while i generally spend my time listening to musical theatre and singer-songwriter shtuff, i am drawn on occasion to listening to 105.7 The Brew in the morning.
they advertise themselves as "the next generation of classic rock."
i own it.
i totally enjoy a little Metallica and Queensryche on the way in to work when the mood strikes.
anyway, i was in one of those moods yesterday.
benny was riding in my car while anth spent the day with bern.
Guns and Roses came on.
benny, who had been quiet for a few minutes, added, "those are some really loud dancers in this song, mom."
i had absolutely no idea what he was talking about.
until he pointed out the dancing.
in the song Paradise City.
i was horrified.
"actually, benny, those are drums."
um.
tragic.
my sister, Katie, is 6.5 years younger than me.
by the time she hit first grade, she was able to sing Paradise City on cue.
and had quite the collection of Violent Femmes songs in her repertoire.
yes, friends.
this was one of those moments when i took pause to reflect on the lessons i was and was not teaching ben.
bonus that he thought they were dancing.
sad that he didn't know it was drumming.
note: i did not question the choice to listen to The Brew with my 4-year-old.
again.
i am eternally building up my Parent of the Year award nomination.
so many examples.
so little time.
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
March 20, 2012
November 28, 2011
it's always time for christmas music
okay.
so, i don't actually think it's always time for holiday music.
but, i am always ready for it to be time for holiday music.
as such, i decided this year that the week before Thanksgiving was the appropriate time to bring on the holiday cheer.
i officially kicked off the holiday season in the car, boys in tow, with the Glee Christmas Album.
number 2.
benny quickly decided that his favorite is Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town.
this is entertaining to me because it is about being good or bad, and ben teeters on the brink when making some of these decisions.
but, he loves it.
this, of course, means repeat.
often.
at some point while we were driving and listening to this song for the nth time, ben decided it was not cold enough outside to warrant a vest.
and he demanded that i immediately remove it from his 5-point-harnessed person.
while driving.
he then became quite...spirited...when i informed him that was not able to do so at the time.
anth turned to ben, put his hand on his arm, and waited for him to calm down enough to listen.
"ben, you better listen to this song. even though it just sounds like a happy little song, it's the truth!"
so, i don't actually think it's always time for holiday music.
but, i am always ready for it to be time for holiday music.
as such, i decided this year that the week before Thanksgiving was the appropriate time to bring on the holiday cheer.
i officially kicked off the holiday season in the car, boys in tow, with the Glee Christmas Album.
number 2.
benny quickly decided that his favorite is Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town.
this is entertaining to me because it is about being good or bad, and ben teeters on the brink when making some of these decisions.
but, he loves it.
this, of course, means repeat.
often.
at some point while we were driving and listening to this song for the nth time, ben decided it was not cold enough outside to warrant a vest.
and he demanded that i immediately remove it from his 5-point-harnessed person.
while driving.
he then became quite...spirited...when i informed him that was not able to do so at the time.
anth turned to ben, put his hand on his arm, and waited for him to calm down enough to listen.
"ben, you better listen to this song. even though it just sounds like a happy little song, it's the truth!"
September 13, 2011
the finger point is in their DNA
ladies and gentlemen, i offer you video evidence.
both in action, and straight from ben's mouth, here is official proof that little men come standard issue with the ever classic point-my-fingers-in-varying-directions dance move.
as such, i feel it is necessary to offer the following statement:
Dear various men who i have danced with who have found it appropriate to execute this move in public,
i forgive you.
you clearly can't help yourselves.
(but please take it under advisement that this is a curable condition.)
love,
krystyne
both in action, and straight from ben's mouth, here is official proof that little men come standard issue with the ever classic point-my-fingers-in-varying-directions dance move.
as such, i feel it is necessary to offer the following statement:
Dear various men who i have danced with who have found it appropriate to execute this move in public,
i forgive you.
you clearly can't help yourselves.
(but please take it under advisement that this is a curable condition.)
love,
krystyne
September 11, 2011
fight songs are confusing - part 2
Story #2: Anth Interprets an Ohio State Fight Song.
at the top of each month, we go out to dinner as a family.
this month, we went to Uno Chicago Grill for some deep dish.
yum.
on our way in, i was telling bernie about Story #1 (see below)
at this point, anth starts singing "I Wanna Go Back" with quite a bit of moxy.
when he got to the lyric, "and when we win the game, we'll buy a keg of booze," out came the following:
"and when we win the game, we'll buy a kangaroo!"
i laughed.
and then i stopped laughing.
because i realized he was serious.
he legitimately thinks that when Buckeyes win football games, the appropriate response is to purchase a marsupial.
and here is where day two of "krystyne questions her parental decision making" came into play.
i looked at bern.
and i could tell we both kind of wanted to correct him.
in the end, we didn't.
but just barely.
at the top of each month, we go out to dinner as a family.
this month, we went to Uno Chicago Grill for some deep dish.
yum.
on our way in, i was telling bernie about Story #1 (see below)
at this point, anth starts singing "I Wanna Go Back" with quite a bit of moxy.
when he got to the lyric, "and when we win the game, we'll buy a keg of booze," out came the following:
"and when we win the game, we'll buy a kangaroo!"
i laughed.
and then i stopped laughing.
because i realized he was serious.
he legitimately thinks that when Buckeyes win football games, the appropriate response is to purchase a marsupial.
and here is where day two of "krystyne questions her parental decision making" came into play.
i looked at bern.
and i could tell we both kind of wanted to correct him.
in the end, we didn't.
but just barely.
fight songs are confusing - part 1
i have a thing for song lyrics.
when it comes to music, i am often more interested in the lyrics than the music itself.
bern loves a good beat.
for me, lyrics can either win me over or turn me off entirely.
yesterday, i shared a video of benny choosing to exhibit some buckeye pride instead of taking a nap.
this weekend, you get two more stories revolving around the same song.
it's getting a lot of mileage right now.
Story #1: Benny Sings About Getting Intoxicated.
In Public.
benjamin came to work with me a few weeks ago on a day that his daycare center was closed.
we spent a small part of the morning walking around the residence halls in the area of campus i serve.
we were delivering welcome notes and door decs to my Hall Directors and Assistant Hall Directors.
yes, i make nametags for the office doors of my staff.
it's just a thing we do in residence life.
moving on.
anyway, all of these buildings are connected by an underground tunnel.
this is quite lovely when you want to get to the cafeteria in another building on a snowy day.
to benny, the lovely part was the HEP.
