Love, more

Once again I return to this completely ignored space to acknowledge my twin boys' 14th birthday.  This is a long post but they each deserve their own letter.

August 22, 2014

Dear son,

A few years ago you were in a community production of Suessical the Musical as one of the Wickersham Brothers who are the meddlesome monkeys in the Jungle of Nool.  Clearly this was not typecasting a then mischievous 5th grade boy.

This past spring you were in the Middle School production of Suessical Jr. but this time you were cast as Horton the Elephant, the only story line that isn't butchered by turning the full length play into a one act (the Junior version doesn't even have the General/Bread-and-Butter Battle storyline which makes Jojo and the Mayors' story lines really short and odd).  You were also finishing up 7th grade - that glorious year of growing like a weed, getting serious pimples and being so full of yourself I just wanted to knock you on the side of your head.  If I could reach that high.

So when you sang "Alone in the Universe" in your grey newsboy-looking outfit, holding a pink fuzzy thing that looked more like a poppy than a clover in a glaring spotlight it was all I could do to not start loudly sobbing.  You sang about loneliness, imagination and flying over troubles with conviction and sympathy.

When you sang it at the very last show it was with desperation and delirium.  You had a 102.7 degree fever which came on during call time.  You were fine when you left the house at 5:45pm.  The fever came on like an arson fire.

But not once did you back down from the show.  You channeled what little energy and focus you had and got through it.  You even sat through an awards program when you could've have begged to be let go.

So when you sang, feeling sick, about being alone in the universe just know that you will never be alone.  No matter where you are or what you are doing I am there for you.

Happy birthday darling boy,
Mama

August 22, 2014

Dear son,

You are my tough guy.

Yet earlier this month, after we had eaten dinner at picnic tables I turned my head to find you rolling on the grass with your not-quite 4-year-old cousin.  I'm not sure if there was a race involved but I do know that you had her laughing loudly as you both rolled down a small incline.  You smiled at her and she just beamed right back at you.

Earlier in the summer you let your twin 7-year-old cousins both sit on top of you while you laid on your belly.  You chased after their minivan as they drove away with their heads out of the windows laughing loudly.  You never once turned down a request to put one of them on your shoulders.

And we share our two weeks of beach heaven with another family who has a 15-month-old son.  You follow him around, make funny faces at him in restaurants, and give him hugs and kisses.

Because while you are tough, you are also affectionate, loving and kind.  So go ahead and be the tough 14-year-old today.  I know you are quick with a kiss for a little one.

Happy birthday darling boy,
Mama

Dedham Rocks - Godspell

Once again I'm back writing because there is this terrific blog in my town (or, as we say "wicked aswesome" blog) that gets me to write the things I love about my kids' school and the town were I live.



This weekend my family will be part of its fifth Parish Players’ production, an enthusiastic and uplifting version of Godspell. One son and I sang in a musical review in 2006, which is when I almost had to stop singing “For Good” from the musical Wicked (you can visit my blog to read the full story). The following year both of my twin boys and I were Munchkins in the Wizard of Oz. When the youngest child got into the shows, I helped from behind the scenes watching them in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown and this spring’s Guys and Dolls.

This time around all three kids insisted I be on stage with them. So I tried out in early September, singing “The Preamble” from the Saturday morning classic, Schoolhouse Rocks (c’mon, you know it – “We the people, in order to form a more perfect union….”).

Unfortunately I did such a good job I ended up part of the 8 person opening number, one of the hardest pieces I have ever had to learn, and sing. And this weekend I have to sing it before an audience.

Godspell is the retelling of the Gospels of Saint Matthew (for instance the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son) with short skits and songs. The show lends itself perfectly to the type of productions the Parish Players’ puts on. Everyone who auditions gets a part. There is no “type” of performer or expectation of previous stage experience required. We have had cast members as young as four and as mature as 90 years old. So while the original 1971 show had only 10 cast members (including Sonia Manzano aka Maria from Sesame Street), our intergenerational cast of 26 are able to share speaking roles and songs.

