Music
« Previous EntriesPercussion Playing Prowess
Saturday, May 19th, 2012Dear NHL,
In the fall, when you decided that you wanted to play percussion instruments, I wondered how things would go. With most of the school year and two concerts behind you, I can hardly imagine life without a percussion playing kiddo in our house. Though the bell set is a bit shrill at times, we can recognize songs when you play them. The only down side is the size of your kit that has to travel into school each week. I now know where to park to drop it off and where to set it down outside of school at the end of the day.
While we were at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, we made sure to stop over by the drum area in Africa. Daddy and I knew that you would have fun experimenting on the different items that were there.
Of course, it was also interesting to watch your little brother follow you around. As you can see, one of you had an easier time switching things up, while the other needs to stretch a bit more.
Still, I think the moment that made me the proudest happened at Mimi’s house on Mother’s Day. She had a little keyboard. Suddenly, we heard a song and looked over. There you were taking what you learned from playing the xylophone to play the same song on the piano without any sheet music. Of course, I wanted to test this theory. When we went to Nana and Papa’s house a few days later, you did it again proving that you really have learned quite a bit. Keep up the great work. I can’t wait to see how much more you learn next year and beyond.
Love,
Mommy
Mama Doni Gives Us Mission Immatzoble
Tuesday, April 3rd, 2012Passover is coming! Passover is coming! Purim was just here and now it seems like we went full speed ahead into Passover. Thanks to this, TechyDad and I are busy getting our house ready for the Seders this weekend. Before I know it, our house will be taken over by this:
To get everyone in the mood, I wanted to share a great new video from Mama Doni. As a fan, I follow her on Facebook and happened to see this and asked if I could post it here. So please take a little time to rock out to Doni’s new Mission Immatzoble music video – it is AMAZING!
As always, Mama Doni helps to teach us about the holiday and gives us a great new tune to listen to while we celebrate. So are you ready for the holidays (whatever you observe)?
Purim Parties Galore
Sunday, March 11th, 2012Holidays come and holidays go. For some reason, Purim seems to stick around longer and longer each year. I love the holiday and the fun associated with it. However, getting kids dressed up so many times, heading to events, and everything else can get rough after a week.
Still, looking at the fun that the kids had makes it all well worth it.
Tomorrow, we will finally be able to put another Purim “season” behind us and move on. This bring me to the other reason Purim may have a sore spot with me. This fun holiday reminds me that Passover is just around the corner. We need to weed out our cabinets of non-Passover food and start thinking about our Seders. I think I am still in denial about all that goes with shopping and planning.
For now, I will remember the Purim celebration at JSL’s school that included a concert from Andy the Music Man. It was so much fun watching the kids parade around in costumes, sing, and dance with Andy. He was full of energy, funny, and so patient with the kids (and adults too). I know we will be looking to see where he will be performing in the weeks ahead to catch another show. Capital District readers, if you have a chance to see Andy – do not miss it!
I recorded a video of the Purim parade that was so adorable. I will share it with family members privately since I do not have permission from all of the parents to post it on YouTube.
Did you celebrate Purim? I would love to hear how you kept the fun times going with your family.
Magical Kiddie Concert Moments
Sunday, January 8th, 2012Recently, I wrote about recalling memories of going to concerts as a child. TechyDad and I have taken the boys to several concerts over the years. When we had the opportunity to go to the Laurie Berkner concert yesterday, we jumped at it. My family has been fans of Laurie for a long time thanks to her appearances on Jack’s Big Music Show. I will write more about the amazing show later, but now I wanted to share a few photo memories of our experience.
Of course, we will also remember this show because of something that happened toward the end. Laurie was on the stage floor “taking a nap” and Susie, Adam, and Bob were trying to get the audience to help wake her up. Suddenly, you hear Bob mention that they have a runner. TechyDad and I both captured this moment on video. A sweet little girl was dancing with a bunch of other children. Then, she bolted up onto the stage. What you will see the band members do is beyond magical. They went with the flow and worked it into the concert. Here is the video:
We have a lot of other videos and photos from the Laurie Berkner Band concert to share soon. A huge thank you to Laurie, Susie, Adam, Bob, and everyone else that made this concert at Proctors an extra special day for MY family and so many others.