High Echo Potential.
he chose to use this HEP to his advantage.
and, because he was in an appropriately Buckeye-ish mood, he chose to belt out "I Wanna Go Back" at the top of his lungs.
let me tell you, there is nothing like being the parent of a toddler screaming "and when we win the game, we'll buy a keg of booze, and we'll drink to old ohio 'til we wobble in our shoes" at the top of his lungs.
that's pride.
(until social services comes knocking.)
ben has become increasingly concerned about song lyrics recently.
we spent a good 5 minutes in the car this morning talking about how your soul can catch a cold because we were listening to Jar of Hearts by Christina Perri.
(here is a genius video with the song and a lovely visual aid.)
anyway.
ben doesn't like having colds so he was concerned about this new option for getting them.
he was also recently concerned with the lyrics to I Wanna Go Back.
specifically, he asked, "why do they be wobbling in dere shoes?"
shortly after, he answered himself.
"probably betause they saw a lion."
i felt the best parental decision in that moment was to allow him to believe this fact.
come back tomorrow to find out yet another way in which Ohio State Fight Songs made me question my abilities as a parent.
when it comes to music, i am often more interested in the lyrics than the music itself.
bern loves a good beat.
for me, lyrics can either win me over or turn me off entirely.
yesterday, i shared a video of benny choosing to exhibit some buckeye pride instead of taking a nap.
this weekend, you get two more stories revolving around the same song.
it's getting a lot of mileage right now.
Story #1: Benny Sings About Getting Intoxicated.
In Public.
benjamin came to work with me a few weeks ago on a day that his daycare center was closed.
we spent a small part of the morning walking around the residence halls in the area of campus i serve.
we were delivering welcome notes and door decs to my Hall Directors and Assistant Hall Directors.
yes, i make nametags for the office doors of my staff.
it's just a thing we do in residence life.
moving on.
anyway, all of these buildings are connected by an underground tunnel.
this is quite lovely when you want to get to the cafeteria in another building on a snowy day.
to benny, the lovely part was the HEP.
High Echo Potential.
he chose to use this HEP to his advantage.
and, because he was in an appropriately Buckeye-ish mood, he chose to belt out "I Wanna Go Back" at the top of his lungs.
let me tell you, there is nothing like being the parent of a toddler screaming "and when we win the game, we'll buy a keg of booze, and we'll drink to old ohio 'til we wobble in our shoes" at the top of his lungs.
that's pride.
(until social services comes knocking.)
ben has become increasingly concerned about song lyrics recently.
we spent a good 5 minutes in the car this morning talking about how your soul can catch a cold because we were listening to Jar of Hearts by Christina Perri.
(here is a genius video with the song and a lovely visual aid.)
anyway.
ben doesn't like having colds so he was concerned about this new option for getting them.
he was also recently concerned with the lyrics to I Wanna Go Back.
specifically, he asked, "why do they be wobbling in dere shoes?"
shortly after, he answered himself.
"probably betause they saw a lion."
i felt the best parental decision in that moment was to allow him to believe this fact.
come back tomorrow to find out yet another way in which Ohio State Fight Songs made me question my abilities as a parent.
August 19, 2011
a teenage dream come true
i was completely in love with Bret Michaels in jr high.
(well, actually, there was a very real boy who i sometimes held hands with under the table in pre-algebra who i thought was pretty dreamy, too. when we slow danced together at whatever semi-formal dance it is happens in 8th grade, my "friends" came out to the dance floor and took pictures of us from about 3 feet away. with flash. things were so subtle and nuanced back then.)
but, suffice it say, my bedroom walls were plastered with pictures of bret michaels and sebastian bach in 7th and 8th grade.
my best friend, Lynn, and i, throughout most of our early friendship, had polarized stances on our favorite bands.
i loved Poison, and she loved Motley Crue.
then we moved on.
she loved Metallica and i leaned more toward Guns N' Roses.
this later evolved into Danzig v Type O Negative.
(yes, i know that calling this "evolution" is using loose terminology.)
eventually, we wandered into goth and found more mutually agreeable things like The Sisters of Mercy.
but, back in the beginning, our dedication to Poison and Motley Crue was strong.
unfortuately, our bands did not mix.
quite frankly, "the crue" looked down on my beloved poison.
here is an article on the bands' feud.
but, our love of going to concerts was also very strong. i have some good stories. just not for this blog.
anyway.
we would have loved to see them tour together, but we knew it was simply not going to happen.
until i was recently stopped by Ziya and Myka's dad in the daycare parking lot while picking up ben on a thursday afternoon.
he works at our large event center on campus.
and had extra tickets to THE POISON AND MOTLEY CRUE SHOW that friday night.
the next night.
did bern and i want to join he and his wife?
my brain literally went through about 83 thoughts in the 2 seconds i had before it is socially acceptable to respond to the person in front of you.
they included, but were not limited to, the following:
Oh my goodness, i didn't even know they were touring.
wait, what?
they're touring?
together?
i have to call Lynn!
i haven't called Lynn in a long time.
god i stink at long distance friendship.
do bern and i want to go to this show?
of course!
wait.
bern probably doesn't care about this show at all. he skipped this genre.
but he loves me and will humor me.
but, OH MY GOD, we are leaving for california on saturday.
as in, two days.
and i work tomorrow.
and i have to pack the boys and i for an 11 day trip.
including the beach.
shoot, i still need to get anth the goggles he wants.
and floaties for ben.
maybe hit the travel section at Target.
and do the laundry.
oh poop. (that one is edited for the light of heart.)
i CAN'T go to this show.
why, god? why?
. . . and so on.
i mean, it is hard to capture it all because it happened so fast, but literally, my mind was racing.
and because i actually did have to work with bern to get our lives in order to leave for a big trip, i told Mike i couldn't do it.
it may have broken my 8th grade heart a little bit.
but, yesterday, i got a call from bernie on my way in to work.
"hey, krys. i think Mike might have left something here for you."
"why?"
"because there is an adult sized Poison/Motley Crue shirt in ben's mailbox."
"SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!!!!"
(anth, who was riding with me, reminded me that this was a not nice word. i apologized.)
and then i got off the phone.
and proceeded to explain the fued between the two bands, and that Auntie Lynn and i used to love both of them and thought they were never going to perform together, but that they had, and i missed it, but that Ziya's dad gave me a shirt with BOTH bands on it.
the moral of the story i was trying to convey to anth while wondering if the tee had logos or pictures of the band members on it?
you never know who will surprise you.
even glam/metal bands can provide you with totally Disneyish, When You Wish Upon A Star moments.
and even your dorkiest dreams can come true.
you just might have to wait 22 years.
anth was essentially nonplussed, and responded with, "i bet it will be a really cute top, mom."
clearly, he didn't get the message.
but, in this context, it is a pretty cute "top."
thanks, mike!!!
(well, actually, there was a very real boy who i sometimes held hands with under the table in pre-algebra who i thought was pretty dreamy, too. when we slow danced together at whatever semi-formal dance it is happens in 8th grade, my "friends" came out to the dance floor and took pictures of us from about 3 feet away. with flash. things were so subtle and nuanced back then.)
but, suffice it say, my bedroom walls were plastered with pictures of bret michaels and sebastian bach in 7th and 8th grade.
my best friend, Lynn, and i, throughout most of our early friendship, had polarized stances on our favorite bands.
i loved Poison, and she loved Motley Crue.
then we moved on.
she loved Metallica and i leaned more toward Guns N' Roses.
this later evolved into Danzig v Type O Negative.
(yes, i know that calling this "evolution" is using loose terminology.)
eventually, we wandered into goth and found more mutually agreeable things like The Sisters of Mercy.
but, back in the beginning, our dedication to Poison and Motley Crue was strong.
unfortuately, our bands did not mix.
quite frankly, "the crue" looked down on my beloved poison.
here is an article on the bands' feud.
but, our love of going to concerts was also very strong. i have some good stories. just not for this blog.
anyway.
we would have loved to see them tour together, but we knew it was simply not going to happen.
until i was recently stopped by Ziya and Myka's dad in the daycare parking lot while picking up ben on a thursday afternoon.
he works at our large event center on campus.
and had extra tickets to THE POISON AND MOTLEY CRUE SHOW that friday night.
the next night.
did bern and i want to join he and his wife?
my brain literally went through about 83 thoughts in the 2 seconds i had before it is socially acceptable to respond to the person in front of you.
they included, but were not limited to, the following:
Oh my goodness, i didn't even know they were touring.
wait, what?
they're touring?
together?
i have to call Lynn!
i haven't called Lynn in a long time.
god i stink at long distance friendship.
do bern and i want to go to this show?
of course!
wait.
bern probably doesn't care about this show at all. he skipped this genre.
but he loves me and will humor me.
but, OH MY GOD, we are leaving for california on saturday.
as in, two days.
and i work tomorrow.
and i have to pack the boys and i for an 11 day trip.
including the beach.
shoot, i still need to get anth the goggles he wants.
and floaties for ben.
maybe hit the travel section at Target.
and do the laundry.
oh poop. (that one is edited for the light of heart.)
i CAN'T go to this show.
why, god? why?
. . . and so on.
i mean, it is hard to capture it all because it happened so fast, but literally, my mind was racing.
and because i actually did have to work with bern to get our lives in order to leave for a big trip, i told Mike i couldn't do it.
it may have broken my 8th grade heart a little bit.
but, yesterday, i got a call from bernie on my way in to work.
"hey, krys. i think Mike might have left something here for you."
"why?"
"because there is an adult sized Poison/Motley Crue shirt in ben's mailbox."
"SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!!!!"
(anth, who was riding with me, reminded me that this was a not nice word. i apologized.)
and then i got off the phone.
and proceeded to explain the fued between the two bands, and that Auntie Lynn and i used to love both of them and thought they were never going to perform together, but that they had, and i missed it, but that Ziya's dad gave me a shirt with BOTH bands on it.
the moral of the story i was trying to convey to anth while wondering if the tee had logos or pictures of the band members on it?
you never know who will surprise you.
even glam/metal bands can provide you with totally Disneyish, When You Wish Upon A Star moments.
and even your dorkiest dreams can come true.
you just might have to wait 22 years.
anth was essentially nonplussed, and responded with, "i bet it will be a really cute top, mom."
clearly, he didn't get the message.
but, in this context, it is a pretty cute "top."
thanks, mike!!!
July 19, 2011
songs o' the French Quarter
okay.
so.
maybe it would be more accurate to say songs o' the New Orleans Convention Center.
or songs o' the Hilton.
or songs o' our-wandering-adventures-about-the-streets-of-New-Orleans-in-a-constant-state-of-indecision-regarding-our-desired-destination.
but, i'll get back to that.
for now, let me say this.
if i didn't really love public education/education in general, i might seriously consider homeschooling the boys.
why?
because currently, ben keeps requesting to listen to Firework in the car.
and he wants to listen to it on repeat.
no matter where we are driving or for how long.
i did not introduce my not-yet-preschooler to Katy Perry.
nor did i introduce anth to Justin Bieber. (or "beaver," according to benny.)
but anth could listen to Baby all day as well.
these are things they had to have picked up at school.
i still love artists like Counting Crows and Tracy Chapman, with a heavy mix of musical theatre.
which is basically what i listen to in the car.
so i know they didn't get the pop music from me.
and we don't really set up the boys with MTV or VH-1.
not that they actually play videos anymore, anyway.
so, unless bern secrectly has Bieber Fever, i am assuming these come from somewhere beyond bern and i.
hence the desire to homeschool.
until i remember that i also really kind of like adult contact at some point in my day.
and they would be failures at geography were that left to me.
so. back to new orleans.
i'm pretty sure that the folks who were with me on that trip would also like to keep me at home.
becuase i had the WEIRDEST songs stuck in my head.
ever.
on repeat.
(which, let me clarify, means they are also coming out of my head in an audible way...)
these songs included, but were not limited to, the following:
Forever Young - Rod Stewart (we overheard this one while eating burgers. in a casino.)
On The Street Where You Live - from My Fair Lady (this came while we were wandering around aimlessly looking for a "classy" spot.)
