Gwen Stefani - Wind it up

Wind it up!

I haven't even talked about how I taught my kids the Gwen Stefani song I was going on and on about a few weeks ago, the one that's the remix of The Lonely Goatherd.

I set it up with a CD I made. First, the original Lonely Goatherd, which many of them knew. Then I taught them that when you take one song and add a dance beat to it, it's called a REMIX. Can you say "remix"? Children: "remix!" Very good.

I played the CD about twice a day for a week so that they would get to know it very well. As usual, most of them liked it once they heard it a few times; how could they not, with that funky beat?? One girl, Maddie (aka Cindy Loo Who), even had her own dance moves she would do while coloring and listening. She'd prop up a stool and sit on it, moving her shoulders to the beat.

My goal of having children request "Wind it Up" has been reached.

At the NAG-dromat

I was just at the laundrymat and witnessed an exchange between a frustrated father and his non-compliant teenage son. The son showed up as his dad was folding the laundry, and the dad wanted a little help. He went about it the wrong way, however. He called his kid selfish because he wouldn't help, and when the son walked towards the door, the father actually started to count, like I do with my 3 year olds: "Max, one!"

My favorite part was when the son delivered his excuse: "Well, the only reason you're asking me to do it is because I'm here! I wouldn't have even done any of it if I hadn't shown up!" Oh man, I had to keep from laughing.

One thing I noticed is that the dad kept nagging the son, and it didn't make the son want to fold laundry, for sure. My advice would have been for him to have a nice conversation with his son as he was folding, instead of nagging and threatening him. After a few minutes, the son probably would have started folding some stuff on his own.

Note to all: if you want something done, ask nicely. Drop the NAG! I'll try it too.

My Sunday

I went to the gym today and got an earful. After my workout, I got to hear a cell phone conversation in the locker room. This woman sounded like she was talking to a Match.com date, and she didn't care who was listening. I learned that:

*She loves to cook, and will go out to eat for anything except sushi. Her food has to be cooked, not raw.
* She likes to go fishing, and hasn't been fishing since she moved here.
* She loves Newbury Street.
* She's the 5th of 8 children. She wasn't spoiled, because she was in the middle. She's happy about that.
* Her best friend is in nursing school.

I hope she has a good date. She sure sounded charming on the phone, giggling appropriately and sounding slightly self-deprecating and proud at the same time.

After the gym, I went to Trader Joe's and bought some really healthy and expensive food. I spent all that money, just to stop at Subway and get a meatball marinara anyway. I couldn't help it--have you ever gone in there and smelled the food? I can't resist. You know it's bad when you can order like you do at Starbucks:

Starbucks, winter: "A tall Awake tea with room."
Starbucks, summer: "A tall iced hazelnut latte."

Subway, all year: "A six-inch meatball marinara on wheat with provolone, not toasted."

I supplemented my sub with corn and a salad, washed down with apple cider. Healthy! Tomorrow I'll start on the Trader Joe's food. Just remembered, I forgot to get eggs. Dang.

More Travel Notes: Tatum

When I was on the plane going from Boston to San Francisco, I made friends with a 5 year old named Tatum. I noticed her, because not only was she a cute little kid, but she had stuck High School Musical stickers all over her face. She looked adorable. I asked her mom if I could take her picture, because "I am a preschool teacher and a photographer and your daughter is adorable and I will send you a copy."

We chatted almost the whole way, and she was great about coloring in her book when I wanted to read mine. We really got along, because, of course, I can think like a 5 year old. At one point, Tatum turned to me and said, "Which is your favorite side?" Her mom gave her a real funny look, but of course I knew what Tatum was talking about. I said, "THIS side!", because it was the side of the plane we were both sitting on, duh! And she replied, "ME TOO!", and we both shared a special moment, and her mom was clueless.

At the end of the ride, Tatum handed me a picture that she had colored. "This is for you." Oh god, it made my day. And I will now share it with you. I love meeting kids on trips.

What We Did at School on Inauguration Day

Where Were You During the Inauguration?

What a historic in history! I began the day by having our own Inaugural Ball at school. I asked everyone to dress their best, and we had quite a few fancy outfits. A bunch of parents and kids got together for our own paparazzi picture taking session, followed by a song "There was a man in the White House, Obama was his name-O...O-B-A-M-A! O-B-A-M-A! O-B-A-M-A! Obama was his name-O!"

I talked about what a special day this was, because Barack Obama was the first man with brown skin to be President. Interestingly, many kids brought stuffed dogs to school, so that was a perfect segue to discuss the fact that the Obama family was trying to decide what kind of dog to get as a pet.

