Rah, Rah, Rasputin!

When was the last time you went on a Nightflight to Venus? For me it had been awhile.

When I was about 4, my Dad returned from a business trip to Hong Kong bearing gifts. Cutie embroidered silk robes, China dolls, and a Boney M tape, Nightflight to Venus. Hot, very hot. Quite disco, occasionally a little Carribbean, a little of this-and-that thrown in, and that's Boney M. Popular in Europe in the late 70's, they never made it too big in the US, but there was a small cult following. The Younces were part of it. That's right, they were with us on those 2-week road trips in the van. They were put on after dinner for us to dance our blood-sugar-energy-rush off before bed. This album was part of our youth in the same way Mom's Chicken-and-Noodles and the smell of ripe grapes on the vine were. We can probably even attribute my first exposure to, and therefore the start of the love of, disco to this tape.

In high school, when I started discovering my own taste for modern alternative, classic folk and disco music, I returned to Boney M. Dug the tape out and put it in my prized collection. I mentioned it to friends and got blank looks in return. Only one other girl had even heard of them, and she grew up to a different album that meant nothing to me.

So it was like a warm homecoming when my sister Maren gave me the CD for my birthday this year. We put it on immediately and both families - all six kids and four adults - started to dance and laugh and dance some more to the rockin' beats. Hazel pointed to the girl in the silver cap, much as I had at her age, and said, "She must be the queen!"

So I've been playing Boney M as my make-dinner music. The girls have latched on to it, and one song in particular: Rasputin. You know the story. Or maybe you don't. No reason you should. I'm pretty sure the only Russian history I've ever learned came from this song, which is not impressive. Here's the wiki link if you really want to know. ("Oh, those Russians...")

Anyway, the song is crazy fun. Put traditional Russian-sounding tunes to a disco beat, and the story of a kind of madman/charlatan/loverboy/politician into 70's slang, and you have really got something special. In the song, his name is pronounced, "Rass-pyoo-teen", so the girls call it "Rescue Team." The sex and intrigue references are over their heads, but Hazel picks up enough to know it is about a person, so he must be a superhero. And in one line he is referred to as a "cat" so Ginger thinks Rescue Team>Diego>Baby Jaguar>cat, so it all makes sense! They ask for it (on repeat, naturally) every evening and spend 15, 20, sometimes close to an hour marching/dancing around the coffee table to the music. Ginger's favorite part is the chorus:

Rah, Rah, Rasputin, lover up the Russian queen

There was a cat who really was gone

Rah, Rah, Rasputin, Russia's greatest love machine

It was a shame how he carried on

I watch them and think back 30 years to me and my sisters doing the EXACT same dancing to the EXACT same song. Some things are really worth passing on. Boney M has just made it one more generation. Rah, rah!

Some Christmas Good Stuff

So I've been meaning to get these posted for a few weeks and now it's probably too late to do anybody else any good this year, but that's how it goes.

How Much Ribbon? I read an article on gift-wrapping in the newspaper a few weeks ago and finally learned the invaluable answer to this plaguing question. When you're wrapping a gift with the ribbon going around four sides and a big simple bow, you measure out 7 times the length of the box. I've used this trick all month and it works every time!!! For example, on a shirt box, I measure out about 4 times the long way and 3 times the short way. For a big square like this, I measure 7 times the length from halfway up one side, over the top, to halfway down the other side. Obviously it varies for different size/shapes, but 7 is the magic number!!!

Christmas Card Display Awesomeness - I saw something like this in a store in England last May and thought, That's the perfect way to display Christmas cards! I'll have to find it online and order some when I get home. An intense internet search ensued (just couldn't figure out the right search words!) and I was about to give up when I finally came across a review that led me to Photojojo and The Astounding Magnetic Photo Rope. Displays everything without tape; the wires just hang from a nail or tack; weighted bottom so they don't fly around. Super strong magnets hold even those multi-layered handmade cards. And the ropes couldn't be smaller or easier to store! Best Christmas investment I made this year (except the tree skirt below.) If you don't see your Christmas card in the picture, it's either because

1) It's cut off at the very bottom of the picture,
2) You are LAME and haven't sent me one, or
3) I don't like you enough to hang it up.

The Perfect Tree Skirt - After a few years of searching for THE ONE that I would love year after year, I found it at Land of Nod (where, by the way, you could get me ANY baby gift.) Finally, the absolutely perfect must-have tree skirt. It was expensive so I thought maybe I'd wait until after Christmas and try to get it on sale. Then I realized, this skirt is so darn cute it's not going on sale; it's going to sell out! So I scrounged up some funds and got it full price (but with free shipping!) And sure enough, I went to the website yesterday to get the picture for this post, and it's not there anymore. SOLD OUT. Yay for getting it when I could! Is this not ADORABLE?

(This picture is from the blog of the original designer -

the current skirt says Merry Christmas instead of Happy Holidays.)

David Archuleta's Christmas CD - It's called Christmas from the Heart and the cover is oh-so-cheesey. And I'm not an Idol fan at all. But I like to get at least one or two new Christmas albums each year and this looked promising from the reviews. Well we got it about a month and a half ago and it's all we've listened to that whole time. We all have our favorites - the girls like "Angels We Have Heard on High" for the Glooooooooooria part (and Hazel goes around the house singing it with the alternative melody he uses.) Me, I usually judge an album by the way they do "Oh Holy Night" and his is fabulous. He's also got a seriously peppy tune I'd never heard called "Pat-a-pan" and we all dance like fools to it in the car.

The Hickman Family Songs

I made one up at dinner once, and the other in the car. The girls LOVE to sing them. And secretly so do I.

