Where Everything has a Face

Looking around our house last week, I was struck (as I often am) by how many licensed characters are living among us. They're not just in the toys -- where I see Star Wars Legos, Batman action figures, a Winnie the Pooh jack-in-the-box, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles happy meal toys (and none of us have even seen the TMNT movie). They're in the kitchen, the bathroom, the bedroom, the garage. They're everywhere.

Although my husband and I have always been fans of TV and popular culture, we haven't always been fans of licensed characters, especially when it came to our children. When we were new parents, we staunchly avoided nursery decor and baby bedding with Winnie the Pooh or Sesame Street characters on it. We cringed when we saw characters on the disposable diapers. We chose toys that were retro, wooden, and plain. We laughed to ourselves when we spotted parents of toddlers and pre-schoolers who had bought into the licensed character industry, with their character clothes, bags, barrettes, shoes, and toys. But slowly and quietly, the licensed characters began invading our plain, peaceful lives.

Gifts played a major role in breaking us down during that first year of parenthood -- the Disney outfit from my college roommate, the Rock-n-Roll Ernie from my sister, the Blue's Clues toy from our new friends. As Walter grew, he responded more and more to characters, and this is the other major factor that broke us. Seeing your baby laugh and clap in response to Elmo or Ernie or Blue is so exciting to a parent (especially a first-time parent) that you show him Elmo again and again. You show him Elmo when he's on the verge of a tantrum. You tell him Elmo wants him to eat his vegetables. You take photos and video of his happy reaction to Elmo. Soon, Elmo has become your child's addiction. And yours.

By the time Walter was two, he was able to clearly articulate his preferences in licensed characters. This is the stage where Ralph is now, and this is perhaps what inspired me to confess our licensed character sins. Ralph loves Spiderman. He knows nothing of Spiderman the movie or the comic book, but has seen his likeness on enough toys, food packages, clothes, and god-knows-what-else that he points and shrieks "Wiiiaaderman!" whenever he spots him. And I have encouraged this by buying Spiderman underwear, Spiderman Pringles (why? because Pringles were on sale and I was craving salt), and Spiderman macaroni and cheese. I let him play with Walter's LeapPad with the Spiderman book in it. Clearly I am the source of the problem here. I'm a sucker.

So I'm here to reveal my weakness. I like to make my children happy by placing licensed characters into their daily routines -- LOOK! A Spiderman toothbrush! LOOK! SpongeBob socks! LOOK! Disney yogurt! Convenience and low prices play a part in this too, especially at the grocery store. The brand of frozen waffles with Shrek on the package might also be the best deal. The Star Wars band-aids were on sale. I don't go out of my way to buy these things.

To make matters worse, I judge other children based on the licensed characters they are wearing, as if they're gang colors. When Walter was in pre-school, kids with Pokemon or Power Rangers always raised red flags with me, but Star Wars and Spy Kids were good. Girls with Disney Princess obsessions still make me nervous, but with a Kim Possible t-shirt or a Powerpuff Girls backpack she can win my approval.

So here's a little peek into our licensed-character-laced existence. Let's start in the bathroom, where we find Curious George bubble bath:

And Star Wars, um, stuff:

We have Diego (Dora the Explorer's cousin) on Ralph's new bike:


Ralph has Spiderman underwear. My logic is, if he loves Spiderman so much, he won't want to poop on him:


Walter has Incredibles pajamas:


He puts his dirty clothes in a SpongeBob clothes hamper:


And he takes his lunch in a Monsters, Inc. lunchbag:

Moving on to the kitchen, we have Spiderman mac and cheese:

And this is not just any pasta. It's Disney Borsellini:

Here are fruit snacks that Irwin Mainway would endorse -- edible Legos! Worst idea ever!

Incredibles yogurt smoothies:

Higglytown food storage containers:


This is perhaps another indication that the root of the problem lies with me. These are Looney Toons plates from my own childhood, which we still use:


Shrek on my cereal box:


And lastly, the Flintstones (a classic) and Spiderman on the vitamins:

We were going to be the people who didn't fall for this. We were too smart. Too sophisticated. And look. The licensed characters are all over the house. So how bad is it in your home? Have you successfully avoided the theme-park atmosphere that we have created? Or are you a sucker like me?

Whatever Turns You On

This notion that you need to turn your TV off for a whole week is absurd. Yes, getting outside is a great idea. Reading more is also a great idea. Doing almost anything with your children except letting them sit passively on the couch is a great idea. Could anything be more obvious? Do you really need a TV-Turnoff Week to remind you of those priorities?

Tim Goodman has a remarkable piece in the San Francisco Chronicle about TV Turnoff Week -- that's just one of my favorite excerpts up above. I couldn't agree more with what he says. Turning the TV off for a week isn't going to change the fact that a shocking number of young children have a TV in their bedroom. It's not going to help parents learn to monitor what their kids are watching when they're not around. And it's not going to teach anyone anything about moderation or balance. Because when TV Turnoff Week is over, everyone who turned off their sets is going to turn them right back on and, in most cases, slip right back into their bad habits.

We didn't turn off our TV this week, at least not any more than we usually do. We balanced TV time with music, reading, drawing, playing outside, and just plain keeping busy doing other things. We talked about things we saw with our kids. We hit the mute button or fast forwarded through commercials whenever we could.

Some of the best parenting advice I got when I was pregnant with our second son, and dreading a future filled with action movies and violent video games, came from a mom with two teenage boys. She told me to get a really good TV, a good video game system, and good movies and games, so that our house would be the place where our sons and their friends will want to hang out. She told me to watch violent movies (the example she gave was Pulp Fiction) with my sons when they hit their early teens, because if there's a movie they want to see, they're going to find a way to see it, and better for them to see it with me and discuss it afterward than to sneak a peek with some friends and have no adult to help them process it.

I think ultimately, my decisions about how to handle TV and movies and video games with my sons are going to be more important to my sons' development as intelligent, decent adults than all the crappy ass-vice I got about feeding and sleeping and potty training. (Although I spent plenty of time sweating over those kinds of decisions, too.) But I do know that banning certain things out of hand (all violent or R-rated movies, all video games, all TV) isn't the way I'll go. And that starts with not turning off our TV this week.

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This post is dedicated to Liz of Mom-101, Christina of A Mommy Story, and Tammie of Soul Gardening, all expectant/new moms who are being "showered" this weekend with advice (and ass-vice) from around the blogosphere.

