Today I am going to bring to you some of those good "ole" go to games that we can always rely on when we have THOSE kind of weeks. Yep, look at the pic. We all have them and its totally okay! These games can be pulled out last minute at anytime. They are great to have on hand for subs or the presidency in case of an emergency. You know the ones. You wake up in the middle of the night Saturday and look and feel like this: or GREAT for times like these: Yay, vacation!! My favorite!!! Below is a list of games you can always rely on last minute. I have taken some from off of the internet and tried to compile them in one place for you. I hope this is helpful for anyone needing some last minute ideas. Thanks for taking a peek. Happy Singing to everyone!!! Hide the Note 1.)The first one I have for you has been around for quite sometime. You all know the one, Hide the Note/Hot and Cold. To play you will print yourself out a copy of a music note. You can easily cut one out of black card stock or construction paper. Whatever is easiest and something you already have on hand. Once you have your note you are ready to play! Choose your song. This is a great one to use for repetition because the kiddo's will sing the same song over and over and have a good time while doing it! To start you choose a child to be your seeker. They will step out into the hallway while another child helper comes up front and hides the music note somewhere in the room. Once the note is hidden you will have the seeker step back into the room. The kiddo's will sing quietly until the seeker gets closer to where the note is hidden. They will sing louder the closer the seeker gets to the hidden note until it is found. They will then finish the verse and the seeker will then hide it from the next child that is chosen. Name that Tune 2.) Number two is another oldie but goodie that has been around for years. It is Name that Tune. This one is pretty simple to figure out. You will need some songs written out on some slips of paper and a dice so that it can be rolled to determine the amount of notes that the children get. You can break into teams or just play with the whole group. Whatever suits your primary the best. To play: A child will roll the dice to determine the amount of notes for the pianist to play. You could use two dice if you feel you need more than 6 notes for play. The Child will then pick a piece of paper out of a basket, or container and you will hand it to your pianist. She/he will play the amount of notes determined by the roll of the dice. The kids have to try and guess which song by the amount of notes that are played. Again, you can do teams or just play as a whole. If they get it right then give them a point, if not, then you get the point and they sing the song anyway:) Play then continues.. You can set an amount of points to try and reach before the end of singing time and give a small reward or not. Whatever you prefer.... Stump the Chorister 3.) Comes to us from this blog Here. It is called Stump the Chorister and it is a very cute idea. For this one you will have a bag or box full of dress up items. A chosen child will come to the front and pick a question about a song you have been working on. If they can answer the question then they get to pick an item out of your dress up bag/box for you to put on. If they can't answer the question then you get to pick an item and they have to put it on. There are different ways this could be played. I would only make them wear the item while we sing the song the question was regarding. If I have to wear the item then I would have to keep it on throughout singing time unless they don't all participate. Then I can remove the item after they sing the song. This would add in a little motivation as well. Pop the Balloon 4.) Another simple one that the kiddo's love and can do over and over is POP the balloon. For this one you just put your songs to be practiced in some balloons and the kiddo's get to pop the balloon and sing the song inside. You can change this up however you would like. I saw an idea posted stating that you can call this POP QUIZ and just put a line from a specific song and see if they kids can figure out what song it is. Once they guess the song you sing it.. Skittles Challenge 5.) For this one you need a bag of skittles. Simple, Simple, Simple! To play you have a child come to the front. They pick a skittle with their eyes closed. They then eat the skittle and try and determine the color of the skittle they have eaten. If they guess right then they get to choose their favorite song, if they miss then we sing a program song. Who's Missing 6.) This game is great for repetition. To start you will have your song picked out beforehand. You will then have a child step out into the hallway. While the seeker is in the hallway you will then pick another child to hide behind the piano. Once they are hidden the kiddo's will start singing the song. The seeker will come into the primary room and try and decide who is missing. They can not walk around and look. They have to stand at the front of the room while the song is being sung and try and determine from there. Once the song is over they can guess who is missing? If they are right then they can pick the next seeker, if the hider tricked them then they get to be the next seeker. Somthing's Different, Sister ________ 7.) This next one sounds really cute. I found it on this blog Here. It is called Something's Different, Sister ______! It is a great one for review of your program songs. To play, you bring a few items to change your appearance but only slightly. Items could be; Earrings, lipstick, a hair clip, shoes, stickers, a jacket, etc. You would then tell the kiddo's to take a good look at you. Notice what your wearing, your hair, try to memorize everything about you. You would then step out into the hallway and change something about your appearance. Once you step back into the room the kiddo's will start singing the song for review while you stand in the front and direct. While singing they have to try and determine what is different about your appearance. At the end of the song they guess what is different. Play continues with the next song. You will always be the one to change our appearance. You wouldn't want another child putting in your earrings or wearing your lipstick:) 8.) These last two I have for you tonight are from previous posts on my site. They are called 4 corners and Swat Team. You can find them by clicking Here. I have a few others under the review games label that would be GREAT for last minute prep. They are listed as Silent Singer, Sparkle, Heads up 7 up, & Around the World. These are just a few. Please feel free to take a peek. There are quite a few there that would work GREAT for those CRAZY weeks that we all know.. I hope this is helpful to anyone having one of those days, weeks, months.... Happy Singing Everyone and Happy WEEKEND!!!

