Thursday, August 31, 2006
Dance Time! Current mood: thankful
So my children and I are obsessed with music- just as I was as a child with both of my parents. Music was pivotal in my household growing up and without it I am pretty sure life would have been boring! This was before video games & before TV became a mind sucking magnet in households! We listenend to music while we ate dinner, cleaned house, played outside & music was always cranked up in my mom's van and every night before bed we had "dance time"- my mom, sister, and sometimes my brother (which would totally crack me up) every once in a while my dad would join in as well! What good times! Even after my parents divorced- I remember feeling complete, whole and validated by "dance time" at either my dad's or mom's house. As I grew older and got into junior high- dance time stopped being so fun and the phone became attached to my ear and boys became fixated in my mind and I slowly forgot about it all together.
Now that I am a mom and I don't have someone there bossing me around and telling me to "turn that music down"- I have made music in my house a permanent fixture! I must say that "dance time" in my house is the most fun it has been since I was kid and my parents were married!
My kids are hilarious when they dance! Let me tell you- my little girl has learned or inherited some moves- that make me blush! not really but they are pretty grown up and she just laughs and giggles while she shakes her "groove thing" I call it! My son is an entertainer- he won a dance contest at a birthday part last year- and since then I swear he thinks he is John Travolta- hence the reason he was "Danny Zucko" for Halloween and won the dress up contest at school on 50's day last year. He is all about making up "new moves" and wants my complete attention when he debuts them!
Dance Time this Tuesday night had me laughing so much- my cheeks hurt! We danced, danced, danced for 30 minutes, taking turns picking songs and showing off our "moves" and shaking our "groove thing".
As soon as I get home from work- the radio comes on and I do not turn it off- I sleep with it on in my room and in the morning put in my favorite burned CD from i-tunes whatever the mood may be- this week it is woman empowering songs/artists- like Sheryl Crow, Pink, Sarah MaClachlan & Stevie Nicks- and I sing while I get ready and turn it up for my kids when they wake up- they love it!
If you ever see me and my kids in my minivan- you will see all of us moving our heads to the beat of the music and singing as loud as possible! My kids are 4 and 6 and they already have "favorite songs", which is humorous because several of my friends give me a hard time because I have so many "favorite songs"...passing on the tradition- because you can never ever have too many favorite songs!
Music defines who I am and it makes my home a happy one! I am thankful to be in my house with my kids and finally in a place where Dance Time is celebrated! I know most of you have heard the saying "Music calms the beast"- certainly the case in my world! When I am down- I listen to motivational music, when I am excited- I listen to music that adds to my excitement....I have music for pretty much every mood! Music is so inspirational in my life!
As parents we need to provide music in our child's lives- so that they can utilize it when they are adults and need some encouragement or a boost in confidence, heal a broken heart or something to relate to their current life situation- music says it all in so many different ways!
We all need to have those special little things we do with our children other than attending their sporting events, practices, coaching their teams, volunteering at their school or taking them to the park- we need to have time in our homes that make our bond to our children strong! Story time is another great one- and ours gets pretty animated and out of control but it is so good for kids to be read to and I love reading!
So for all you parents- if you are looking for a way to connect with your children, add something fun to your daily routine or just be a kid again-
I highly recommend Dance Time- it is a sure winner!
I want to end this blog by saying "thanks" to my parents- who instilled in me many things- but the love of music has been one the timeless qualities I appreciate the most- so kudos to the padre and madre! As you ponder this blog and all that it entails- picture in your head Tom Cruise in Jerry MacGuire- driving down the road singing loudly Tom Petty's "Free Falling"- is there anyone that has not felt that way before? I doubt it- now go share that with your children- they deserve to know it, feel it, and celebrate it!
Dance Time! Current mood: thankful
So my children and I are obsessed with music- just as I was as a child with both of my parents. Music was pivotal in my household growing up and without it I am pretty sure life would have been boring! This was before video games & before TV became a mind sucking magnet in households! We listenend to music while we ate dinner, cleaned house, played outside & music was always cranked up in my mom's van and every night before bed we had "dance time"- my mom, sister, and sometimes my brother (which would totally crack me up) every once in a while my dad would join in as well! What good times! Even after my parents divorced- I remember feeling complete, whole and validated by "dance time" at either my dad's or mom's house. As I grew older and got into junior high- dance time stopped being so fun and the phone became attached to my ear and boys became fixated in my mind and I slowly forgot about it all together.
Now that I am a mom and I don't have someone there bossing me around and telling me to "turn that music down"- I have made music in my house a permanent fixture! I must say that "dance time" in my house is the most fun it has been since I was kid and my parents were married!
My kids are hilarious when they dance! Let me tell you- my little girl has learned or inherited some moves- that make me blush! not really but they are pretty grown up and she just laughs and giggles while she shakes her "groove thing" I call it! My son is an entertainer- he won a dance contest at a birthday part last year- and since then I swear he thinks he is John Travolta- hence the reason he was "Danny Zucko" for Halloween and won the dress up contest at school on 50's day last year. He is all about making up "new moves" and wants my complete attention when he debuts them!
Dance Time this Tuesday night had me laughing so much- my cheeks hurt! We danced, danced, danced for 30 minutes, taking turns picking songs and showing off our "moves" and shaking our "groove thing".
As soon as I get home from work- the radio comes on and I do not turn it off- I sleep with it on in my room and in the morning put in my favorite burned CD from i-tunes whatever the mood may be- this week it is woman empowering songs/artists- like Sheryl Crow, Pink, Sarah MaClachlan & Stevie Nicks- and I sing while I get ready and turn it up for my kids when they wake up- they love it!
If you ever see me and my kids in my minivan- you will see all of us moving our heads to the beat of the music and singing as loud as possible! My kids are 4 and 6 and they already have "favorite songs", which is humorous because several of my friends give me a hard time because I have so many "favorite songs"...passing on the tradition- because you can never ever have too many favorite songs!
Music defines who I am and it makes my home a happy one! I am thankful to be in my house with my kids and finally in a place where Dance Time is celebrated! I know most of you have heard the saying "Music calms the beast"- certainly the case in my world! When I am down- I listen to motivational music, when I am excited- I listen to music that adds to my excitement....I have music for pretty much every mood! Music is so inspirational in my life!
As parents we need to provide music in our child's lives- so that they can utilize it when they are adults and need some encouragement or a boost in confidence, heal a broken heart or something to relate to their current life situation- music says it all in so many different ways!
We all need to have those special little things we do with our children other than attending their sporting events, practices, coaching their teams, volunteering at their school or taking them to the park- we need to have time in our homes that make our bond to our children strong! Story time is another great one- and ours gets pretty animated and out of control but it is so good for kids to be read to and I love reading!
So for all you parents- if you are looking for a way to connect with your children, add something fun to your daily routine or just be a kid again-
I highly recommend Dance Time- it is a sure winner!
I want to end this blog by saying "thanks" to my parents- who instilled in me many things- but the love of music has been one the timeless qualities I appreciate the most- so kudos to the padre and madre! As you ponder this blog and all that it entails- picture in your head Tom Cruise in Jerry MacGuire- driving down the road singing loudly Tom Petty's "Free Falling"- is there anyone that has not felt that way before? I doubt it- now go share that with your children- they deserve to know it, feel it, and celebrate it!
