Happy Autumnal Equinox!

One of my favorite videos and songs -- both of which capture my love for this season!!
(Special thanks and credit to Myles Salak on YouTube)

Peace

Sweet baby feet

There's a song that plays at the end of Ethan's instrumental bedtime lullaby CD that is so peaceful and sweet that I find myself nearly crying each time I hear it play over the monitor. It conjures up so many memories of when all three of my children were much smaller, and life seemed simpler.

I know. I know. Those of you with smaller children do not think that life feels simpler.

But maybe it's because I feel like I've crossed the Rubicon with my older two munchkins, and life has become decidedly more "hands-off" in some ways. Somehow that happens when they reach "double digits."

Not that they don't still enjoy a cuddle or two...or three. But they're definitely their own people, marching ever closer to college and work...and independence.... And with that comes planning and worrying and learning...and dealing with new emotions...and...and...

When they were small, life's routine had a cadence of sorts. The beat of the day moved with feeding times and diaper changes. There were storytimes and naptimes and cuddletimes and outside playtimes. To some it might have seemed mundane, but there was a peace in it -- a sense of wellness that came in knowing that everything was under control.

Now, there is just running here and there from school to activity to chores to bed. No more quiet reading times. Very few walks to the library or park. Everything must be very deliberate, planned or else missed.

Sigh.

And yet, for the moment, I will listen...and remember...the peace.

Playing a Treat

This isn't the same couple we watched playing this song on the "Big Piano" at FAO Schwartz, but it sounds just as good! Boy, were they talented!!

Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

On Angel Voices and Babies

I felt like I heard the voice of a little (slightly off-key) angel tonight when my 14-month-old started to sing "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" with Frank Sinatra.

Priceless.

Just Beat It!

We were talking about the various ways our older two kids said things when they were learning to talk. We laughed as we remembered Edward's pronunciation of music as "mus-gic" and Emily's rhinoceros as "nos-a-nos." The local Target store was called "Skoo-doos," pizza was "pizbah," and M&M candies were "Ms-a-Ms."

Ethan, who turns 11 months old tomorrow (egads!), has begun trying to coordinate his mouth and vocal chords for his own versions. And already he's learned to say, "Hi!" and Daddy -- sometimes as "Da-ee" or "Nadee" -- and "Ni-Ni" and "Up!" Our favorite is when he whispers, "Wow!"

He's a huge fan of music so today I decided to capture his newest "talent" of beating out a tune on his toy xylophone. Enjoy!

Sweet Sunday

We went to see a Christmas musical/play at my parents' church today. My mom was singing in the choir, and we love supporting her talents!

It's funny how you can hear the Christmas story over and over again without much feeling. I don't mean to say that it isn't special -- because it is -- but sometimes you can get too close to something and you forget the power it actually has.

The play revolved around a shepherd family who were awaiting the coming Messiah. Like all Jewish families before them, they didn't know when or where He'd arrive...but they waited in hope, remembering God's promise and the prophecies of long ago.

The woman who wrote the play (who coincidentally attends that church) did an excellent job of setting up the historical background for the story. I hadn't really considered that Israel was under the rule of Rome at the time -- that they were basically slaves and hoped the coming Messiah would save them from the bondage of this "silent night" -- the metaphor being that without our Messiah we live in the bondage of sin in a silent night, too.

When the shepherd family found out that the Messiah had arrived in a stable, they immediately went and worshipped him. The scene was fantastic. Not majestic or glitzy or loud. Just quiet and peaceful and loving. Like people meeting someone's newborn baby for the first time, they admired and cooed and beamed...only this baby was so much more special...God's promise fulfilled.

It was hard for me not to be moved by this scene as I sat there rocking our little guy in my arms. I kept looking at him and imagining all that Mary and Joseph must have felt. Joseph would have felt the burden of responsibility when he couldn't find a more "fitting" place for Mary's baby -- God's Son -- to be born, in a town where he didn't know anyone. He was protective of her, wishing away her pain. Mary may have felt great fear at first -- at the idea of having a baby. But she was faithful and trusting and knew that God had chosen her...out of all the girls in Israel, she was chosen to bear His Son. Awesome, huh?

The tears flowed freely -- it hasn't been so long since we welcomed our little boy bundle of joy -- and I enjoyed anew the power of the Christmas story. The silence of the "night" was broken with angelic choirs praising God and His Son. Joy to the world, the Savior reigns! The Messiah has come to the world which had waited so long; the very Messiah who came to save you and me from our sins.

Are you still living in a "silent night?" I know I'm not. And I'm so thankful for that Holy Christmas night of long ago...and the reminder in that Christmas play today. Enjoy a very sweet Sunday!

* * *

And, ironically, Ethan had on a shirt that said: "Silent Night -- I don't think so." It has a completely new meaning to me.

