It was Day 1 of our "staycation" (instead of a leaving on a vacation, we are hanging out in the area and having a staycation) and man, did we have some F-U-N!!!! Kevin is off all week and we are so glad. The weekend was busy, but fun. Kevin played drums at the west campus church and we had a couple of get togethers with good friends. A couple of minor incidents, but nothing out of the ordinary. Ethan split his chin open at church in the same place it has split open every other time! Nothing some liquid bandage couldn't fix. Abby on the other hand is quite the case. Last summer we brought our very first Epi Pen home, due to a nasty reaction to a bee sting. We have also had some trouble with Abby when she gets bitten by mosquites. I try to keep her sprayed with DEET, but this summer's bugs aren't too phased by it I guess. She is a mess. Her poor bites swell so badly they get rock hard and hot. Then when the swelling does go down, she's left with terrible bruising from her skin being stretched to tight. :( So after much research, I returned from CVS with Vitamin B1 (repells mosquitoes when taken 25-50 mg three times per day) and Zyrtec for kids. We've been using a lot of hydracortizone and calamine lotion to make her comfortable. Hopefully something will help soon!! She's a trooper despite how bad the bites look tho!!!
Today, we spent some time at the Morton Aboretum. I have never been there even though it's not that far away from us. They are having their 'Big Bugs' exhibit through July 21st, so we wanted to check it out! It ended up being the perfect day for it. The weather was so great! Plenty of sunshine, but not too warm.
I had to make these pictures into a slideshow because there were so many good ones! The Morton is quite a cool place and the 'Big Bugs' were so amazing. We learned a lot about bugs that we didn't know before and I had such a nice time looking at all of the gorgeous native plants and flowers. The kids loved the children's garden. There were lots of play areas and even little streams and treehouses to explore! It was quite a fun first day of vacation! We headed over to Buca di Beppo for a nice, heavy Italian dinner afterwards. The kids enjoyed their dinner and so did we!! The pistacio gelato is calling to me right now from my freezer!
You're like, "two post in one day???" It's madness, I tell you!! Nope. Lulu is napping and the other kids are with Kevin at church. He's playing drums for this weekend's services. So I am here with nothing to do! So I blog!!
More beef. You're wondering if all we eat is red meat, I know. We don't! My last recipe post was for burgers, so next time I will post one with chicken or some other meatless something or other. But nothing says summer like tacos. Tacos are an awesome thing! You can feed lots of people, you can make them how you like and they are just yummy! This recipe is for a crockpot or slow cooker as some people like to call them. It's delicious and super easy!!
Shredded Beef Tacos
2.5- 3 lb boneless beef chuck roast (I almost typed Chick roast LOL) 1 medium onion (I never use an onion because Kevin hates them. It still tastes good) 1 cup water 1 pkt (1.25 oz) Taco Seasoning Mix 1 bottle (16 oz) Taco Sauce (I only ever use half the bottle) 1 7 oz can chopped green chiles your choice of tortillas - soft flour, soft corn or hard shell ---------------------------------------------------------------- Taco Toppings - shredded lettuce, tomatoes, queso fresco cheese, sour cream
Directions: Place beef and onion in slow cooker. Combine water and seasoning mix in small bowl. Pour over beef and onion. Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or until tender. Remove meat to cutting board; shred beef with two forks (at this point it will usually just fall apart). Place beef in large bowl. Stir in taco sauce and chiles. Fill warmed tortillas with beef mixture. Top with toppings!!! Serve with lots of margaritas and enjoy the awesome summer weather!!!
I am a day late on this one! What a crazy week this has been?? I have been wondering what band I should blog about this week and it's been a hard choice. I decided on another girly girl one. Jem. NO, not Jem and the Holograms (you KNOW you were around in the 80s if you remember Jem and the Holograms!!) - just Jem. She rocks. SHe's like Dido with a little more edge. So, if you like Dido I think you'll enjoy Jem. If you don't really care for Dido, listen to Jem and maybe you will like her anyways.