And the Parish Players, while affiliated with the First Church and Parish in Dedham, is open to all. We have performers who have never set foot in the church sanctuary because they worship elsewhere. For instance, Mary has never in her life been on stage or sung in public (and her first ever singing in public will be in that opening number I mention above). But she played the Godspell cast album over and over again in high school and knows every song by heart. This is her chance to sing it.

We have been Dedham’s local amateur theater company for 16 years. So come see a wonderful show this weekend. And think about your audition song for the next production. We’d love to have you there.

Godspell will be performed this weekend (November 12-14) at the First Church and Parish in Dedham, 670 High Street, Dedham, MA. Friday and Saturday shows are at 7:00pm and Sunday’s show is at 2:00pm. To purchase tickets, either call 781-326-7463 or email firstchurch@dedhamuu.org. Tickets are $10 ($5 for children under 12 and seniors 65 and over).

Everybody's Changing

Our current family favorite, thanks to Amazing Guy, is Keane's Everybody's Changing. This was the song I tried to sing to myself while running my first race sans headphones.

Yes, it is a few years old but still very addictive. In fact, it is on my running on vacation music mix twice. The second time is after Kermit Ruffin's When I Die (You Better Second Line). That is a strategic placement since I felt like dying at that moment during those runs. Then hearing this song would pick me up, and I would start picking up my heels.

Any tune just gets you up?

"Go kill the Yellow Man"

My kids notice lyrics. You may recall me being asked loudly on the side walk in our hometown "Mom, what's Negro Day?" after we had just listened to the soundtrack for the movie Hairspray.

They also sing lyrics really loudly.

As when this summer we had one of little lady's friends over for dinner. We brought this 4-year-old home for supper and were taking her to the weekly outdoor concert. Her mom was traveling out of state for work and we were just thrilled to have her join us.

Little lady's friend was adopted by her mom in China.

After we finished eating, one big brother decided to put on his favorite song at the time, Bruce Springsteen's Born in the USA. He knew it is about the mistreatment of veterans following a "long ago war" (to a then almost 8 year old) but clearly had no idea about the location of that war or what some of the lyrics were about.

He was singing loudly around the dining room table and our young friend continued to have the look of either horror or exhaustion from watching identical boys run constantly since she had walked into the door of our house. As he was matching Bruce's notes perfectly, I fell into a panic because he was getting close to a particular lyric:

I got in a little hometown jam
And so they put a rifle in my hands
Sent me off to a foreign land
To go and kill the yellow man

I didn't know whether to tell him to outright stop singing which would lead to a series of "why Mom?" in front of our young, Asian-American guest, or just stare at him and hope telepathy would work.

I stared and in my brain begged him to stop singing and not ask why. He did stop singing and for the first time quietly went into the other room to do something else.

Later that night, after our young friend was dropped off at her house, I thanked him profusely for stopping his singing. I tried as best as I could to explain the context of the lyric and how Springsteen was trying to show how war dehumanizes people.

I was able to tell the little friend's mom about this a couple of days later. She blessedly wasn't fazed by it all and said she was glad there was a teaching moment out of it.

Several weeks later we were making 25+ copies of the birthday CD as favors for the boys upcoming party. At one point the little Springsteen fan yelped that we had to make one without "Born in the USA" for a classmate of his.

His classmate was also adopted in China. He didn't want her to feel bad when she got the CD.

Got a song that you like but something about it makes you jump when you hear it? Do tell.

Songs that Make Her Dance

Songs that make her dance.

That is the subtitle of the CD I gave out to 5 three- and four-year olds at the birthday party on Saturday. As I've noted before, I am on a one mother campaign against the ridiculous crap stuff that is given to children in crap "goodie" bags at birthday parties.

So, as has been tradition since my boys were 2 (they are now big 7 1/2 year olds), we gave out CDs with the songs that were my daughter's favorites throughout the past year. Some of you, I'm sure, will recognize them and the significance they have played during our daughter's third year.