Teach Me How To Dougie - Cali Swag District (this came from pleading Maria to do exactly this.)
I Wish - Skee-Lo (someone said "i wish" and i finished the sentence with "i was a baller." and it just kept going.)
and, of course, Lady - Kenny Rogers (um. . .)
i really don't remember how i got Lady in my head. but gosh it wouldn't get out.
if you ask Kelly, she will sing it for you.
according to her, i sounded kind of like Ron Burgandy.
which is rather unfortunate.
for everyone.
so, dear friends who were with me in NOLA, please accept my apologies.
for subjecting you to a range of musical ridiculousness.
i also bet that my friend across the hallway at work really apprecaited me listening to my Alice and Chains station on Pandora today for three straight hours.
so, sorry for that, too.
so.
maybe it would be more accurate to say songs o' the New Orleans Convention Center.
or songs o' the Hilton.
or songs o' our-wandering-adventures-about-the-streets-of-New-Orleans-in-a-constant-state-of-indecision-regarding-our-desired-destination.
but, i'll get back to that.
for now, let me say this.
if i didn't really love public education/education in general, i might seriously consider homeschooling the boys.
why?
because currently, ben keeps requesting to listen to Firework in the car.
and he wants to listen to it on repeat.
no matter where we are driving or for how long.
i did not introduce my not-yet-preschooler to Katy Perry.
nor did i introduce anth to Justin Bieber. (or "beaver," according to benny.)
but anth could listen to Baby all day as well.
these are things they had to have picked up at school.
i still love artists like Counting Crows and Tracy Chapman, with a heavy mix of musical theatre.
which is basically what i listen to in the car.
so i know they didn't get the pop music from me.
and we don't really set up the boys with MTV or VH-1.
not that they actually play videos anymore, anyway.
so, unless bern secrectly has Bieber Fever, i am assuming these come from somewhere beyond bern and i.
hence the desire to homeschool.
until i remember that i also really kind of like adult contact at some point in my day.
and they would be failures at geography were that left to me.
so. back to new orleans.
i'm pretty sure that the folks who were with me on that trip would also like to keep me at home.
becuase i had the WEIRDEST songs stuck in my head.
ever.
on repeat.
(which, let me clarify, means they are also coming out of my head in an audible way...)
these songs included, but were not limited to, the following:
Forever Young - Rod Stewart (we overheard this one while eating burgers. in a casino.)
On The Street Where You Live - from My Fair Lady (this came while we were wandering around aimlessly looking for a "classy" spot.)
Teach Me How To Dougie - Cali Swag District (this came from pleading Maria to do exactly this.)
I Wish - Skee-Lo (someone said "i wish" and i finished the sentence with "i was a baller." and it just kept going.)
and, of course, Lady - Kenny Rogers (um. . .)
i really don't remember how i got Lady in my head. but gosh it wouldn't get out.
if you ask Kelly, she will sing it for you.
according to her, i sounded kind of like Ron Burgandy.
which is rather unfortunate.
for everyone.
so, dear friends who were with me in NOLA, please accept my apologies.
for subjecting you to a range of musical ridiculousness.
i also bet that my friend across the hallway at work really apprecaited me listening to my Alice and Chains station on Pandora today for three straight hours.
so, sorry for that, too.
June 3, 2011
May 4, 2011
benny picks a new favorite song...
it will probably not shock you to know that i own much of the music from the show GLEE.
and regularly listen to it in the car.
this will be important later...
yesterday, while reading my friend kelly's blog, i was reminded of an important GLEE/OSU moment in my life that i completely forgot to commemorate.
yesterday was the one year anniversary of our flash mob at the Ohio Union on May 3rd, 2010.
i have thought about the fact that that was coming up regularly over the last few months.
and then forgot on the day of.
this is par for the course for me these days.
in the post-MBA splendour of our lives, we are actually experiencing more chaos.
this is not entirely surprising.
our schedule before was:
- bern: work or in class 3-4 nights a week and studying on the weekend.
- krystyne: work or at home with boys doing houseish/parentingish things
- boys: daycare or see above
this was a not-so-thrilling, but highly predictable routine.
now that bern is out of school we have added things like "Gym" and little league baseball to our routine.
these two things should not be all that life-altering.
and yet, i'm am perplexed by exactly how millions of families manage to work, pick up the kids, take them to practice, feed them (a respectable) dinner, bathe them, hopefully engage with them a bit and get them to bed.
before midnight.
and with enough time to, perhaps, breathe a little.
lessons learned so far?
i don't get it all done gracefully, i need to accept imperfections, and i better hold my breath.
so...i forgot it was the anniverary of the flash mob.
which i absolutely loved being a part of, and reminded me why i love the wide variety of what i classify as "work."
(no, none of this was practiced during normal work hours.)
kelly reminded me of it in a blog post that was more of an Ode to the Lost Art of the Mix Tape.
in said post, she asked folks to list what songs would be on their ultimate mixed tape/burned CD/playlist.
though it pained me, and i know the list is not comprehensive (step toward accepting imperfections)...you can see mine in her comments if you are nosy.
i was only able to narrow it down to 20.
oops.
so...
music.
flashmobs.
GLEE.
all of this leads to this fun fact: benny has recently declared that his new favorite song is....
drumroll, please....
the GLEE version of Bills, Bills, Bills.
(edit...thanks to PJ, who pointed out that i really am as much of a distracted mess as i said.)
i have chosen not to inform him that, technically, bern and i are floating his entire existence right now.
hence, he would qualify as a recipient of the message of this song.
and regularly listen to it in the car.
this will be important later...
yesterday, while reading my friend kelly's blog, i was reminded of an important GLEE/OSU moment in my life that i completely forgot to commemorate.
yesterday was the one year anniversary of our flash mob at the Ohio Union on May 3rd, 2010.
i have thought about the fact that that was coming up regularly over the last few months.
and then forgot on the day of.
this is par for the course for me these days.
in the post-MBA splendour of our lives, we are actually experiencing more chaos.
this is not entirely surprising.
our schedule before was:
- bern: work or in class 3-4 nights a week and studying on the weekend.