Sweet Sunday

Here are the lyrics to a wonderful old hymn we sang in church this morning. The words are a great reminder for us to keep our eyes focused on Jesus -- even when the "going gets tough." Click here for the tune.

Jesus, I am resting, resting,

In the joy of what Thou art;

I am finding out the greatness

Of Thy loving heart.

Thou hast bid me gaze upon Thee,

And Thy beauty fills my soul,

For by Thy transforming power,

Thou hast made me whole.

Refrain:
Jesus, I am resting, resting,

In the joy of what Thou art;

I am finding out the greatness

Of Thy loving heart.

O, how great Thy loving kindness,

Vaster, broader than the sea!

O, how marvelous Thy goodness,

Lavished all on me!

Yes, I rest in Thee, Belovèd,

Know what wealth of grace is Thine,

Know Thy certainty of promise,

And have made it mine.

Refrain

Simply trusting Thee, Lord Jesus,

I behold Thee as Thou art,

And Thy love, so pure, so changeless,

Satisfies my heart;

Satisfies its deepest longings,

Meets, supplies its every need,

Compasseth me round with blessings:

Thine is love indeed!

Refrain

Ever lift Thy face upon me

As I work and wait for Thee;

Resting ’neath Thy smile, Lord Jesus,

Earth’s dark shadows flee.

Brightness of my Father’s glory,

Sunshine of my Father’s face,

Keep me ever trusting, resting,

Fill me with Thy grace.

Refrain

Words by Jean S. Pig­ott, 1876.
Music: "Tran­quil­i­ty," by James Mount­ain, 1876.

Monstrously Muggy Monday Musings

My handsome guys after their latest haircuts
Happy Monday to you! A very hot and muggy one here in Pennsylvania. I think you could ring out a few clouds today.

Looking at the calendar, I am again reminded of how quickly time dost fly. Is it really nearing the end of July already? Didn't we just celebrate July 4th?

Ugh.

We already received our school materials which means...not long until our lessons begin again.

Ugh...again.

(Hmm...I wonder why the school year doesn't go quite as fast?)

Anyways...

I made a small change on the old blog, trying a music player on the sidebar instead of the usual music video. It has about 30 or so songs on it, and you can select other songs to play whilst you read. Or you can choose to stop the music -- especially helpful when watching a video. Either way, I hope you enjoy some of the selections.

We enjoyed a relatively less busy weekend. The kids went to my parents' so that Stuart could take me to a local tea room that opened a few months ago. It was such fun to dress up and enjoy an afternoon together. When we returned for them, they told us to go out again...they weren't ready to come home yet. *grin* So two dates in one day? Yippee!!

I have another appointment at the midwife's tonight. I'll report her findings tomorrow. Hard to believe we're in the single digits week-wise now. Less than 8 weeks to go!

We've been battling fleas on the dog recently. I keep washing him in flea shampoo and then all his bedding in hot water and ammonia. But I think I need to break down and buy the more expensive flea remedy...and then spray the heck out of the house. See what cheapness gets me? Ugh! I hate fleas so much and think of them as large brown lice. Soon enough, I'll get rid of them...or they'll get rid of me?

I've enjoyed a few more 24 prequel trailers...and another trailer for Mirrors. Egads! Can you feel my excitement? I'd start a countdown for the prequel, except then I'll be even closer to my due date, and I'm not quite ready for that at the moment. Mirrors comes out in a few weeks...and, as I've said before, I'm nervously excited about that one...not being a true fan of horror flicks. Still in all, I am a big Kiefer Sutherland fan...and I've never seen one of his movies on the big screen...so "any port in a storm," right? *wink*

Off to finish my cleaning and continue organizing? Here's hoping!!

Artful End Notes

All good things must come to an end, I guess.

Yesterday was the last of our homeschool learning group, and it included an art show and end-of-year program to give parents an idea of all the students had learned during the year.

Edward's class sang three songs related to the Americana theme of art and music for the year, and he even introduced one of them (with flying colors...no pun intended) -- "This Land Is Your Land," his favorite-most song. After describing my son as a "shy guy" for most of the past 7 years, you'll know that this was quite a feat for him and made me burst with pride (and, okay, okay, maybe a few tears) watching him. (Darn pregnancy hormones!) I guess the "bud" has bloomed, so to speak. *wink*

Emily's class sang a wonderful rendition of "The Lord Is My Shepherd." They sang it so beautifully that it brought tears to my eyes listening to it. (Darn the still-more pregnancy hormones!) *grin*

Both kids were excited to show me their artwork, which we are now proudly exhibiting at home.

All in all, it was a wonderful program.

* * *

On another note, my high school journalism students finished their year with pride, folding and distributing their second newspaper. And I thought they did an awesome job. It made me proud when they told me how much they felt they'd learned this year. I can say without a doubt that I definitely saw learning going on.

