Movies, monochord and munchies

Today I had the day off work, but it was still a busy day. This morning we went to the movies as part of the school holiday program and saw 'Ratatouille'.

As soon as the lights went out Harri kept saying 'I'm scared Mummy - go home now!'. He loves watching movies, but I think it was a little bit too dark and loud for him and he kept saying he wanted to go home and kept saying something about 'monsters'. At one stage he said 'go to DVD shop and watch it at home' - he thought we could just go and get the DVD instead! After a while he settled down and enjoyed the movie - it was really good. Jay was cracking up laughing all through it - Noah actually stayed awake during the whole movie! :)

After the movies I went out to a ladies house to see something that she has called a 'monochord' or sound bed.

She went to Switzerland a few years ago after doing a music therapy course in Paris and made the sound bed with a man in Switzerland. She then got it sent back to Australia and uses it as a treatment for people - she also called it 'vibrational massage'. My boss at work had arranged for a couple of the kids in the school holiday program to have a go on it - they first used it 6 months ago. My boss thought that it may be something really good for Noah and wanted me to check it out to see what I thought. The lady is only just starting to build up a base of clients and I think she charges about $40 per hour. Supposedly it is the only one either in Australia or in the Southern Hemisphere. They seemed to be used a lot in hospitals etc in Europe.

It is a wooden bed that looks like a table and underneath and huge long strings which sound like a harp. When you lay on the bed you can feel the vibrations and it sounds amazing. Today two severely disabled kids both had a turn on it at the same time (brother and sister). The little boy gets very agitated and upset and was when he first arrived, but as soon as he laid on the bed and she started to play, he just relaxed and almost dozed off!! It was incredible to watch the change in them. So hopefully next holidays we will be able to take Noah to have a turn on it as well. I think he will really love it - it is very soothing.

After checking out the monochord I met Bec, Pip and Oliver in town for afternoon tea at The Metz. We haven't caught up for ages (well it seems like that anyway!).

It was really a late lunch, early tea for all of us and we all got the usual favourites - Bec is always nachos, Pip loves the dip platter and I always get ceaser salad. Oliver was fascinated with Bec and was cracking up laughing at her. It was very cute. He has grown up too fast. We were joking about what a naughty boy he is as he is the exact opposite - so placid and easy - compared to Jay and Noah when they were that age, anyway!!

Later on Tony also joined us and it was fun to watch Bec and Tony check out Pip's pram - trying to work out what they want when their little one comes along in February. It is very exciting.