Keal Family Letter, November 2006

Hello Family and Friends. Happy November to you all.

October was a very full month for us. But it was full of good
things, so it seemed to really fly by. (It also helps that I didn't
write the last newsletter until October 12th)

Cirdan is still the cutest little boy that ever walked and talked.
He is such a pleasant little spirit. His only real problem area
right now is that he tends to refuse food at supper time, and often
throws food when he gets angry.

We've learned in our family counseling sessions that Thea is very
likely suffering from Night Terrors. For those that don't know what
Night Terrors are, they are more than just nightmares. Night Terrors
are in the same family of sleep disorders as Sleep Walking. Someone
who is suffering from Night Terrors will look like they are awake
(like with sleep walking), but they are really still asleep. So even
though Thea talks with us, yells at us, screams at us, hits and kicks
us and herself, she is not really awake, and very likely doesn't even
recognize us. Her experience of reality is entirely different from
ours. It has been great to learn more about it, because it's so
much easier to be sympathetic to these midnight temper tantrums when
we know what she's going through.

Potty training is often a factor in the causes of Night Terrors. And
another factor that can contribute to Night Terrors is not getting
enough sleep. As I've said in previous letters, Thea was no longer
taking afternoon naps. Well, after she got her second dose of her
Homeopathic constitutional, she suddenly started asking to take
afternoon naps again, and when that happened, she started having less
Night Terrors. That combined with her Love Tank being filled with
more Quality Time, and us being more sympathetic, seems to be helping
the entire situation.

She definitely still a little 3 and 1/2 year old, red-headed, temper
tantrumy little girl, but we've learned some things to help us deal
with it.

And the kids just got sick yesterday, so we've slipped back a
little. But we've got our Homeopath on call now, and that has been
wonderful in helping us not get worried about relapses of ear-
infections (or "ear connections," as the kids call them.)

My sister Roxanne and her family have moved up to Kempton now. They
bought a beautiful little ranch home over-looking Leaser Lake, which
is about 10 minutes from our house. We are very excited about them
living up here.

Our Marriage Support Group has been going well. We've had four
meetings now, and it's been a lot of fun, and very useful. It's a
lot more work to lead a group, than to merely participate in one, but
it feels great to have actually started it! It will certainly be a
wonderful learning experience!

Tirah's busy season up at Hawk Mountain is beginning to wind down
now, which is nice. With both of us being so busy lately, it's been
hard to find time for us as a married couple. Date nights have
become almost non-existent, and quality time together has been
minimal. All of this has been starting to take it's toll on us.
Even though we're leading a Marriage Support Group, we haven't been
doing the "homework" of maintaining our marriage as much as we
should. (Merely helping other people to maintain their marriages
doesn't count towards maintaining ours) So this month we plan to put
more focus back on our marriage, and be better about regular quality
time, and regular "date nights."

Exciting things are happening with my music business. In a few short
weeks, my next solo piano album "Peace of Heaven" will become
available. One of the first places I will be selling it will be the
Bryn Athyn Craft Sale on November 18th. You will also be able to
buy it online at http://www.solomonkeal.com.

The A Cappella Men's group that I belong to, called: Kempton New
Church Men's A Cappella, will be releasing an album of sacred
Christmas songs to benefit the Kempton New Church. That album will
be called: "Earth Today Rejoices." Stay tuned for more info on that.

I've also been asked by Glencairn Museum to score a half hour video
that is being produced about Glencairn. This is very exciting for
me, because I've always thought it would be fun to get into
soundtracks and film scoring, and this will be my first
opportunity. I will be composing original themes for the
documentary, as well as weaving in tracks from the Glencairn Horns
album.

Also, in just under a month, on Friday December 1st, I will be
performing in my very first Whisperings Concert! For those that
don't know: "Whisperings" is a nation-wide (actually world-wide)
community of solo piano artists. We have our own online radio
station (http://www.solopianoradio.com) and we do group concerts.
This concert will be in Mechanicsburg PA, which is just outside of
Harrisburg (the state capital). If any of you are interested in
coming to the concert check out http://www.solopianoradio.com/
concerts/mechanicsburg.htm. Actually, even if you can't come, go
check out that link anyway, 'cause it has a really cool looking
poster in it.

Well that's about all for now. Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Love from,

Solomon, Tirah, Thea, and Cirdan Keal.