Last summer I read a book that I truly loved called The MoonQuest by Mark David Gerson.  I have always loved fantasy but as a professional singer/songwriter/storyteller this book held extra magic for me.   In the world of  The MoonQuest bards and stories have been banned and Toshar must undertake The MoonQuest in order to restore the power of story to the world.

His grandmother, Eulisha, is the character who most captured my imagination and who inpired this song.  She is the one to tell him about The MoonQuest.  After they talk, she places an amulet under his pillow as he sleeps.  I wondered what she would do as he slept, as he decided whether he would take up the quest or not.

I believe she would sing and pray and send her love and power ahead of him into the unknown.  That is the purpose for this song.

If you love fantasy, as I do, I hope you will add The MoonQuest to your summer reading list.  I know I will be reading it all again from my hammock.  You can get a copy on Amazon or signed by the author at http://www.markdavidgerson.com/moonquestbook.html

I rarely listen to music at home.  If I am at home then we are singing together or enjoying some quiet.  I listen to music in the car and there are times when I get in my car for a short “Mommy break” and just take a drive.  This month I took a couple of breaks and was so grateful to have Scriptural Lullabies come on as I was driving.  One day, I just pulled into a parking lot and listened to the whole album as a kind of meditation.  I returned home refreshed and with a whole new outlook.

This album is truly wonder full.  My favorite songs are “Bless the Lord” which I find myself singing over and over during the day, “Be Still and Know” which is based in Psalm 46:10, and “Seek Ye First” which is based on one of my favorite Biblical verses.  I love that my son will grow up listening to these songs.  They are a fabulous way to reinforce the ideas of the Christian faith and by infusing these words with music, they become songs of comfort for a lifetime.

Scriptural Lullabies is the first in a series of albums by Breakaway Music.  To learn more you are invited to http://www.scripture-lullabies.com/ 

I have been given one copy of Scriptural Lullabies to giveaway!  To win, leave me a comment with your favorite verse from scripture.  A winner will be drawn at random on May 3!

Until then, I had never heard of Pumpkinboat racing.  Who knew that the capital of this exciting sport was only down the road a piece in Damariscotta, Maine?  With my love of gardening and my son’s passion for anything with a motor we quickly decided that this was the sport for us!

On earth day we soaked and started the seeds that we hope will grow into a pumpkin of hundred pound proportions.  As I read the directions, I must admit, I was a bit daunted.  I am not sure exactly what I have gotten myself into but I find that is the way that the best adventures begin.

Am I a bit panicked that we will not end up with a pumpkin at the end of the season?  Yes.  But, I figure we will do our best and see what grows.  Disappointment is a lesson we must learn also.  But what I am envisioning is some time in the garden with my son where we learn something new together.  I am envisioning pumpkin vines so large that they spill out of the gardens and cover the lawn.  I see people stopping to take pictures of our monster pumpkins and proudly mounting them onto a trailer to be taken to Damariscotta and weighed.

Most of all I am dreaming of my son’s smiling face as he starts the motor and drives away in his very own pumpkin boat.  Stay tuned!  This is the start of something BIG!

THIS WEEK’S PUMPKIN JOURNAL:

First we soak…then we sprout…

We were invited to come and tell our story and visit with the students.  Every one was bright and articulate and made me hopeful for the future.  Our son Clayton was hosted by a group of sorority sisters from AOPie.  I expected him to one day be surrounded by intelligent, beautiful and adoring women but I didn’t expect it to be so soon!  He also got to meet some engineering students, which was a highlight as he wants to be an engineer someday.

The money raised from the event will go to support the stream of miracles that come out of our local NICU and children’s hospital.  A fabulous event.  Thank you UMaine!

What is he listening to?

The decisions of parenting can feel overwhelming.  Weeks of research can go into finding just the right stroller, car seat or clothing for your new arrival.  Once they arrive, it seems there are still things you forgot to think about and the choices of parenting continue.  Something I hope you will take some time to consider today, is your child’s “sonic environment.”  What sounds surround your child?  Are they helping them to develop their senses or are they hindering this natural development.

I have always been very sensitive to sound. This is both a curse and a blessing.  On the one hand, sounds that most people don’t even hear, like the low humm of a machine that is plugged in but not on can make me crazy.  On the other, it helps me to stay on pitch for long acapella performances.  When my son was born, it was clear that he was also very sensitive to sound.  All babies are.  It takes time for our children to develop the filters that we have, for them every sound requires attention.  There is no such thing as “background noise.”

Imagine a world where nothing escapes your notice.  Tiring, right?  That is exactly why babies and young children need so much sleep.  They need processing time.  Sleep is also their only defense in a world that often overwhelms and assaults their senses.

Unless you take a stand, dangerously noisy toys will flood into your home from well meaning friends and grandparents.  Manufacturers will assault your child’s sensitivities with cheap and tinny music that is way too loud for young ears.  Sustained play with toys that have noise levels at 85 decibels or louder (which has become frightfully common) can cause deafness in children.

Add to the toy the fact that the ear structure of young children causes noises to echo more loudly than in adult ears, and the fact that children’s arms are shorter so the toy is inevitably closer to their ears than it is with an adult, and the fact that children are more likely to put a toy right up to their ear, and these noisy toys are a serious matter.  If the toy is loud enough to bother you, it is way too loud for your child.

So how can you protect your child and help their senses to develop in a healthy way?

Here are some tips:

1. Ban, or at least seriously limit, the number of noisy toys you allow in your home.  If there is one you do not want to get rid of, find a way to lower the volume.  Sometimes putting duct tape over the speakers works.  Have a conversation with gift givers about what kind of toys you want to have in your child’s environment.  Show them this post, or send them the video clip below, if it helps.
2. Establish quiet times during the day.  This is a wonderful way to reset your sensitivities and to allow a space where your child can develop naturally.  It also teaches your child to respect quiet as an important part of their life.
3. Eliminate background noise as much as you can.  If you are not watching it, listening to it consciously, or using it, turn it off.
4. Surround your life with quality sound.  Listen to music with a human voice, sing to each other, talk with each other, engage your environment by seeking out birdsong and other nature sounds.

If you follow these tips, I guarantee  both you and your child will experience a calmer more nourishing environment.

I was interviewed about this topic on Fox 23.  Click here to watch and to share this video.