Jem. Jem grew up in Wales. She's cute and like 34?? She has a law degree, but she rocks out because she can. Her stuff is ALL over the WB and other pop shows like Desperate Housewives, Six Feet Under, Grey's Anatomy, The OC, AND ta da!!! The Sex and the City Movie! She's sort of a big deal. Her album 'Finally Woken' came out in 2004 and is pretty darn good.
Here are a couple 'pretty darn good' songs from 'Finally Woken.'
'They' - you know you wanna dance to this...
'Wish I' - such a cool summer song!!
The new album is called 'Down to Earth' and is being released in Sept of 2008. Here is the song 'It's Amazing' from the Sex and the City Movie that's also on the new album.....
She's fresh, she's hip, she's JEM!! Jem is excitement, ooooo Jem! Okay, wrong Jem. But she is all those things and more!
A fun summer activity for developing thinking skills??? Chess!!! Ethan and Abby are learning (and me too!) how to play and so far it's pretty fun! I was always intimidated by the game, thinking it was too hard and had too many rules and things to remember. It does. But, I think it's challenging in a way that's good for my overcrowded brain!!
I bought this chess set originally from Target - not because I knew how to play, but because I thought it would look cool sitting on the coffee table in our apartment when we lived in the city!! It made the move from the apartment, to the old house and then to this house. We never really brought it out because there were little pieces and no one really knew how to play. Then one day a few months ago, Ethan came across it in our closet and took some interest in learning. So I decided to get a book!!
Thank goodness for Usborne books! This is a great one even for adults who want to learn to play chess. It explains all the pieces, the moves they can make and even has little tests throughout to help you visualize the game. So we had a couple of practice games this afternoon - I am hoping this will help with some of the squabbling we have going on (Ethan and Abby). It seems like all of the sudden my kids aren't getting along with each other!! :( We may be starting our fall curriculum for homeschooling VERY early if this keeps up!! So maybe chess is the answer? Or boarding school?? Ha ha!! Just joking.... sort of..... here they are playing nice with each other for five minutes.
Abby planning her move...
Ethan checking the book....
A practice game...
So anyways, that's what we've been up to. My tooth is finally feeling better! I was able to get into the endodontist early last Thursday and they ended up finding that I had FIVE roots instead of the normal three. So five years ago when I had that first root canal, they never saw two of the roots and sealed them off! So needless to say after being covered up that long, there was quite an infection there and it was no wonder I was in so much pain. I am very lucky that it didn't spread!! I have to go back Tues to have the crown put on, but other than that I hope I am done with dental work for awhile. Yuck!
And yay! Kevin is off ALL next week for vacation! We have been looking forward to it and this week has seemed so long. We're planning on doing a few fun things here in the Chicago area and then heading up to Madison to visit Kevin's brother Matt, his wife Tricia and their twins. They have a beautiful new house and we're excited to spend time with them!! We'll also be celebrating our 10 year wedding anniversary on July 4th! Very surreal that we've been married that long. Time goes so fast!! I am hoping to post a blog about our relationship with some old pictures, wedding pictures, etc. Just to be all nostalgic and stuff!! So watch for that one!
So that's what's up around here! I hope everyone has a very safe and happy 4th of July!!
Yes, Sara! It's Eisley! I discovered Eisley very recently and only have two of their albums. Not sure if there are more as I haven't had too much time to check into it. But here they are!!! Aren't they lovely???
Eisley was formed WAY back in 1997 - the year I graduated from high school!! Too bad I didn't know about them then!! They are a family band from Tyler, Texas - Sherri and Chauntelle DuPree started the band when their sister Stacy was only eight. She wanted to be in the band too, so she wrote a song to impress her big sisters. She was inducted into the band right away!!! Baby brother Weston joined the band at age ten as their drummer. The girls have amazing voices, to put it mildly. I fell in love with their sound right away!!!
Their parents ran a coffee house in their church called Brewtones. The kids performed all of their songs for the patrons there. After trying out a few bass players, they finally found one in their cousin Garron DuPree. After playing TONS of gigs in Texas with a VERY indie fan base, they were signed to Warner Bros with the song 'Telescope Eyes.' Eisley's first opening act was for Coldplay on their 'Rush of Blood to the Head' tour. Pretty impressive, eh??? Their album 'Room Noises' has several great songs on it......