- krystyne: work or at home with boys doing houseish/parentingish things
- boys: daycare or see above
this was a not-so-thrilling, but highly predictable routine.
now that bern is out of school we have added things like "Gym" and little league baseball to our routine.
these two things should not be all that life-altering.
and yet, i'm am perplexed by exactly how millions of families manage to work, pick up the kids, take them to practice, feed them (a respectable) dinner, bathe them, hopefully engage with them a bit and get them to bed.
before midnight.
and with enough time to, perhaps, breathe a little.
lessons learned so far?
i don't get it all done gracefully, i need to accept imperfections, and i better hold my breath.
so...i forgot it was the anniverary of the flash mob.
which i absolutely loved being a part of, and reminded me why i love the wide variety of what i classify as "work."
(no, none of this was practiced during normal work hours.)
kelly reminded me of it in a blog post that was more of an Ode to the Lost Art of the Mix Tape.
in said post, she asked folks to list what songs would be on their ultimate mixed tape/burned CD/playlist.
though it pained me, and i know the list is not comprehensive (step toward accepting imperfections)...you can see mine in her comments if you are nosy.
i was only able to narrow it down to 20.
oops.
so...
music.
flashmobs.
GLEE.
all of this leads to this fun fact: benny has recently declared that his new favorite song is....
drumroll, please....
the GLEE version of Bills, Bills, Bills.
(edit...thanks to PJ, who pointed out that i really am as much of a distracted mess as i said.)
i have chosen not to inform him that, technically, bern and i are floating his entire existence right now.
hence, he would qualify as a recipient of the message of this song.
February 15, 2011
college roommates may cause side effects
prologue:
yes, this post is long enough to warrant a prologue...
as a result, i have changed the title of this post, mid-writing, to the following:
- growin' up country
- little man of no means
- king of the booster
- tiny dancer, and
- the long and winding post
i felt it necessary to warn you.
...end of prologue.
i have a (rather uninteresting) secret.
i like to listen to country music while making dinner.
now, really, this isn't the most earth-shattering revelation.
but, it was a journey for me.
i grew up in a house where the musical repertoire included classic musicals, Elvis, the Rat Pack, John Denver, The Carpenters, Marine Corps anthems, and yes, a little bit of classic country.
in jr. high, my musical taste was dominated by long haired men, some in makeup... Motley Crue, Bon Jovi, Poison, etc....
in high school, my tastes ranged from The Smiths to The Sisters of Mercy to Suicidal Tendencies.
in college, i would have claimed The Counting Crows, Sarah McLachlan and Tracy Chapman in my collection as well.
all of this was, of course, underscored with the music from my early years.
except for country.
this weekend, bernie and i had a discussion about the fact that our ability to connect with new people over music has sadly vanished since iPod conquered the world.
he was talking about a faculty member who still loves owning physical copies of his music.
he states that this was driven by being a member of the "vinyl generation."
as a member of what i suppose would be the CD generation, i recall judging people in college based on their CD and book collections.
these collections were usually prominently displayed in our rooms.
and, by "judge," i mean that if you had a combination of Salinger/Rand/Tom Robbins/The Cure in your room, i was probably much more interested in chatting it up with you than if you had a Britney poster complimented by a People magazine.
now that the folks i interact with are more often in an office than a residence hall room, i miss the ability to get this data.
i have no idea what the people around me listen to at night or in the car.
which leaves me to judge you on other, less fun, measures...;)
so, i happily made it through most of college with a music collection i was proud to claim.
and then Kari happened.
Kari and i grew up a few houses down the street from one another and were close friends in elementary school.
in high school, she went on to be a cheerleader and i wore a lot of black clothes and white face makeup.
but, Kari transferred to UC Irvine for what would be my senior year of college.
i had worked in Residence Life and lived on campus before then, and had decided to move off campus for my last year.
i don't remember how, but we figured all of this out and we decided, after not really hanging out for almost a decade, to live together that year.
...with two random roommates we found on an online roommate placement service.
let's just say that these online services were not as well developed in the 90's.
the stories and antics from this year could fill a blog on their own.
let's suffice it to say that Kari has a young and playful spirit and we may have reverted back to 5th grade on multiple occasions.
daily.
and that we had a lot of fun that did NOT include alcohol but DID include things like:
- spying on the cute neighbors with children's science equipment
- wearing go go boots and sweatshirts with the drawstrings pulled tightly around our faces to the local ice cream shop
- watching the TV on mute and providing our own voice-overs, and
- blowing bubbles on our roommates while they were making out with their boyfriends on the couch.
looking back, i'm sure our roommates were concerned.
haha.
sorry, Uzma and Sheerin.
anyway.
it was a good year.
but with all of Kari's fun, she also brought something else with her.
she harbored a deep love for Brooks and Dunn and all things country music.
i could handle her extremely flowery bedspread, pristine wardrobe, and flowered wreath above the wall....a stark contrast to my messy pile of books and a wardrobe that included Doc Martens and overalls in a variety of fabrics.
(they were cool at the time. i swear. at least my friend Joy also wore them.)
but, country was where i drew the line.
and then the worst possible thing happened.
i realized i not only liked, but kind of LOVED country music.
this dawned on me one morning as Kari was belting something along the lines of wanting "a shot of that redhead yonder lookin' at me," from the shower....and i found myself singing along from the other room.
it took a while for the old "goth girl" to own this music.
but in time i embraced it.
and now i have a soft spot for the country music of the 90s.
because, somewhere during grad school, i lost track of country and went back to my old ways.
...until i moved into our current house about 5 years ago.
the kitchen is in the far corner of the house.
this means that when i'm baking or cooking, i am basically left to my own devices.
while i would like to resolve this kitchen/family room disconnect in our next house, the introvert in me enjoys the occasional downtime.
it allows me to flip on the radio to the local station that plays my not-so-current-but-much-appreciated country.
...i may or may not dance around the kitchen like a shamelss goof while cooking.
but, where's the fun in stirring whatever's on the stove with your feet firmly planted?
boring.
so, this weekend, i was making the "easy mexican casserole" from www.singforyoursupperblog.com.
(thanks for the recommendation, cheryl! delicious!)
bern was sitting at the kitchen table with benny, overseeing the process of ben eating the Fun-Dip (aka, straight sugar on a stick of sugar) that a student teacher sent home with him for Valentine's Day.
i was listening to the radio on low volume.