Minivan Rotation: "Play"

Mudhoney, Young Fresh Fellows, and Mary Timony are among the bands and artists appearing on Play, a new kindie rock compilation from DeSoto Records. The artist list alone is enough to attract the hippest of hipster parents, and the album really delivers some incredible tunes.

One can easily imagine Visqueen's cover of John Fogerty's "Centerfield" becoming a summer classic, blaring from minivan carpools on the way to baseball or T-ball or soccer. And if my children had their own theme music, it might be Mudhoney's "I Like to Make Noise and Break Things." The only track that seems out of place here is "Green Up Time," a Kurt Weill song covered by Mirah and Tara Jane O'Neill. It's the arrangement and recording, more so than the song itself (personally, I think Weill is an unexpectedly wonderful choice), that blew it for me. But to have one disappointing track among 13 other fabulous ones is not a problem.

What makes Play truly outstanding is that the artists don't seem to be toning it down for a younger audience, or taking a "hey, kids" approach. Yes, the songs are lyrically appropriate for any age, but the music has the same energy and intensity you would expect from grown-up music.

Play is due to be released May 22. You can hear two full tracks and/or order your own copy here.

Sock Her, Mom

Walter started his spring soccer season earlier this month, and he had his first games over the weekend. There is perhaps no moment more revealing for parents, especially those still carrying a lot of angst from their own childhood sports experiences, as when they are watching their child playing organized sports. Some channel their own parents, and shout the same criticisms they heard 20 or 30 years ago at their children on the field. Some recall their own sports failures and regrets -- not making varsity football their junior year, choking on a freethrow in the final moments of an 8th grade basketball game, missing an easy putt last week while golfing with a client -- and take out their frustration on their 7-year-old who just accidentally scored for the other team.

After playing two seasons in the 5- and 6-year-old bracket, Walter moved up to the 7- and 8-year-old group this spring. They practice two nights a week instead of one. They have home and away games, and play against teams from other leagues in the area. They have numbered jerseys.

They also have more intense parents. Parents who yell from the sidelines like Robert Duvall in The Great Santini. Parents who sent their children to "goalie camp" or drove them to another town to play in an indoor soccer league over the winter months. Parents who are far more committed to 7- and 8-year-old soccer than we are.

Luckily, the coach does a fantastic job of working with all the kids and keeping things positive. When our team lost our first game on Saturday, he said, "Great job, guys! We only lost by one point!" But I could tell a little part of him had just died inside.

Walter has picked up on more of this than I realized. He seems to understand that some of his teammates are getting a lot of pressure from their moms and dads. He told me Sunday that he heard a dad (from the other team) shout from the sidelines that he'd get his son a Wii if he scored another goal. I'm fairly certain he was kidding, but who knows?

I can hardly wait to see what high school sports are like.

Ralph watches from the sidelines on Saturday.

Help tha Police

Playing your favorite "grown-up" music for your kids isn't a bad idea at all. Especially if you know how to edit on the spot. See?

Not Dead Yet

Any of you who are regular readers of Jefitoblog already know what happened over there on Friday. Or, the day the music died, as some have come to call it.

Thankfully, Jefitoblog lives, and the obituary I composed Friday night is now irrelevant. But it's still funny. And so...

Beloved music website Jefitoblog passed away on Friday, April 20th, 2007, at 4:15 in the afternoon. It was 4 years old. Jefitoblog gained an online following for its ability to carry on in-depth, encyclopedic discussions of topics such as every bassist that ever played with Graham Parker and the Rumour, Lyle Lovett b-sides, and the oeuvre of Jefferson Starship vocalist Mickey Thomas.

Jefitoblog is survived by its longtime companion Jasonhare.com.

Take a Look

We're going to be giving away all this great stuff. And more. Not pictured, but on the way, are CDs from Peter Himmelman, Justin Roberts, Elizabeth Mitchell, and more. The prize vault is literally overflowing. I'll have more of an update on Bloggers for a Cure coming soon. For now, look here or here for details on how you can win.

The Zen of Target

When I feel myself slipping into a funk, I have a few predictable reactions. I go to the gym. I eat chocolate. Or I go to Target.

For me, Target is about a lot more than shopping. It's a Zen place for me. A safe place. It's a place where I can find order in an otherwise messed-up world. And every time I go there, I go with the hope of finding that one thing that will make my life complete: a new set of placemats, a black t-shirt, a $20 watch.


A few weeks ago, when I was feeling incredibly unsettled -- wondering what would happen next with my husband's job search, wishing I knew where we'll be moving this summer, feeling ambivalent about giving away the rest of our baby gear -- I made a trip to Target. There was nothing I needed to buy that day, but I knew that spending time there, pushing Ralph in the cart up and down the aisles, was all I needed to feel at peace. When I arrived, I found something completely unexpected.

"Please excuse our mess," the signs said. My Target, which is less than five years old, was undergoing a major re-arranging. And that day, the re-arranging seemed to be focused on two of my safest places -- the shoe department and the baby department. I wandered through the store in shock.

My life is still incredibly unsettled. My husband's job search is still ongoing. We still don't know where we'll be going this summer when his contract at the university here ends. I still haven't gotten rid of the crib or the Exersaucer or my maternity clothes. And my Target is still being re-arranged. I've been there several times since that shocking visit a few weeks back, and every time I'm there, something else is different. I'm getting used to it.

It looks like it's going to be this way for at least a few more weeks. But eventually, it will all come together. By the fall, we'll be in a new place. We'll probably both have new jobs. Walter will have a new school. Ralph will have a new pre-school.

And we'll have a new Target.

Watch This

I'm so glad I stepped away from all the CNN I've been watching the last few days to watch this. It will make you happy, too:

The Top 20 Kids Albums for Parents Who Can't Stand Kids Music

Even with all the great press that parent-friendly kids' music (or kindie rock, as it has been called) received in the last year, and the level of recognition that artists like Dan Zanes have achieved, there are still plenty of parents who are either unaware of all the amazing music out there or unwilling to give it a try. The "unwilling to give it a try" parents are the most frustrating to me, and they are some of the most difficult to sell on the idea that fantastic kids' music really does exist. The problem is, if they find some really awesome kids' music, they would have to stop complaining about the Wiggles. They'd rather curse the darkness -- or the Wiggles -- than turn on a light.