Here are a few of my personal favorites.......be aware that some of these aren't the actual videos that go with the songs - just what I was able to find on youtube!
Telescope Eyes
One Day I Slowly Floated Away
Just Like We Do
Their latest album 'Combinations' is amazing. It was released last year and in my opinion, they can only go up from here. The harmony is amazing, but it's a little darker and more mature than the first album....
I can only post the very popular 'Invasion' for now because all of the other songs are live and not of very good quality. You can always go to Amazon for a good listen to some of the other songs, all of which are insanely divine.
Invasion
Hope you enjoyed this week!!! It's a quick review because I am getting ready for Ethan's 8th birthday party (family) tomorrow. Cannot believe he's gonna be 8, but that's a whole other post!!! Watch for next week because I think I am going to do something a little different......
This June marks the eleventh anniversary of Andy's death. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about him or wonder what things would be like if he were still alive. But every June that comes around it gets harder to believe it's been as long as it has. Sometimes it feels like yesterday, but most days it feels like a really long time ago because he has missed so much. Who was Andy???
Andy was Kevin's dad and my father-in-law, though I never had the chance to actually be able to call him that. He passed away a year before we got married. Andy is the grampa my kids have never met, but know from lots of stories and pictures. Andy was a husband, a son and brother and a good friend. He was so many things to so many people and even though so much time has passed since June of 1997, he is still very much a part of all of our lives.
Andy was someone I wish everyone could have met. He was an absolute riot. We laughed ALL the time. So many memories come to mind when I think of him. I remember the time I was babysitting for this newborn baby who had colic. This poor baby had been crying for over two hours of the three I had been there. No cell phones back then, so of course I couldn't reach the parents. My parents were out too. The baby was crying, I was crying and I knew I needed some help. So I called Kevin's house and Andy was home. He came right over. He walked in, handed me a Kleenex and took the crying baby. Not ten minutes later (I kid you not) that colicky baby was asleep on Andy's shoulder in the recliner while he casually watched a baseball game on tv. I will never forget that!
I remember fun skiing vacations, trips to visit Matt at college, inappropriate jokes in church, a napa autoparts swimsuit calendar in the garage, old cutoff jean shorts and a too small polo shirt, words of wisdom and encouragement, kindness that was shown to everyone, a toothpick in the corner of his mouth, an infectious laugh, talking through movies, an elbow to the ribs, a butterscotch milkshake with peanuts in it, Harold the goose, Cheeks and Shawn....there are so many more that I couldn't even list them all.
Andy passed away from an agressive form of stomach cancer in June of 1997. It was sudden, it was fast and it wasn't fair. Kevin was nineteen years old and I had just turned eighteen. I thought right up until the very end that someone would be able to fix it. I don't think I actually ever thought someone like Andy would be taken from us. It didn't seem possible. It still doesn't sometimes. Those last couple of months felt like a bad dream - a nightmare. People always say that time heals all wounds or that everything happens for a reason. Up until Andy got sick I believed that too. For me I know that time didn't really heal the wounds, you just learn how to live with them somehow. And I have faith that there is a plan even though I might never understand the reason. You cannot come up with a reason that is good enough for such an incredible loss. And there isn't enough therapy or time in the world that could heal such a gaping, horrific wound. I don't care what anyone says.
What I do know is that even though Andy isn't with us anymore, he isn't really gone. I see him everyday when I look into my kids' beautiful eyes. When I see my husband's hands work on a car or build something. When I hear my brother-in-law Matt's huge, happy laugh or when I see my brother-in-law Jason's smile. When I see the wonderful husbands and fathers they have all grown up to be, Andy is there. He would be so proud of them and I hope they all know that. When I see my mother-in-law making changes to the house she built with him and raised all their boys in, when she comes here to visit us by herself. When she chooses to keep on even though I know she is sad - Andy is there. I consider myself to be a very lucky person for having been able to get to know him in the four years I did. So do a lot of other people. Andy lived more in his short 40some years than most people do in an entire lifetime. He touched so many and made this world a better place for just having been in it. He is missed by us all every single day.