#1 - sung to the tune of Do-re-mi from The Sound of Music:

Ginger, Ginger, Ginger Sue,
Hazel, Hazel Xanadu,
Mommy, too,
And Daddy-roo,
Wait! Is that Daddy's naaaaaame?
Eddie, that's Daddy's name,
Kari, that's Mommy's name,
Hazel, Ginger Suzy Q,
That's the Hickman Fam-i-ly!

#2 - sung to The Adams Family tune, complete with snapping before and after:

There's Hazel and there's Ginger,
There's Mommy and there's Daddy,
And we all love each other,
The Hickman Family!

Youtube Bonus Tracks Tribute

Thanks, Dave, for the Lounge Party bonus tracks. The rendition of "Take on Me" reminded me of this awesome video I saw up at Maren & Quinn's.



And hey, since we're doing literal videos, here's another one. Not as funny as "Take on Me" but good for a chuckle.

Disco Goes Bossa Nova

Good heavens, Dave rocks. He outdoes himself over and over and never caves to the pressure. Amazing.

This year for my birthday he compiled a mix I know he's been working on for years - the Lounge Party, full of dim-the-lights lounge/bossa nova style covers of songs you've heard but might not recognize in this form unless you listen closely. It is hilarious and PERFECT so thanks a million, Dave! Go here to get it, maybe for a limited time.

So put on your ruffled shirt and sit back with a drink, real or pretend. And just for fun, take 3 minutes to let Flight of the Conchords put you in the mood:

Gettin' Festive - Music

Or, in other words: Christmas, the Soundtrack.

It's hard work finding good new music. It's a little easier to find good new Christmas music because it all comes out at the same time and is usually all in the same section of iTunes or stores. But still a lot of work. After several days of such work my library has grown by 2 cd's and about 10 other songs, all worthwhile.

Christmas Songs - Jars of Clay

I've spent some time trying to find the right description for the hypnotically dreamy sound of this album. My current best is "Echo & the Bunnymen host an informal candlelit dinner for Moby and Enya, and New Order drops by." Just get the album, maybe you'll understand. I like the original songs OK but I really, really dig the fresh, modern but still reverent renditions of O Little Town of Bethlehem, I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day and God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen. Perfect for laying on the couch staring at the lights on the tree.

Christmas Offerings - Third Day
For the first time in iTunes I ventured into the Christian rock realm, and I don't know why I didn't think of it before, but they have some awesome Christmas music over there. My favorite was this album with a "neo-Southern rock" sound - I was impressed with the balance they found between keeping it classic but keeping it new. Highly recommended.

Sing: A Christmas EP - Josh Wilson
This is a great little 3-song mini album on iTunes for $2.49. He's got a nice original song, Sing, a fun & peppy Angels We Have Heard on High and an astounding guitar instrumental The First Noel. Get it. I checked out Josh's MySpace page and he names his influences as the Beatles, Ben Folds, David Brandon, Switchfoot, Death Cab for Cutie, Jars of Clay (hmm...see a pattern here?), John Mayer, and Jump Little Children. I like all of those that I've heard of. Josh just might have himself a new fan - I'm definitely going to look into more of his music.

Other than those I got a couple of singles, most of which I included on "Kari's So-Good-I-Amaze-Even-Myself Christmas Mix 2008":

1- Jingle Bell Jamboree -Keb' Mo'

2- Christmastime in the City - Mary Chapin Carpenter

3- Mary Did You Know - Christine Evans

4- Christmas/Sarajevo 12/24 - TransSiberian Orchestra

5- Little Drummer Boy - Josh Groban

6- Joy to the World - Voice Male

7- O, Little Town of Bethlehem - Jars of Clay

8- In the Bleak Mid-Winter - Shawn Colvin

9- Who Comes This Night - James Taylor
10- Song for a Winter's Night - Sarah McLachlan

11- One Toy Soldier - Enya

12- Angels We Have Heard on High - Josh Wilson

13- Oh Holy Night - Relient k

14- Born in Bethlehem - Third Day
15- Silent Night - Aly & AJ

16- I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day - MercyMe

17- Oh Come All Ye Faithful - Twisted Sister (That's right! LOVE the little "We're Not Gonna Take It" guitar riff in the middle, just for those of us who would notice...)

And, as usually happens, as soon as I burned a couple copies of the disc I had so many changes I wanted to make that I actually started a new playlist - Christmas 2009. Not that it's not good - trust me, it's good - but there are so many other good songs, too!

The perfect Christmas mix eternally eludes, but it's so fun to try to capture it!

The Good Stuff - October / November

I missed October completely and November almost slipped through my fingers as well. But here's a quickie update on a few recent good stuffs.

Grown-up Good Stuff

Super Glove - Oven mitts do the trick most of the time, but in some cases, like cookie sheets that need to be grabbed on the very edge, or pulling the bread machine pan out by a little handle, you need the option of less bulk and better dexterity. These Super Gloves are the best addition to my kitchen this month.

dafont.com - I've been working on a little project and needed some new font options. Cousine Katy hooked me up with this, my new favorite free font site. Love the category choices, rather than all fonts just alphabetical. Also love the Mormon advertisement running at the top when I last checked.

Amazon Universal Wish List Button - We really use Amazon.com wish lists in our family, especially around this time of year. Amazon does sell a ton of stuff but it doesn't always have the exact thing you want. Enter the new Universal Wish List button. It's a button you can add to your browser so that you can add anything from any website to your Amazon wish list. Let the possibilities begin!