Our special art project was Obama collage. Each child picked a sheet of paper (red, white, or blue) and decorated it with images of Obama that were cut from magazines and newspapers. We listened to a jazz CD as we worked, by the band Shaker (on trumpet, our own parent alumnus Eric Hanson!).

After school, I met up with three friends and their kids at the Beacon Street Tavern, where free champagne was served and two big screen TVs were showing the Inauguration. We toasted, we cheered, we cried. We applauded when Obama said powerful things during his speech. One funny moment was when Obama talked about "The Muslims, the Christians, the Jews, and the non-believers..." and at that point, a couple of women cheered loudly. We also cheered loudly when the Bushes flew off in their helicopter. It was great to be with a bunch of people during this special day in history, A NEW DAY!!!

You Gonna Eat That?

Shelby loves raspberry fruit spread from Trader Joe's. Here, she contemplates how to sneak in a little lick while Mommy is texting on her cell phone.

Maybe One of These Instead of Spaghetti

I'm gonna just start posting all the pics I've been wanting to and haven't had time to. In no particular order...my brother John and I went out to lunch. Here's what was on the menu. Whoa.

Maybe Pack a Sandwich Next Time?

This is what it looks like when you pack spaghetti in a thermos for your three year old.

Jesus' Stuff

Went over to the house of Jesus Organization tonight, and was informed that it was not the mom or dad who labeled the drawers of Playmobils, but the 8 year old son. Joseph knows that there's a place for everything, and everything in its place. Way to go, Joseph!

The Price of Warmth

It was about 17 degrees today. I observed many teenagers with jackets (not coats) on, zippers open, no hats or gloves, shorts (!), looking so bad ass.

I thought, "You know you're old when you go outside looking like a turtle Ninja with a condom on your head and you don't even care because at least you're warm..."

Vanity has its moments, but not when it's 17 degrees.

Jesus is in Our Hearts, and in His Own Drawer

My friend Emily is really organized. She has two boys who have lots of Playmobil figures, and they have to be kept somewhere, right? When I was at their house recently, I nearly bust a gut looking at the Playmobil organizing system that had been created.

I have yet to ask Emily how she arrived at her categories, but it's good to know that in addition to the toys and music, there's a place for Mary and Joseph, and Jesus, et al. Jesus' stuff goes in a different category. I wonder what's in there?

Howie Mandel has a Red-Tipped Cane

Simon, 4, made a declaration at lunch:

Alex, I'm bald. I can't see.

I think he meant to say blind. And if you can't hear, it'll be the end of you. I've heard more than one child say, "He can't hear. He's death."

Cindy Loo Who

This is Maddie. She's one of my students. I told her mom last summer that she looked like Cindy Loo Who from the animated special, "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas". Apparently, I was not the first person to say this.

I got this idea to photograph Maddie looking like Cindy Loo Hoo. Ideally, I should have done it when she was two, but I think we pulled it off pretty well today, don't you?

"Santy Claus, why, Why are you taking our Christmas tree? WHY?"

Another one of my students looks like Little Tarzan. I just gotta get ahold of a chimp.

New Favorite Song

I have a new favorite song: Wind it Up by Gwen Stefani. In case you're not familiar with this song, imagine the least likely song you could think of as a remix dance song. Something that children would like. From a musical. A favorite of mine in its original form. Possibilities:

1) "It's a Hard Knock Life" from Annie. (Done. Jay-Z)

2) "If I Were a Rich Man from Fiddler on the Roof. (Done. By GS, incidentally. Called Rich Girl)

3) "The Lonely Goatherd" from The Sound of Music.

If you said #3, you would be correct. You know that song, right? During the marionette scene in The Sound of Music, where the children and Maria are trying to impress the Countess. Now imagine that song remixed in with a funky dance beat and a little rap thrown in. Now you have Wind it Up.

My good friend Courtney made me a mix CD for Christmas, and that song is on it. Major props to my girl C! I am obsessed. I want to go to a club and stomp the hell out of the floor and dance and lip synch like crazy to this song! Who's comin' with me?

Note to Dana: I'm no good with links. Look it up on YouTube.

Travel Notes--12/24/08

I got in line and put my stuff into those ubiquitous grey bins, pushed them through, and heard, "Bag check!" A woman held up my backpack with my full water bottle and said, "Who's thirsty?" As I do when I'm surprised, I cursed. "Shit!" I had done so well concentrating on my toiletries, I had completely forgotten that a bottle of water counts as a liquid that's more than three ounces.

The woman was going to empy it and give it back to me, but another guard told her she wsn't allowed to do that. I told her to keep it; it was the old type of Nalgene bottle that causes cancer anyway. I'd get a new one.

