There's a Hole in the Garden, Dear Jackson...

"Little Jackson had a farm..."
"Boom Boom ain't it great to be... Jackson!"


Just a couple little ditty's from your new unique CD from the lovely people over at Name Your Tune! They are a company that sells personalized CD's featuring familiar songs with your child's name! (Not your child, Jack, you don't have a child, you're 2).

It's so awesome. Every time you hear that if Jackson is happy and he knows it, well, you clap your hands! Hearing your name sung by a stranger coming from mommy's car blows your mind, which is really fun to witness. Thanks Name Your Tune!

Thank you Florence

I am in love with this video...



We just decided to try out the song on you, and it was like magic! At every moment the song picked up, your little head started shaking like a bobble-head. What a perfect song.

Dancy Dance Time

Hi. I am your crazy happy mother.


These days, unusual things amuse me. You poop in the bath tub, I'm laughing. You look at me, shrug, and say, "I don't know, mama." I'm dying. You repeat a swear word. Wait that's not funny. (Ohmygoshyesitis.)

So when we went to Yo Gabba Gabba Live, I was on CLOUD NINE. I mean it, best time of my life. You had fun too, but this is about me, I mean it's about you, I mean I want to go again.

p.s. Those glasses I'm rockin' were made of paper, but I kind of like them.

Baby Mine

A song I sing to you every night...



I remember watching this as a child and it hurt my heart, every single time. Now, as a mother, it hurts my heart in a new way. The thought of being chained up, my only contact with you through a tiny window, unable to hold you in my arms, but only with my long trunk. Oh wait, I'm not an elephant. But you know what I mean.

It's Thanksgiving time, and after watching this video I am thankful that I can freely sing this song to you every night. (And I'm glad I'm not in the circus.)

Yo Gabba Gabba Live

In just 9 short days, we will be going to Yo Gabba Gabba Live!!!!

Who do you think is most excited? Your dad, with his new Gabba Vans that you like to rock... ME, who has a crush on Brobee... or YOU, who says "WO WO WO GABBA WO WO WO GABBA!" all, day, long!?

What's the Name of That Song?

I can't describe to you the joy I feel when I rediscover a classic Sesame Street video. This morning, during breakfast (when I have to show you YouTube videos on the computer to get you to eat food), I found this little ditty:



Instantly, I traveled back in time and was a 4 year old girl in pigtails again. Somehow I knew every word, like I've been singing this song all of my life. I got reeeeeeally into it, absurdly so, as if I was competing for a Tony Award (that's a contest, right?). You just stared at me, like you didn't know who I was. It was me, your mama! Only from yesteryear when I couldn't tie my own shoes and liked to tell strangers I was a boy.

Counting to 4

This makes me happy. This makes YOU happy. And most importantly, this distracts you while I shove breakfast in your mouth.

We all sing with the same voice!

This just made me seriously happy:



I was showing you Sesame Street videos on YouTube while you were in your highchair, trying to distract you enough to eat ANYTHING (you've been sick, you're no longer into food), and I came across this video. The song came flooding back to me almost immediately, and when the chorus started, I practically flew out of my chair in a joyous, melodic movement.

"AND WE SING IN HAR-MON-EEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Beautiful.

These kids must be like 50 now.

The Great Adventures of Mr. David

There is something about me you should know. I am from the Midwest. This means, I am too nice to people. For instance, when a man with a guitar on his back just approached us at the park and said he was selling children's CD's, instead of calling the cops and reporting a child molester like anyone else in LA would have done, I bought one. Yes, I bought his $8 CD. He said it was Beatles inspired, cartoony, fun for both kids and parents. That sounded nice. And I didn't want to hurt his feelings.

We got in the car and put the CD on. As it turns out, it's really good.


There he is, The Great Adventures of Mr. David. Website and all! "60s-influenced, rock'n kids music for ages 2-8. Truly original songs that parents will enjoy as much as their kids."

You see, sometimes it pays to be nice. Cost $8.

And don't take drugs from strangers.

A little diddy about Jack...

When we're not listening to your dad on Amp in the morning, we're listening to this playlist:

Jackson - Johnny Cash & June Carter
Captain Jack - Billy Joel
Hit The Road Jack - Ray Charles
Jumpin' Jack Flash - The Rolling Stones
Jack and Diane - John Cougar
Happy Jack - The Who
All Jacked Up - Gretchen Wilson

I know what you're thinking. HOW CLEVER! MY NAME IS IN THOSE SONGS! Well, son, you were blessed with one clever S.O.B. mother. It's very true.