Amish Friendship Bread - My friend Julia gave me a starter a few weeks ago, then on Saturday I made it into chocolate cinnamon "bread" (really more like delicious delectable cake!) Then I had a couple starters left and decided to keep them through at least one more cycle after finding all these variations and other things you can make with the starter. I think next go-round I'll make cinnamon rolls and cherry pistachio bread. YUM!

List of Top 100 Mystery books of all time - According to Mystery Writers of America, who probably know their stuff. Mysteries are my favorite "fun reading" so I was excited to find this list for some new recommendations. Of course I am spending less time reading these days than ever before, but that's not for a lack of lots and lots of books that look good!

Kid Good Stuff

Kids Craft Weekly - WOW. Thanks to the ineffably omni-talented Kat for getting me hooked on this website and *FREE* monthly e-newsletter. Awesome, easy, fun and totally crafty ideas! Unfortunately most are a little too messy or difficult for 25 nursery kids each Sunday, but perfect for me and my own. Now that Hazel rarely naps, she and I sometimes do afternoon crafts, like plastic-lid print-making or contact paper stained glass, both inspired by KCW. The current issue features Christmas cards and Advent activities. Plus she has a 20-page mini book all on Christmas crafts you can download for a mere $5 - so worth it!

Little Pea by Amy Krause Rosenthal - This is my (our) new favorite book. It's about Little Pea and his parents Mama Pea and Papa Pea. They do regular Pea things but Little Pea hates candy, and candy is what you have to eat for dinner when you're a Pea. He strikes a 5-bite deal with his parents, forces his 5 bites down and earns his favorite dessert - spinach! Simple, clean, adorable illustrations and the girls always laugh when I imitate the sounds and faces Little Pea makes when he forces his candy down. I read it to the nursery kids, too, and they thought it was hilarious. I see the same author/illustrator team has another book, Little Hoot, in which a young owl just wants to go to bed at a reasonable time like his friends, but nooooo, his parents make him stay up all night having fun. I love it.

Pop Fly by Justin Roberts - I seriously love this guy. This is our second CD by him and we listen to it all the time in the car, and of course the girls have their favorites: Pop Fly (about a kid in the outfield not paying attention to the game and panicking when a pop fly comes his way), Henrietta's Hair (about a girl who hated getting her hair combed so her mom gave up and all kinds of creepy crawlies moved in and lived in harmony), and Stay-at-Home Dad. I like the slower, more sentimental tunes like From Scratch (about Grandma's kitchen of course) and Fruit Jar (which I can't remember what it's about but I reall y like it.) Justin has got fans for life in this family, and hopefully we can catch his show here in January.

Bedbug Bible Gang - It's a Thursday afternoon in November. The girls are asking to watch a show, and I can't think of a single one I can stand to listen to right now. So I turn to the rarely-used *On-Demand cable feature to see what kind of free kids' shows there are besides Dora and Miss Spider. Perhaps something we've never seen before? Bingo! In a section called Inspiration On Demand is a show called The Bedbug Bible Gang. No idea what it is but let's give it a try. It's a cute little show with voices same as Veggie Tales, with a couple of bed bugs named Buzzer and Sparky that like to tell each other about Bible stories in rhyme, then do little comprehension activities or funny songs at a preschool level. It is an unbelievable hit around here. We only have 2 episodes on demand, and we all have them memorized by now, but I'm not annoyed yet. I mean, they're learning Bible stories! Hazel loves the story of Elijah and the widow who gave him her last meal. And the story of Zechariah being told by an angel they would have a son. In fact, the song that goes with it is impossible to shake. Sing along, please. To the tune of John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt:

John will be Zechariah's son,

That angel said his name,

But Zech was full of doubt,

And so he could not shout,

Til the day that the newborn baby came:

JOHN! JOHN! JOHN! JOHN! JOHN! JOHN! JOHN!

(and repeat several times quieter, always shouting the last line.)

They have a bunch of DVD's out so I put one on the girls' wish list. We'll take any inspiration we can get around here.

My Baby Loves Disco...Does Yours?

After we'd lived in Brooklyn a few months I was talking with some neighborhood moms about things to do with kids and one of them told me about Baby Loves Disco. It was white hot new at the time (2005) and right up my alley.
The concept: one Saturday afternoon each month a real nightclub turns into a disco for munchkins, complete with a live DJ spinning 70's and 80's classics, healthy snacks, diaper changing stations, and fun dance gear like scarves, egg shakers and hula hoops.

From the website: "Started by professional dancer (and professional mom) Heather Murphy in Philadelphia, the idea was to create an alternative to the pre-packaged world of entertainment for young kids. 'We’re parents, we’re always looking for something new and different to do with the kids,' says Murphy whose lifestyle (like most of the baby disco parents) was changed when she gave birth to her 4 year old son Max. Make no mistake, this is NOT the Mickey Mouse club, and Barney is banned." Brooklyn was the second location to get its groove on, and from there it has spread like wildfire to 28 U.S. cities as well as Israel, Japan, Holland, Sweden, Poland and the U.K.

So I looked up the dates and put it on the calendar every month for two years and Ed was either working or there was some other conflict every time. Then Ginger was born and I gave up the hope of ever being a cool mom who did stuff like taking my kids to a disco dance party. Survival became the name of my game, and soon BLD fell off my radar.

So how do you think I felt when Beth Blenz-Clucas of Sugar Mountain PR, after reading my blog, contacted me to see if I would be interested in reviewing Baby Loves Disco in DC? Control, our radar is back on. I was over the moon and told her, "Put us on the list!" Of course after I'd committed, I learned Ed would be out of town at a conference, but no matter. I called our trusty babysitter Alicia, and while I could tell from her voice she thought I was crazy when I explained to her where we were going, she agreed to come with us.

