New Year's Eve song from Rockosaurus Rex: free download

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"Auld Lang Syne," the song everyone loves to sing on New Year's Eve, even though you don't know the words, has been turned into a rock song by Rockosaurus Rex (the hard rock band that does classic kids' songs). The song is available for listening or download for free on the website. Play it tonight, wherever you are, to celebrate the New Year:

rockosaurusrex.com

new kids music review

9:22 PM Edit This 0 Comments »
Every time I've read that some kids album is supposed to be rock, I listen and am always disappointed; it always sounds folksy and watered down. Not so with Rockosaurus Rex. The songs sound like they could be on the radio; there are real electric guitars being played with virtuosity, there's full awesome drums, bass guitar, and strong lyrics. And it's so fun for kids; my toddler loves all the extra fun things thrown in, like the cuckoo clocks on "I'm a Nut," the train on "I've been working on the railroad," the deep thunderstorm effects on "The Ants Go Marching," the sound effects on "Wheels on the Bus," and more. I just really appreciate NOT having to hear yet another tentatively voiced rendition of a kids song with a lightly strumming acoustic guitar. This stuff sounds like serious hard rock, done well, and my husband and I enjoy it as much as my 2 year old (and all the kids in the preschool where I teach, including the pre-K's.) The strong rhythm on the fast tracks just makes the kids jump up and down, and the slow songs have amazing artistry that can be appreciated. I can't recommend this enough. It truly rocks.

My 30th birthday

9:15 AM Edit This 0 Comments »
My 30th Birthday

Woke up at 6:20am to my 2 year old crying Mommmmyyyyy from her room. I take her into bed and attempt to not give in to her insistent cries of MIWK since my rule is she only gets one feeding in the morning. She begins to writhe and screech so I quickly give in. It's just too early, and it's my birthday so I want to sleep a little more. I breastfeed her and she goes to sleep again. I freeze in an awkward, half-uncovered position, hoping not to wake her. I'm just dozing off again when my shoulder is really cold, so I shift slowly into a more comfortable position. She wakes of course and demands MIWK with whiny screeches. It's 7:20 now. The thought of getting sucked on again is just not doable so I try to reassure her with petting that the miwk is all done, she already had some. Crazy crying ensues, my husband tries to intervene, then leaves the room, escaping to the guest bedroom. I put the toddler in her crib and close her door, lying down for a few minutes just to give up my morning. I attempt to snuggle with her again, then give her one minute on each boob. Massive upset ensues, so I give up the bed entirely and we get up.

I dress her and she gets very upset that I don't have shoes to put on her immediately. I get them from the next room and she calms down with sobs. She stands idly by while I brush my teeth & wash my face. I want to take a shower but she gives me the big eyes and climbs into my arms. "Mommy wants to take a shower." "Noooooo. Outside?" So we go out to the living room and I put on the Wonder Pets show. Then I fold a basket of clean sheets that's been sitting there for a week. Then I get the clean diapers from the laundry room and I put the 20 diapers together.

It's breakfast time so I jump on S and demand breakfast tacos from the place just out of our neighborhood. He says he was going to surprise me with them anyway! He & M leave to go bring back breakfast. I recapture my morning by snuggling in bed for a pleasurable few minutes, then jump into the shower and use the very last of my favorite pink LUSH shower creme. I get out to a delicious breakfast of egg, cheese, and bacon breakfast tacos. I feel properly Texan for a few minutes. M sweetly wishes me Happy Birthday Mommy throughout the morning.

After breakfast, I enjoy my coffee while checking my emails & online places. Then it's time to go for my pedicure and manicure appointment at 11am. I enjoy a couple issues of trashy celeb magazines, an amazing back massage from the high tech pedicure chair, and some pale pastel pink polish on toes & fingers. My parents call during the manicure and sing me a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday on their speaker phone. I chat for a minute, then end when the beautician needs my other hand.

I drive home and arrive to an already napping baby. Go, husband! He leaves for some errands. So I lay across the couch and get into my newly received issues of BUST and The East Village Inky. I finally succumb to drowsiness a few minutes before Moooooommmmmyyyy comes on the monitor. I get the little rascal up and, at her wish, install her in her stroller in the living room, where she happily sits rearranging her 12 Care Bears in the tray while narrating a long story. In the meantime, I take care of the putting away and washing of dishes. We eat some crackers and applesauce together.

When dada gets home we all go play outside! It's a perfectly gorgeous day in the mid-70s with a clear blue sky. He fulfills my 30th birthday hot tub dreams but tackling the emptying, cleaning, and filling of the long-unused hot tub on our deck. M & I water the garden, eat fresh baby tomatoes off the vine, and hang out by the sandbox and water table. She busies herself with giving all the sandy toy jungle animals a bath in a bucket, and then a shower with the hose. I help as needed, and lounge about reading my EVI.