Roger Miller's classic, King of the Road, came on.
without thinking, i turned up the radio.
ben?
instantly started shaking his tush in his little booster seat.
bless his sweet heart, he totally felt the music.
two songs later he proceeded to demand, "get me out, i need to dance!!!!"
these days, i am camped out in the midwest and kari still lives in southern california.
we have not done a good job of staying in touch.
but, for the fact that she has inadvertently turned my little dinnertime solos into partner dances, i am grateful.
yes, this post is long enough to warrant a prologue...
as a result, i have changed the title of this post, mid-writing, to the following:
- growin' up country
- little man of no means
- king of the booster
- tiny dancer, and
- the long and winding post
i felt it necessary to warn you.
...end of prologue.
i have a (rather uninteresting) secret.
i like to listen to country music while making dinner.
now, really, this isn't the most earth-shattering revelation.
but, it was a journey for me.
i grew up in a house where the musical repertoire included classic musicals, Elvis, the Rat Pack, John Denver, The Carpenters, Marine Corps anthems, and yes, a little bit of classic country.
in jr. high, my musical taste was dominated by long haired men, some in makeup... Motley Crue, Bon Jovi, Poison, etc....
in high school, my tastes ranged from The Smiths to The Sisters of Mercy to Suicidal Tendencies.
in college, i would have claimed The Counting Crows, Sarah McLachlan and Tracy Chapman in my collection as well.
all of this was, of course, underscored with the music from my early years.
except for country.
this weekend, bernie and i had a discussion about the fact that our ability to connect with new people over music has sadly vanished since iPod conquered the world.
he was talking about a faculty member who still loves owning physical copies of his music.
he states that this was driven by being a member of the "vinyl generation."
as a member of what i suppose would be the CD generation, i recall judging people in college based on their CD and book collections.
these collections were usually prominently displayed in our rooms.
and, by "judge," i mean that if you had a combination of Salinger/Rand/Tom Robbins/The Cure in your room, i was probably much more interested in chatting it up with you than if you had a Britney poster complimented by a People magazine.
now that the folks i interact with are more often in an office than a residence hall room, i miss the ability to get this data.
i have no idea what the people around me listen to at night or in the car.
which leaves me to judge you on other, less fun, measures...;)
so, i happily made it through most of college with a music collection i was proud to claim.
and then Kari happened.
Kari and i grew up a few houses down the street from one another and were close friends in elementary school.
in high school, she went on to be a cheerleader and i wore a lot of black clothes and white face makeup.
but, Kari transferred to UC Irvine for what would be my senior year of college.
i had worked in Residence Life and lived on campus before then, and had decided to move off campus for my last year.
i don't remember how, but we figured all of this out and we decided, after not really hanging out for almost a decade, to live together that year.
...with two random roommates we found on an online roommate placement service.
let's just say that these online services were not as well developed in the 90's.
the stories and antics from this year could fill a blog on their own.
let's suffice it to say that Kari has a young and playful spirit and we may have reverted back to 5th grade on multiple occasions.
daily.
and that we had a lot of fun that did NOT include alcohol but DID include things like:
- spying on the cute neighbors with children's science equipment
- wearing go go boots and sweatshirts with the drawstrings pulled tightly around our faces to the local ice cream shop
- watching the TV on mute and providing our own voice-overs, and
- blowing bubbles on our roommates while they were making out with their boyfriends on the couch.
looking back, i'm sure our roommates were concerned.
haha.
sorry, Uzma and Sheerin.
anyway.
it was a good year.
but with all of Kari's fun, she also brought something else with her.
she harbored a deep love for Brooks and Dunn and all things country music.
i could handle her extremely flowery bedspread, pristine wardrobe, and flowered wreath above the wall....a stark contrast to my messy pile of books and a wardrobe that included Doc Martens and overalls in a variety of fabrics.
(they were cool at the time. i swear. at least my friend Joy also wore them.)
but, country was where i drew the line.
and then the worst possible thing happened.
i realized i not only liked, but kind of LOVED country music.
this dawned on me one morning as Kari was belting something along the lines of wanting "a shot of that redhead yonder lookin' at me," from the shower....and i found myself singing along from the other room.
it took a while for the old "goth girl" to own this music.
but in time i embraced it.
and now i have a soft spot for the country music of the 90s.
because, somewhere during grad school, i lost track of country and went back to my old ways.
...until i moved into our current house about 5 years ago.
the kitchen is in the far corner of the house.
this means that when i'm baking or cooking, i am basically left to my own devices.
while i would like to resolve this kitchen/family room disconnect in our next house, the introvert in me enjoys the occasional downtime.
it allows me to flip on the radio to the local station that plays my not-so-current-but-much-appreciated country.
...i may or may not dance around the kitchen like a shamelss goof while cooking.
but, where's the fun in stirring whatever's on the stove with your feet firmly planted?
boring.
so, this weekend, i was making the "easy mexican casserole" from www.singforyoursupperblog.com.
(thanks for the recommendation, cheryl! delicious!)
bern was sitting at the kitchen table with benny, overseeing the process of ben eating the Fun-Dip (aka, straight sugar on a stick of sugar) that a student teacher sent home with him for Valentine's Day.
i was listening to the radio on low volume.
Roger Miller's classic, King of the Road, came on.
without thinking, i turned up the radio.
ben?
instantly started shaking his tush in his little booster seat.
bless his sweet heart, he totally felt the music.
two songs later he proceeded to demand, "get me out, i need to dance!!!!"
these days, i am camped out in the midwest and kari still lives in southern california.
we have not done a good job of staying in touch.
but, for the fact that she has inadvertently turned my little dinnertime solos into partner dances, i am grateful.
January 6, 2011
PHP 4 - Christmas is confusing (as is this post)
ben is finally at the age where he understands a bit more about Christmas traditions.
he is also at the age where he is mostly interested in the traditions that involve presents.
but, for the most part, he humored us to the best of his 2-year-old abilities.
however, during the time spent in California, it became clear that he was off a bit in his understanding of what, exactly, was happening around him.
as of December 2010, these were a few things my littlest man believed to be true about the world around him:
1. the large inflatable lawn-ornament Santa Claus down the street from us was, in fact, holding a large and particularly tasking looking sprinkled donut. Not, actually, a wreath with red bows.