Well, I'm here to flip on the lights. I've compiled and ranked a list of my top 20 kids' albums for these parents are who unwilling to give kids' music a try -- for these purposes, I've dubbed them "parents who can't stand kids' music." (Although it might be more appropriate to call them "parents who think they can't stand kids' music." I'm such an optimist.) The albums on my list are all individual CDs; there are no box sets or DVDs. And these are all albums made for young children -- pre-schoolers, mainly, and maybe a couple years on either side of that. Music for bigger kids (8 and up) wasn't my focus here.

It's important to mention that several of my favorite kids' artists and albums didn't make this list. And some of the biggest current names in "kindie rock" don't appear. Dan Zanes is not here. Neither are Elizabeth Mitchell, Justin Roberts, Ralph's World, or many others. This is not a list of the "coolest" or "most rocking" kids' albums (although some of them are very cool and incredibly rocking). To be honest, some of these choices were influenced as much by the band's name, album title, or album art as they were by the song choices, writing, or music. These are the albums that I think would make an easy first step for parents who are hesitant to set foot in the genre of kids' and family music.

1. No! - They Might Be Giants
Maybe an obvious choice, but No! is important in that it's one of the first albums that effectively reached parents of our generation and got us excited about kids' music. It has served as an entry point for many families into the kindie-rock genre, and I consider it a landmark in the recent evolution of kids' music. I can still clearly remember getting this album when our first son was still a toddler and watching him dance to "Robot Parade." This is kids' music as only TMBG could do it -- strange and surreal, but broadly appealing and accessible at the same time.


2. Greasy Kid Stuff: Songs from Inside the Radio, Vol. 1 - Various Artists
This compilation from Greasy Kid Stuff was another one of the first CDs to appear in our kids' music collection. Greasy Kid Stuff is a long-time kids' radio show/webcast, and in 2002 they released Songs From Inside the Radio, Volume 1. The artists here represent genres ranging from surf/garage rock to punk rock to pop rock.....pretty much all kinds of rock. Some of the artists will be familiar to parents (The Mr. T Experience, Yo La Tengo), others just sound cool (The Zambonis, T. Lance & the Coctails, The Go-Nuts). Our favorite tracks are "Hockey Monkey" (see the video here), "One of These Things," and "Up and Down."

Generally speaking this is not music to put on at naptime. It's the kind of music to pop in when you are in the middle of an 8-hour car trip with your kids and everyone is getting cranky. Or when there is a snow day and your kids need some indoor physical activity. Or when you want to rock out with your kids, but you've learned it's no longer safe to play Ben Folds around them because Ben just can't get enough of the F word.

3. Greasy Kid Stuff: More Songs from Inside the Radio, Vol. 2 - Various Artists
Volume 2 brings more of the same Greasy Kid goodness -- an eclectic mix of bands covering familiar songs and introducing a few new ones. Guv'ner's "Lucky Ladybug," The Kabalas' "Underdog" (the theme song from the old cartoon), and Supernova's "Mommy" are favorites at our house. Other artists on Volume 2 include They Might Be Giants, Muckafurgason, and Let's Audio.

The only song here that gave me any hesitation was "Gimme," the official birthday song of Greasy Kid Stuff. What would be most likely to result in hate mail from my readers - as in ohmygod, did they just say UTERUS? - are the lyrics "We hope your mother's beauteous, you came out of her uterus / Happy, happy, happy birth-day!" Best rhyme ever, in my opinion.
Read the rest of my review of Greasy Kid Stuff here.

4. Mommy Says No! - Asylum Street Spankers
I'll admit up front that part of the album's initial appeal for me was the album art, the album name, and the fact that it was done by Asylum Street Spankers. What music-snob parent wouldn't love the feeling of superiority and smugness one gets when casually mentioning that your pre-schooler is a big Spankers fan?

But there's a lot more to love here beyond the externals. In fact, the writing and the music are just plain amazing. Spankers member (and the album's musical director) Christina Marrs wrote and sang "Be Like You," "Sidekick," and "Don't Turn Out the Light," all wonderfully sweet poppy tunes. At the other end of the musical spectrum is the Dead Kennedys homage title track, written and sung by Wammo (another Spanker). In between, there are plenty more great songs, demonstrating the band's incredible veratility. Jazz, blues, ragtime, bluegrass, swing, punk -- all seem natural and effortless to this ensemble.

5. If You Ever See an Owl - The Terrible Twos
The Terrible Twos endeared themselves to the "too cool for kids' music" crowd -- and to me -- when frontman Matt Pryor referred to certain other children's music as "annoying" and "cheesy crap." This positioned the Twos as the bad-asses of the kids' music scene, and sparked heated discussions like this one at ((sm))all ages a few months ago.

If You Ever See an Owl lands solidly in the "just right" territory of kids' music -- not trying too hard to be hip and cool for the parents, and not cheesy or preachy or talking down to the kids. These are smart and catchy pop tunes with poetic lyrics and a simple, acoustic sound. Recorded in Pryor's garage in Lawrence, the album has an intimate feel, which is heightened by Pryor's expressive vocals
Read the rest of my review here.

6. I Can Do it By Myself! - AudraRox
Sometimes you want music for your children that teaches essential pre-school concepts like counting or sharing. But then there are times you and your kids just want to rock. And that's when you need a copy of I Can Do It By Myself! Lead singer Audra Tsanos is a mom and music educator who is backed by an impressive crew of New York musicians, some of them parents themselves. Together they create a high-energy power pop sound with a punk rock sensibility, and they have the tattoos to go along with it. From the rebellious "Short Attention Span" to more heartfelt songs like "Don't Wake the Baby," the original lyrics are consistently clever and fun.
Read the rest of my review here.

7. Calling All Kids - The Candy Band
Hearing Calling all Kids raised many questions for me:

How could I have lived within 100 miles of this band for the last several years, completely unaware of them until so recently? How awesome can kids' music get? And what are the chances they would let me join Candy Band?

Calling All Kids also answered some questions for me. Questions like....What would it sound like if Kansas was fronted by Patti Smith and cut a track about monsters? (track 10) What if a female version of Metallica kicked out their interpretation of "This Little Piggy?" (track 7)

The Candy Band covers familiar kids' music themes -- the alphabet, birthdays, nursery rhymes, bikes, monsters -- but in a Detroit-glam-garage-band kind of way. This is the music to put on when you want to transform your family room into a mosh pit, when your kids (and you) need to dance and yell and jump around.
Read the rest of my review here.