Oh, wait. You were being sarcastic?? I swear to God, if you complain about your strong, classic, unoriginal name I will legally change it to Caribou.

step step

You are about five minutes away from walking, and this is terrifying.

Well, yes, it's also incredible! Over the past two weeks, it's ALL you've wanted to do - hold our hands and walk around the house. It's very possible that my back will break soon. I am, after all, 30 years old. (Nope, no I'm not... just let me say that, though, it's more dramatic.)

Your dad is about to buy one of these...



...and even though it seems sort of leash-like, which I'm against, I might not object. My aching back!

Anyway, it's a very exciting time. You're not even 10 months and you're close to walking. I didn't walk until I was 18 months old, and there was NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT. But terrifying, also, because once you start walking I'm not sure plopping you down on the carpet with toys will work anymore. I'll be doing the crossword puzzle, assuming you're sitting next to me, and suddenly I'll look up and you'll be on top of the microwave. Terrifying! How did you scale the counter?!

*By the way, now that your daddy has started his job at Amp radio, we have replaced that with our morning pirate song. I feel sort of badly about that, too, because I'm pretty sure the words, "have it your way, foreplay, before I feed your appetite," have nothing to do with eating pureed mango.

Earl-eye in the mornin'!

In the mornings, when I'm feeding you your breakfast, we usually listen to music. We listen to music rather loudly. I like for it to feel like we're at a rock concert. An oatmeal-eating, bib-wearing, food-all-over-your-face rave of sorts. It's a wild time! We listen to everything from Johnny Cash to CCR to Jay-Z to Lady GaGa (your father approves). I dance around your high chair like a backup dancer (I'm delusional) and you laugh at me. Wait I mean with me. It's my favorite part of the day.

ESPECIALLY now that I've discovered the best song of all times. It's called "Drunken Sailor" by The Whiskey Bards. These guys:

Only they're real people. Real Irish men, joined together to pursue the bardic arts of times past! (I pulled that from their web site). They are Simon, Tonis, Cosimo, and Yonatan, and they.. are.. AWESOME.

"Drunken Sailor" is now your song, buddy. Here are the lyrics. Appropriate? No, probably not. But since when have I been an appropriate mother?

What do you do with a drunken sailor,
What do you do with a drunken sailor earl-eye in the mornin'?
Way-hey, and up she rises,
Way-hey, and up she rises,
Way-hey, and up she rises, earl-eye in the mornin'!
Shave his belly with a rusty razor,
Shave his belly with a rusty razor,
Shave his belly with a rusty razor earl-eye in the mornin'!
Way-hey, and up she rises,
Way-hey, and up she rises,
Way-hey, and up she rises, earl-eye in the mornin'!
Throw him in the back of the paddy wagon,
Throw him in the back of the paddy wagon,
Throw him in the back of the paddy wagon earl-eye in the mornin'!
Way-hey, and up she rises,
Way-hey, and up she rises,
Way-hey, and up she rises, earl-eye in the mornin'!
What do you do with a drunken sailor,
What do you do with a drunken sailor,
What do you do with a drunken sailor earl-eye in the mornin'?
Way-hey, and up she rises,
Way-hey, and up she rises,
Way-hey, and up she rises, earl-eye in the mornin'!
Throw him in a hole with the captain's daughter,
Throw him in a hole with the captain's daughter,
Throw him in a hole with the captain's daughter earl-eye in the mornin'!
Way-hey, and up she rises,
Way-hey, and up she rises,
Way-hey, and up she rises, earl-eye in the mornin'!
Throw him in the lock-up 'till he's sober,
Throw him in the lock-up 'till he's sober,
Throw him in the lock-up 'till he's sober earl-eye in the mornin'!
Way-hey, and up she rises,
Way-hey, and up she rises,
Way-hey, and up she rises, earl-eye in the mornin'!
Hey!
(Piccolo solo)
Hey!
What do you do with a drunken sailor,
What do you do with a drunken sailor,
What do you do with a drunken sailor earl-eye in the mornin'?

Amazing, right?!  But sweetie, it's really not cool to shave someone's belly with a rusty razor.