I'm not very good at putting things into words. I can type them out and they make a little sense, but music is something that has always made sense to me. Might be cheesy, but I don't care. I found a song by a band called Vertical Horizon that completely and absolutely says everything. It's called Forever.
Here are the lyrics.
Take these roses all from me Let me live, let me be For a little while Let my eyes, See everything and nothing in their time I do not mind
Who'd have guessed I'd learn To let the walls around me burn Light up the hillside My words, I ate them for so long and nothing changed It was just the same
And I don't know if you see me here But I can tell you your face is clear I will see you...
Forever Forever I will see you Forever Forever
Call me close once again Call me teacher, call me friend Just like the first time Call my name, it echos in the walls around this room Its all you
I don't know if you hear me there When it's darkest and no one cares I will hear you...
Forever Forever I will hear you Forever Forever
I wanted you to be everything to me Now I've got to learn to carry on I know I cannot hide this emptiness inside But nothing is the same since you've gone
Send me letters from above Send me strength, send me love Such sweet love Sing me songs that echo in my head and in my heart That's where you are
And I don't know if you feel me here I can tell you one thing is clear I will feel you...
Forever Forever I will feel you Forever Forever I will hear you Forever Forever I will see you Forever Forever
Take these roses all from me Let me live, let me be
Super HUGE vent!!!! I hate going to the dentist. Everyone knows it. It scares me and I don't like it. It's not a pain thing. I have an incredibly high pain tolerance. I don't like the smell or the noises or people's hands in my mouth. I don't like it. That being said, I have a cool dentist who knows my fear and really helps me through the regular appointments. I haven't had a cavity since we lived in Chicago. I had that one filled by some crackhead guy who didn't know what he was doing. Then, right after Abby was born I started having trouble with it. Because that crackhead messed it up. Supposedly the filling was never right and it 'leaked.' Totally not my fault because I take good care of my teeth almost to the point of obsession. Thank you very much.
So I had to have my nice dentist guy do a root canal. I would RATHER have given birth. It didn't hurt, but it was terrifying none the less. Super scary. So that was five years ago. No problems since then, up until a couple of weeks ago. I started having a dull pain in my jaw and the teeth surrounding this stupid root canal tooth. I went to my dentist who pushed my off onto this entodontist dude. He was nice enough and his office was decorated really pretty. So props for that. So I went to that appointment today and this guy tells me there's something INSIDE the root canal that's causing a problem (leftover pulp - HURL- from the root canal) and he needs to redo it. WTF!!! WTF!!! WTF!!! And fix it to the tune of $1600!!!!
So I can have the whole thing pulled and have a giant frigging space and have my entire bite out of line OR pay the money and have the whole thing fixed. I seriously considered having it pulled, but my mom talked me down and made me see that it would cause more problems. Sigh. SO next Tues, I will be freaking my a$$ out in the chair getting my root canal REDONE. And yes, I will be stewing and obsessing about this all week right up until Tuesday. I am mad. My teeth have betrayed me. And I don't like the dentist. Call me a big baby if you want, but I don't care. I am in pain, my jaw feels like the tin man, and I am crabby. I have been taking so much motrin to kill the ache that my stomach is staging a rebellion against me.
So I can cook pretty well when I want to. You know how it is, moms - trying to come up with meals day after day that everyone in your family will eat gets a little old. But I do okay in the kitchen. I thought I would post a recipe here and there in the blog. I know I alwasy appreciate it when someone passes along a great meal idea!
This one isn't for the vegetarians. I mean, I *suppose* you could substitute ground turkey for this one if ground beef really makes your stomach turn. I, myself, haven't had the heart to alter this one in any way. It is so good, but terribly bad for you I'm afraid!!! Once in awhile though, these burgers are a real treat!!!
