KITTENS!!!

Courtney, Love, I haven't laughed this hard in a LONG time. Thank you.

j

Really?!

Working in a Kindergarten room is an absolute BLAST! My kids are doing so, so well (at the beginning of school, each and every student needed LOTS of extra help and support to be on grade level. NOW, ALL of my kids are above bench-mark and MOST of them are reading on a 1st grade level or above!) and are just so much fun to be with.

I love being with the same kids from 8:45 am to 3:10 pm, Monday through Friday. I thought I *may* get burned out coming from the preschool where I had two groups of kids each day (morning and afternoon groups) that came every OTHER day. I was happily surprised! All day Kindergarten is just a DREAM! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Courtney (my teacher, mentor and friend) and I couldn't have hand picked a happier, funnier, more well behaved class. This is the BEST job I've EVER had! (And that's saying something!)

This week I decided to keep track of some of the BEST things I've heard the kids say...get ready...

The Top 15 Things Overheard in Room 14

"A baby fish is called a french fry."

"Miss Dansie...your hair...it's...wow...I wouldn't do it like that again if I were you..."

"My Gramma Cher Cher cut up the cheese."

While doing top to bottom addition: "2+4 'eek-wewls'... No. Not 'eek-wewls'. 2+4...line."

"That's my dog, Spike. And THAT'S his private body part. Let's just cover that up."

"...and then this one guy had a REALLY long tooth right here. It was just...weird!"

"OHMYGOSHAVERYYOU'RETURNINGORANGE!" --"...Huh?"--Ughh..."DUH, Dante! It's. Her. SHIRT!"

"I'm thinkin' about bein' a monster right now..."

"It's a robot with a vacuum."

"ZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzeeeeeeEEEEEEeeezzzEEEEezzzzzzzzzZZZZZZuuuuzzz... Oh."

"GUYS! NO MORE PEEPING!"--"Oh. I'm just excited."

"Wanna hear a joke?! Knock, knock." "Who's there?" "Ninja!" "Ninja who?" "NINJA!" "Ninja WHO?" "Lettuce." "What?" "Say, Lettuce WHO!" "Lettuce who." "Lettuce you glad I didn't say ninja?" "Dude, I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be 'ORANGE'." "Oh. Wait. Watch this! Knock, Knock!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! A...." DEEP BREATH "...DOG!!!"

"You wanna have a cracker? They're called 'pepper-jon's! HEY GUYS!! I'VE GOT MORE 'PEPPER-JON'S'!! They're GOOD!"

"Let's get up the glitter. THEN we can play Twilight at recess!

I'M EDWARD! Oooaaahh...I love him..."

Yes, really.

j

4-5-6 come on and get your kicks

Effing Carrots.

About a week ago I decided that for Easter I would be in charge of the veggies (Brussels sprouts with leeks and bacon...yum!!!...and mashed yams with garlic, coconut milk and cilantro...Ahh!) a simple salad and dadadaada! A Carrot Cheesecake made with Splenda and low fat cream cheese.

Simple. Easy. No problem...

This morning I decided to get up and get myself put together early to get Easter errands run BEFORE guitar. I dumped out the change bucket, cashed it in at the Coinstar in Albertson's (cause Sunflower doesn't have one...) and got the cream cheese, because they were 10 for $10. On sale cream cheese! Yay! I made the decision to go to Sunflower-not only because they are my FAVORITE grocery store (it smells WONDERFUL in Sunflower!) but because they have the best prices on the best produce in the valley-but by the time I was done dodging the oldsters in the aisles and the pissies in the parking lot it was time for my lesson. So...I went up the hill.

Lessons today were positive, productive and happy! B's new studio has a window (blessed sunlight!) which gave me something to focus on while thinking through the various strumming patterns I was working on (and still get to...) I'm still working on Love and Some Verses, Look What You've Done and Alloway Grove, and today I threw Loving You by Paolo Nutini into the mix.