8. Kids Rock for Peas - The Sippy Cups
This live album showcases the Sippy Cups covering late 60’s and early 70’s psychedelia, including Pink Floyd’s "Bike," The Rolling Stones’ "She’s A Rainbow," and The Beatles’ "Dear Prudence." The band has adapted these trippy classics for young children, without turning off their classic rock loving parents--even those old enough to remember when it was just called rock.
Read the rest of my review here.


9. Schoolhouse Rock! Rocks - Various Artists
The old Saturday morning favorite Schoolhouse Rock was resurrected with covers by alternative and grunge bands in 1996 on this CD, which may have been as much for adult GenX-ers as it was for kids. "The Energy Blues" performed by Biz Markie or "The Shot Heard 'Round the World" performed by Ween -- what a perfect way for us to reminisce about our childhood Saturday mornings and introduce our own kids to these classic songs.

10. The Hipwaders - The Hipwaders
This Bay-area trio takes original approaches to some familiar topics for kids, while bringing a unique and energetic sound. They have all the necessary ingredients for a successful kids' album - high energy, a smart sense of humor, and a sound that merges the wholesome goodness of kids' music with the hipness and sophistication of parents' musical tastes.

Early tracks like "Messy Room Song" and "It's an Earthquake!" show off some amazing twitchy guitar playing with lots of chromatic runs, and establish the Hipwaders' jangly power-pop sound that continues throughout the album. At times I heard the influences of The Byrds and Nick Lowe, and on tracks like "Silly Robot Dance" I could hear Franz Ferdinand and Television.
Read the rest of my review here.

11. Fascinating Creatures - Frances England
A mom herself, England has put together a collection of songs that are lyrically and musically appropriate for kids, but with enough of an edge that they could pass for grown-up music, along the lines of Liz Phair or Cat Power. In fact, my first reaction to Frances England was something like this: "A kids' music artist who lists Liz Phair among her influences? I am so there!"....England's lyrics throughout the album are smart and original. Rather than going for obvious rhymes or perfect iambic pentameter, she writes in a conversational rhythm much of the time and creates beautiful images for the listener.
Read the rest of my review here.

12. For the Kids - Various Artists
Like TMBG's No! this album is an another early attempt to reach (or target) Gen X parents with kids' music. As a compilation (to benefit VH-1's Save the Music Foundation), For the Kids features a number of artists that appealed quite directly to parents in 2002 -- Cake, Barenaked Ladies, Sarah McLachlan, Darius Rucker, and Five for Fighting. It also includes a track from Dan Zanes, who by 2002 was already a leading voice in kids' music.

The follow-up, For the Kids Too! is worth mentioning, but it didn't land in my top 20.

13. Heroes and Villains - Various Artists
I wish the Powerpuff Girls had been around when I was young. I would have been a huge fan. But I got to experience the next best thing -- enjoying them with my own child. Honestly, I think I always liked them more than he ever did.

This compilation album (described as "songs inspired by the Powerpuff Girls") was released in 2000, a couple years before the Girls even reached their heights of popularity. In addition to the show's theme song, the album also includes The Apples in Stereo's "Signal in the Sky," which became almost a secondary theme song for the girls. Frank Black, Devo, and Shonen Knife also contributed tracks, and a few of the songs ended up in The Powerpuff Girls: The Movie.

14. Plays Well with Others - Uncle Rock
This artist is also known as Robert Burke Warren, the former bass player for CBGB's heydey-era music legends, The Fleshtones. But as Uncle Rock, he seamlessly merges his own high-profile rock and roll past with fatherhood and transforms it into family-friendly songwriting. Plays Well covers some of the usual kids’ music themes, but in unexpected and creative ways. Take for example, titles like "Disco Nap," or "Rock & Roll Babysitter," in which the title character has a tattoo on her back and plays in a girl band.

This is the album you imagine your former-rocker husband would love to make for your own kids--if only you had let him buy that Stratocaster last year instead of replacing the washer and dryer.
Read the rest of my review here.

15. Silly Reflection - Lunch Money
This album will be a huge hit in your house if you're a fan of female vocals and a laid-back, acoustic vibe. This trio, fronted by singer-songwriter Molly Ledford, keeps their sound simple, letting smart songwriting and sophisticated melodies lead the way. It's hard to resist lyrics like this one about a tricycle: I can go as fast as those things at the bank in the drive-thru that they put the money in. It's like they're channeling the pre-adolescent mindset, without ever sounding patronizing or adolescent themselves. All ten tracks are Ledford originals, and there’s not a bad one in the batch.
Read the rest of my review here.

16. Make Some Noise - The Quiet Ones (aka The Quiet Two)
With a post-punk sound, stacked harmonies, and offbeat and imaginative lyrics, The Quiet Ones bring a truly unique approach to kids' music on their 2005 release Make Some Noise. The Quiet Ones are two-thirds of the band Muckafurgason - Christopher Anderson and Andrew Ure.

The tracks on Make Some Noise range from lyrical ballads like "Park by Myself" and "I Remember Purple" with its beautiful cello counterpoint, to the hard-rocking childhood anthem "How Fast Can You Run?" Anderson and Ure are an interesting vocal combination, passing the lead back and forth throughout the album. In the back and forth, listeners may notice the distinction between Anderson (very American) and Ure (quite British); but the two voices and dialects blend beautifully.

Other musical highlights are the Doors-like organ on "You Can't Hide Your Bike," the bouncy keyboard on "My Keyboard," a Pete Buck-like guitar solo on "Constellations," and rich strings on "Park By Myself." Notable for its hilarious lyrics is "Invisible Trousers" - fun for kids because it's all about imagination, and fun for adults because it's about a guy walking around with no pants.
Read the rest of my review here.

17. Animal Crackers - Wee Hairy Beasties
Animal Crackers by Wee Hairy Beasties is a collaboration of Jon Langford, Sally Timms, Kelly Hogan, and acoustic blues/jazz combo Devil in a Woodpile. The Beasties have an eclectic sound, and a remarkable chemistry among them.

Musically, this ensemble is having way too much fun. (That is spoken by this classically trained musician, who gets itchy and tense when asked to improvise.) The Beasties are a reminder that, in the world of children's music, you can't take yourself too seriously. Judging from the amount of kazoo that you hear on Animal Crackers, it's clear that the Beasties are not taking themselves too seriously -- but because they are such accomplished musicians, they are able to put forth a fun and relaxed, yet tight and technically strong album.
Read the rest of my review here.