Structuring your 20 minutes each Sunday to maximize effectiveness. Enthusiastic Greeting 1 minute or less You need to get their attention. Their minds will be all over the place. Greet them with enthusiasm, hook their attention so you can sing! Sing! SING! Wiggle Song (or two!) 3 minutes Maybe they just came from class and are feeling wiggly. Maybe they just came from Sacrament meeting and they just can't sit still. Sing a fun song, or two or three and get the wiggles out. Don't be afraid to sing it in a silly style to make it even more fun! Practice Song 9 minutes Review Songs 5 minutes This is the time to sing one or two practice songs for the program, or throw in more favorites so the kids continue to pay attention. Everyone needs a break from singing the same verse of the practice song over and over again! Practice Song 1 minute After a short break of review/fun songs sing this weeks practice song one more time. It lets you know how well they learned what you taught earlier and the parts of the song where the kids are struggling. This way you know what to focus on next week. Reverent Song 1 minute Whether the kids are about to go into sharing time, class or home always end with a reverent song. The reverent song lets the kids know it's time to settle down and be prepared to pay attention to what is next. A well organized singing time will have time for 8 to ten songs, even if you are spending ten minutes teaching a song. Reviewing songs is very important! It helps reinforce gospel principles, it's fun and it's what singing time is all about! SINGING! What if sharing time goes long and I don't have the full 20 minutes? Not a problem! You can know exactly what to do by looking at your kids. Are they super wiggly? Wiggle Songs 4 minutes Practice Song 4 minutes Review Songs 2 minutes (probably one song or two short ones) Reverent Song 1 minute Are they being reverent? Practice song 5 minutes Review/fun songs 5 minutes Reverent song 2 minutes What if it's important to explain a gospel principle so that teaching the song is more effective? Where is the time for that? Sharing time! If the song of the month (or any song) needs extra time to be explained get with the person doing sharing time that week. Have sharing time be first. Talk about the song. Explain the gospel principles and have the children participate while learning. Then when it's time to sing, you have time to sing and there was plenty of time to learn about the song as well. I don't see time for games or activities in your schedule. Keep the games simple. If they take too much time, you lose valuable practice and singing time. Don't let the game be so involved that you don't sing any songs! When we have a singing time where I will be calling on the children to pick what we sing I usually ask right at the beginning for them to each think of a song, that way they already have a song they want to sing if they are called on. You don't have to spend all 9 minutes working on the practice song. Sometimes you only need 5. Sometimes the kids just need to review the practice songs, and you don't need that time for learning a new song. That's a great time to throw in a fun game that needs a little extra time. Well begun is half done! This is definitely the Mary Poppins in me! Be organized. Know what songs you plan to sing for opening song, closing, wiggle songs, birthday songs, and review songs. It's very helpful to give that list to the pianist so that they can get to the next song quickly. Take the extra step and write down the page number for them! You don't want the kids to get restless and stop paying attention because they are waiting for the pianist find the page. Make everything go smoother by being prepared! Know the songs! Practice all week, or for several weeks so you know the song you are teaching. As soon as you pick up your phone to look at the words you've lost the kids and it's really hard to get their attention back. Watch the kids! Pay Attention! Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you just lose them. It's sad. It's heartbreaking. But you have to continue on. It's time to abandon the schedule and get them back on track before you can continue with the regularly scheduled activities. What to do when you have lost control and the primary kids aren't paying attention: Action songs - kids can't help but join in. They love to move around. Sing it silly - The kids need singing time to be fun. Pick a wiggle or action song and sing it like a pirate. You will have their full attention. Do something drastic. Have an emergency visual aid handy. I have reverent glasses. When I put them on the kids are magically reverent. Have something that lights up! Change your location. Move to the back of the room! Use your pianist!!! Fall asleep if they sing too quiet and have the pianist wake you up. Have the pianist play a fanfare if they do a great job, or play some minor chords when they don't sing well. Send me an email! I would love to answer any questions you have and help in any way I can. All primaries are different! [email protected]