1. Really Rosie - Carole King from Really Rosie
2. The Look of Love - ABC
3. Sing - Annie Lennox
4. True Colors - Cyndi Lauper
5. Blue Savannah - Erasure
6. Mamma Mia - Abba
7. Seasons of Love - Rent The Musical (because she is singing it too - during snack at school)
8. World In Motion (Carabinieri Mix) - New Order
9. There's Always A Way - LazyTown
10. Our Lips are Sealed - The Go-Go’s
11. Walking In Memphis - Marc Cohn
12. Love Song - Sara Bareilles
13. Take On Me - a-ha
14. Alligators All Around - Carole King from Really Rosie

So what would your kids' birthday CD look like this year? Or better yet, pick a year from your childhood and tell me what songs would be on your birthday CD.

Or just sing me any ol' tune.

We represent the Lollipop Guild...

Yup, my guys brought down the house. If I do say so myself.

This weekend the three of us were in our church production of The Wizard of Oz. And yes, the identical twin boys with red hair were with another boy (slightly taller with brown hair) to present Dorothy with her lollipops.

I wish you could've heard the audience for each performance. Lots of laughs and applause for the snarly boys with funny hair. Even the time when there were no lollipops. A slight snafu that they handled with flair and humor.

Tra la la la la tra la la tra la la
Tra la la la la
La
La!

Are you off to see the wizard? Or at least singing a tune? Do share. And be sure to have a heart (and a brain and the nerve). Link back to me...

How do they do it? or 525,600 ways they amaze me

"Mom! There was an assembly today!" yells one guy from the back of the van.

"Really" I ask.

"Yeah! The kids in musical theater sang 5 songs!" the other one yells.

"They sang Under the Sea and that song from Annie."

"Tomorrow?"

"No the other one."

"Hard knock life?"

"YEAH!!!!"

They grew silent as they tried to figure out the other songs.

***

Later in the evening we finished dinner and homework and were starting to mill around for the pre-bedtime activity when suddenly, in perfect unison, the boys started singing Seasons of Love from the musical Rent.

"What? How do you know this?" I asked incredulously.

"It was one of the songs at the assembly."

"Had you heard it before?"

"No."

I showed them this video. I just marvel at their ability to remember a song, perfectly, after only hearing it once.

Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand
Six Hundred Minutes
Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand
Moments so dear
Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand
Six Hundred Minutes
How Do You Measure - Measure A Year?
In Daylights - In Sunsets
In Midnights - In Cups Of Coffee
In Inches - In Miles
In Laughter - In Strife

Got a song that startled you? Do share.... and link back to me. That's part of the game.



And yes, I'm traveling again. Will be back later this week. Forgive my absence. I'm sure you all are writing wonderful things. It is my loss to be missing them.

Walking in Memphis

Last week was February school vacation week. We went to Nashville, Tennessee to visit Amazing Guy's younger brother, his wife and their nearly one-year-old twin girls. On Monday we did a spontaneous trip to the Manmoth Caves outside of Bowling Green, Kentucky then on Tuesday we went to Memphis for several days. We returned to Nashville for one final night then had a joyous day spent in airports during Friday's snowstorms blanketing the Northeast.

For the hours of driving we were going to do in Tennessee (and Kentucky) last week, I made a CD with several songs (I know, be surprised). It had Tennessee by Arrested Development and Paul Simon's 1985 hit Graceland (everybody now "I'm going to Graceland, Graceland in Memphis Tennessee, I'm going to Graceland").

But the biggest hit by far in the rental van was Marc Cohn's Walking in Memphis.

Although missing from the video is how the song was usually sung in our van as we left Memphis.

Put on my blue suede shoes
["I have BLACK suede shoes" yells a three-year-old girl]
And I boarded the plane
["We took a plane to Tennessee!" yells someone from the back]
Touched down in the land of the Delta Blues
In the middle of the pouring rain
W.C. Handy -- won't you look down over me
Yeah I got a first class ticket
But I'm as blue as a boy can be

Then I'm walking in Memphis
["We walked in Memphis!"]
Walking with my feet ten feet off of Beale
["We walked on Beale Street!"]
Walking in Memphis
But do I really feel the way I feel

Saw the ghost of Elvis
On Union Avenue
["We drove on Union Avenue!" was usually yelled by me]
Followed him up to the gates of Graceland
["We saw Graceland!"]
Then I watched him walk right through
Now security they did not see him
They just hovered 'round his tomb

["We saw Elvis' tomb!"]
But there's a pretty little thing
Waiting for the King
Down in the Jungle Room
["We saw the Jungle Room!"]

