Her Vessel's Home Port (or, "HD Sings of Her Hometown")

A LOT has been going on the past few weeks.  We hosted the in-laws for Easter, I left the Hubs and HD for a much-needed gals' trip, and Hubs and I celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary.  I'm still working on the post to sum up the trip after a couple of weeks getting back into the swing of things at home and work.  Oh, and have I mentioned that starting next week, I'm going part time at work???  [Although, it sounds like a bigger deal than it is -- I'll be 90% time, which equates to every other Friday off.  Still, more time with le bebe and laundry!]

So to tide y'all over until the extra wordy posts come, I give you, HD singing her new anthem:

She attempts to segue into "I've Just Seen a Face" by The Beatles (a.k.a. The Harper Song), but gets stuck on the "I can't..." opening to one of the lines.  She sings the ENTIRE song normally, but is a bit skittish around cameras.  Apparently, she did not get my hamming for camera genetics as much as previously thought.  Let's try that again:

We plan on opening our own cabaret.  [Oh, and "1,2,3 Max?"  That's her making up a ditty about Where the Wild Things Are.  We're still trying to figure this kid out.]

Conch Shells and Sea Chanties (or, "How HD at 22 Months is Like DP Mama at 13 Years")

Firstly, witness the cute that is my child when she purposely smiles for the camera:

Secondly, be thankful for that extremely rare footage.  We have a hard enough time just getting her to be still enough for us to capture candid stuffs she's doing, never mind a full-blown pose...

Lately, HD has become a little music obsessed.  I am very proud to say that she gets this from my side of the family, as my father, brother, and I are all a bit snobbish and faux scholarly when it comes to music, a la High Fidelity.  

So imagine my excitement the past month or so when all of a sudden, HD wants involvement in all sorts of musical processes.  She's always loved being sung to, and she'll more or less stop in her tracks to pay attention if she ever hears music on TV -- especially, inexplicably, for the HIMYM theme song.  But now?  She's constantly singing (she's got the entire first verse to A Pirate Looks at Forty down pat, I kid you not), she wants to play her xylophone and pots-and-pans drums constantly, and she can identify most instruments when she sees them (thanks to Animal Orchestra!).  I'm on the brink of busting out my old clarinet just to give her a thrill.

I was at Target last weekend, and I picked up a pair of children's headphones for HD.  We're heading on a cross-country flight later this summer, so I picked up a pair thinking we could use them for (last chance, emergency only) cartoon-viewing on Hubs's iPad.  HD was instantly drawn to her pink present, and was astounded when she realized that these magical things were basically her own private musical experience.  And she's been enamored ever since.

  

I've been trying to expose HD to all sorts of tunes.  My view?  She hears enough of I'm a Little Teapot at daycare.  I'm there to help guide her into understanding how pop music and the history of the world go hand in hand.  Do we love the Yo Gabba Gabba soundtrack?  Hell yes.  But it's important that kids know who Elvis is, and the glory of Otis Redding, and Mahalia Jackson, and Led Zeppelin, and Jimmy Reed, and Steve Earle, and Dolly Parton, and Raphael Saadiq, and Jenny Lewis, and the Cure (don't tell Hubs!) and...  Anyway.  Suffice it to say that HD's new fave pastime is to put on headphones, crawl into my lap, and make requests while Mama plays DJ on the iPod.   

Behold, my bebe's first time experiencing her own private concert on headphones.  I am so proud.

Verily, a Call for Grog an' a Hornpipe (or, "Birthday Party")

"Verily" is perhaps my favorite term in pirating lingo.  But I digress...much earlier than normally in my posts.

Awhile back, Hubs asked what I wanted for my birthday, and I had an instant reply: "To be utterly removed from any party planning."  I am more or less the social director/type-A control freak of our little family, but now and then a matey needs a break.  He did little more than ask for a guest list and run a few ideas by me.  All in all, Hubs is wonderfully capable without my micromanaging!  He planned a great night, with a good mixture of spontaneity thrown in.

WE DID KARAOKE.

Ok, y'all.  It had been a solid couple of years since my pipes did any public singing beyond belting Yo Gabba Gabba tunes in the grocery store to calm a peckish HD.  Color me stoked!!  Item one last Saturday was to dispatch HD to her grandparents' house for the night [Side note -- HD loves her grandfolks, but she threw a snotty-nosed, puddle-sized tear, heaving sobs fit when we tried to leave.  She's been going through major mama separation anxiety a little later than most kids.  She's fine once we leave, but any tips on easing this is appreciated. Comment or email me!].  Item two was to don my best grandma sweater and hit up the unspeakably delicious Dosa for a little quality date time with just Hubs.