Fantastic Computer-Generated Music Machine!

Enjoy! And don't forget to pause the sidebar video player.

Sing a Song Down Memory Lane

I discovered the 33 1/3 rpm "Songs from Sesame Street" record I received for Christmas in 1975 and decided to put it on the other day.

Fire up the old wood-panel-sided Ford Country Squire station wagon for a trip down memory lane.

I was whisked away.

Now, my kids are totally "digging" it.

I'm not sure if it's the music that they like (it's definitely '70s style) or their fascination with the record player.

It's funny to me that records are no longer the "in" thing -- and haven't been for quite awhile now.

Funnier still to me that my kids have grown up only hearing the "legend" of them, mistaking 45s on the wall of a '50s-style ice cream parlor as "big black CDs."

In the 1970s when I was a little kid, records were all we had...all we knew, really. Oh, there were a few people we knew who had "8-track" players, but we didn't. And cassette tapes were up-and-coming, but we stood by our record players.

So, despite all the cool technology out there, we still enjoy pulling out the old, sometimes-warped-and-scratched records to sing along with the oldies.

Record player...$10 at a garage sale
Old records...50 cents at the Goodwill
Sharing with your kids the memory of the unmistakable scratchy beginning sounds of a record as the needle traces around it...priceless.

Happy Valentine's Day!

This is the song I have playing in the sidebar video player at the moment. It's perfect on so many levels for my family. It says exactly what I feel for them.

Happy Valentine's Day to my three Valentines!!

Valentine

If there were no words
No way to speak
I would still hear you
If there were no tears
No way to feel inside
I'd still feel for you

And even if the sun refused to shine
Even if romance ran out of rhyme
You would still have my heart until the end of time
You're all I need, my love, my Valentine

All of my life
I have been waiting for
All you give to me
You've opened my eyes
And showed me how to love unselfishly

I've dreamed of this a thousand times before
But in my dreams I couldn't love you more
I will give you my heart
Until the end of time...
You're all I need, my love, my Valentine

And even if the sun refused to shine
Even if romance ran out of rhyme
You would still have my heart until the end of time
'Cause all I need is you, my Valentine

You're all I need, my love, my Valentine

~Jim Brickman

Sweet Sunday

This is from Steve Green's one and only "In Concert" video from 1987. While the video may be old - the music and Steve's voice is timeless. (Note there are no instruments playing with him...just his powerful voice!)

This hymn is a favorite of all Steve Green fans. This is a live version of the original 1984 recording. He recorded a newer version in 1994. He always recieves a standing ovation when he performs this.



A mighty fortress is our God,
a bulwark never failing;
our helper He amid the flood
of mortal ills prevailing.
For still our ancient foe
doth seek to work us woe;
his craft and power are great,
and armed with cruel hate,
on earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide,
our striving would be losing,
were not the right man on our side,
the man of God's own choosing.
Dost ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabbaoth, His name,
from age to age the same,
and He must win the battle.

And though this world, with devils filled,
should threaten to undo us,
we will not fear, for God hath willed
His truth to triumph through us.
The Prince of Darkness grim,
we tremble not for him;
his rage we can endure,
for lo, his doom is sure;
one little word shall fell him.

That word above all earthly powers,
no thanks to them, abideth;
the Spirit and the gifts are ours,
thru Him who with us sideth.
Let goods and kindred go,
this mortal life also;
the body they may kill;
God's truth abideth still;
His kingdom is forever.

~Martin Luther

Sweet Sunday

I saw Handel's Messiah several times while at college and was incredibly moved by it every time.

This is one of my favorite songs from it. It never ceases to amaze me how rich the music is in this piece, each part blending with the others.

Freedom Stands

Thanksgiving always brings to mind all the things I love the most yet often take for granted.

I loved this song and video because it reminded me of how thankful I am for freedom...

(Be sure to pause/stop the sidebar music video.)

Making Musical Memories

Have you ever decided on the spur-of-the-moment to do something that mentally seemed incredibly wild and bold? But somehow you have to do it -- to seize the moment?

There have been a few times in our marriage and parenting years that we've done things that we (and others) would deem as absolutely crazy. But we've been all the better for it....and we've made memories.

Driving all the way from Pennsylvania to Ohio (about 350 miles each way) to get our dog, Buster, ranks high among them.

Hmmm...I guess last night could join that list.

Being a regular peruser of several websites, I like to keep track of where Rocco Deluca is playing, just in case he's close enough to go to see.

So when a Rocco Deluca and the Burden end-of-tour concert suddenly came up in Baltimore....and it was FREE...and outside...we got to thinking. We could look for babysitters...or we could take the kids along.