Got through, bought a bottle of water and some breakfast, and relaxed for an hour and a half till my flight took off. On the plane, I looked over to my right as we ascended, and saw...a woman with a large Nalgene bottle filled with water. Guess she was smart and filled it at the water fountain after security. Oh well. Her bottle was the old kind too; I should have warned her that it causes cancer.

Travel Notes--12/24/08

On my way to Santa Barbara, CA, via San Francisco. I managed to pack a weeks' worth of stuff into one carry-on and one personal bag so I wouldn't have to check anything. I packed all my little liquids in a quart-sized Ziploc bag. Had nothing in my pockets, wore my Dansko clogs for easy on and off at the airport. Put my small Nalgene bottle full of water in the water bottle pocket of my backpack so I'd be ready on the plane. I was prepared! I was so clever. I wore the down jacket that came with a little bag so that at the airport I could just stuff it in the bag and wear my fleece.

When I got to the airport (2 hours early, with no lines and a pre-printed boarding pass), I stopped to stuff my jacket into its little bag. It worked! Very clever, Eddie Bauer. I took oiut my boarding pass and my license, put them on the seat, stuffed the jacket into the bag, and got ready for the security check.

When I lifted my carry-on bag up, my boarding pass was there, but not my license. I looked again. No license. WTF?? I looked in between the seats. I looked in my bag. Patted my pockets. I knew that license was on that seat! There weren't any other people on the whole row of seats. I told myself to stay calm. I went through everything again, to no avail.

Finally, in frustration, I moved the whole row of seats and crouched down. And there it was, slipped into the tiniest crevice where the back of the seat met the seat of the seat. Of course I had to document it for this blog post, so I took a picture. As I was taking the picture, a security guard came over and said, "Find anything good down there?" I must have looked a little crazy. I explained the situation, and he backed off. I pulled myself together and headed off to the security line.

Next up: Not so fast, Lady!

Poem for a Bun

Oh Morning Bun
My heart you've won
It was lots of fun
To eat you.

And when I dine
My heart will pine
Till the next time
I meet you.

I'm on Vacation

Hey Readers,

Whassup? I've been away on vacation for a week, and blogging just isn't the first thing I think of doing while away. Oh don't worry, I've been taking lots of travel notes, tons o'pictures, and will have some posts done as soon as I get home. If I get home. Seems my flights have been getting cancelled left and right. Fingers crossed, I'll be home tomorrow.

I just had to do this one post. Last night the cuz and I were watching TV, flipping channels and whatnot. She stopped on Dog the Bounty Hunter. I'd never seen it before, mostly because I take one look at the guy and want to puke. I mean, the bleached mullet, the deep tan, the outfits! Anyway, I ended up sitting there with "She Who Shall Remain Nameless to protect her from people who agree with me", and we watched about four episodes.

I couldn't get over it. First of all, I didn't really know what a bounty hunter was, and I'm still not sure, even though SWSRN explained it to me. They work with the cops, or work on their own? They need a search warrant? They can just bust in to anyplace? Anyway.

This show cannot be for real. Those outfits, for one. The wife looks like Anna Nicole Smith squashed down by an anvil or something. You expect me to believe she actually goes out on "the job" wearing a tank top, short shorts, and heels??? She inflates her boobs right before they jump in their cruiser. Required for the uniform: Make sure you wear sunglasses, and everyone wear black. And that hair. Oh god, that hair. I asked SWSRN if this was current, or was it taped in 1985. She said it was current. I don't believe it.

And here comes the kicker. Deep breath. SWSRN thinks he's hot. I'm not kidding! I almost had a stroke when she told me. I told her, "I thought we were connected. I thought we shared values, the same..." I couldn't finish my sentence. I just had to accept that perhaps she and I do not share the same taste in men. First word she thinks of when I say, "Brad Pitt"? Gross. First word I think of? Hot. First word I think of when I look at Dog the Bounty Hunter? Blaughhhhh! (vomit sound)

I had to check at one point. He had on this outfit not to be believed. It was a black and grey matching button down shirt and pants out of the Miami Vice era, and the shirt was unbuttoned to mid-chest. I asked, jokingly, "Do you think he's hot now?" And she said yes!

And he thinks he's so macho, and she has those talon nails, and the whole family is involved, and they pray together before every bust. Wow. Wow. Hey, I know some people might find it strange that I have a crush on Keith Morrison, but at least when he talks you there's an air of mystery surrounding him. With these clowns, they let all their shit hang out, and it ain't pretty.

I think they should have Dog the Bounty Hunter viewings at high schools around the country. That would scare me straight for sure. Ugghhh! (shudder)