So last Saturday the girls donned their dance skirts and we loaded into the car, Google directions in hand, and headed into the city, to the chants of "Dance Party! Dance Party!" I don't know DC well enough to know how scared I should have been in the NE neighborhood where the club (Rock and Roll Hotel) was located, so I tried not to think about it as we walked the 3 blocks from our parking space. The garbage, pigeons, and potholes made it feel like we were right back in Brooklyn, actually.

The place was rockin'. Imagine, if you will, a typical night club. Black walls, full bar with shelves of hard liquor, a stage at one end, a DJ cage and lots of flashing lights. (Kind of like the places in Georgetown I used to sneak into in high school.) Now add to that scene a roped off stroller parking area outside, a spread of juice boxes, goldfish and muffins on the bar, ceiling mounted bubble machines on a 10-minute timer, baskets of egg shakers and dancing scarves, mini tents and hula hoops on the stage, balloon animals taped up on the walls, and of course the ultimate necessity: a king-sized disco ball, and you've got Baby Loves Disco.
There were parents and kids of all shapes and sizes, and in addition to the DJ spinning classics such as Night Fever and YMCA not-too-loud-but-just-loud-enough, an MC (didn't catch his name) announcing dance competitions and the winners of freeze-dance (we tried, we honestly tried.)He also mentioned the VIP room upstairs, so we went to check it out. What we found was another bar and even more food - a tablecloth had been draped over the pool table, and there were fresh fruits and veggies, hummus and pita chips, more muffins and brownies, chips and salsa, and more juice boxes. We found a "quiet room" full of stuffed animals, couches and changing stations. There was a nail-painting corner, Greta Gonzalez was offering free face painting (I didn't want to wait in the line or deal with the mess), and a balloon master from BalloonTopia was making free balloon animals (Hazel got a frog but he didn't last long.) It was also more quiet and cool upstairs, a nice break from the disco inferno the downstairs had become once the morning nap crowd started showing up.But we'd come to dance so dance we did. Hazel was all about it, especially when the bubble machines came on. She's really got more of a gallop than a boogie but it's her thing. Ginger was a little overwhelmed by things and wanted to be held most of the time but she did get down and shake her squeezy buns for a few songs. Overall it was an awesome success, well worth the calculated nap manipulations I'd orchestrated for two days in preparation. Alicia even loved it.
Jealous? You should be. It's a great time, and probably even more fun to do with friends (I'm still working on getting those here.) It's in Brooklyn and Manhattan, Seattle and Portland, Chicago and Boulder. It's even in six cities in the UK for you expats, so get your rears over there and let's see the pictures. But if your town doesn't have it yet, don't despair. You can bring it there yourself (or better yet, get a friend to do it) - email Erica to get the ball rolling. (Utah could especially use it, and can you say...Culpeper?)

AUCTION: For Little (and not so little) Girls

It's "Nie Nie Day" - I, along with over 100 of other Design Mom associates, am holding a silent auction of what I think is cool stuff you want. Proceeds go to the Nielson family along with our prayers and well wishes. To learn the story, go here. To check out all the other auctions taking place, go here. To find out what I'm auctioning, and to bid, read on. Please be generous if you can.

For Little (and not so little) Girls
($100 value) auction lot includes:

1. Candy from Trader Joe's - Regular readers know I do so love Trader Joe's. While I hunt for healthy diet-helps, I also secretly crave everything in the candy row. Our first item is three boxes of Trader Joe's candy: my favorite (dark chocolate covered almonds with sea salt and turbinado sugar), Ed's favorite (fatally addictive red licorice), and a new favorite (milk chocolate covered cranberries.) You will devour them like a savage.

2. My personal copy of Peace Like a River by Leif Enger. When I read this book for the first time 3 years ago I was rendered speechless and have not made much progress since in the way of conveying how it affected me. It is a truly lovely story, beautifully told, with an excellent ending. While the main character Reuben is a boy, his sister Swede captured my heart in her superb supporting role - a worthy little girl heroine if there ever was one.
3. Paper Doll Game by eeBoo (new) - We have two games and some art prints by eeBoo and I'm a true fan. So when I saw this paper doll game on a website I snatched it up and have been keeping it in my closet for when the girls are a little older (and won't tear it apart.) It's perfect for a little-girl-themed auction: What goes with what? What shall you wear? The spinner says to pick some shoes. But only you know which ones you'll choose. The first one dressed and on her way will win the game. Includes 5 paper dolls with 5 outfits and hobbies, spinner & laundry bag. Paper doll size is 10 3/4 inches. For 2 to 5 players. Ages 5 and up.

4. Original glass and stone necklace by Akir Designs (that really just means I made it.) I found this cool piece of bored glass in a bead store years ago and finally made a necklace with it - goes with everything you own, including your eyes, no matter what color they are.

5. Watching a Girl Grow Up Mix by Dave - It is an understatement to say that my brother Dave loves his little girl. It's also an understatement to say that he has awesome taste in music and makes rad mixes. So when they moved to England, where his daughter almost immediately started public kindergarten a whole year earlier than she would have in the US, and he had nothing to do but play in iTunes late at night before they got internet, his Watching a Girl Grow Up mix was born. It is eclectic, deep and personal as the songs follow a young girl from being a baby to school age to growing up and leaving home. A good listen for anyone, but especially poignant for parents of daughters.

6. A SMOCK of your choice from Petite Violette - Designer and friend Corey Robbins has struck gold with her food smock (seen here in its super secret stunt double role as art smock.) Parents of 8-month-to-3-year-olds know well what a laundry-saving role this smock can serve, and it's stylish, to boot. Lightweight cotton on the inside, wipeable polyethelyne on the outside, it's also machine washable (hang dry.) Winner's choice - any fabric and size you want.