It's from my Coca-Cola Cookbook. I bought this book at a Cracker Barrel in high school when I was on a date with Kevin. We have been making these scrumptious burgers since way back when! It's a good cookbook. Pretty much everything in it has coca cola products in the recipe. Coke, sprite, mello yello, etc. SO, ya. None of it is good for you. If you're looking for a healthy meal, stop reading now! LOL!
Here it is! The best darn burger you will ever make......
Coca-Cola Burgers
1 egg 1/2 cup Coca-Cola, divided 1/2 cup crushed Saltine crackers 1/4 cup finely chopped onion 6 Tbsp creamy French salad dressing, divided 2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese 1/4 tsp salt 1-1/2 lbs ground beef 6 hamburgers buns, split
In a mixing bowl combine the egg, 1/4 cup of the coca-cola, cracker crumbs, onion, 2 Tbsp of the dressing, cheese and salt. Add the meat and mix well. Form into 6 patties, 3/4 inch thick. For the sauce (or for zee sauce, as Kevin always says in his fake French cooking accent), Mix remaining coca-cola and dressing. Grill the meat over medium coals about 10 minutes or to desired doneness. Turn once; baste occasionally with sauce.
Serve on buns with deli cheese, mayo, lettuce, tomatoes, mustard & pickles. Or whatever else you like, but these don't need a lot of stuff because they are insanely good! Enjoy!!
Technically it's not summer yet, but with all these storms it sure has felt like it! Speaking of storms, I got some real cool photos of a front line moving into the neighborhood the other morning. Liv and I were the only ones up, so we sat on the front porch watching it move across the sky. I think I might send these to Tom Skilling!
Father's Day was kind of a wash out, but we had lots of fun outside the day before. We went on a long bike ride and then busted out the old slip and slide while we were grilling out in the backyard. Olivia wasn't a big fan, so we'll have to see how she likes the water when we finally make it to the pool. But she sure looked cute in her suit!!
Ethan and Abby were having a blast as usual.....
We also have another reason to visit the backyard! Six baby bunnies! Kevin was just about to mow Saturday morning when he noticed one hopping around. Thank goodness he found the nest before he started to mow! They are so cute and fluffy! Most have left the yard already as of today, but I think there are still a couple of them back there hopping around by the fence. The kids have had fun watching them and putting out carrots. Ah, summer! You gotta love it!
Abby might totally kill me for this, but I HAD to blog about it. Yesterday was one of those days. You know the one, moms. The one where NOTHING goes right no matter what you do. The kids are fighting, you can't seem to accomplish anything you've set out to do, there isn't enough coffee in the world - and you feel like you want to go back to bed, get up and start over again. Please tell me you've had one of those days.
Kevin ended up having to work a little later yesterday and it was Abby's parent day for tumbling. He said he would just meet us there. So I decide I have enough time to vacuum upstairs (where there is still carpet) because it's looking a little shady. I notice this black craft pom pom on Ethan's floor that the vacuum didn't pick up. I tell myself I will go back in a pick it up when I've finished vacuuming because I don't want Olivia to get it. But I forget because something else distracted me. Big shocker, right?
So I get Abby's tumbling leotard on her and change Olivia's diaper and all that jazz. While I am packing the diaper bag, I hear Abby having a regular sneezing fit in her room. I ask if she's okay and she tells me she feels like she has something up her nose. I think nothing of it and tell her to get a tissue and blow it. She does. A few minutes later, more sneezing. An outrageous amount of sneezing. Then all of the sudden I realize that, HELLO, she's sneezing because there's something up her nose. I try not to panic before I get the real story.
"Abby, did you PUT something up your nose?" To which she blinks at me and answers, "I sniffed a fuzzy up my nose." I feel my extremities go numb, but I remain calm. "Abby, what kind of fuzzy was it?" She smiles at me. "A little black fuzzy. Only now it's up there and it won't come out. It hurts a little, mommy." AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I screamed in my head.