(Chorus)

They've got catfish on the table
["Mama! You ate catfish!"]
They've got gospel in the air
["We heard gospel!"]
And Reverend Green be glad to see you
When you haven't got a prayer
But boy you've got a prayer in Memphis

Now Muriel plays piano
Every Friday at the Hollywood
And they brought me down to see her
And they asked me if I would --
Do a little number
And I sang with all my might
And she said --
"Tell me are you a Christian child?"
And I said "Ma'am I am tonight"

(Chorus)

Put on my blue suede shoes
And I boarded the plane
Touched down in the land of the Delta Blues
In the middle of the pouring rain
Touched down in the land of the Delta Blues
In the middle of the pouring rain

Walking in Memphis, Marc Cohn

Singing anything? Please share.

Cover bands

So now that we've established that Amazing Guy and I spent our couple's get-away in Las Vegas, Nevada, I should tell you what we did. I didn't gamble. Not once. Amazing Guy did place a bet on a horse named Ms. Wonder Woman because I like the name but I want to emphasize that I did not place a bet nor asked him too. She also lost horribly. Only confirming why I don't bet.

We did see three cover bands in one night.

First was an Earth Wind and Fire tribute band which played covers of other bands as well. Both AG and I love Earth Wind and Fire. Their tune September being one of the best songs ever. Lately our sons have been playing a greatest hits CD as they go to sleep so we've been hearing a lot of good '70's horns and funk in the evening.

This cover band, called Showtime, was terrific and we became friendly with the keyboardist, Marvin. He apparently played in Rebbie Jackson's band (she of the famed Jackson family) and ended up in Vegas for her 6 month stint at the Venetian Hotel. He stayed and plays on the same stage Rebbie did.

Next was an awesome cover band at the same roof-top lounge where Prince played this fall. The lead singer wore a t-shirt over his long-sleeve button down shirt with the Penguin books logo (if you don't have a book for Thursday's Day to Read yet check out their site. They publish The Kite Runner, Eat Pray Love and The Adventures of Dr. Doolittle). One of the first songs the band played was The English Beat's cover of Smokey Robinson's Tears of a Clown (are you getting that - they did a cover of a cover).

So I'm happily bopping recalling high school drama club dances in my lounge seat - which was really a glorified ottoman - when suddenly a woman in high heels, black pants and a shiny strap shirt runs ups to me from behind, grabs my arm and takes me on the dance floor. She got her groove on and I had a good time as well. This scene repeated itself several times, me happily bopping only to be grabbed by this woman. My beloved husband and our friends found this entire situation very funny but never found the need to rescue me.

Later when we left she asked where I was from. I asked her the same and she said "Salt Lake City". Which, to be honest, struck me as the last place a dancing fool in a Vegas lounge dripping with booze would be from.

Clearly my face showed my shock because she added "Salt Lake isn't as frumpy as people say it is."

Then the final band (you tired yet?) was Purple Reign. Yes, a band devoted to all things and songs by the little purple one. And they took their tribute very, very seriously. There was no improvising. Every song was a spot on rendition. Which was fun, and a bit creepy.

Kinda like Vegas.

So, singing a song today? The folks below are. Let me know if you are (you've got to mention Music Monday - and me with a link back - in your post) and I will link to you.

Wholly Burble (and go wish her HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!)

A2eatwrite (who wrote about one of my favorite bands songs a broken heart)

Jenn in Holland (who is introducing us to a new blogger)

Flower Child (who writes about remakes, which isn't the same as covers. Huh? Go read her post)

Mamma Mia

Long before the musical, the Erasure covers or the vile of turd from Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, ABBA was a singing group that played on the car radio. Specifically the large station wagon my parents bought six weeks before the oil embargo of 1973.

I remember sitting in the back seat, my younger brother always on the left side directly behind my mother and I on the right, wearing lap belts that have the same buckles airplanes still have today. In the mid-1970's ABBA's Dancing Queen would come on the radio and my mom would start clapping and singing, bopping her perfectly coiffed head of hair to the music.

So while many folks associate ABBA with 1970's themed dance parties or the musical, whenever I hear them, I think of my mom driving a huge car, dancing to the music.