Particulars (please read carefully before bidding):

• Bidding begins now and ends at 9:00 pm EST Sunday, August 31.
• Bidding is in $1 increments only, no cents.
• Bids are made by leaving a comment; please include name, email address and amount. As the auction progresses bidders will need to check the most recent comments, to find out what the current high bid is.
• To win you must have a Paypal account - the winning amount will go to my Paypal account so I can confirm payment, then directly to the Nielsons' Paypal fund. We will cover shipping.

As a final thought, I quote Design Mom: "I'm hoping people are in a public radio mindset. Like when you hear the NPR commentators say: "pledge your membership of only $75.00 and we'll send you this canvas tote bag with our logo on it." You know the tote bag is worth maybe $5. But it's not about that. You're looking for a way to be generous and supportive. And the tote bag is just a bonus."

Meet Me in Memphis

It's Elvis Week, folks. Get your white trash - oops, I mean jumpsuit - on, stock up on candles for the vigil, and start channeling your inner Elvis fan. I'll see you there.

He's Still Got It

I'd been Waiting for That Day for a long time, as you well know. Tuesday was a Hard Day to get through but in the evening my Mother's Pride and Father Figure came over to watch the girls, and we had the Freedom to go to the George Michael concert!

After we'd been Waiting 45 minutes, the dark stadium lit with sparks floating dreamily down the digital screen. A soaring rendition of Waiting (reprise), being sung from back stage, froze me in my seat until at the end and climax, when a door opened in the middle of the screen, and George himself walked through just in time for the final line: "HERE I AM!" (If you are unfamiliar with this song, listen on the sidebar to get a feel for what it was like.)

Screams, applause, lit cell phone screens being waved in lieu of lighters (it's been a loooong time since I went to a concert.) The slightly aged and much gay audience gave the sexy superstar a resounding welcome, letting him know, "You Have Been Loved," for 25 years. He asked To Be Forgiven for taking 20 years to return to Washington, but promised that by the end of Tonight he'd make it up to us. I'd say he did.

An eclectic set of disco, soul, pop and ballads filled the evening. I was up and dancing Freestyle as much As I was comfortable doing until about song 5 or 6 when he broke into a seriously booty-shaking Everything She Wants, complete with diamond-studded disco balls on the big screens and lots of audience singing - "SOMEBODY TELL ME, WHY I WORK SO HARD FOR YOU!" (To give you money, woo, to give you money...) That's when I, and much of the rest of the crowd save Ed and the other husband/boyfriend I was sitting by that had obviously been drug there by his female, let loose in a serious way.

George, his 6 black-clad back-up singers, and huge band stacked vertically on platforms, played for an hour, took a 20-minute break, during which Ed was so hot in his work clothes he had to go Outside, then played another hour. Our seats were decent, though not close enough for a good camera phone picture. However, we'd dug out and brought Ed's elk hunting nocs so I was able to sit on George's lap for some of the songs. A couple of his dance songs were a little Too Funky (and a little too gay) for my taste but I love his voice so much I'm not complaining. Perhaps the highlight of the evening for me was a gorgeous version of The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, sung simply from a stool on stage in purple and white spotlights.

I knew it could hardly get any better when he came out dancing in a police uniform, complete with aviator shades and fingerless leather gloves, so I was hardly surprised when he bid us goodnight after that number. More screaming, more lit cell phone screens being waved for an encore, just One More Try. He came out and sang Careless Whisper for us. More screaming, more cell phones. Waiting. Waiting. Finally he returned to grant us A Last Request. He asked, "If you could have your pick of any song you want to hear, what would it be?" Thousands of voices answered in unison: FREEDOM! Obviously every American crowd had said the same thing and he was well-prepared. What an Amazing song to round out the concert! Most of our row had left so I had 10 seats to make my moves in, with Ed conservatively clapping the beat nearby. Animated rainbows dancing all over the screens. Happy, energized, beer-buzzed people dancing like crazy. It was a night to remember. He Healed the Pain, he Knew I Was Waiting for Him, and I was glad he spent A Moment with Me.

After the final finale we had to hustle home, Praying for Time to get our car out of the garage in Rosslyn before it closed at midnight. The night can be summed up by a comment I overheard a twenty-something tell her friend as we walked out of the stadium: "He is so hot...and he's old."

Ladies and gents, he's still got it. And so have I.

The Mighty iPod

I've been loving my Valentine's Day ipod so much that we got Ed a nano for Father's Day. Give him something to listen to on his commute - expose him to some good music that's not a movie soundtrack (he is so musically deprived it's amazing we ever hooked up), maybe some audio books. Before packing up the computer I loaded him up with some good stuff including the most recent session of General Conference, downloaded from the Church website. I saw you can subscribe to Conference as a podcast, and it occurred to me I have never looked into podcasts. So I took a gander - you know, important stuff to do before moving day - and poked around the podcast directory. There's certainly more than I can ever look through, much less listen to, so I appeal to those more experienced. What podcasts do you like and why?

Someday I may even figure out movies and audio books.

Things I'll Miss #7: Music Together

We've taken 6 or 7 sessions of Music Together over our time here, first when Hazel was 6 months old and most recently ending this week. It's a lovely program - we like the music, the teachers, the philosophy and the approach. We've taken the same time slot with the same other moms and kids and the same teacher John for 3 or 4 sessions in a row now, and we will miss that Thursday beacon in our otherwise unscheduled lives.

The Good Stuff - June

The house smells like cardboard.

