Juggling All the Balls in the Air

****CAUTION FOR ALL YOU NON-MUSICIANS OUT THERE***** This is NOT the month to be telling the musicians in your life that they really need to slow down and enjoy the season. It's just NOT the time!

It's getting busy around the music therapy room these days.
  • I have to find out if the new principal wants a holiday sing along at the end of the semester (exactly 24 days away from today). She probably will because that's the type of person she is, so I'll be coordinating that program. 
  • We were contacted last week about a surprise graduation ceremony occurring on that day as well, so I'll be cancelling services in order to coordinate the sound and music for that ceremony. 
  • We have an all-school special event next Tuesday that will take over most of next Monday afternoon (one of my prep/planning times) and all of Tuesday, so no services that day. 
  • I will be at the doctor this Wednesday for my final post-surgery check and am hoping to be released from care at that time, so no services offered on Wednesday. I think I'm going to take an entire day off since I cannot predict how long the appointment is going to take. I may need x-rays - if I don't take the whole day off, I'll have to be there for hours. If I do take the whole day off, it'll be merely minutes. I think I'll take the entire day off.
  • I will have to do behavior management recertification at some point, so no services on that day - hopefully I'll know which day I'm assigned to by the end of today. Also, I hope I don't sprain anything again.
Then, there is the entire thing about moving from the extra small space that I have right now to an overly large (but I'm not complaining, mind you) space that will become the new music therapy room. That will happen at some point during this month, but there is no clear timeline. (NOTE: if you ever want to stress out an INT/FJ personality, make plans with no clear timeline - not knowing when things will happen makes life so much more difficult for me!)

These are just the things that are happening in my professional role as music therapist. I could also list all of the church responsibilities of this busy Advent season, but I'm getting tired...and the day hasn't happened yet.

In the past year and a half, I haven't had much of a creative spirit or motivation. I've had short times when I finished projects, but not many new ideas for TMEs or visuals. I think I am moving out of that time into a more creative time. The problem? Not enough time in the day to get things finished. I'm going to have to rearrange my day in order to find more time to do what I want to do. I have ideas for sensory boxes, file folder activities, centers, and so much more going through my head right now.

 I am going to use my home time this busy season to make things. I am going to finish a project with Janice!! I am going to go through my storage and see what I want to take back to work now that I have the space to keep more things in the music therapy clinic. I am going to work my knee by moving more during my times off. I am going to resist going to bed early and try to stay up and out of bed until 9pm. I am going to use my scrapbook paper, and stickers, and laminator until I can use them no more. I think I'm going to start with a theme unit (for my new centers - whenever I actually move into the new space) about mittens. It's time for some music composition and some planning - here are some of the ideas: mitten sorting, Three Little Kittens, mitten sensory box - what sticks to the mittens, The Mitten books, new songs! So many ideas - now I need to see them through to completion and then use them with my clients.

It is time to get started. I think my "job" today during hallway duty will be cutting mittens out of bulletin board border for the mitten sorting center that I have in mind.

Happy Monday!

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