Happy Birthday to my mom. The original Mamma Mia!

And my mom shared a birthday with a dearly departed dog. Go read about her at Flower Child's windowbox. Then there is a fun movie soundtrack recalled by Wholly Burble (and a big welcome to her since this is her first Music Monday!). And Jenn in Michigan adds another terrific tale of tunes from her childhood.

Introduced my boys to a classic

"So guys, this is a classic movie scene. Can you imagine singing outside daddy's office window on a float in a parade?"

"NO!" declares one guy.

Pause.

"Yeah...." says another guy slyly. "I would do it."

And I would be there cheering.

Got a musical tale to share this Monday? Let me know and I will link back to you. And check out both Jessica and Jenn's story.

***

Go visit Looking Into this week. We have an animal thing going with new and old guests....

SOS - Fly me to the moon

It's that time of the week again, Soap Opera Sunday started by Brillig and Walking Kateastrophe's. Go to their sites today to read their and others' sudsy tales.


Amazing guy is quite the singer. I'm not just saying that. When I walk into a bar with him for karaoke night, the guy running the mike yells out his name and let's him jump the queue whenever he asks for a song.

He does an incredible Michael McDonald in "What a Fool Believes". You should hear his version "I'm Easy" by Lionel Ritchie.

One story I've heard is that he lost a bet while in Montreal and had to go out to get breakfast for his travel mates the next morning. As he was walking down the street he was stopped by a group of older tourists.

"You're the guy from the bar!" they exclaimed. "The one who sounds like Frank Sinatra!!"

Which is exactly who he sounded like when he sang at our wedding.

Amazing Guy copied a song several times on a cassette tape to play continuously in the Jeep's tape deck during his hour long drive to work running a housing program for persons with AIDS. He practiced it in the shower. He made sure the band we selected to play at the reception not only knew the song but also would hand him the microphone.

That night he was called up and I tried to hide along the back wall. Eventually I was found and pushed to the dance floor as he sang

Fly me to the moon
Let me play among the stars
Let me see what spring is like on
Jupiter and Mars

In other words hold my hand
In other words, Baby, kiss me

***

Fly Me to the Moon has ended up on several birthday CDs for the kids. They all know this is the song daddy sang to mommy at their wedding.

"I'm not getting married" declared one little man over the summer while Fly me to the Moon was playing in the van.

"Really?" I asked.

"Yeah."

"Any reason?"

"Do you have to sing at your wedding?"

I assured him that was not expected as part of the groom's duties. Just his daddy's.

***

The story the kids haven't heard is what he sang to me later in the evening, after his parents had left the reception but while my parents were still there.

She gets too hungry, for dinner at eight
She loves the theater, but doesn't come late
She'd never bother, with people she'd hate
That's why the lady is a tramp

Doesn't like crap games, with barons and earls
Won't go to Harlem, in ermine and pearls
Won't dish the dirt, with the rest of those girls
That's why the lady is a tramp


Like my music stories? Inspired to write some of your own? Join in on Music Monday!

All in this together

The last song in HSM I is one of those big group numbers on the high school basketball court. The jocks, the math nerds, and the drama queens (male and female) all dance, clap and sing as the school band rocks on in the background.

As some of you know at times I cannot stand High School Musical. When my then 2-year-old daughter was dramatically walking down the stairs singing the heroine's emotive he-doesn't-love-me song I thought I had to turn in my feminist badge of honor.

But envisioning all the actors as drag queens? Now that is just hysterical.

So I didn't mention to the kids that the live stage production was coming to one of the fancier theaters in town. Then I got an email from a dear, dear friend asking if she could take the boys to a performance. Her treat.

Of course I would've paid everything and thrown in a limo ride to show my appreciation.

Over the weekend, the boys happily put on nice clothes and she even wore a skirt (something she doesn't do very often) which made for a dashing trio going into the theater.

Hours later she clearly enjoyed herself and the boys still had stars in their eyes. She gave them an afternoon of magic. She made them feel special and for that I am grateful. All kids need grown-ups to make them feel special.