18. The Bottle Let Me Down - Various Artists
Released in 2002 by Bloodshot Records, this is a collection of mostly rockabilly and Western swing songs (Bloodshot refers to it as "roots rock") by various artists, including a favorite of mine - Kelly Hogan (formerly of the Atlanta band The Jody Grind). These artists cover some recognizable songs, like "Red, Red Robin," "Camptown Races," "On Top of Spaghetti," and "Rubber Duckie," while others sang some that were new to me like "Funky Butt" and "Down on the Farm."By far my favorite on this CD is "Don't Wipe Your Face on Your Shirt," an original track by the Cornell Hurd Band.

This record is full of smart, funny, upbeat songs performed by great musicians. It'ss described on the Bloodshot Records site as "wholesome AND subversive" - and that really nails it.
Read the rest of my review here.

19. For Our Children - Various Artists
This album was first released in 1990 as a benefit for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, and was re-released in 1999 in a 10th Anniversary edition. It's an amazing compilation with lots of great artists -- Little Richard's "Itsy Bitsy Spider" is a classic, and Bob Dylan's "This Old Man" is surprisingly fun. Tracks by Sting, Brian Wilson, Bruce Springsteen and Ziggy Marley balance out a few less-impressive songs from Paula Abdul, Meryl Streep, and James Taylor. Even though today's parents are an entirely different breed (and different generation) than parents who were the target audience for this album in 1990, the album holds up incredibly well.

20. Colours Are Brighter - Various Artists
Maybe I'm too old or too girly, but this album didn't do much for me. In spite of my lack of enthusiasm, I do think it has appeal among parents who can't stand kids' music, and it has an impressive list of artists. So this album definitely belongs on this list. Snow Patrol, Franz Ferdinand, The Flaming Lips, and Kathryn Williams all contributed to the compilation, which was curated by Belle and Sebastian as a benefit for Save the Children UK.

Friday Night Videos

I just updated my YouTube channel with some new goodies, including this one -- a favorite of ours from the old Nickelodeon Friday night show KaBlam! Which we watched back before we even had kids.

The Zambonis -- "Hockey Monkey"

MamaPop Lives!

Those of you who read MamaPop might have noticed that we had some technical difficulties earlier this week, where technical difficulties = our host killing the site, because oh no, the traffic surged so high and fast that it might have crashed their servers. Did I mention this happened the afternoon that the DNA results in the paternity battle over Anna Nicole Smith's daughter were being released? While one of the MamaPop mamas was live-blogging the news coverage? Poof! There went the site, just before Larry Birkhead emerged from the courthouse with the big news. Waaaahhhh!

But MamaPop is back! We're just having some difficulty with the mamapop.com domain, and it may take a couple more days to get all the glitches worked out. For now, find us at http://mamapop.typepad.com. And please, please stop by and say hello. Tracey has been working like mad to get everything transferred over and put back together. The last 48 hours or so have been a huge nightmare for her. So getting traffic re-established over there and seeing some happy comments rolling in would be the BEST THING EVER.

What's So Lovely About The Lovely Mrs. Davis?

This is a question that's been asked, but not nearly often enough. If I knew someone who called herself (or himself) The Lovely Whatever, I would certainly inquire as to What's Up With That?

Any of you who know me or have met me know that the word Lovely is used somewhat facetiously. The Lovely Mrs. Davis is a name that originated at a party in Atlanta many, many years ago. Shortly after my husband and I were married, he introduced me to some new acquaintances at this party. Having just introduced himself, he turned to me. "And this is the lovely Mrs. Davis," he said. (Note the emphasis on the Mrs.)

"Oh, the lovely Mrs. Davis," these new friends replied.

And that was it. The name has been with me ever since. So when I started this blog, it was a no-brainer that The Lovely Mrs. Davis would be part of the name. And while The Lovely Mrs. Davis Tells You What to Think sometimes presents difficulties due to its astounding length, making me wish I had a blog with a one-word title, it's served me well.

But while I'm happy with this blog's name, I've been struggling lately with finding a suitable sub-head. I have "shaping my children's taste in music since 1999" up there right now, and I'm not really thrilled about it. I used to have "a cool mom's views on kids' music and media" but that seemed kind of stiff and boring. Ideally, I'd like the subhead to include the words mom, music, and media -- but in a more clever way.

So I'm asking for your help, lovely readers. What are your ideas for a new sub-head? If you have an idea, leave it in the comments. Or send me an email. Just do it by next Tuesday, April 17. If I choose your idea as my new sub-head, you will be rewarded handsomely with some music or other goodies from my ever-expanding collection. (Just to be clear -- it won't be any of the signed CDs or other prizes that we're giving away here.) Now get on your thinking caps and get those ideas flowing.

The Nields: All Together Singing in the Kitchen

I've mentioned a few times that I grew up in a musical family. My mom taught piano lessons at home and played the organ for the funeral choir at church. My siblings and I were all in the school band or choir. We played a bunch of instruments -- trumpet, saxophone, bassoon, flute, guitar, piano, and organ. Not many of us sang, though, and when someone did, the rest of us all usually made faces. That, I think, is what kept us from being a real musical family. There wasn't much singing in our house.

So I always feel like a bit of a fraud when I tell anyone that I grew up in a musical family. We were not the Osmonds. We were not the Von Trapps. We were not the Partridge Family. But I always wished we were.

Fortunately, I was able to get my fix of musical family singing and togetherness elsewhere. When I was about 10, I learned to play guitar. Our Catholic school music teacher taught a few of us, so that we could help out playing at school masses while she led the singing and the congregation of kids mumbled along. It was bland and boring, and hardly worth the hassle of toting a guitar case with me to school once a week.

But by the time I was 12, I was also playing guitar with a folk group at weekend masses. This group was the opposite of bland and boring. By early 80's Catholic church standards, we rocked. We had guitars, piano, stand-up bass, banjo, an occasional flute or trumpet, and singers. Real live singers with full voices and spontaneous harmonies.

Our group was mainly high school and college students (I was the youngest at first) led by a married couple who were probably in their late 30's at the time. It felt and sounded like a family singing and playing together. The husband, Frank, was tall and athletic, with chunky black glasses and a banjo. He was an Army reservist and a scout leader. The wife, Pat, was a big, curvy woman who wore floral prints and dangly jewelry and bright lipstick. To church. She led the singing and sometimes beat a tambourine against her hip. In church. She was bold and decisive, and although I don't recall ever seeing her in anything but a skirt or a dress, she wore the pants in that family.