There’s been a lot of hand-wringing about fake news on Facebook and how it misinformed voters. Facebook should not be a primary source for news consumption. It’s for ignoring event invitations ...

Liberal filmmaker Michael Moore is threatening Senate Democrats that they will face a primary challenge from the left if they refuse to filibuster President Trump’s pick for the Supreme Court.

The people of the Internet have come together to give already named animals better, more humorous names. These are the best of the Proper Animal Names.

Dutch postcard by Art Unlimited, Amsterdam, 1975. Illustration: Dick Bruna, 1975. Thursday 16 February 2017, Dutch author, artist, illustrator and graphic designer Hendrik Magdalenus Bruna passed away. He was famous for his Miffy (Nijntje in Dutch), a small rabbit drawn with heavy graphic lines, simple shapes and primary colors. Aside from his prolific catalog of children's books, Bruna also illustrated and designed book covers, posters and promotional materials for his father's publishing company A.W. Bruna and Zoon. His most popular designs graced the covers of the Zwarte Beertjes series of books. Well known among his designs are those for Simenon's Maigret books, typified by graphic silhouettes of a pipe on various backgrounds. Dick Bruna was 89. Source: Wikipedia.

Click here to share on Facebook. “The primary duty of charity does not lie in the toleration of false ideas.” ~Pope Saint Pius X The above quote and those following are taken from the outstanding document, Notre Charge Apostolique, or Our Apostolic Mandate which Pope Saint Pius X issued to the French episcopate on August 25, 1910 to refute the errors of a pseudo-Catholic French political movement known as “The Sillon”. A syncretist mass political movement started by French Catholics, it is perhaps unsurprising that the Sillon soon adopted socialist/humanistic tones and goals. Pius X recognized the dangers inherent in such a movement, which threatened to usurp the Church's authentic teachings on Christian charity in favor of watered-down slogans more closely allied with Marx and Lenin than Jesus Christ. If this sounds familiar, it should. In our day, the toleration of errors and the enabling of sinful acts and behaviors has become practically synonymous with charity. Pope Saint Pius X, however, would have none of it. In context, the quote above is even more stark and directly applicable to the present day when false ideas are not only tolerated, but even celebrated in some Catholic circles: “The same applies to the notion of Fraternity which they found on the love of common interest or, beyond all philosophies and religions, on the mere notion of humanity, thus embracing with an equal love and tolerance all human beings and their miseries, whether these are intellectual, moral, or physical and temporal. But Catholic doctrine tells us that the primary duty of charity does not lie in the toleration of false ideas, however sincere they may be, nor in the theoretical or practical indifference towards the errors and vices in which we see our brethren plunged, but in the zeal for their intellectual and moral improvement as well as for their material well-being. Catholic doctrine further tells us that love for our neighbor flows from our love for God, Who is Father to all, and goal of the whole human family; and in Jesus Christ whose members we are, to the point that in doing good to others we are doing good to Jesus Christ Himself. Any other kind of love is sheer illusion, sterile and fleeting.” Following are several additional quotes taken from this outstanding document. In this next one, Pope St. Pius X elaborates on the thoughts above, relating them directly to the teachings of Jesus: Click here to share on Facebook. “Whilst Jesus was kind to sinners and to those who went astray, He did not respect their false ideas, however sincere they might have appeared. He loved them all, but He instructed them in order to convert them and save them.” ~Pope Saint Pius X Here is the above quote in context. The observant reader will quickly recognize that the same types of errors promoted by the Sillon in the early 20th century, are rampant among politicized Catholics today: “We wish to draw your attention, Venerable Brethren, to this distortion of the Gospel and to the sacred character of Our Lord Jesus Christ, God and man, prevailing within the Sillon and elsewhere. As soon as the social question is being approached, it is the fashion in some quarters to first put aside the divinity of Jesus Christ, and then to mention only His unlimited clemency, His compassion for all human miseries, and His pressing exhortations to the love of our neighbor and to the brotherhood of men. “True, Jesus has loved us with an immense, infinite love, and He came on earth to suffer and die so that, gathered around Him in justice and love, motivated by the same sentiments of mutual charity, all men might live in peace and happiness. But for the realization of this temporal and eternal happiness, He has laid down with supreme authority the condition that we must belong to His Flock, that we must accept His doctrine, that we must practice virtue, and that we must accept the teaching and guidance of Peter and his successors. Further, whilst Jesus was kind to sinners and to those who went astray, He did not respect their false ideas, however sincere they might have appeared. He loved them all, but He instructed them in order to convert them and save them. “Whilst He called to Himself in order to comfort them, those who toiled and suffered, it was not to preach to them the jealousy of a chimerical equality. Whilst He lifted up the lowly, it was not to instill in them the sentiment of a dignity independent from, and rebellious against, the duty of obedience. Whilst His heart overflowed with gentleness for the souls of good-will, He could also arm Himself with holy indignation against the profaners of the House of God, against the wretched men who scandalized the little ones, against the authorities who crush the people with the weight of heavy burdens without putting out a hand to lift them. He was as strong as he was gentle. He reproved, threatened, chastised, knowing, and teaching us that fear is the beginning of wisdom, and that it is sometimes proper for a man to cut off an offending limb to save his body. “Finally, He did not announce for future society the reign of an ideal happiness from which suffering would be banished; but, by His lessons and by His example, He traced the path of the happiness which is possible on earth and of the perfect happiness in heaven: the royal way of the Cross. These are teachings that it would be wrong to apply only to one's personal life in order to win eternal salvation; these are eminently social teachings, and they show in Our Lord Jesus Christ something quite different from an inconsistent and impotent humanitarianism.” Can