We're all in this together
Once we know
That we are
We're all stars
And we see that
We're all in this together
And it shows
When we stand
Hand in hand
Make our dreams come true

Full mouth

The current favorite CD in the family van is the latest movie version of Hairspray. There is a song towards the end when the lily-white best friend of the heroine gets her groove on while singing to her new love, a black kid (remember the movie is set in the 1960's).

Towards the end of her solo in Without Love, Penny gets all deep throated and, well, white-girl soulful.

In my ivory tower
Life was just a hostess snack
But now I've tasted chocolate
And I'm never going back

(emphasis added to stress the soul coming through)

So one little man, after hearing this song 247 times since seeing the movie this summer asks from the back seat, "why is her voice so funny?"

"What do you mean?"

"It is so low."

I try to explain that she is singing in a different style than she is used to.

"Oh," he says in that I-understand-perfectly voice. "She has chocolate in her mouth."

Cough, snort, hiccup, cover mouth no-verbal-reply from the front.

Got some music stories? Favorite songs? G-flat laden memories that must sing? Join in Music Mondays. No need to play along weekly just do it when the song sings in you. Either leave me a message for a button or send me an email at amitchells AT yahoo DOT com. And if you give me some warning (e.g. email me the day before), I'll list you in my Monday post.

In fact go read Flower Child's post today!

Went to a little party today

Didn't see a bit of the actual parade (a "rolling rally"). But the people watching was terrific. And so was Jose Melendez's loud rendition of Dirty Water.

***

Be sure to check out the photograph at Looking Into today. We are honored to host Jenn, my friend who was in China on a Fullbright who has returned to the states.

Sports weekend with some Dirty Water

Soccer Saturday morning. The boys' team lost.

A rugby match Saturday afternoon. The "A" side lost but "B" side won.

And then? And then?

The Nation is one happy place. The Red Sox are in the World Series. And I was there at Fenway Park with my dad to watch them beat Cleveland 11-2. I've only just walked in the door at 1:45 am.

And since this is Music Monday - how can we not mention all the wonderful music played at Fenway Park? The Dropkicks Murphys are practically the house band - they played the national anthem and their classic "Tessie" - complete with Irish stepdancers in the backfield. Later there was The Jam "A Town Called Mallice" and of course the 8th inning rendition of Sweet Caroline. At one point the organist played Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody".

But if the Sox win, the game ends the same way. And Dirty Water was even sweeter this time...

I'm gonna tell you a story
I'm gonna tell you about my town
I'm gonna tell you a big bad story, baby

Aww, it's all about my town

Yeah, down by the river
Down by the banks of the river Charles
(aw, that's what's happenin' baby)

That's where you'll find me
Along with lovers, fuggers, and thieves
(aw, but they're cool people)

Well I love that dirty water
Oh, Boston, you're my home
(oh, you're the Number One place)

Frustrated women (I mean they're frustrated)
Have to be in by twelve o'clock (oh, that's a shame)

But I'm wishin' and a-hopin, oh
That just once those doors weren't locked
(I like to save time for my baby to walk around)

Well I love that dirty water
Oh, Boston, you're my home

***

There is one last song to sing today. Everyone join me in singing "Happy Birthday" to Amazing Guy.

History lessons by Professor Cash

Several years ago, before the film Walk the Line, I bought at a big box store a three-pack of Johnny Cash CDs. The main reason I got it was for the live concert at Folsom prison. You have not lived until, upon hearing the line "I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die", two two-year-olds whoop and holler with the inmates while riding in the back of the family mini-van. If you've heard the recording, you know what I'm talking about.

The other two Johnny Cash CDs were promptly forgotten until this summer when one former two year old, now seven, discovered one in a pile of CDs still with its wrapper on. He tore off the plastic and asked to play it when we were next in the car. It was the first America album, recorded in 1972 as a tribute to the nation on the eve of her bicentennial celebrations.

What unfolded was that gravely voice singing a history lesson to my kids.

In April of 1775
This great nation started coming alive.
Old King George didn't like it one bit,
So he proceeded to throw him a royal fit...

They now know that in 1814 the US fought the British in "the town of New Orleans".

They can recite the Gettysburg Address.

They know that "Charlie Guiteau done shot down" President James Garfield and his widow was name Lucretia, but he called her "Crit".