The music we played at church was loud and exciting. The bigger and more energetic we were, the more the congregation sang along. Sure, there were a few raised eyebrows, but the response was generally positive. Except for a certain priest. On more than one occasion, this priest would pull Frank and Pat aside after mass and tell them we needed to tone it down. But that usually had the opposite effect.

I hadn't thought a lot about that church folk group until recently, but listening to The Nields' All Together Singing in the Kitchen took me back there. Nerissa and Katryna Nields, who have a fairly long history of playing together on the folk music circuit, recorded this album in late 2005 and 2006 for their families. On several tracks, they're joined by their father, John, who was the inspiration for making the album.

The Nields really did grow up in a musical family. Their father played guitar and sang songs, with the rest of the family joining in singing. Nerissa and Katryna wanted to capture their dad's voice and the magic of their family singing together for their own children. They're releasing the album to a wider audience next week.

All Together Singing in the Kitchen is loud, exciting, and spontaneous, like the music our folk group used to play at church. It includes traditional favorites like "Red Red Robin," "Aikendrum," and "Hop Up Ladies" as well as a few originals. "Anna, Kick a Hole in the Sky," which you may have heard if you caught the Nields on Spare the Rock last Saturday, is one of the most outstanding songs, but "Oh, Mary, Don't You Weep" captures the family sing-along at its best. The album demonstates making music with "wild abandon" as Dan Zanes encourages us to do, and it has a loose, fun feel.

Even if you didn't have my experience of playing in a church folk group in the early 1980's, chances are you might like this album. If you're already familiar with the Nields, you'll probably enjoy hearing them in a new way. If you're not familiar with the Nields, but you like (as I do) sounds like the Dixie Chicks, the Roches, or the Indigo Girls, you will probably love this. All Together Singing in the Kitchen is one of the more remarkable albums I've heard lately.

You can download any or all tracks from the album here, or order the disc here.

TMBG News

Billboard.com has an update on the new They Might Be Giants Here Come the 123s DVD due out in August, a sequel/follow-up to their 2005 DVD Here Come the ABCs. In discussing their approach to these educational songs and videos, John Linnell said, "We don't have educator skills so much." But we love them anyway. For all their other skills.

The article also tells of another TMBG project:

Of late, TMBG has also been writing music for an animated film based on Neil Gaiman's book "Coraline." Says Linnell, "A girl finds a door in her house that first opens to a brick wall, but at night, there's a crawlspace, a portal to another world. It seems appealing at first but it becomes very dark."

"We're having trouble being as creepy as we need to be; having to write songs that are sincerely scary," he continues.

The full story is here.

Terrible Tuesday

Today is Terrible Tuesday -- not to be confused with Taco Tuesday, Two-fer Tuesday, or 'Til Tuesday.

Today is the long-awaited release date for the Terrible Two's If You Ever See an Owl. Serious fans of the Terrible Twos (a kid-friendly incarnation of the New Amsterdams) have had this CD in their music library (or minivan) for many months already. It's been available at New Amsterdams shows, and has been circulating in "too cool for kids' music" parent circles. Today's release (on Vagrant/Poquito) introduces the Terrible Twos to the masses.

The Twos further endeared themselves to the "too cool for kids' music" crowd -- and to me -- when frontman Matt Pryor referred to certain other children's music as "annoying" and "cheesy crap." This positioned the Twos as the bad-asses of the kids' music scene, and sparked heated discussions like this one at ((sm))all ages a few months ago.

In an interview with the Lawrence, Kansas entertainment website Lawrence.com back in 2005, Pryor explained his approach to kids' music. Here is a short excerpt (and yes, it's the same excerpt shared on ((sm))all ages, but what Pryor said is important):

Lawrence.com: So, Matt, you have this record called "Terrible Twos" and it's indeed a kids' record as rumored?

Matt: Well, we say 'songs for children.' The idea is to make music that kids would like as much as adults would like. Because Barney and The Wiggles and stuff like that is just incredibly annoying crap. So I'm just trying to write little folky pop songs but have them be about dinosaurs and bugs and stuff like that. We'll say 'kids record' - that's fine. I just kind of want to disassociate myself. I don't want to be a 'kids' artist.'

Julia: You don't wear a costume or anything when you play.

Matt: No, not at all. I mean, definitely you have to engage the kids. I'm figuring it out as I go along. It's different. There's the kind of rock-band way, like: 'Alright, how's everybody doing tonight!?' Kids just go 'eh.' So you gotta be like, 'Alright, who likes owls!?'

So, all this rambling and I haven't even mentioned the music. If You Ever See an Owl lands solidly in the "just right" territory of kids' music -- not trying too hard to be hip and cool for the parents, and not cheesy or preachy or talking down to the kids. These are smart and catchy pop tunes with poetic lyrics and a simple, acoustic sound. Recorded in Pryor's garage in Lawrence, the album has an intimate feel, which is heightened by Pryor's expressive vocals.

You can hear several tracks on the band's MySpace page, and you can order your own copy at the Pokey Pup, where they have a special offer AND a prize package. You can also sample several more tracks at the Pokey Pup.

Just Say Yes

Recently, I was asked by a fellow blogger if I would like to help generate support for Great Strides, a fundraiser for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Without hesitation, I said yes. Absolutely. No problem.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not usually an easy "yes" for these things. I say no a lot.

But this was an easy "yes" for two reasons. One -- the blogger who came up with the idea is Jeff from Jefitoblog. And two -- the organization we'd be supporting is the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

I had a brother with cystic fibrosis. He was my parents' first child, and he lived for 11 years (which was unheard of back then). He died in 1965, and I was born in 1968, so I never knew him. My older siblings and my parents have told me lots of stories about him, what it was like caring for him, and what it was like growing up during those years. I was born into the aftermath. I didn't live through it, like they all did. All those years of illness, and his death at age 11 impacted my family in ways I will never completely understand.

My parents were both carriers of CF, but there was no way to know that in the early 1950's when they started their family. When two parents are carriers, there's a 25% chance that any child they have will have CF. By the time my brother was diagnosed, my parents already had two more children. And after he was diagnosed, they had even more children. I always marveled at how lucky they were, how lucky we all were, that none of the rest of us had CF. Seven children in our family, and only one with CF. As I approached adulthood, I worried about the possibility of passing CF on to my own children.

By the time my husband and I were ready to start our own family, there was a simple test available to find out if either of us carried the gene for CF. We learned that I am a carrier, but he is not. So we were "safe."