Afterwards, I flew to Ikea (for the 5th time in less than two weeks...) to pick up the random bits we forgot the last couple of times, check sizes on poster frames and to pick up a chair for my space in the Starchild Studios. Best part of THIS trip to Ikea??? I spent the entire time singing JET's Are You Gonna Be My Girl and while picking out the chair, it came on the huge speakers in the self serve furniture area! FABULOUS!

After Ikea (and a particularly enjoyable trip to Zuppa's), I ran to Sunflower to get the stuff for tomorrow's dinner. TONS of yams, 3 lbs of Brussels Sprouts (I loved Brussels...), the pecans and graham crackers, an itty bitty piece of fresh ginger, some sushi (for tonight...I was hungry) and was THRILLED to walk out with EVERYTHING I needed plus a magazine for less than $40.

I get home, put everything away, make a phone call or two, sit down and Mom says...did ya get the carrots? I literally sat there and said,

"No...but why would I need carrots???"

Certainly NOT for the Carrot Cheesecake. Nope, not for that. Honestly. So, I got to go BACK to Sunflower (thank Heavens they are just up the street!) to get the effing carrots. Beautiful, baby, organic carrots with the greens still attached...they smell and taste just like Grandpas... Until I drop the freaking bag on the floor and break ALL the tips off.

This trip to sunflower cost me MORE than the first. Somehow...

So HAPPY FREAKING EASTER my loves. I'm going to go brush my teeth.

j

M.U.S.E.

I've FINALLY finished my new business card for Starchild! I've decided to name both the Silver jewelry AND Starchild's "newsletter"*,

M.U.S.E.

M=music

U=unique

S=stars

E=eclectic

I've begun to build upon my ideas for the jewelry and can't wait to get started! We've decided that I'm gonna be the girl in Flashdance running around the backyard with my butane torch... ;)

*..."Newsletter" isn't quite the word or idea that I'm after though. Right now I don't have the resources, time or energy to make a full blown MAGAZINE but I'm so not thinking that I want to create a "church bulletin" style half sheet of paper either.

It's going to take some serious thinking time to put onto paper (and silver)what's forming in Starchild's collective minds...

j

Look What You've Done...

My love affair with JET continues.

Ever since Back Door Santa I've been hooked...happy and in love...mmmmm... I stumbled upon THIS little gem the other night and decided that it got to be my newest project for Guitar:

Look What You've Done

Mmmm...I love his voice...


Fabulous news! My lessons are now officially being held in the Starchild Music Productions Guitar Studios in Union Square! The guys-Jon, Floyd and Brandon are getting their rooms and work stations set up and ready while myself and Mom have been running to Ikea, printing pics, building and decorating for a week straight. Life is good...

So, today was my first lesson in the new building. While I was there, B was having a student of his sit in on his lessons because SHE will be teaching her own version of "Guitar Fundamentals" in the third Studio off and on throughout the week. She was taking notes on teaching techniques and answering questions B threw at her-to make sure she was ready to begin in a week or so. Sweet girl-but still intimidating. (I'm not a huge fan of playing in front of people, you know...) AND, the man from our alarm co. was in laying wire and drilling holes. I got to get up and move halfway through my lesson so he could do B's room and when I had about 10 minutes left, I got to have a quickie lesson in HOW to make the alarm not go off when I get to the Studios alone. (Scary-I need another lesson...)

It's also been decided that while I'm not at Liberty or at school, I get to hang out at Starchild to do a couple of things. I'd like to start a mag of sorts talking about the services and products we offer (SWEET deals are occurring left and right for Starchild!) as well as doing write-ups on locals bands that also take lessons from the guys, doing a bit of advertising, etc. Not sure all it will include, what it will be called or what it will end up looking like, but a vision has started to form! ALSO, I am in the works of getting things ready to have my own line of sterling silver jewelry for the rockers. I will be able to do custom orders, one of a kind pieces as wells as limited editions of amazing pieces.

More to come on jonnajonna for Starchild!

j

*Back to my audacious adventures...I've taken some pics of my practice time. These were taken while working on Iron and Wine's Love and Some Verses...

Yes...they hurt...