Before you think that we did it to save money on babysitters, both of our kids are huge fans of RDB's music. We listen to their CD often -- in the car, on the computer -- ever since our crazy trip to Atlanta last year. Emily has been talking about when they are "bigger" how they can go with us to see the group in concert. Yeah, right.

Well, how do you pass up a fairly nearby, free, outside concert for two smaller fans? It's the perfect situation.

So we surprised them by spending our family night, driving to Baltimore to see Rocco and crew.

They had no idea even when we went to Power Plant Live, the concert venue, which was a bricked courtyard in front of a row of restaurants and bars.

It wasn't until we took them up to the stage and Stuart pointed to the keyboard which read "Rocco Deluca and the Burden" that the proverbial penny dropped. The look of shock and excitement made our surprise journey all the more worth it. (See our slide show below.)

We had a bit of a wait until they actually came out to play, but the kids were so psyched to see Rocco and the other band members walk to the stage that it was soon forgotten.

The best part of all was still to come. We went to the side of the stage to see if we could get an autograph for Emily and a photo or two.

We were rewarded by hugs, handshakes, and photos for all.

Emily declared that she'd "never wash again"...because Rocco hugged her. And Edward said it was the "best night of his life."

It's not something we're likely to do again for awhile. They won't become regular "rockers," at least not yet.

But it was crazy...and fun! Something you gotta do once in awhile.

Memory making.

Photographing a Memory

A Singing Angel

Although I'm not a viewer of American Idol or even America's Got Talent and its equivilant in Britain, this video was priceless.

And the precious 6-year-old singer melts everyone's heart (I'm still wiping away my own tears), even Simon's.

Boys Will Be Boys

Toss out any and all magazine articles and scientific studies that tell us both genders are exactly the same and any differences are learned. A lot of money can be saved on these meaningless studies.

Here's an example of male sexism that has never been taught/learned at our house:

As I've said before, I'm a huge fan of Jude Cole and his music...as are my kids.

Today, we were discussing some of the words from the song "Joe" in which Jude sings, "Go to church on Sunday morning...come home and beat my wife."

The song is all about a man who does things he doesn't want to do -- and doesn't understand why he does them in the first place. The kids originally thought the line continued as, "Come home and feed my wife." Since that has a nicer sound to it, we've kiddingly kept that as the lyrics.

I reminded Edward of that today when we were talking about the word, "beating," and said I'm sure he'd much rather feed his wife.

Our little 6-and-a-half-year-old laughed and said, "I'm not going to feed my wife."

Stuart and I looked a bit perplexed until he continued, "She's going to feed me."

Then he remembered he isn't going to have a wife (*wink-wink* Come back in 20 years to see if anything's changed) so the whole conversation was moot.

My scientific conclusion? Boys will be boys and are born with such thoughts... We need to teach them otherwise.

Wow! Think of all the money I've just saved the government in having to figure that out.

Bleary-Eyed But Buzzing

Wow!

Wow! Wow! Wow!

What a show!

Last night, we headed to Philly in the 90-degree humidity to see another Rocco concert at the Fillmore Theatre on South Street. (I'll add videos as soon as I upload them to YouTube and post an entry with just photos later.)

It was EXCELLENT...as usual! (How do you convey this to rock stars? We enjoyed ourselves so much!)

To say we're pooped would be putting it mildly. We didn't get home until 2 a.m....and that was due to the 1 a.m. traffic jam on the Schuylkill Expressway. Egads! My poor sister and brother-in-law, who stayed with the kids, were stuck waiting for us...I hope they know how much we LOVE them. *smile*

One thing we've noticed in the five concerts we've attended is that they usually don't start on time...unless they're at the Fillmore. There they are prompt. The concert was slated for 8 p.m. and started at 8 on the dot. The three opening acts each got 30 minutes with 15 minutes in between to reset the stage for the next group.

Matt Duke opened the show, followed by Sara Barielles, and then The Last Goodnight. All were excellent! (You can listen to some of their music for free on MySpace. Just type www.myspace.com/[whichever musician you want to hear])

It took a bit longer to set up the stage for RDB, but they started at 10:30-ish and played until midnight! We got there early enough to get great seats about 15 feet from the stage, so apart from a "numb bum" and tired "babysitters," we could've listened all night!

They added a new player, Brett Bixby -- we weren't sure if he's a permanent member of the band or just a friend joining in for the tour -- who played the keyboard, various guitars, and several of the misc. percussion instruments. Apparently, he's Rocco's good buddy from Long Beach, Ca., and single....as Rocco so sweetly pointed out to the audience much to the embarrassment of Brett. (Maybe Rocco's not Brett's good buddy anymore?) Anyway, he was a nice addition.

So with my mind buzzing and my ears ringing and my head replaying all my favorite Rocco songs....I'll bid you adieu...and collapse on our bed....