We're mostly packed and the time has come to unplug the computer and wrap up the cords. I'm concerned about internet withdrawal symptoms but will face them bravely. The movers come tomorrow to finish packing and transport our stuff to a storage facility. Thursday and Friday night we camp at home, complete with stove-toasted marshmallows, living room picnic meals and stories by flashlight. Friday I clean the apartment and see the dentist for the molar that randomly broke during breakfast yesterday, love that. Saturday we go to Hazel's friend's birthday party then head upstate for the Younce family reunion. Next Saturday we drive to Virginia and stay at my parents' until the movers come with our stuff, sometime the first week of July. I forgot how moving raises the homeostatic anxiety level, but it's a good stress. And a good tired. I've scheduled a few posts to go up in my absence. But in the meantime, I give you this month's Good Stuff.

Grown-up Good Stuff
Life in Cartoon Motion by Mika - What a fun CD, got this recommendation from Dave. It's one of his few new CD's he listens to at work, so you know it's good 'cause it made the cut. We worked together to come up with the perfect description:

Queen on the happiest day of their lives meets ABBA on Ecstasy
in a disco club with a moon bounce.

I dare you not to shake it! Of course most of you will never have the ultimate Mika experience, which is listening to "Grace Kelly" at volume 11 in Dave's car with him singing along and doing the pistol dance. But you can imagine, and that's almost as good. Push PLAY on the sidebar playlist. You're doing the dance right now, aren't you?

Mentha Lip Tint and the Bath & Body Works Semi-Annual Sale - I do love a good lip balm and this is the perfect one, been my favorite for years. Ask Katy, she got one in her Easter Basket. And the semi-annual sale is not to be missed. I love B&BW shower gel, lotion, hand soap and other goodies, but why pay full price? Just wait until June or January to get everything you need for the next 6 months, including any birthday gifts coming up.

Cape Herb Spice Blends from Chelsea Market Baskets - I discovered these at Chelsea Market in Manhattan early in our time here. Was intrigued, as any wannabe culinarian would be; tried a few. Loved them, gave some as gifts. Continue to be intrigued and want to try them all eventually. Check out the seven sins sugar grinders! What looks good to you?

Kid Good Stuff

Amazon 4-for-3 Promotion - I do believe in buying and keeping quality hardcover books for myself and my children, but I also believe in good deals. So when I've only got $20 to spend but we're dying for some new reads, I go the paperback route, and 4-for-3 is the ticket. Just got Hazel 4 new books for like $13 and while they may not last for her to read to her grandchildren, they're just what we need right now. You can search within the promotion for things you wanted to get anyway. I put books we want on our wishlists, and make a note in the comments if it can be gotten for 4-for-3. Then I can just scan the wishlists when I'm making a purchase and find the promotional items quickly.

Firefly toothbrushes - A random find at Target or somewhere but pretty cool. You push on the bottom of the handle and bright red lights flash for 60 seconds, marking how long a child should brush her teeth. Of course my kids just want to play with them but it's a good concept we can work with. And check out the Float N' Firefly toothbrushes at the bottom of the link page!

Justin Roberts - I'm glad to be parenting in an age that has a whole subcategory of Indie rock for kids. Dan Zanes, Milkshake, Laurie Berkner and many others have blown the genre wide open with rockin' music parents and kids can listen to and love together. But my personal favorite? Justin Roberts. Slightly geeky, this ex-Montessori-preschool-teacher has super clever lyrics and make-you-want-to-ska-dance-in-a-mosh-pit tunes. I admit we only have one of his CD's - Meltdown (my favorite track probably the title tune or "Cartwheels & Somersaults.") But you can bet we are on our way to picking up more, especially his Old and New Testament CD's. And we are quite likely to catch his show in DC with his "Not Ready for Naptime Players" on Sept 27.

All-of-a-Kind Family - You wouldn't believe the things I've come across lately as we sort, organize and pack up the house. At least they have mostly been pleasant discoveries. Take this book for example. I read this story about a poor immigrant family with five daughters on the Upper East Side many times as a child. My copy is from 1971 (75 cents) and when I picked it up the cover fell off. I looked it up to make sure it's still in print and what do you know? It's a 4-for-3 book. So I scanned the cover and will keep my copy but probably get a new one for the girls when they are older. It's a classic from my youth, up there with Taking Care of Terrific, The Westing Game, and The 21 Balloons.


But the girls choose their own good stuff, as we well know, and this month they are:

Moving boxes...

...and their old bouncy seats!

The New York Mix

When we were getting ready to move here I made a New York mix CD. I didn't listen to it for most of our time here but it's been my theme music for the last month (again, love the ipod.) There are almost as many songs about New York as there are movies set here (another cool thing about watching movies now is recognizing stuff, especially Ed's building.) The mix represents well the crazy mixed feelings this place evokes. It's such an amazing place with energy, sites, and experiences to offer, but it can also be tough. It's nice to know I'm not the only one with such bipolarity.

Unfortunately playlist.com only offers a sampling of the songs for you to hear, and some of the more catchy ones are missing, but here's the list, plus a few of the more relevant lyrics:

#1 New York City - They Might Be Giants

Statue of liberty, staten island ferry, co-op city, katz’s and tiffany’s
Central park, brooklyn bridge, the empire state where dylan lived
Coney island and times square, rockefeller center
Wish I was there

'cause everyone’s your friend in new york city
And everything looks beautiful when you’re young and pretty
The streets are paved with diamonds and there’s just so much to see
But the best thing about new york city is you and me

#2 New York's Not My Home - Jim Croce

Things were spinning round me
And all my thoughts were cloudy
And I had begun to doubt all the things that were me
Been in so many places
You know I've run so many races

I know that I gotta get outta here
I'm so alone
Don't you know that I gotta get outta here '
Cause New York's not my home
Though all the streets are crowded
There's something strange about it
lived there about a year and I never once felt at home
I thought I'd made the big time
You know I learned a lot of lessons awful quick and
Now I'm telling you that they were not the nice kind
And it's been so long since I have felt fine

#3 Streets of NYC - American Ambulance

Folks down in Virginia
They could never see
Why the streets of New York City
Look so good to me
Lord, they look so good to me

(What are the odds of finding those lyrics?)