To me, cystic fibrosis is like a plane that crashed into my neighbor's house but did only minor damage to mine. It's something that caused a lot of pain for people very close to me, but left me pretty much unscathed.

That is the big reason it was easy to say yes to Jeff when he asked if I would join him and several other bloggers in supporting Team Malchus in Great Strides, a fundraiser for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Scott and Julie Malchus, whose 5-year-old son has cystic fibrosis, will participate in Great Strides, along with many of their family and friends. Scott’s personal goal is to raise $2,500. It is our goal to help him meet (or exceed!) that amount.

To that end, I'm joining with Jeff and several other bloggers in Bloggers for a Cure. We've been gathering up lots of great prizes, to make it easy for you to say yes to this, too. People who give will have a chance to win really awesome music, DVDs, books, and more. The response from kids and family artists has been overwhelming so far. Prizes include signed CDs from:

Timmy Abell
Jamie Broza
Constant Wonder
Debi Derryberry
Frances England
Hayes Greenfield
Erin Lee & Marci
Krista Eyler
Rebecca Frezza
The Hipwaders
Milkshake
Zak Morgan
Music for Aardvarks/David Weinstone
Princess Katie & Racer Steve
Robbi K
Susan Salidor
Thaddeus Rex
Vanessa Trien
...and more coming soon!

Check out the Bloggers for a Cure site for more information (Jeff and other bloggers have even more great prizes listed there) and to give. Just say yes!

I Hope the Bunny Wears a Scarf

How my children will remember Easter weekend 2007:


1. Snow.

2. Decorating SpongeBob Square Pants eggs.

3. Hunting for eggs in the snow.

4. Did I mention snow?

5. Eating dinner at a restaurant called The Forks. (Really. That's what it's called.)

6. Watching The Sound of Music.





How I will always remember Easter:

1. Going into labor unexpectedly and giving birth to our second son (2005).

2. Being the only female in my family not wearing a hat and dressy-dress to mass (1983-1990).

3. Posing for pictures with a big inflatable bunny and my basket of eggs (circa 1973).

Women, Men, and Pop Culture

A theory I've been working on for many months is that there are some major differences in how women and men approach popular culture. If you've ever played Trivial Pursuit (or any other pop culturey trivia game) in mixed company, you'll probably jump on board with my theory pretty quickly. The conversations that take place around that game table point out many differences in what women and men know about pop culture, what they consider important or memorable, and how they articulate their ideas.

First of all, I need to make my standard "sweeping generalizations" statement: What I'm saying here doesn't apply to all women or all men. And neither approach is the "right" one or even the "better" one. I am an interesting mix of both approaches, and I think my writing demonstrates that.

A few recent experiences and observations have given support to my theory, and a few other experiences have challenged it. One thing I'm sure of is that there are differences in how women and men approach and discuss popular culture. But I'm having trouble putting my finger on exactly what those differences are, and why they exist.

A few differences I've noticed are:

The female approach to popular culture seems to focus more on relationships and personal aspects. This applies both to characters in TV/movies/books as well as to real people. (Let's talk about the Meredith and McDreamy saga on Grey's Anatomy. Meg Ryan has a difficult relationship with her mother. Richie Sambora used to be married to Heather Locklear.) Female judgements about pop culture relate more to the behavior of characters and people. (They never should have gotten married....She should have stayed on that show....I can't believe they went public with her cancer diagnosis....) Female reactions to pop culture tend to be more emotional than critical -- I know this sounds cliche', but I do see some truth in it.

The male approach to popular culture seems to focus more on the technical and factual aspects. (Before he joined this group, he played bass on so-and-so's last album. Adam Sandler joined the cast of SNL in 1990.) Male judgements about pop culture relate more to the quality of the end product. (30 Rock is a great show. This album is better than her last one. Steven Spielberg makes terrible movies.) Male reactions to pop culture tend to be more critical than emotional.

Nearly everyone I know, whether male or female, has a combination of these approaches. As I mentioned above, I am definitely a mix of the two -- in fact, my approach to pop culture is probably quite a bit more male-oriented than most women I know.

But what do you think of this? Is my theory full of holes? Is it worth exploring further? Do you see yourself as having a strongly male or female approach to pop culture? And, most importantly, can any of this help to explain why Sanjaya is still on American Idol?



(That's the new MamaPop limited edition T-shirt. More info HERE.)

Gustafer Yellowgold's Wide Wild World

I'm always wary of kids' CDs and DVDs that have odd-looking characters on them. And the pointy-headed Gustafer Yellowgold (yes, that's him right there) is no exception. When I saw Stefan's review of the Gustafer DVD last year (which he recently updated for the new release), I raised a skeptical eyebrow. When I saw that Little Monster Records was planning to release a Gustafer Yellowgold CD-DVD combination, again the skeptical eyebrow went up. Then, several weeks ago, I saw that Morgan Taylor (the illustrator/singer/songwriter who created Gustafer) was on the list of performers Bill and Audra had lined up for the Brooklyn Hootenanny. Once more, I raised my eyebrow. But only briefly.

Seeing Morgan Taylor's Gustafer performance in Brooklyn sold me immediately. The music itself was fantastic, but the visuals added a whole other level of enjoyment and interest. The simple animation is more like a PowerPoint presentation than a cartoon or a music video -- in fact, during the performance, Morgan's wife and creative partner, Rachel Loshak, sat opposite him on the stage, operating the show from a laptop computer.

Gustafer's music has been called Beatlesque, but another more current influence or comparison here is Wilco. It's fairly obvious, especially once you learn that Morgan also plays in The Autumn Defense with two members of Wilco, and that the Gusfater show has been an opener for Wilco on their recent tour.

The Gustafer Yellowgold's Wide Wild World 10-track CD-DVD set was released at the end of March and is available through a limited arrangement with Barnes & Noble. The tracks range from mellow ballads to more pop-tastic tunes (like the one below), but overall the album could be described as psychedelic introspection with a kid-friendly angle. The production and mix are super-clean and precise, but not overdone. Wide Wild World highlights the various adventures of Gustafer, a creature who came to Earth from the sun. The lyrics are vivid and imaginative, and the animation/illustrations on the DVD bring them to life in a sweetly simple way.

Check out the video for "I'm From the Sun" or head over to Gustafer's MySpace page to see and hear more.

Hey Lady, You Lady...