Hubs secured a private room at a joint in Japantown, complete with plastic liter bottles of Korean beer and delicacies like seafood pancakes.  There was even a glorious fruit platter.  The room was long and skinny with black vinyl booths, sort of like sitting in a semi-janky stretch limo.  We met up with a slew of friends and brothers and got the party started.

My lovely sis-in-law, rocking the crescent tambourine.

A little warm-up tune.

Hubs and me, now both officially sailing strong in our thirties.

Behold, the glory of a packed private karaoke chamber! Note the fruit platter.

The song options were beyond off the wall.  You had some standard show tunes, top 40, some basic country hits.  The typical variety you'd expect, but with weird little gems thrown in -- like the main tune from School of Rock.  My karaoke twin Shana and I bogarted the mike most the evening, slamming down ditties like "I Would Do Anything for Love" and "Glory of Love".  Because, you know, those are some serious jams.  Hubs did a stellar rendition of "Physical" as an homage to the week of my birth, and my fave Toto song.  We were treated to jokey takes on ditties by Mariah Carey, TLC, Blackstreet, and Boyz to Men.  We made excellent use of the applause button on the karaoke controls.  It was a blast.



And I even busted out a Johnny Rotten impression (which most of our guests kindly ignored).  You can feel free to do the same.

The night rounded out at local bar Blur, where we grabbed a sweet huge booth.  I also was treated to some tasty Sheep Dip.  Then, Hubs and I bid good night and proceeded home.  And for the first time since HD's been alive, we spent the night in our own home without her (we've spent nights away from her, but only if we're in a overnighting somewhere for a wedding or event).   The next morning was the biggest luxury ever, sleeping in until 8am (a HUGE gain for us over the standard 6:30) and going out for breakfast.  Once we retrieved HD, we made it up to her by taking her to Golden Gate Park to ride her beloved carousel:

The past few years, my birthday has been very low-key, which has been perfectly lovely.  But it was still nice to be made a fuss over.  Thanks heaps to everyone who was able to come, and to those who called me anyway to show some love.  This will easily tide me over for another 10 years :)

Sea Shanties for Rough Waters (or, "Songs to Make It through this Week")

It's a really rough week at work, I'm all thrown off from the time change, and pre-holiday stress is starting to kick in.  I miss my extended family and friends that are far away.  Throw in too many bad hair days and a teething kid, and I slowly begin folding in on myself.  Music always helps me get through whatever troubles or worries are plaguing me.  Here are a few songs that are on heavy rotation this week:

1)  "It's a Fact (Printed Stained)," Matt & Kim -- peppy, short, heavy on the percussion!  The chorus "yes, yes, no, no no..." makes me giggle.  This is THE OFFICIAL theme song of toddlers everywhere.

2)  "10. A.M. Automatic," The Black Keys -- this song is so seriously badass.  It's a crank-at-full-volume-and-attempt-to-dance-while-driving kind of tune.

3)   "Save It for Later," The English Beat -- consistently one of my favorite songs of all time; one of those weird ones that I don't tire of no matter how often I listen.  This song completely sums up what it's like to be young and crave independence, while still sort of seeking your parents' support and approval.  And background violins make any song more profound, right?

4)  "Mystery Train, Pt. 2," Steve Earle -- The end of summer put me on a really big bluegrass/country kick, and ol' Stevie's a leftover from that.  This guy is incredible; I have an entire Pandora station devoted to him that I listen to at work when my afternoons revolve around spreadsheets.

5)  "My Way," Frank Sinatra -- This is the very epitome of "&$#* you, I don't need anyone, I'm awesome and can rely entirely upon myself."  It's the theme song for cantankerous old bachelors who drink too much Canadian Club.  But it's also the song that was played by every single street musician (I'm not even exaggerating) in spring of 2007 when Hubs and I went on a trip to Europe together.  That was back in our dating days, and that trip basically convinced us each that we had to marry each other.  It became "our song" as a result of that trip.  We even danced to it at our wedding, despite the fact that it's probably the most unromantic lyrical content ever.  I grin ear to ear every time I hear it in passing.

6) "Message of Love," The Pretenders -- Is there any goddess of rock who ranks above Chrissie Hynde?  Hell no.  Incidentally, this song also made an appearance at our wedding when we were announced at our reception.  And we (I) completely flubbed our big high-five intro, which totally doesn't still cause me embarrassment when I remember it.

7)  "Higher Love," Steve Winwood -- THIS IS MY JAM.  For reals.

8)   "Do You Love Me?," The Contours -- I know, right?  This song always makes me think of Teen Wolf Too too!