2. the large inflatable snowman a few houses down from Santa was "cweaning the lawn wif his twumpet." clearly, not holding a broom.
3. every gift that my sister sent that included fabric (jammies, a scarf, and a shirt...all for various people), were officially declared to be "underpants." (*note: neither bernie nor I use the word "underpants" so whoever taught him this, thanks. it was quite entertaining.)
4. he could not fall asleep at night because the pillows were too "blumpy."
some of these earlier incidents spurred a conversation while we were randomly watching the CMA holiday show. this conversation evolved into the wide world of misinterpreted song lyrics. Bernie shared that when he was younger, he had always been confused by God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman. He felt that, normally, Santa was painted as a relatively good guy, so he didn't understand why Christ was sent here to save us from his power. Or what, exactly, Santa had so much power over that we needed saving. This concluded with my favorite lyrical mix-up of the night, which was my mom sharing that she had thought that the 1961 hit Poetry in Motion was actually Oh, a Tree in Motion. This was my favorite for several reasons. They include, but are not limited to, the following ...
1. i had never heard of this song, so i had to look it up on YouTube (the song)
2. i realized that over 150,000 people had also looked up this particular song, and i wondered why, and if there was mass confusion regarding what was in motion
3. i then wondered what the song was about so i looked that up as well
4. wikipedia informed me that "the inspiration for it came from [the writers] looking up from their work and seeing a procession of young ladies from a nearby school pass by on the sidewalk outside each afternoon."
5. i then went back to listen to the lyrics and realized that my mom must have thought that this guy REALLY liked this particular tree.
6. then i realized that i utlitize Wikipedia far too often and that i'm more of a nerd than i thought.
7. i love you, mom. you win.
8. yes, i am aware that this post is a mess, and that it is really two different topics. and that this list no longer ties back into the prompt.
9. but, hey, i kind of like it that way. and i'm tired.
10. and i have a really good friend who likes lists to make it to an even 10, so here you go, lady. Roll along...:)
he is also at the age where he is mostly interested in the traditions that involve presents.
but, for the most part, he humored us to the best of his 2-year-old abilities.
however, during the time spent in California, it became clear that he was off a bit in his understanding of what, exactly, was happening around him.
as of December 2010, these were a few things my littlest man believed to be true about the world around him:
1. the large inflatable lawn-ornament Santa Claus down the street from us was, in fact, holding a large and particularly tasking looking sprinkled donut. Not, actually, a wreath with red bows.
2. the large inflatable snowman a few houses down from Santa was "cweaning the lawn wif his twumpet." clearly, not holding a broom.
3. every gift that my sister sent that included fabric (jammies, a scarf, and a shirt...all for various people), were officially declared to be "underpants." (*note: neither bernie nor I use the word "underpants" so whoever taught him this, thanks. it was quite entertaining.)
4. he could not fall asleep at night because the pillows were too "blumpy."
some of these earlier incidents spurred a conversation while we were randomly watching the CMA holiday show. this conversation evolved into the wide world of misinterpreted song lyrics. Bernie shared that when he was younger, he had always been confused by God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman. He felt that, normally, Santa was painted as a relatively good guy, so he didn't understand why Christ was sent here to save us from his power. Or what, exactly, Santa had so much power over that we needed saving. This concluded with my favorite lyrical mix-up of the night, which was my mom sharing that she had thought that the 1961 hit Poetry in Motion was actually Oh, a Tree in Motion. This was my favorite for several reasons. They include, but are not limited to, the following ...
1. i had never heard of this song, so i had to look it up on YouTube (the song)
2. i realized that over 150,000 people had also looked up this particular song, and i wondered why, and if there was mass confusion regarding what was in motion
3. i then wondered what the song was about so i looked that up as well
4. wikipedia informed me that "the inspiration for it came from [the writers] looking up from their work and seeing a procession of young ladies from a nearby school pass by on the sidewalk outside each afternoon."
5. i then went back to listen to the lyrics and realized that my mom must have thought that this guy REALLY liked this particular tree.
6. then i realized that i utlitize Wikipedia far too often and that i'm more of a nerd than i thought.
7. i love you, mom. you win.
8. yes, i am aware that this post is a mess, and that it is really two different topics. and that this list no longer ties back into the prompt.
9. but, hey, i kind of like it that way. and i'm tired.
10. and i have a really good friend who likes lists to make it to an even 10, so here you go, lady. Roll along...:)
January 5, 2011
he can dance if he wants to
i typically listen to music on the way in to work.
my selection tends to focus on musical theatre and folkish/sleepy music.
the last few days i have been listening to the musical tick, tick...BOOM!
(want more info on the show? you should. it's lovely. tick,_tick..._Boom!)
this morning it was my turn to drop off the boys at daycare.
if i haven't yet made this clear on the blog, benny is opinionated.
sometimes he forms a strong opinion on a random song and gives it his official yay or nay.
this yay or nay tends to be eternal from what i can tell.
today, he decided that the last, fully instrumental, song 30/90 Playout was officially the best thing ever.
i was able to deduce this through his subtle bellowing of "no, mamma, you make my song be gone!" each time it ended and went back to the beginning of the show.
so, we listened to this song quite a few times on the way in to work.
benny carseat-danced to the song, in its entirety, each time.
(if you are not familiar with this form of dance it involved much wiggling of the tush, some general kicking and the occasional jazz hands.)
he danced to the point that anth finally intervened to ask, "hey, um. mom? do you think maybe we should just stop playing this song and let him yell? i mean, he just...keeps...moving. like, a lot."
my selection tends to focus on musical theatre and folkish/sleepy music.
the last few days i have been listening to the musical tick, tick...BOOM!
(want more info on the show? you should. it's lovely. tick,_tick..._Boom!)
this morning it was my turn to drop off the boys at daycare.
if i haven't yet made this clear on the blog, benny is opinionated.
sometimes he forms a strong opinion on a random song and gives it his official yay or nay.
this yay or nay tends to be eternal from what i can tell.
today, he decided that the last, fully instrumental, song 30/90 Playout was officially the best thing ever.
i was able to deduce this through his subtle bellowing of "no, mamma, you make my song be gone!" each time it ended and went back to the beginning of the show.
so, we listened to this song quite a few times on the way in to work.
benny carseat-danced to the song, in its entirety, each time.
