimester you can actually see the baby's chubby cheeks, see him sucking, yawning, and turning over. It's fantastic!"

In addition to fetal images (3D ultrasound) and real-time movements (4D ultrasound), Pregnancy Journey offers prenatal massages, prenatal fitness classes, belly casting, prenatal photography, childbirth classes (The Bradley Method), baby sign classes and Kindermusik classes with Miss Sunny!

Pregnancy Journey is located at 4030 Truxel Road, Suite B Sacramento, CA 95834. (916) 419-3343. Hope to see you there!

A Little Inspiration

"Talent will fall short of diligence, but even the greatest diligence will always fall short of motivation and a cheerful attitude." -- a quote my nephew shared with his high school classmates upon being elected junior class president this year... I'm so proud of him!

Not Blogging Lately

No, I've not been blogging for some time... So very touching though that I've had several families call or email inquiring:

"Are you okay, Miss Sunny?"

"You have not added to your blog in awhile and that got me wondering.....Is she just incredibly busy?????"

Yes, I'm doing fine, and yes I've been very busy. Not only was I visiting my nephew (something I do at this time of the year) as he's in a boarding school down in So. Cal., but I've been finalizing my spring 2008 schedule for next year. Now that I teach in multiple locations, I'm finding out that it's a lot harder to organize my class times!

I'm happy to say though that I will be back blogging again. My nephew is doing very well-- a junior in high school now (his dorm room didn't need any cleaning this time), and my spring 2008 schedule is available for current families, and soon will be available on my website for public viewing!

Lessons from Wild Geese

"Nature teaches us incredible lessons through the actions of birds and animals. Their instincts seem so finely tuned." Boaz Rauchwerger


Whenever I see a flock of birds in flight, I'm always amazed at how perfectly coordinated and organized they fly together in that V shape formation.

In a recent conversation with Patte from N Magazine, she shared a wonderful factoid about how a flock of geese work together during long migrations, and what lessons we humans can learn from their behavior-- I decided to find out more.

Fact #1: Did you know that when a flock of geese fly together in V formation, they are able to fly 71% farther than if each bird flew on its own because of the uplift created by the flapping wings of each bird?

Fact #2: The loud honking we often hear from geese in flight is a way for the birds to encourage one another to keep going and to maintain steady speed (or steady beat, perhaps!).

Fact #3: When one goose is hurt and has to land, two other geese leave the formation to follow the injured bird. They stay to protect and support their feathered friend, and later rejoin the flock or form a new formation.

So what can we learn from these behaviors?

Lesson #1: "Sharing the same direction and working as a team, get us to the destination quicker and easier. By helping ourselves, the accomplishments are greater!" Lesson from The Geese

Lesson #2: "When there is courage and encouragement, the progress is greater... A timely word of encouragement, always motivates, helps and strengthens... It produces the best of benefits..." Lesson from The Geese

Lesson #3: "If we bond together and support each other… If we make true the spirit of teamwork… Regardless of our differences, we can rise to meet our challenge." Lesson from The Geese

Pretty inspiring, don't you think? So the next time you and your baby sing and dance to Wild Geese are Flying from your Village Feather's collection, visualize that V formation of teamwork, encouragement and support found in your Kindermusik class and community!