As you know, we’re big on dancing in this house.  Not GOOD dancing.  Not actual “on the beat and coordinated” dancing. The kind of dancing that comes from within, expressing the emotion of the moment, flailing about and knocking over breakables, possibly injuring the cats.

I think it’s important to expose the girls to all types of music, mostly because I am beholden to no 1 genre.  I will honestly listen, and probably love, any music.  Remember the Hawaiian phase I thought would never end?  I love the ukulele, but I thought I might go deaf listening to it.  I still hold Sara’s “classical music featuring the recorder” as my favorite phase.  They begged me to make Bluegrass end last summer.  And I think they’ll outgrow the Tinkerbell soundtracks before I will!

This school year has been a lot about rock n’ roll.  Who doesn’t love a good beat?  Lots and lots….and LOTS of Michael Jackson.  Listening to Kelly sing “Man in the Mirror” will bring a tear to any eye. They’ve decided they like the Beastie Boys and of course, The Backstreet Boys.  Then they discovered The Black-Eyed Peas, oh Lord help me.  I was able to find some “clean” versions of their songs, and added it to our newest CD for our school commute.  As it turns out “clean” is a relative word on iTunes.  The same people who rate songs as “clean” must also be the people who decided Spongebob was fit for human consumption.  Our CDs are a riotous mix of Classical, Kids Songs, Motown, Songs from the Mary Poppins Soundtrack, and Will Smith.  You just never know with us.

Needless to say, our new mix has generated some serious conversation:

Sara: Mommy, you can listen to your David Bowie song first, and then can I listen to the Vanilla Ice version after that?  I prefer the Vanilla Ice version.

Kelly:  After we wisten to Waniwwa Ice, tam we wisten to “We wiww, We wiww ROCK YOU”?

Mommy: I’m sorry Kelly, I forgot to put your Queen on this CD.  My bad.

Kelly: AWWWW!!!

Mommy: I’ll remix it tonight sweetheart, and I’ll add “We Will Rock You”.

Sara: If you are going to change it, you can take off that London Bridge song.  I like the original version better.

Mommy: So Black Eyed Peas…good, but Fergie alone, bad?

Sara: Yes.  She really messed up how the London Bridge fell down.  But you can keep your Pearl Jam song.  I know how much you like it.

Kelly: And keep Music Box Dancer.  It’s ma paborite (favorite).

{pulling into the Kroger Pharmacy Line, with the girls jamming out to “The Safety Dance” by Men Without Hats, Sara and Kelly saw someone in front of us smoking a cigarette}

Sara: OH, that is a gross habit.  Doesn’t he know smoking will make his hair smell bad? We should add “No Smoking” to our House Rules List when we get home.

I’m thinking on this particular music mix I started with eclectic, and moved into psychotic.  I MAY have gone too far with my DJ skills this spring.  When all else fails, They Might Be Giants has a Kids Science CD that is simply out of this world.  Listening to my four year old sing about the 4 elements that make up most living things just makes my dorky day.  I will say this much: my mini-van is in demand on Field Trip Day, especially now that we have that new “No Smoking” rule for all preschoolers riding in our car.