#4 Leaving New York - R.E.M.

It's easier to leave than to be left behind
Leaving was never my proud
Leaving New York, never easy
I saw the light fading out

#5 An Englishman in New York - Sting

#6 New York State of Mind - Billy Joel

#7 New York Groove - Kiss & Ace Frehley

Many years since I was here, on the street I was passin’ my time away
To the left and to the right, buildings towering to the sky
It’s outta sight in the dead of night
Here I am, and in this city, with a fistful of dollars
And baby, you’d better believe
I’m back, back in the new york groove
I’m back, back in the new york groove
I’m back, back in the new york groove
Back in the new york groove, in the new york groove

#8 A Heart in New York - Art Garfunkel

#9 New York City Rhythm - Barry Manilow

The poundin' beat of the city's streets
That keep my dreams alive
I'm lost, I'm found
I'm up, I'm down
But somehow I survive
It's got to be the New York City Rhythm in my life
It's got to be the New York City Rhtym in my life

#10 New York, New York - Ryan Adams

Hell, I still love you New York

#11 Fairytale of New York - The Pogues

#12 New York Boy - Neil Diamond

#13 New York - U2

In New York summers get hot, well into the hundreds
You can't walk around the block without a change of clothing
Hot as a hairdryer in your face Hot as a handbag and a can of mace
In New York, I just got a place in New York
New York, New York Irish, Italians, Jews and Hispanics
Religious nuts, political fanatics in the stew,
Living happily not like me and you
That's where I lost you... New York

#14 I Love NYC - Andrew W.K.

I love New York City
Oh yeah, New York City
love New York City
Oh yeah, New York City

#15 New York City - Norah Jones

I rode the train for hours on end
And watched the people pass me by
It could be that it has no end
Just an action junkie's lullaby
New York City
Such a beautiful disease
New York City
Such a beautiful, Such a beautiful disease

#16 New York Girls - Gaelic Storm

#17 New York, New York - Tony Bennett & Frank Sinatra

If I can make it there,
I’ll make it anywhere!

The Good Stuff - May

Such good stuff this month!

Grown-up Good Stuff

Summer Concert Tickets - Namely, my secret lover George Michael at the Verizon Center in DC on July 29 - his first American concert tour in 17 years. Don't have a place to live, don't have our stuff packed, but don't worry - we have GM tix! I'd also LOVE to catch Lyle Lovett at Wolf Trap on July 2 but that very well might be move-in day so I'm afraid it's pushing it. I've seen Lyle in several outdoor venues and there's nothing like him - the man is all class and magic on stage. He transcends genre and description....(but George takes a better picture.)

TitleTrader.com - So I was taking care of a few ebay snipes when I saw an add for Titletrader and decided to check it out. Read the info and signed up, though too bad I just gave a huge box of cd's to Salvation Army. I still have some to get rid of. Here's how it works: you set up a free account and post the stuff you have. People request them, you mail them, you get trade points. Once you get positive feedback you can spend your trade points to get other cd's, books, movies and stuff you want that other people are getting rid of. I started posting my cd's and within minutes I had requests. And I've used a few of my earned points to get books I want to read but don't want to buy new or earn late library fees on. My kind of used bookstore.

Zojirushi Rice Cooker - I like rice. Unfortunately I can't cook it, at least not like regular people on the stove. Is it my stove? My pans? My rice? No, it's me, and I'm OK with that because it means I got this awesome rice cooker last year after 5 years on my Amazon wishlist. Truly perfect rice every time. And I made sure to get the one with a brown rice setting because I do go through healthy phases. We've been eating a lot of rice lately, and I love, love, love this cooker!

Flor Modular Carpet - Shortened backstory: Ginger, and Hazel for that matter, makes a disgusting mess under and around her chair during meals. Not a problem now because we have an eat-in kitchen. It occurred to me we have to find a new place with an eat-in kitchen or hardwood dining room because they will ruin a carpet. Solution: area rug. Even cooler solution: Flor carpet tiles.

Checkstand $5 cookbook magazines - A few months ago I bought Everyday Food (Martha Stewart) at the checkstand because the dish on the cover looked delicious and simple enough for me to make. That month I made three recipes from it and they were all awesome. Mentioned it to Tona on the phone - she had bought the same one and tried several other recipes with thumbs up. Then last week at Rite Aid I bought Prevention Magazine's Slow Cooker Recipe Book because I am always looking for new good crockpot recipes. I love my slow cooker but honestly 2 out of 3 recipes turn out mediocre at best. This morning I thumbed through it with my post-its and marked TEN recipes I want to try. Also I'm into purging, not expanding, my cookbook collection. I'm all for these magazine-style cookbooks, both for taking up less space, costing less money, and also being seasonal and disposable if I don't like them.

New York Book Festival - Unfortunately I just heard about this and will be gone by June 27, but it sounds cool and the kind of thing I might make an effort to attend, so it's good stuff.

Ken's Light Accents Salad Dressing Sprays - We've been upping our salad intake around here lately, and that means testing out light salad dressings until we find something we can swallow without gagging. On our fourth try we found Ken's Light Accents. Ken makes good regular dressing so we had high hopes and have not been disappointed. So far Honey Mustard and Raspberry Walnut get the stamp of approval.