They know that Sioux women and children were murdered in South Dakota at Wounded Knee.

They can sing a sweet early 20th century love tune, written sometime around 1904.

Come take a trip in my air ship,
come take a trip 'round the stars
come take a trip around Venus
come take a sail around Mars.

No one to see while we're kissing
No one to watch while we spoon
Come take a trip in my air ship
We'll visit the man in the moon.

And some of those songs made the birthday CD this year.

***

I'm finding I write a lot about music. I always have stories in my head about songs so I think I'll try to make it a habit to write each Monday about music. We'll see how long Music Monday lasts. Plus, it is a nice alliteration.

Hairspray

I loved John Water's Hairspray of 1988. That would be the original. With Divine as Edna Turnblatt, the "big girl's" mama.

So there I am earlier this month at the Costco photo department selecting images to print. Two of my offsprings are running in the aisles while one is standing, mesmerized by the images on the humongous television screen (really a movie theater screen).

It was an advertisement for the new Hairspray. The one with Troy from High School Musical!

My son is glassy-eyed when I say, "That's a movie in the theater. Do you want to see it?"

Speechless head nodding is the response.

As the temperature neared 100 degrees this past weekend I took the boys to an almost empty movie theater. They were transfixed with the music and dancing. They were also confused why the "black kids" couldn't dance with the "white kids" in early 1960's Baltimore. And they fixated that the kids who were "black" weren't really black at all. "They have brown skin" my guys would mutter.

Fast forward to the evening after the movie. I downloaded the movie soundtrack from iTunes and even the little lady can do a perfect rendition of "Good Morning Baltimore", which she sang with much gusto as she descended down the minor league ballpark stairs the next night. We bopped around for over an hour to "Ladies Choice", "Can't Stop the Beat" and "Corny Collins Show."

But it was bound to happen. Yesterday, while getting out of the car one guy asked,

"Mama. What's 'Negro Day'?"

Wandering weekend

We went away last weekend to another state. We visited one of the smallest beaches in that state.

Little lady sang on the beach.

The men "experimented" with a piece of drift wood.

At a wonderful museum about shipping, boats and the sea, they watched a play about whaling ships. We learned in the 18th century some sailors were as young as 7 years old.

Hmmm.... that's how old a set of twins will be next month.

From a little shuttle boat we could see beautiful ships.

Oh, and we even sidled up to the bar of the local pizza shop for a pepperoni pie. (And when the food arrived, the boys' caps came off. I assure you.)

We did go in a rowboat. The big, strong rugby player took on the task of rowing a boat with the four of us. Of course, I'm not sure what made us think taking two tornadoes, errr boys, in a row boat with a 3-year-old was a good idea. She was perfect and sat motionless the entire time. I'm still amazed one of the lads didn't go overboard.

But just like we had to do on the (two) horse open sleigh in January, we sang "Row Row Row Your Boat" causing the sailors on one boat to exclaim:

"You are the happiest boat on the river."

And in spite of our anxiety about ending up in the river, we were indeed the happiest boat on the river.

Cyndi on Monomane Taikai

In case your Japanese is a bit rusty, Monomane Taikai is a Japanese show. The title translates to literally mean "Mimicry Competition". A friend who recently finished graduate school took the time to explain the following video to me:

"Every year, on January 1st (hence they are all wearing kimonos), a bunch of celebrities, actors, actresses, and comedians get together to compete. Basically they pick whoever they want to mimic (usually singers because after all it's a singing competition) and practice for hours and hours before the show. The competition is divided into 2 groups - red and white (in accordance with our flag) and each person gets a score for his/her performance and whoever gets the highest (of the 2 group) gets to go to the next round, until, the final one is chosen. I used to watch it all the time because it was hilarious and some compete seriously while others just do it for fun, and make it funny. Sometimes they bring in the real person who sings along with the person competing.... Pretty crazy, huh?"

Thanks friend. My kids love this clip. If you look hard there are some fabulous drag queens. And that person in the silver outfit with the black circles on her/his head is just too delicious.

Although this smart, fashionable woman from Japan is now worried that my kids think all Japanese are like those folks on the show.

Don't worry friend. They just think their mother is.