Canciones de las Princesas (Songs of the Princesses) Giveaway

I have a four year old little girl and without fail she is a princess fan.  She is not too hardcore.  We don’t have to leave the house wearing tutus or tiaras but she loves her Disney princesses.  This little gal is also bilingual and one of my favorite learning tools with her is watching the Disney movies in Spanish with her so when I was approached about the release of Canciones de las Princesas (Songs of the Princesses) I was over the moon.  Could I really have the best of both worlds?  Yes!!!

Yesterday when I got home the CD was waiting for me and we proceeded to pop it in and listen.  She sang along and danced to every song.  TWICE!!!  Some she recognized others she didn’t but still stammered the words trying to learn them.  The timing is also spectacular because tomorrow we will be attending the Disney Princesses on Ice show and then in a week or so we’ll invite 4 or 5 of her friends and their mommies to attend Una Fiesta de Princesas (A Princess Party) where we will listen to the CD, eat cookies, do some crafts, play some games and learn (or practice) a little Spanish.   Stay tuned for the party post but in the meantime please enter to win your very own copy of the CD.  Lots of favorites and good variety in songs included.

On sale now at local retail stores, Amazon and iTunes  

Tengo mi propia princesa de cuatro años y como es de esperarse le encanta el mundo de Disney y todas sus princesas.  No es extremado su gusto pero no deja de ver las películas y aprenderse las canciones así que cuando llegue a casa ayer me dio mucho gusto ver que ya había llegado el CD de Canciones de las Princesas que me pidieron que escuchara para escribir una critica.  Mi hija por supuesto también es bilingüe… tratamos de ensenarle español y ver películas de Disney y escuchar canciones en español con ella es una de mis maneras favoritas de practicar su segundo idioma.  Que material tan perfecto… el mundo de Disney y las canciones de sus princesas justo para mi princesa.  Canciones de las Princesas se centra en las heroínas más queridas de Disney, con versiones en español de canciones clásicas provenientes de películas mágicas, tales como Enredados, La Princesa y el Sapo, La Bella y La Bestia, La Sirenita y muchas más. Esta encantadora colección presenta diversos éxitos interpretados por talento mexicano, entre ellos "Cuándo Empezaré a Vivir," por la cantante/actriz Danna Paola ("When Will My Life Begin" de “Enredados”); "Un Mundo Ideal," por Analy y Demian Bichir, recientemente nominado al Oscar® como Mejor Actor ("A Whole New World," de “Aladdin”); y "Colores en el Viento," por Susana Zavaleta ("Colors of the Wind," de “Pocahontas”).

Tan pronto abrí el CD lo pusimos a tocar y lo escucho todo bailando y cantando con todas las canciones DOS veces.  Algunas canciones ya se las sabia y otras fueron nuevas para ella porque todavía no vemos esas películas pero todas le encantaron y trato de cantar hasta las que no se sabía. Adicionalmente, este proyecto llega justo a tiempo ya que mañana vamos a ver Las Princesas Sobre Hielo.  Después dentro una semana vamos a invitar a 4 o 5 de sus amigitas y a sus mamis para que vengan a una Fiesta de de Princesa a escuchar el CD, comer galletas, jugar y practicar su español.  No se pierdan la próxima entrada del blog ya que pondre las fotos y les platicare como nos fue.  Por mientras por favor participen en el concurso para ganarse su propia copia.  Y si no pueden esperar ya esta a la venta en tiendas locales,  iTunes  y Amazon.

Letter to my Daughter

Hija mía (Daughter of mine),
On a cold rainy day I sit in a coffee house during my lunch hour wishing I could be home with you. Happy that you are home with daddy and that he is sharing his love and patience with you as he trys his best to teach and comfort you. I think about how you smile at the mention of papi and are almost always ready with a hug and kiss for him. I try hard not to get too emotional thinking that it should be me home with you and remember to be grateful that regardless of traditional roles you are home with a parent who loves and cares for you.

Funny how before you came into our lives we had a plan but it wasn’t until you were actually here that we realized that our plans need more tweaking and a lot more flexibility. Some day when you are grown and have your own children perhaps you will read this letter and you will understand that being a parent is hard and that right or wrong your papi and I always tried our best to give you a sense of self, strength, and opportunities. I also hope that our friendship and love will make us for these hours I have to miss with you.

Although you are not quite 2 years old yet your papi and I are already looking at the future thinking about your education. We want you to have it all and to learn to not just speak our/your native language but to understand and love your roots and culture. Like us you will straddle two worlds sometimes owning both and other times neither. By birth you are American but your blood is a mixture of those ancient people, European and Native, that have blended traditions and faith and formed our beautiful neighbor- Mexico.

Through your veins courses the wisdom and pain of past civilizations. Your blood is rich with culture and your roots are strong. That said, we hope your footsteps in this country are steady and full of purpose for you’re walking in your home. May you find or make paths in the USA but not forget your blood.

Papi and I worry about how to give you the gift of a second and maybe third language. We know that the world is so much larger than our own neighborhoods and want you to be a citizen of the world so what better way to help you on that path than through language. Of course since you are but a little toddler we also worry about everyday things like keeping you healthy and growing strong but we can already see how bright you are and we are sure we can handle the little stuff now so we have leaped into the bigger issues like education, language, travel, etc.

I guess the real reason for this letter is to share my intent. I want to tell you and the world what our hopes and goals are for you and therefore be even more accountable. Understanding that our faith asks us to put things in God’s hands we are sure that someway somehow we will find the opportunities needed to give you all we can. We are eagerly on a journey that will shape us all and if you hold on for the ride and forgive us our stumbles we are sure the world will be better because you are in it.

Con mucho amor,
Tú mami

Raising a Bilingual Child

Have you ever stumbled upon a great resource and felt the need to share it with the world? I just did and I’m about to share. Some of you may know that my husband and I are raising a bilingual / bicultural child. She is only 22 months old so we are well aware we have a long road ahead of us regarding her language skills therefore I am always on the look-out for good resources and Google is my favorite way to find them.
Our story in brief:

I grew up speaking, reading and writing Spanish at home because my parents were both natives of Mexico and Spanish was their preferred language. They are both educated and made it a point to work hard to maintain the use of the minority language at home with both my brother and I. That said, we were born, raised and educated in the US so our constant daily influence was English. I am fully bilingual and these skills have served me well throughout school and work but I recognize that it was through my parent’s constant effort that I acquired this very useful tool and want to give my daughter the same gift they gave me. My husband understands Spanish well enough but his skill level is much more conversational. He is fully supportive but both he and I speak predominately English to each other. This worries me. It worries me because I don’t feel that we expose her enough to the “minority” language and therefore I wonder if we will succeed in raising her bilingually.

For this reason I have been researching online. I’m looking for support and tools and just last week I came across a GREAT resource: Multilingual Living Magazine. It is an online magazine that needs our support! The writers are passionate volunteers and the content is excellent. They can be found on the biculturalfamily.org website. The site is also very useful and full of great information, tips, links to blogs etc. Our lives are enriched by information and I hope you find this site as valuable as we do. May it contribute to your journeys.
All the best,

Lilli, Jb, & Gaby