Kid Good Stuff

Puzzle Dinner Tray - I can hardly stand how cute this is! Where do I order, where do I sign? Oh, wait, it's $55?! As much as it pains me, I will be waiting for IKEA to put this out in the $12-20 range. But isn't it cute?

Munchkin Snack Catchers - Another winner from Munchkin! Their stylish and more voluminous improvement on the Snack Trap keeps the Goldfish debris on the carseats, stroller, and bottom of my bag to a minimum.

Recycled Leather Piggy Bank - I still keep my eyes out for good piggy banks to someday get the girls. I think this is the current front runner. Funky modern design, non-breakable, and hey, made from reconstituted leather!

Lights and Sounds Phone - This is one of our toys with staying power. It has been a favorite of one or both girls since Hazel was 6 months old. All kids love toy phones, right, or is it just mine? This seems to be just the right size, colors, noises or something because they love it more than any others. Yes, it's battery-operated but each button, when pushed, plays a little tune like Old McDonald or Oh Susanna at just the right volume to be heard when held to your ear, but barely audible across the room. Plus the flashing lights and stuff. It is a rare day when you don't find a kiddo walking around our house holding this to her ear, doing a little jig. We got ours (and our second and third one, since all the best toys get lost) at Target.

This month's favorite non-toy toys:

The Salad Spinner
And...

a Cardboard Tube!!!

Taxi, Taxi

There's a first time for everything. Today it's me uploading a video from the Sony Handycam I bought six months ago and still barely know how to use, editing it, then posting it on my blog. Here is Hazel singing the song "Taxi, Taxi." Words are below for those who don't speak Hazel.

Taxi, taxi, riding in the back seat
Roll the window up, roll the window down
Put the money in the slot
See ya later, thanks a lot
Sure beats walking cross town!

Aren't they cute? I think we can all look forward to more videos on here in the future.

Making Christmas

Happy December!
I've been thinking about Christmas. It's a holiday rich in traditions and celebration, and like most other people I love it. I love the music. I love to plan, select, make, wrap and give gifts. I love the smells of gingerbread and pine. And I love to quietly stare at a nativity scene in the glow of Christmas tree lights and imagine the miraculous night the Savior was born. This leads to considering His divine mission and life, and how He truly was the greatest gift ever given.

And now that I'm the Mom around here I've been thinking about how I want to lead my family in celebrating Christmas - what traditions should we continue or begin? How can we enjoy the magic of the season while keeping our thoughts on Christ? I've already decided my kids will always know Santa isn't real. We can still enjoy the legend but there's another, more important, real person who loves children that I prefer to focus on. Beyond that, I'm still thinking about how we want to celebrate it as a family.

So in December there will be a "Making Christmas" series here on DMTotW, touching on different aspects of seasonal celebration. I beg you to chime in, sharing your own thoughts, ideas, activities and hopes on each topic. I'm curious what other people do, and looking for ideas to steal. So please, if you read, post.

Making Christmas: Music

Christmas is a multisensory experience. It's the combinations of sensory input that make it so enjoyable for most of us. "Silent Night" plus hot cocoa? Nice. How about "Oh Come All Ye Faithful" in candlelight outside in the cold?

My favorite lite rock station in Denver plays continuous Christmas music from Thanksgiving until Christmas, and amazingly I don't get sick of it (though there are a few songs that make me change stations, like Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree!) It made my commute so fun for that month. When we lived in Boulder I used to go to Barnes & Noble and listen to lots and lots of holiday CD's, choosing one each year to add to my collection. Christmas is the one time I really badly wish I had a 5-disc CD player. I get tired of each cd fast, but if they were all on shuffle it would be a festive acoustic delight. A few years ago I downloaded a bunch of good holiday songs from iTunes and made a Christmas mix of my favorites. Since then I revise the mix each year, keeping the best and adding new ones.

Here are the Christmas CD's I have:

A New Age Christmas - Carol of the Drums
A Windham Hill Collection - A Celtic Christmas
Harry Connick, Jr. - When My Heart Finds Christmas
Jake White - Christmas
James Taylor - At Christmas
Jim Brickman - Peace
Loreena McKennett - A Winter Garden
Maybe This Christmas (compilation)
Rankin Sisters - Do You Hear...
The Chieftans - The Bells of Dublin
The Roches - We Three Kings
Voice Male - Jingles 2

And here are the songs on my mix this year:

Deck the Halls - Aly & AJ
Who Comes this Night - James Taylor
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer - Jack Johnson
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - Barenaked Ladies & Sarah McLachlan
I Pray on Christmas - Harry Connick, Jr.
Go Tell it On the Mountain - James Taylor
The First Noel - Leigh Nash
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing - Jim Brickman
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring - BYU Men's Chorus
Wassail Song - Liz Story
Baby, It's Cold Outside - James Taylor & Natalie Cole
For Unto Us a Child is Born - The Roches
Carol of the Bells - Voice Male
Do You Hear What I Hear - Rankin Sisters
Joy to the World - Aly & AJ
O Holy Night - Tracy Chapman
Song for a Winter's Night - Sarah McLachlan

My favorite Christmas hymn in the church hymnbook is "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day." (Though the version on the church website could stand a little jazzing up.) I love the tune's rise and fall but even more is that I love how the words are in first person. It's a personal internal journey in 5 short verses. And I've always loved the phrase, "A voice, a chime, a chant sublime..." in the last verse. I just love it.

So, what are your favorite holiday CD's and songs? What do you recommend I add to my collection this year? Any other thoughts about holiday music? (Like, Caroling: is it still done?)