9)  "Take Me to the Pilot," Elton John -- EJ is incredible.  I even like his cheesy "That's Why They Call It the Blues" phase.  And don't get me started on my love of The Lion King soundtrack.  But very early EJ is the best version of himself, when he's all gospely and can hit those falsetto notes, hammering away at his ivories.  Plus, he's super duper live (HD was in ute when we saw him in concert, but judging from all her squirming, I gather she enjoyed as well).

10) "Love that Girl," Raphael Saadiq -- Everyone needs a little groove-happy in their life.  This man is one of the most perfect sources.

Happy listening!

The Ditty of Sandpaper Pappy (or, "The Grandparents Came to Visit!")

           Since the age of 18, I haven’t lived within 400 miles of my parents (notable exception being the awesome 1.25 year period between my wedding and end of maternity leave, when The Parents, The Bro and I were all in the same 30 mile radius).  This isn’t because we don’t like each other; sometimes jobs and lives just lead you to different places.  My immediate family is actually pretty tight-knit, so visits have always been a source of uber excitement.  And this past week was one of those times.

            The Parents are Southerners through and through, but had lived West of the Mississippi for about twenty years.  If you ask me or The Bro, we’ll claim Southern roots even though we haven’t lived there since 1990. [Side note – yes, it is very strange to be brought up as “Southern” when your formative years are spent living on the West Coast.  But I suppose HD will get a bit of that in her upbringing as well.  That’s a whole other post yet to come.]  The Parents retired from the Bay Area back to Charleston, SC last year.  I miss them terribly but am really happy they’re in a place they love.  And that I have such a fun place to visit once or twice a year.  And that they feel the magnetic pull of an adorable granddaughter, whose cuteness causes them to visit about every other month.  Which means plenty of reunions are still in store.  Yay!

            HD had a blast playing with her grandparents the past few days.  Most babies are magically drawn to my daddy.  Maybe it’s the bald head (“Hey, he’s like me!”) or the soft, deep Southern drawl.  HD was no exception.  After he spoke about two sentences to her, she did that open-arm-dive-bomb-toward-my-new-friend-hold-me-now move.  I think it’s because he kept telling her how pretty she was.  My daughter is already a sucker for flattery.  Check out the happy couple:     



           My mama is a beacon of energy.  She keeps up with playing a full day with my kid better than I do.  She pushed strollers, helped HD “walk,” read books, repeatedly built block towers that were instantly knocked down, and sang songs.  Oh, did The Mama sing songs!  My personal fave was “Saaand-pay-puh Paaa-pay, ch-ch-ch-chhhhhh!”  This is apparently an ode to my father, who has a full, bristly goatee (you know, like sandpaper).  HD would rub her Pappy’s scratchy face and pat his head when the song was sung.  Sadly, I don’t have the tune on video.  Although I’ve been singing it in my head since last Wednesday, so I guess I don’t need one for posterity.  Mama --  I know you’re reading this.  You’ve now been tasked with coming up with full lyrics, since I can’t get beyond the one line chorus.  It’s the only way I’ll be able to get your God forsaken tune out of my head!

Let’s see.  Other than that, and a wonderful family lunch with The Bro and his fiancé for his birthday (woo!), HD’s been doing all sorts of stuff.  Like refusing to eat baby food.  Nine months old and this kid is already a connoisseur of baba ganooj, sautéed spinach, and mashed potatoes.  Straight up won’t eat unless it’s from the end of my fork.  I guess with all that garlic, she really did inherit the family’s taste buds.       



Sea Chanties, Part the Second (or, "I've officially gone crazy")

Despite my sometimes prickly view of "children's music," I couldn't resist buying this album for HD: Emphatical Piratical.  I've officially gone of the deep end, by way of the plank.  Haven't made Hubs listen to it yet, but HD's already got a funfilled earful!

At Jasleen's request, this photo seemed apropos.

Sea Chanties (or, "Playlist for the Kid")

I realize that it's not exactly earth-shaking to say that I dig music.  Really, who doesn't?   My folks were on the young side when they had me (26 and 24).  I grew up with a former frat boy daddy who pumped tunes on a constant basis, and a mama who's not afraid to shake her groove thang.  Couple that with the fact that MTV was 2 months old at the time of my birth, and you've got all the ingredients for a rockin' childhood.  I vaguely remember listening to some "children's music;" we had a Wee Sing cassette tape and some Disney Sing-Along videos.  But the majority of my memories are of road trips and backyard barbecues, complete with thumping bass line.  The bands prominent in my youth -- Allman Brothers, Led Zeppelin, the Police, Jimmy Buffett, Dire Straits, Lynyrd Skynyrd.  And (perhaps oddly?) the Ghostbusters soundtrack and Paul Simon's Graceland album.  My favorite song when I was 2 years old?  Van Halen's "Jump."

