Tuesday Tunes...

The song that's starting off my playlist right now is "Did You Ever Look So Nice?" by The Samples.  It's one that I've loved ever since my cousin Mikey played it for me way back when I was in high school, driving him somewhere in our old Jeep Cherokee.  Over the years, I have listened to the band quite a bit, but this sone reminds my absolute favorite.  There's something about it that makes me instantly happy - and these days, it makes me think about my girls.  Enjoy!

Tuesday Tunes...

Me and my hubby (aka the former DMB groupie)

This week, we have a bit of (somewhat) classic Dave Matthews Band.  My cute hubby prides himself on owning bootlegs of the band way back in the day (circa 1993-94), before they had hit the local Tower Records (R.I.P., Tower!).  He got my hooked on the band when we were in college and used to send me mix tapes (YES, TAPES - HA!) that included tons of rare versions of their songs.  Amazingly, DMB is one of those bands that has managed to stay current after all these years, and I especially love that fact because it makes me forget that I am driving my kids around in a minivan while rocking out to them.

Naturally, the girls listen to Dave.  Unlike Jimmy Buffett (see last week's Tuesday Tunes...), they don't necessarily have their favorite songs, but they don't scream at me to turn it off, so I'll take that as a big thumbs-up of approval.  M, in particular, is known for telling me, "No, no, no, Mommy. Change song," when she isn't a fan, so I'll take the lack of raptor-like screeching as a positive sign!  

The song that's playing right now is "Stay (Wasting Time)," by DMB.  It's a personal favorite because it has followed me since my college days and hasn't gotten old yet.  I love how it reminds me not only of my husband, but also to enjoy the moment, rather than moving on to the next at lightning speed.  Sometimes we all forget to do that...

My favorite part of the song comes towards the end.  It says:

"Wasting time...

I shall miss this thing when it all rolls by.  

What a day... 

I wanna stay, stay, stay, stay, stay for awhile..."

So simple, and kind of cheesy, but a favorite, nonetheless!  Happy Tuesday, readers!

Tuesday Tunes...

The girls and their wings - October 2010

Music is a big part of my life.  It can get me excited for a night out with friends, cheer me up when I am down, keep me sane when I am driving carpools all day, and make me think about our life's journeys.  You know how a song can come along at just the right moment that it seems to mirror your life, and you find yourself connected to it?  That's what a great song is to me.  Lately, a lot of the songs I have been listening to naturally make me think about my girls, especially C and all the challenges she is working through and overcoming.  She is such a fabulous little girl (well, both of them are!).  I thought it might be fun to share with you readers some of what we are listening to these days - who knows, maybe you'll see yourselves in their lyrics, too!

The song that's playing this week is by Jimmy Buffett - a longtime family favorite.  Every single song he writes has a story or lesson to take away, which is what makes it so much fun to listen to.  As a kid, I remember listening to his tales of adventure, the sand & sea, and the good life.  Jimmy has a way of making you feel at home and a part of whatever action he is singing about.  He's a real, down-to-earth, regular guy who somehow found himself being lucky enough to do what he loves for a living.

When I was in high school, I went to my first Buffett concert, and let me tell you, it was a scene like none other I had ever experienced.  Thousands of people - some dressed up in costumes, some not;  some drunk, some not - were there just to have a good time and step into a kinder, more relaxed, more free-spirited world, if only for a few hours.  In college and beyond, I enjoyed more than a few cocktails at his shows (which took it to a whole other level - hee hee).  And now, I am passing on my Parrothead pride to my daughters as we listen to Radio Margaritaville on XM almost daily.  It's so much fun that they each have favorite songs!

One of my current favorites is the song you hear playing right now is "Wings" by Jimmy Buffett and Wil Kimbrough, which is on Jimmy's album, "Buffett Hotel."  It's a song about flying, your imagination, and following your dreams.  The back story to it is that it was inspired by a trip to St. Barth back in the 70's.  He connected with the island and its locals, and invited some of them onto his boat one night to watch "The Wizard of Oz" - one of the only movies he had on-board at the time.  It was a magical night for some of the kids, especially.  In Jimmy's words:

"I was getting the kids’ reaction to seeing it for the first time (it was probably my 500th), 

when one of them popped up and said, “I can go to Oz anytime I want.” 

“Oh really,” I answered, “How can you do that?” “Because I have a car,” 

he answered. “Really?” I asked. Well, for a ten year old on an island with 

about twenty total cars at that time, I asked him, “Where do you keep this car?” 

He smiled, pointed to the side of his head, and replied “It’s in my brain.” 

I hope you all keep that childish way of figuring out how 

to use the wings you can’t see or the wheels on your feet, 

and I hope you use them often."

I think I would love it no matter what, but its lyrics are especially resonant with me as we are on this journey with our kids.  There's one verse in particular that I think sums up not only what we are going through with C and her SPD, but really about what it means to be a parent:

"...Maybe if you open up your mind

You might learn some things

God only knows what you might find

Floatin’ on those wings

You can try to fly away from all your problems

Well I’m here to say

That ain’t the way to solve them

I can only help you with your wings

That you can’t see

We have wings that we can’t see

We have wheels on our feet

Way up high we’ll be free

On these wings we can’t see..."

It's our job to make sure they are finding their wings and using them in the best way they can.  I hope that one day, my husband and I can look back and see that we've done what we needed to do.  Happy Tuesday, readers!  I hope that you are finding your wings, too!