Then I'm all, "Abby, we HAVE to get it out or I have to take you to the walk in care." Shouldn't have told her that last part because then she started crying and SNIFFLING. So I try to keep her calm and help her blow her nose. Nothing is coming out. I am asking her which nostril it's in and tell her to farmer blow. She lets out a big one and the little ball of evil shot out - WHERE? Right onto poor Olivia's top!!! You probably think I am making all of this up, but let me tell you folks... you cannot make stuff like this up. You just can't. Lulu was right in the line of fire because she was worried about sissy's loud crying.
So like any good blogger mom, I took a picture of the culprit. And here it is! It's small, about the size of a large green pea..... gross, huh??
On a happier note, here are some other pics from AFTER the incident. I didn't get any good shots of Abby in the gym because they didn't turn out and also because I had to take Olivia out. She wouldn't stop running over to the equipment.
Doesn't she look like a little gymnast??
All of 'em...
Me and Ab - this is the first actual picture of me in quite a long time! I am always behind the camera, but I'm trying to remember to get in some of the pictures. Otherwise the kids will think they didn't have a mom!!
Ab with Daddy
Lulu Beans
Well, that's all for now. Hopefully the weekend will be much more uneventful!!!!
Keane. They are my pick for this week. Love them! Keane is a three man band from East Sussex. What I loved immediately about them was that they use an old, distorted piano as their lead instrument. Not guitars. Cool, right?
They had lots of trouble getting any recognition and finding a label to sign them for quite some time (why, I don't know - they are sooooooo god) until Simon Williams (dude that discovered Coldplay) attended one of their gigs in London. Williams got their first single 'Everybody's Changing' released and things just got better from there! 'Hopes And Fears' is the first album and is loaded with amazing, thoughtful tracks.
'Hopes And Fears' was released in 2004, won them lots of recognition and even a few awards. It was the second biggest selling album of the year in the UK. Another thing that is so amazing about this band is the way they give back. They performed at the Live 8 concert as member of the Make Poverty History foundation. During 2005, Keane got major props in the US due to their extensive touring and a series of gigs opening for U2. Not too bad, eh??? Here are a few of the singles released from 'Hopes and Fears.' My favorite has to be 'Everybody's Changing.' It's about how at different points in your life, you just feel like the square peg in the round hole. Everybody is doing new things, moving on and you just feel stuck like you don't fit in anywhere. I'm sure most of us can identify with that feeling during at least one point in our lives. Take a listen.....
Here is another single called 'Somewhere Only We Know'
And here is 'This Is The Last Time'
'Under The Iron Sea' was Keane's next album and it is VERY different from 'Hopes And Fears.' They use guitars!!! But it's still just as cool. The idea behind this album is 'sinister fairytale world gone wrong.' See, you like it already! The artwork on this cd is super cool...
'Crystal Ball' was the first single released, I think. And then 'Is It Any Wonder' where you can totally hear the U2 influence. 'Crystal Ball' just talks about how you're trying to figure yourself out and get your crap straight. How you sometimes wish that you had a crystal ball to tell you what the future holds and just reassure you that you're not messing up too bad and that everything is going to be okay. Check it...
Love this song!
So, I hope you will run right out and buy these two albums. Rumors are that a new one is scheduled to be released in Sept of 08. Be on the look out for that! That's all for this week. Next week I have to blog about a girl band (or at least a band with a girl singer) because it's been all dudes thus far. Who will it be??? Come back and see!!! Peace!
I did it. I signed up for a dance class. It's been years, but I couldn't take it anymore! Something is missing from my life and I think it's dancing. I'm starting out with an adult hip hop class on Tues nights from 8:30-9:30. It's a well known studio in the area and I hear the instruction is amazing. I am so stoked! There will be a recital as well, so I will let you know when that is if anyone wants to come. They have a wide range of classes - adult lyrical ballet & jazz, jumps & turns and even belly dancing!
Basically what prompted this whole thing is watching 'So You Think You Can Dance' on Fox. I didn't realize how much I missed dancing until I started watching this show. I asked myself, "why am I NOT dancing?" I just lost ALL the friggin baby weight from all three kids (so to speak - 5 more lbs to go, but we'll see if I can actually maintain it) so I can't use the out of shape excuse, my nights are pretty open and this place is literally right down the street. I couldn't come up with any reason not to do it!