We interrupt all discussions of children's music and media to bring you an important link. Jason Hare is a genius writer whose series "Adventures Through the Mines of Mellow Gold" never fails to make my head hurt. In a good way. His most recent post covers the deathless "I've never been to me" by Charlene. Go read it, but be warned -- there is some adult language. And a shocking reference to Mel Torme.

Also shocking -- I used to (and possibly still do) own the sheet music for this song.

The Rest of the Story from Brooklyn

So it's time to give you all the full details of the big Brooklyn Kids' Music Weekend.

The Saturday night gathering at Jalopy (a most amazing place) was what inspired me to fly out for the weekend, so that's where I'll start. The Park Slope Parents CD release party was another draw, but I'll have to cover that in a later post. Audra's invitation, and the opportunity to meet Bill, Deb, Gwyneth, and Warren were more great reasons to go. And my husband made my decision incredibly easy. When I brought up the idea with him, full of hesitation and oh-he-will-never-go-for-this worries, our conversation went something like this...

Me: So there's this big kids' music get-together that Bill and Audra are planning in Brooklyn next month, and --

Him: Really? You should go!

Me: And there are going to be lots of musicians, and I can probably stay with -- what?

Him: You should go.

Me: Seriously?

See how easy that was? And to further his status as Best Husband Ever, he sent me pictures and video of our sons via cell phone all through the weekend, keeping me from worrying and wondering about how they were doing. It turns out that me being hundreds of miles away for two nights had very little effect on my children's ability to eat, sleep, bathe, and be happy.

So the Saturday get-together was HUGE -- in terms of numbers, and in terms of fun and excitement. The performances were all unique, and it was eye-opening to see and hear all of these artists, one after another, each with their own sound and their own style. Some were good, some were great, and a few were so unforgettable, they are still alive inside my head (like Astrograss and the Deedle Deedle Dees). Everyone did a short set of just two songs -- there was no "opener" or "headliner" -- so it was like a gigantic buffet of kiddie rockers.

This was a great chance for me to get acquainted with some artists/bands that I only vaguely know, those I didn't even know well enough yet to have expectations. Seeing Morgan Taylor/Gustafer Yellowgold was one of the best examples of this. His performance was eye-opening and mind-opening. And Robbi K blew me away. Scribble Jim from Scribble Monster, the most unassuming kiddie rocker ever, and who until that night I knew only as "that guy who sings the Chocolate Milk song on Spare the Rock," was incredible, both on stage and off.

I came in with expectations for some of the bands and artists I know a little better -- expectations for their performances and expectations of them as people. Princess Katie & Racer Steve and Lunch Money were both far beyond what I expected, in terms of performance as well as personally. And what was most surprising was that I felt the same kind of connection with Katie in her princess garb as I did with Molly (Lunch Money's frontwoman), who could best be described as my sister in Velma-ness. Both seemed like such amazing women, even in the very short time I had to spend with them.

No one -- including me -- was sure what to expect from Steve Burns, who performed with Michael Rubin (a man behind much of the Blue's Clues music). But their set was a major highlight. I caught just a little bit of it here:



Talking with the artists was as much of a highlight as seeing and hearing them perform. Conversations took place during sets and between sets, in the back of the room and out on the sidewalk and sometimes in the bar next door.

There was an energy in the room that I can't even begin to describe. Watching people make connections is so exciting for me, having spent many years working in college and university alumni relations. So there were times that I just stood back and looked around at the kinds of interactions that were taking place. There were also times I just stood back and marveled at how calmly Bill handled everything.

I would love to write about each of the performances, but I'm afraid I would end up sounding like Paula Abdul on American Idol, rambling senselessly and full of pithy comments. I will talk more about a few of the performers from Jalopy who also were a part of the Park Slope concert.

This is the full list of performances from Jalopy (from Bill - because God knows, I was far too busy being a busy-body to keep track of this):

Josh (Levine) & Gina
Dan Schorr
Wendy Gelsanliter
David Weinstone
Opus Ditty & The Hoedown Gang
Astrograss
Randy Kaplan
John Carlin
Rebecca Frezza & Big Truck
AudraRox
Marty Beller
Vatican III
Ernie & Neal
Robbi K
Lunch Money
Steve Burns
Princess Katie & Racer Steve
Danny Adlerman
Yosi
ScribbleJim
Dirty Sock Funtime Band
Gustafer Yellowgold
Deedle Deedle Dees

I only hope someone kept track (hopefully they are recorded) of all the artists' responses to Ella asking them, "So what do you like about doing kids' music?"

Bill has already started playing some tracks from Jalopy on Spare the Rock, and he'll have lots more to play in the weeks ahead.

I added a few more pictures to my Flickr set, and there are more pictures at Hilltown Families, in this album Bill put together, and from Gwyneth of Gooney Bird Kids.

Also, here are a few random highlights and observations:

Everywhere I went during the weekend, I saw people drinking Pabst Blue Ribbon out of cans. I've never seen -- or perhaps never noticed -- people expressing irony through their choice of beer. People where I come from drink PBR sincerely.

The members of the Dirty Sock Funtime Band are as fun as you would imagine them to be. I wish I knew them in college.

There was a lot of grey hair. Just hints of it in most people, myself included. This made me glad I didn't color mine before my trip, or I might have ended up looking like Delta Burke, with an unnaturally jet-black coif.

Ohio, Iowa, and Idaho are all one place to most people in New York. And I take no offense when people get these places confused. In fact, I propose that we combine all three states into one (never mind that none of the three even border each other). Let's call this place Ohiowadaho. Having grown up in Iowa, and currently living in Ohio, I could answer "yes" two-thirds of the time when people asked me, "So you're visiting from Ohiowadaho?"

Did I mention that Jalopy is an amazing place? And the owners are some of the nicest people I met while I was there.

The only person who was more calm and collected than Bill throughout Saturday night was Bill's wife Dena. She spent much of the evening sitting in the back pew at the Jalopy, knitting, with their son sleeping next to her.

My kids are good travelers, but they would not have done well on this trip. I was amazed at how well other people's children did -- I'm talking about you Gwenyth, and Bill and Dena.

Lastly, an enormous "HOORAY!" to Bill and Audra for pulling this whole thing together. You guys rock!

It's April, Fools

This may be the best new kids' album of the year -- from Chag Holland and the Hollandaise. I especially look forward to tracks like "Share Or It's Going In The Trash" (a punkish number about sharing) and "Princesses Don't Eat Their Boogers."