you imagine such a bold and muscular teaching coming from the leaders of the Catholic Church today? In the next quote, Pope Saint Pius X makes it absolutely clear that all definitions of love and charity outside of Catholic faith are false, blind alleys. Click here to share on Facebook. "Catholic charity alone can lead the people in the march of progress towards the ideal civilization.” ~Pope Saint Pius X Following is the context from Our Apostolic Mandate. When reading the passage below, one is struck by the prophetic wisdom of the Holy Father in recognizing that solidarity is only obtainable when all are one in Christ. His prediction that democracy would be “a disastrous step backwards” if divorced from the teachings of Jesus should send a shiver down the spine of us Catholics living a century after this document was written: “Indeed, we have the human experience of pagan and secular societies of ages past to show that concern for common interests or affinities of nature weigh very little against the passions and wild desires of the heart. No, Venerable Brethren, there is no genuine fraternity outside Christian charity. Through the love of God and His Son Jesus Christ Our Savior, Christian charity embraces all men, comforts all, and leads all to the same faith and same heavenly happiness. “By separating fraternity from Christian charity thus understood, Democracy, far from being a progress, would mean a disastrous step backwards for civilization. If, as We desire with all Our heart, the highest possible peak of well being for society and its members is to be attained through fraternity or, as it is also called, universal solidarity, all minds must be united in the knowledge of Truth, all wills united in morality, and all hearts in the love of God and His Son Jesus Christ. But this union is attainable only by Catholic charity, and that is why Catholic charity alone can lead the people in the march of progress towards the ideal civilization.” Building upon this, Pope Saint Pius X makes the case in the next passage that true civilizational progress can only take place if it is founded upon the Catholic Faith. How can anyone who calls himself a Catholic and a true follower of Jesus Christ not believe that this is true? Click here to share on Facebook. “There is no true civilization without a moral civilization, and no true moral civilization without the true religion.” ~Pope Saint Pius X Following is the context. In this passage, Pope Saint Pius X explains that there is an essential relationship between civilization, morality and the Catholic faith. Furthermore, he predicted what would happen when Catholics joined together with others in political causes while leaving their Catholicism at the door: their political goals will soon supersede their Catholic identity, virtues and duties. “Here we have, founded by Catholics, an inter-denominational association that is to work for the reform of civilization, an undertaking which is above all religious in character; for there is no true civilization without a moral civilization, and no true moral civilization without the true religion: it is a proven truth, a historical fact. The new Sillonists cannot pretend that they are merely working on “the ground of practical realities” where differences of belief do not matter. Their leader is so conscious of the influence which the convictions of the mind have upon the result of the action, that he invites them, whatever religion they may belong to, “to provide on the ground of practical realities, the proof of the excellence of their personal convictions.” And with good reason: indeed, all practical results reflect the nature of one’s religious convictions, just as the limbs of a man down to his finger-tips, owe their very shape to the principle of life that dwells in his body. “This being said, what must be thought of the promiscuity in which young Catholics will be caught up with heterodox and unbelieving folk in a work of this nature? Is it not a thousand-fold more dangerous for them than a neutral association? What are we to think of this appeal to all the heterodox, and to all the unbelievers, to prove the excellence of their convictions in the social sphere in a sort of apologetic contest? Has not this contest lasted for nineteen centuries in conditions less dangerous for the faith of Catholics? And was it not all to the credit of the Catholic Church? What are we to think of this respect for all errors, and of this strange invitation made by a Catholic to all the dissidents to strengthen their convictions through study so that they may have more and more abundant sources of fresh forces? What are we to think of an association in which all religions and even Free-Thought may express themselves openly and in complete freedom? For the Sillonists who, in public lectures and elsewhere, proudly proclaim their personal faith, certainly do not intend to silence others nor do they intend to prevent a Protestant from asserting his Protestantism, and the skeptic from affirming his skepticism. “Finally, what are we to think of a Catholic who, on entering his study group, leaves his Catholicism outside the door so as not to alarm his comrades who, “dreaming of disinterested social action, are not inclined to make it serve the triumph of interests, coteries and even convictions whatever they may be”? Such is the profession of faith of the New Democratic Committee for Social Action which has taken over the main objective of the previous organization and which, they say, “breaking the double meaning which surround the Greater Sillon both in reactionary and anti-clerical circles”, is now open to all men “who respect moral and religious forces and who are convinced that no genuine social emancipation is possible without the leaven of generous idealism.” “Alas! yes, the double meaning has been broken: the social action of the Sillon is no longer Catholic…." In reading the above, can anyone doubt that Pius X was not only a pope and a saint, but a prophet as well? If you have the wherewithal, read the entirety of Our Apostolic Mandate. It is truly sobering. I recently attended a Catholic event as a vendor that drew about 4,000 cultural Catholics along with many of the devout. This was far from the typical conservative/traditionalist crowd, so I was unsure how some of my offerings would go over. I made up photo cards for people to take for free featuring tough quotes from various saints, including the images above featuring Pope Saint Pius X. Numerous people picked up the cards, read them, and said words to the effect of: "Wow, is this ever needed today." So hope is not lost, and I truly believe that a powerful reaction, inspired by the Holy Spirit, is brewing. If only the leaders of the Church had the boldness and courage of Pope Saint Pius X. May this great and holy Pontiff pray for his successors and for all of us. We desperately need it!