Disclosure: My family and I received complementary tickets to the “Animal Party” concert thanks to The Laurie Berkner Band. The opinions are mine as a long time fan of Laurie Berkner and I received no other compensation. Posting this was done to share a fun experience and not expected in return for the tickets.
The Year that was 2011
Monday, January 2nd, 2012It is hard to believe that 2012 is here. Once again, the year went by with a lot of fun, photos, and memories. Here are just some of the highlights from the year that was 2011.
January:
- Mother Nature started her tricks with a lot of snow that came our way. We had fun making memories with the sled in our own yard.
- I started writing Education posts at The Disney Driven Life and introduced it to everyone. Thank you to J.L. for the amazing opportunity. I look forward to getting back on track in 2012.
- NHL lost three more teeth during the first three months of the year. Much relief as they came out without dental assistance.
February 2011:
- The Snowpacalypse welcomed the month of February threatening 18-30 inches of snow. It left lots of the white stuff and tons of ice damage. Our neighbors probably had a laugh with knee-highs on our roof.
- With all of the freezing cold, even the little guy was trying to ride Tony Pony to Disney World to escape. Of course, we were gearing up for Disney Social Media Moms Celebration 2011 in March.
- We continued to take the boys to introduce them to hockey. They had a blast checking out all of the extras between the on ice action.
March 2011:
- Mother Nature teased us with warmth to melt snow mountains early in the month, only to knock us down with an ice storm to remember. Crackling trees and ice pelting the house is hard to listen to in the dark.
- A magical trip to Walt Disney World for the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration allowed me to see amazing friends, learn, and have fun with my family. Lots of items from that trip were shared throughout the months ahead.
- Of course, the reality world hit hard once we got back from our magical adventure. Tough decisions were ahead and left my head spinning. All of this made me remember the wise words of Rene Syler – The Good Enough Mother.
April 2011:
- Passover preparations were dominant this month. Making lists, shopping, and getting the house ready. Of course, we also captured memories of the holiday itself.
- Lots of moments where I wished I was not the adult who had to make decision. Thank goodness, JSL helped to keep me smiling along the way.
- A routine visit to the dentist for NHL revealed the need to see an orthodontist. We made the appointment for several months later in June, but knew the missing adult tooth was going to be something to contend with.
May 2011:
- Even moms need field trips. Yes, the weekend before Mother’s Day, Cutestkidever and I jumped into the car for a lunch date with Rene Syler.
- JSL’s 4th birthday and new love for Jake and the Never Land Pirates required working on a theme for his party. Supplies were bought and cupcakes were made.
- The sun coming back also provided an opportunity to test out our new grill, plant some veggies, and attempt to regrow our front lawn.
June 2011:
- After taking NHL out of a school he had been in since kindergarten, TechyDad and I watched as our second grader started to flourish in a new school. Once again, we started to believe in the education system. This entire drama made it SO hard to bite my tongue and keep a lot of things to myself.
- Father’s Day we spent a fun day together. We had lunch out, went mini-golfing, and had dinner with Nana and Papa. It reminded me of how special these moments together are.
- The end of June marked a major milestone for TechyDad and me. We celebrated out 10th wedding anniversary. Memories of our special day, honeymoon at Walt Disney World, and everything over the ten years together came flooding back. Of course, the day of our actual anniversary was a house nightmare. A plumbing fix resulted in us moving out for several days.
July 2011:
- The month started with a visit out to see my brother and his family for 4th of July. While there, we went cherry picking and beat our previous record. A day at Niagara Falls was also included in the fun adventures.
- Both of the boys were home with me for the entire summer. We looked for fun activities to do. We often ended up at the library for learning and crafting.
- We also spent a lot of time at Michaels crafting our way around the world. Yes, Michaels and Crayola teamed up to make a great passport of crafts for kids to do that were mostly free. The kids learned so much and we found some great new crafts to try later on.
August 2011:
- At the end of July, we started to think about a magical getaway to celebrate our 10th anniversary. Shortly after this, we booked a fantastic trip to relive our honeymoon at Walt Disney World. Everything was planned from the hotel, dining, and place for the kids to stay over Labor Day.
- NHL turned 8 in August and requested lion cupcakes. We documented the construction process and birthday celebration.
- The end of the month was heart breaking. We watched as Hurricane Irene wrecked havoc up and down the east coast. Thanks to the fear of the kids being stuck with no power and our flight getting canceled, we postponed our big trip to Disney. Being responsible adults was tough.