Wish me luck (that I don't hurt myself) and I will let you know how it goes! I'm checking out the class/instructor tonight and the next summer session begins July 7. Until then, I will be watching SYTYCD and drooling over all of the beautiful choreography and looking forward to busting my own moves!
Woot woot! My favorite show is back! But will it be as awesome as last season?? I don't know - it's too soon to tell. This season there seems to be a LOT of contemporary dancers, where as in previous seasons there was much more diversity. Last season was amazing. They had an insane cast! For those who didn't not watch it, I HAVE to post a couple of my fave dances!
Well, my favorite girl dancer from last season had to be Lacey. She was the younger sis of the previous season's winner Benji. They are the talented spawn of the king of swing - Buddy Schwimmer. Lacey is kick a$$ because she's obviously an amazing dancer, but she's super funky, has a rockin body without being scrawny thin AND has a great personality. Here are a couple of my fave dances with her in them.....
Lacey and Danny - dancing the Samba
Lacey and Kameron - dancing contemporary
I will be trying to blog about each show this season and some more of my faves from the previous three seasons, but we'll see what happens. For now, enjoy these videos and keep watching the show!! It's so good!!
I did NOT think I would be blogging about this so soon, but I am so proud!! We have been putting Olivia on the potty here and there since she was about 16 months old ust to get her used to the concept. We talk about it and I just bought the VERY annoying Elmo's Potty Time DVD for her last week. She watches it all the time and talks about using the potty. So funny!
So this morning she had to boo boo and I tried sitting her on the potty, but she wasn't having it right then, so we just kind of moved on. Then tonight after dinner, she was saying how she had to boo again. So Kevin just took her up and she DID it!!! I know it's premature to be this excited and she is just 20 months old, but we are so happy! Yay, Olivia! Time to go get us a potty chart, stickers and some tiny littles skivvies!
I didn't have a hard time with this weeks pick!! Jamie Cullum! We went to a Cub's game last week with our friends Joe & Becky and we were telling them how great he is. He's jazzy/blues, but in an offbeat sort of way. We came across his live show on Direct TV's free concert series one night a couple of years ago and have been hooked ever since!
The first album we got was 'Twentysomething.' It was released in '03 and went platinum - making it the #1 selling jazz studio album in the UK. It's such a cool album. Basically he has a few of his own songs on it, but most are jazz remakes of some VERY cool songs by other artists - Wind Cries Mary (Hendrix), High and Dry (Radiohead) and Frontin (Pharrell Williams) just to name a few. He even does some songs with his brother Ben, who he claims to be one of his biggest musical influences.
One of the coolest things about his live shows (tho I've never been to one YET) is that he doesn't EVER have a set list. He improvises and most of his shows last over two hours. He's super fun to watch because he doesn't just sit still at the piano - he's jumping around, using the top of the piano as a stage AND a drum. He's from London, 28 years old (young talent is awesome) and stands at barely 5'4'' tall!!!
Here is his awesome version of 'High and Dry' by Radiohead - cooler than Radiohead I think!!
Here are a couple of other faves....
"Catching Tales" was released in 2005 with the major single 'Get Your Way.' I like it equally as much as 'Twentysomething' but for different reasons. He did some more songs with his brother and Pharrell Williams, so it's quite jazzy and super fun to listen to. Take a little listen to 'Get Your Way.'
You can always find out more about Jamie at his website: http://www.jamiecullum.com/ I will NEVER get sick of listening to these two albums, but I think he's due for another one soon! Hint hint, Jamie!!
Stay tuned for next weeks music pick! I don't know what it will be yet!
I am a mom to three great kids - Ethan is 12, Abby is 9 and Lulu (Olivia) is 5. I've been married to my highschool sweetheart for almost fourteen years. I love to paint, renovate and live for anything DIY. I love music and I love to bake. I also teach dance at a local studio. Thanks for stopping by my blog!!!