Excellent Ed by Stacy McAnulty Illustrated by Julia Sarcone-Roach Published by Alfred A. Knopf, 2016 24 pages ISBN: (978-0-553-51023-2 Ages 4-7 “All of the Ellis children were allowed to eat at the table and ride in the van and sit on the couch and use the indoor bathroom. Except Ed.” Ed is prohibited from these activities because he’s a dog, not that Ed himself makes any distinction between himself and his human family. But because each of the other Ellis children excels at something—Elaine at soccer, Emily and Elmer at math, Edith at ballet, and Ernie at baking cupcakes—Ed goes in search of what he’s best at. The search leads to answers that are satisfying for Ed and for readers and listeners, too. It’s hard to say which is more appealing in this sparkling picture book, Ed or the entire lively Ellis family, of which Ed is clearly a much-loved member. The wonderful narrative makes judicious use of repetition while the vivacious illustrations are full of humor and warmth. The Ellis family is Black, with children ranging from early-elementary-age to their teens, something typical for many families but not for many picture books. ©2016 Cooperative Children’s Book Center

It's SUMMER! If you need a fun summer primary idea for singing time, this one is fun, and easy! Dressing up is Dan's fave, and the kids always love to see what he comes up

Brief Introduction to Carnatic Raga Structure The first classification of Carnatic ragas into MeLakarta system dates back to 17th century, pioneered by Sri Venkatamakhi. The classification was made…