Needless to say, I don't believe you really need to screen your music sensibilities for your kids.  I mean, I didn't understand half of the lyrics until I was in the double-digits.  And by then, I was listening to Snoop Dogg and Salt'n'Pepa, so the age of innocence was kind of over at that point anyway.  I play music for HD constantly -- we dance around the kitchen while preparing supper, I sing to her at night, and she shrieks along in the car to my tunes.  It warms my heart.

Here's a sample of songs we love together; songs I play for her or sing to her.  Warning -- I couldn't keep this brief.  I got too excited.

1.  "Tiny Dancer" - Elton John -- Hubs and I went to an Elton John/Billy Joel concert when I was about 6 months pregnant.  Not only was it awesome, but pre-natal HD was bopping all over my uterus to this song.

2. "It Won't be Like This for Long" - Darius Rucker -- Purely sentimental; I dare you to listen to this and not tear up.  

3.  "Daylight" - Matt & Kim -- For me, this is HD's theme song.  It's happy, playful, and awesome.  I was obsessed with this song in September 2009 (had just seen M&K in concert and played this All The Time), which happened to be the month HD came to be.

4.  "Stand" - REM -- HD pulls herself up to standing position now.  For months, whenever I would hold her up to stand, I'd sing this to her.  She cracks a huge smile whenever she hears it.

5.  "(Baby) Hold Me Tight" - Kitty, Daisy, and Lewis -- HD likes to dance around to this one.  Anglophile that I am, I just like that it's peppy and the artists are Brits.

6.  "A Pirate Looks at Forty" - Jimmy Buffett -- You didn't really think you could get through this list without a pirate mention, did you?  I do actually sing this to HD when rocking her to sleep.  Yup, even the part about having "been drunk now for over two weeks." *shrug*

7.  "Ooh Poo Pah Doo" - Trombone Shorty & James Andrews -- Great tune from the Treme soundtrack.  I was in love with that show all summer while home on maternity leave.  I would dance teeny HD around during the musical scenes.  She seemed to like it.  Or I can pretend she did.

8.  "The Book of Love" - the Magnetic Fields -- This is a strange little love song.  But it's one of the most beautiful and true songs I've ever heard.  That may be cheesy, but I like singing it in the soft glow of her nightlight.

9.  "If I Had a Boat" - Lyle Lovett -- This is HD's number one absolute favorite song.  It calms her down every time, no matter what level of crankiness we're talking about.  As many times as I've sung it, it's a good thing I love it too.  

10.  "Stop Your Sobbing" - the Pretenders -- This is for when she's crying bunches.  Obvi.

11.  "Sweet Thing" - Van Morrison -- It's a slightly scary time when you're hugely pregnant and closing in on your due date.  This song slowed my pulse and helped me breathe during that whole final month.

12.  "I've Just Seen a Face" - the Beatles -- My little love ditty to my daughter.  

13.  "Moonshadow" - Cat Stevens -- Loved this song in high school (I know, I'm weird), and always thought it sounded like a cool lullabye.  Guess what?  It totes is!

14.  "Tangerine" - Led Zeppelin -- My buddy Travis was kind enough to give me a bunch of "mellow Zeppelin" recommendations to download when I was convinced I had to educate my baby in rock history (I still kind of am).

15.  "She Bangs the Drums" - the Stone Roses -- On maternity leave, when I was really bored and HD was napping, I'd play Guitar Hero III.  This song was always dedicated to my little Tica.

16.  "Daughter" -- Loudon Wainwright III -- You may know this as the song at the end of Knocked Up. But it absolutely sums up being the parent of a small girl.  But to a TEE.

17.  "Everlasting Light" - the Black Keys -- One of my fave bands.  Is it wrong of me to attempt brainwashing my daughter into loving them as well?  I've already given up on Hubs.

18.  "Hold On, I'm Coming" - Sam & Dave -- This song is what family and friendship is all about, on every level.  Plus, it's kickin'!

19.  "Mind of My Own" - Frances England -- Ok, so I did make sure to include one "children's artist" on this list.  This song personifies my independent little miss.  Plus, it's just good music, and doesn't talk down to kids (or annoy their parents).  If that's my biggest beef with most kids tunes, Ms. England has shown me it doesn't always have to be so.

20.  "The Happy Song (Dum-Dum) - Otis Redding -- The man himself!  If I could pick one artist to feature on the soundtrack of my life, Big O is it.  I hum this song to myself on the train when I'm heading home to pick up my HD.  It's my "shed work worries, you're going home to play with your kid" song.

Something tells me I'll be making a few CDs for my car tomorrow.