September 2011:
- The boys started back to school after Labor Day. NHL loved his new school and was settling into third grade. JSL thrived at his familiar nursery school and we had lots of fun going apple picking with his class.
- As a Type-A personality, I am a planner. So it was very rare for me to pack up in just a few days notice to head to New York City for the first ever SheStreams Conference. It was an amazing time seeing friends, learning, and getting away for a weekend. A huge thank you to all of those that made it a magical and empowering weekend.
October 2011:
- As a third grader, NHL started to take band in school. He picked percussion instruments and drum practice even got a Disney touch thanks to Nana and Papa.
- During the month of October, two large packages arrived to host parties. The boys loved learning and playing with LeapFrog items during the Learn, Create, and Share Party. The LeapPad had been an amazing addition to our family learning electronics. HexBugs also invaded our house for some glow-in-the-dark holiday fun.
- Halloween was a lot of fun thanks to everyone staying healthy. NHL was Darth Vader, JSL was Jedi Tigger, and even TechyDad dressed up. Of course, Snowtober threatened to make things more interesting just a day before heading out.
November 2011:
- The start of the month meant going to a fun event for bloggers at Price Chopper, headquarters. The Price Chopper Holiday Cheer afternoon showcased endless holiday entertaining ideas. Of course, I wanted to highlight the Decadent Desserts line.
- This was also the month that my entire family fell in love with Susan Egan. I had been lucky enough to see Susan at Disney Social Media Moms in March, but her new CD review was a hit in our house. My little guy even had a crush on her and certainly did care more than Nina.
- The boys learned about what an aufruf is and spent a lot of time with family in November during Thanksgiving weekend.
December 2011:
- The month began with full on Muppet madness in our house. The boys have always loved the Muppets, but the anticipation of the new movie brought it on even more. There was Muppets mania clothing style and lots of Muppet music playing in our house. Heck, I even tossed in some fun Muppets nail polish. Bringing things from our childhood back are so much fun.
- Chanukah was more quiet this year as we focused on time with each other, festive music, watching the menorah glow, and less attention on presents.
- A surprise trip to Build-A-Bear workshop introduced our family to Snowflake and Clumsy. Snowflake has been on a lot of adventures and even requested a beary special knitted scarf.
There were so many other things that made 2011 special and amazing. Thank goodness that is what archives are for. We can look back, laugh, cry, remember, and reflect.
What are some of your favorite part of the year that was 2011?
Family Concert Time with Laurie Berkner
Friday, December 30th, 2011Growing up, I have fond memories of my parents taking me to concerts. This is where I should laugh that some included Paul Simon, Barry Manilow, Neil Diamond, The Beach Boys, and countless other people and bands that they were fans of. Then there was the Rosenshontz concert that brought back the biggest memories. There was something special about being in that smaller theater and watching Gary Rosen and Bill Shontz rock out. Heck, I still remember seeing my mom and dad sing and participate along with them.
Now imagine me, rocking the mommy van with my Laurie Berkner music playing most mornings. As I take the kids to school, we often are belting out Victor Vito, BOOTS, I’m Gonna Catch You, or one of her other catchy tunes. I also have memories of JSL rocking out with Laurie and his play guitar in December 2009. He loved to watch her segments on Nick Jr. Of course, the inspiration for that was Laurie’s song My Family. Here is a video about the song:
Our boys love going to concerts and we were lucky enough to be invited by the PR company representing The Laurie Berkner Band to see them next weekend for a stop on their “Animal Party” concert tour. Yes, Capital Region friends – Laurie and company will be in Schenectady on the Mainstage at Proctor’s Saturday, January 7 at 11:00 am. If you are not near Schenectady, NY – have no fear. The Laurie Berkner Band has other dates on this tour as well.
There are so many goodies on the website for Laurie Berkner, but I love the section about the concert. Check this little bit out:
The Laurie Berkner Band is throwing an Animal Party Concert!
What can you bring to an Animal Party Concert?
1. Your favorite stuffed animal (for your head). Any kind will do!
2. A party outfit!
3. Your dancin’ shoes, so you can groove to the music!
I have a feeling Snowflake and Clumsy just may be joining us for our concert adventure! So my question to you this week is inspired by our love for family concerts:
Have you ever seen Laurie Berkner in concert? I would love to know about it or another concert you went to and your favorite song. No doubt there will be more coming on this after the concert.