(if you are not familiar with this form of dance it involved much wiggling of the tush, some general kicking and the occasional jazz hands.)
he danced to the point that anth finally intervened to ask, "hey, um. mom? do you think maybe we should just stop playing this song and let him yell? i mean, he just...keeps...moving. like, a lot."
December 21, 2010
b-b-b-benny loves Elton
recently, we were watching an episode of "The Sing-Off" that had been waiting patiently in the DVR for our attention.
I had not been waiting quite as patiently to watch it.
:)
one of the groups, from the University of Oregon, was performing a medley of Elton John songs.
this included the song, "The B!$@h Is Back."
i commented that i was surprised they were allowing this particular song on the same episode that was including holiday songs, etc., as i moved to grab the remote to turn it down since anth was there.
his response?
"i know, right? but you know benny would LOVE it."
I had not been waiting quite as patiently to watch it.
:)
one of the groups, from the University of Oregon, was performing a medley of Elton John songs.
this included the song, "The B!$@h Is Back."
i commented that i was surprised they were allowing this particular song on the same episode that was including holiday songs, etc., as i moved to grab the remote to turn it down since anth was there.
his response?
"i know, right? but you know benny would LOVE it."
November 17, 2010
music to my ears
on the drive into work this morning, benny declared that he didn't want to listen to his music.
his music is generally Kidz Bop.
which i find horrid.
so, i was happy to quickly change over to "mommy's music"
we tried several different songs, and each time he asked for "mommy's other music."
with a varied and somewhat eclectic collection, this description was not extremely helpful.
eventually we hit a red light and a car pulled up next to us.
i kept flipping through artists, and ben kept getting more frustrated.
anth had been relatively disengaged during most of this process, until he chimed in with,
"hey, guys. why don't we listen to the lady in the grey car's music? it sounds like a nice song and, for real, she's playing it loud enough for all of us."
miraculously, benny concurred.
his music is generally Kidz Bop.
which i find horrid.
so, i was happy to quickly change over to "mommy's music"
we tried several different songs, and each time he asked for "mommy's other music."
with a varied and somewhat eclectic collection, this description was not extremely helpful.
eventually we hit a red light and a car pulled up next to us.
i kept flipping through artists, and ben kept getting more frustrated.
anth had been relatively disengaged during most of this process, until he chimed in with,
"hey, guys. why don't we listen to the lady in the grey car's music? it sounds like a nice song and, for real, she's playing it loud enough for all of us."
miraculously, benny concurred.
October 19, 2010
there's pee-pee in my closet
tonight was an entertaining night for me.
as usual, this one requires a little bit of background information...
1. i love music.
2. i especially adore musical theatre.
3. i am also easily music-impressionable.
4. i.e., one has to simply mention a song title and it's in my head all day.
5. really, all you have to do is mention a phrase that is a lyric in a song and it's over for me.
6. this weekend, a colleague mentioned the musical Chess in a post on Facebook.
7. as a result, i was compelled to listen to it. repeatedly.
8. because of my schedule this week, this has mostly happened in the car with my boys.
9. and, if i'm being honest, because the show was written in the 80's it sounds very...80's.
10. so i tend to skip around to the songs that i really love.
11. one of these is Heaven Help My Heart.
12. which brings me to the string of events that this song put into play tonight...
as i was getting the boys ready for bath time, anth stated "hey, mom...i think that maybe it's not really best to love a stranger. i mean, sometimes they can be dangerous. and sneaky. strangers are sneaky."
as a concerned parent taking this statement out of context, i asked some questions to follow-up.
i eventually realized that he was referring to lyrics toward the end of the song.
(no idea what song i'm talking about? thought so. below is a treat of a version by Idina Menzel.)
Idina Menzel - Heaven Help My Heart
we were discussing the merits of anthony's statement when benny, naked, dashed off into my closet.
i chased him into said closet, and while in there, distracted myself by picking out an outfit for tomorrow.
until i suddenly felt a warm sensation on my foot.
where benny had peed.
festive.
so, twenty minutes later i have a clean foot and two clean boys and anthony asked me another question about the song. so i brought it up on my phone and the boys were listening to it.
as usual, this one requires a little bit of background information...
1. i love music.
2. i especially adore musical theatre.
3. i am also easily music-impressionable.
4. i.e., one has to simply mention a song title and it's in my head all day.
5. really, all you have to do is mention a phrase that is a lyric in a song and it's over for me.
6. this weekend, a colleague mentioned the musical Chess in a post on Facebook.
7. as a result, i was compelled to listen to it. repeatedly.
8. because of my schedule this week, this has mostly happened in the car with my boys.
9. and, if i'm being honest, because the show was written in the 80's it sounds very...80's.
10. so i tend to skip around to the songs that i really love.
11. one of these is Heaven Help My Heart.
12. which brings me to the string of events that this song put into play tonight...
as i was getting the boys ready for bath time, anth stated "hey, mom...i think that maybe it's not really best to love a stranger. i mean, sometimes they can be dangerous. and sneaky. strangers are sneaky."
as a concerned parent taking this statement out of context, i asked some questions to follow-up.
i eventually realized that he was referring to lyrics toward the end of the song.
(no idea what song i'm talking about? thought so. below is a treat of a version by Idina Menzel.)
Idina Menzel - Heaven Help My Heart
we were discussing the merits of anthony's statement when benny, naked, dashed off into my closet.
i chased him into said closet, and while in there, distracted myself by picking out an outfit for tomorrow.
until i suddenly felt a warm sensation on my foot.
where benny had peed.
festive.
so, twenty minutes later i have a clean foot and two clean boys and anthony asked me another question about the song. so i brought it up on my phone and the boys were listening to it.
 |
| bless my sweet boys who are this willing to listen to mommy's musical whims |
as they were watching the video, ben's brow became increasingly furrowed.
he eventually looked up and me and sad, "mommy, dis person so sad."
i asked him why he thought she was so sad.
to which my sweet boy responded in complete seriousness, "betause i pee-pee on your feet, mommy?"
all of this from a stray Facebook post...
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