Disclosure: My family and I will be receiving complementary tickets to the “Animal Party” concert next week. The opinions are mine as a long time fan of Laurie Berkner and I received no other compensation..
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Thanks to Kailani at An Island Life for starting this fun for Friday. Please be sure to head over to her blog to say hello and sign the linky there if you are participating.
Aloha #184
‘Twas the Last Night of Chanukah
Tuesday, December 27th, 2011Tonight, we will gather at our dining room table one last time to light our menorah. This year, we have been using a Maccabee Air menorah. In addition to this, we bought an LED Magen David to add a little extra something to our celebration.
The first few evenings, the boys actually pulled up their little chairs to watch the candles flicker and burn down. While watching, I would play Chanukah music on a special Spotify station that I made with tunes that we enjoy for the Festival of Lights. There were also evenings that I shared some fun holiday music videos with the boys. Another new one was really fun and I thought I would share.
So please excuse me while I spend the day playing games and having fun with the boys while they are home from school this week.
Special Chanukah Concert
Monday, December 26th, 2011When people tell me that JSL is shy, I have to laugh. Once he gets to know you, you may have a hard time getting a word in. He really is personality plus, loves to tell jokes, and is a huge entertainer. If JSL has his way, he would spend most days putting on a show for those that he loves.
The other day, both of the boys were home and JSL was singing some of the Chanukah songs from school. I asked him if I could take a video of his concert. He was SO excited. We decided to go into his room where there was less noise. The result was the following video. He had to add in his play guitar and loved showing me that he could clap without me. Of course, the poor little guy was really stuffed up thanks to a cold just in time for the Festival of Lights. Still, it was really cute and I wanted to share.
What has been your favorite part of the holiday season so far? I would love for you to share.
The Festival of Lights Begins Tuesday Night
Monday, December 19th, 2011On Tuesday night, Jewish families will gather together to light their menorahs to commemorate the miracle of long ago. Every family has their own traditions that they pass along to the next generation. TechyDad and I are really trying to focus on the miracle of Chanukah and not on the gift giving and material items. The reality is that those are not really what the holiday is about. Society has pushed it to this more thanks to being at the same time of year as Christmas.
Yes, we will be giving the boys some gifts, but nothing extraordinary. This year, we hope to make some potato latkes, spin the dreidels, dance to Chanukah music, and sit together for family time while watching the menorah shine.
Something else I can not wait to share with the boys are the fun new series of 30 second Chanukah tips from Mama Doni. Yes, this hip and rockin’ mama shares eight of her tips including:
- Makin’ Lotsa Latkes!
- Get Your Dreidel On!
- The Story of Chanukah
- Are you Gr8teful?
- Is it “Chanukah” or “Hanukkah?”
- Honey This Ain’t Money
- Gobble Up Some Sufganiyot!
- Eight Special People in Your Life
Here are the videos, which will play one after the other:
I love how fun, energetic, and informative they are. Mama Doni also gives great items to talk/write about with older children. Do you have a favorite tip from the videos?
Disclosure: I found these videos thanks to subscribing to Mama Doni’s YouTube Channel. I enjoyed them and wanted to share with other families.
Favorite Chanukah and Holiday Songs
Friday, December 16th, 2011The other day, I shared some new to us Chanukah music from The Mama Doni Band. It’s funny, festive, and great for the entire family. As much as I adore music for my family, I still love songs that speak to me as an adult. Three years ago, I actually wrote about my favorite Chanukah song. The song still holds up in my top billing. It is called Hanukkah Blessings by Barenaked Ladies. The other day, I actually found a video of the song and wanted to share.
As I said in the past, it gives me chills because of the power of the lyrics, the message, and the entire package.
Of course, a new music video out from the Maccabeats for Chanukah is fantastic. The imagery is simply stunning. They really do a magical job creating the feel of celebrating the Festival of Lights. Watch below and look for a special guest spot from Mayim Bialik. You may recall her playing Amy Farrah Fowler on The Big Bang Theory. She was also also Blossom when I was growing up and playing young Bette Midler in the movie Beaches. Check out this new Maccabeats song here:
So my question to you this week:
What is your favorite Chanukah or other holiday song and/or video?
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Thanks to Kailani at An Island Life for starting this fun for Friday. Please be sure to head over to her blog to say hello and sign the linky there if you are participating.
Aloha #182
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