Finally the sun starts to go down and the temperature starts to drop. M is soaked up to the elbows, so we go in and change her clothes into a little party outfit. She wears a pink dress with white polka dots and a big sequiny flower, white tights, and a green sweater. Mommy's birthday outfit, by the way, is low rider Lucky jeans, a long soft black tank top, and a bias cut red tee with a white bonsai tree on it. I sit on the couch to relax for a bit, when suddenly M toddles up to me with a giant beautiful bouquet of big lilies! She says Happy Birthday Mommy as she gives it to me. Awwww.

We have a snack of an apple, some nuts, and juice. I run around and pick up toys from the living room and clear off some tables, since family is coming later. We get ready to leave for the Indian restaurant The Clay Pot. We have a fun drive listening to Rockosaurus Rex the whole way. We are met at the restaurant by MIL, FIL, BIL & GF. We have a delicious dinner; I have Korma curry with shrimp and veggies. The curry sauce is divine; creamy coconut, almond, pistachio with a hint of lemon. M is not exactly her usual docile self. She's literally climbing out of her chair, but foods manage to distract her just at the right time. I spend a little more time wrestling with her than I would have imagined, but realize I can't give up the usual parenting completely just because it's my birthday. She really enjoys drinking her sweet lhassi yogurt drink. Mommy really enjoys her wine. She also enjoys peekaboo just like a baby, as well as the wall mirror we discovered behind my side of the table.

We all drive back to our home and arrange ourselves in the living room. S discreetly disappears while we chat. I'm looking at M, and suddenly her eyes totally light up and get wide, looking over my shoulder. Everyone starts singing happy birthday as S approaches with a cake blazing with 30 candles! M starts her hilarious blowing attempts, "FFFFFFFFFFFffffffff," and I make my wish and blow out all the candles, timed with M's blowing so it seems to her like she did it. We eat the delicious Coldstone Creamery cake; A Cheesecake Named Desire, my favorite, with yellow cake, raspberry cheesecake ice cream layers, and raspberries.

Then I tackle my pile of presents with the enthusiastic help of my toddler. She directs me to open the cards while she goes for each present. I have a good haul of delicate girly presents. The manicure & pedicure & flowers were my first presents from my husband & daughter, along with some delicious lemon verbena soap, strawberries & cream sparkly bath stars, vanilla lotion, lavender bubble bath & salts, fluffy soft white socks, and two sweet cards. From my mom there were some gorgeous green silk dragonfly placemats with chopsticks & napkins, and chocolate covered cherries. From BIL & GF there was a lavender satin robe from VS, and a massage certificate for a spa. MIL & FIL brought me a perfect little table for my sewing machine (well that wasn't really for my birthday, since they often have great random furniture to give us,) and for gifts I got a goody bag of girly stuff: lavender lotions & bath stuff, a pretty skirt & top, a soft knit hat, two fancy flower ponytail holders, a metallic belt, a velvet wide headband, and an earth toned sequin purse.

By now it's way past M's bedtime so we say goodbye to MIL & FIL, and I take her in for nursing. She passes out in less than 20 minutes. Finally the moment I've been waiting for: hot tub time. Bil, gf, dh & I get into bathing suits, and I pour out some wine. We all get into the toasty 101 degree hot tub. I have my extended moment of gazing up at the stars and trees, cigarette and wine in hand, with hot water bubbling and friendly relaxed faces all around. We hang out for an hour, shifting positions to try out the different bubbly corners. By the time we get out, we are all like limp noodles. I get to snuggle in bed with dh, who goes to bed at the same time I do. We fall asleep in minutes.
The end.

Awesome rock music for kids

10:13 AM Edit This 0 Comments »
Dinosaur band launches debut hard rock album for kids

(Austin, TX) - Rockosaurus Rex is a kids' hard rock band of four dinosaurs - Rex (guitar, vocals), Screech (guitar), Bones (bass), and Sara Tops (drums). Their debut album release, The Big Bang! , features true rock versions of 21 classic children's songs, complete with wailing guitar solos and driving percussion. The Big Bang! is the first to interpret kids' music on a grown-up level. From the Queen-inspired "This Old Man" and the instrumental metal "Pop Goes the Weasel," to the anthemic sound of "John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt" and the radio-friendly pop rock "Six Little Ducks," each song is arranged and performed as a valid rock band composition. There is not a hint of folkiness about the music, a fate that has befallen other attempts at a rock sound for kids. This album will appeal to parents as much as kids.

The Big Bang! by Rockosaurus Rex is available now for preview and purchase on the website.
http://www.rockosaurusrex.com

punk band parody added to my baby shirts business

8:51 PM Edit This 0 Comments »
For my family business, Huge Wonder, we have recently added six new designs to our cool black t-shirts for kids.

Agnostic Runt is our parody of the punk band Agnostic Front. You can find the shirt in the Music category.

The other designs are in the signs and symbols categories and include:

Infinity
Biohazard
Yin Yang
Ankh
Atom

Remember, we're your one-stop shop for alternative black clothing for babies & kids. With our shirts, karate pants, and gnome hats, you can have the coolest black baby layette or kid wardrobe on the block!

Happy Shopping, and thanks for supporting small independent business.
-Huge Wonder

Dirty Sugar Cookies

6:20 PM Edit This 0 Comments »
Dirty Sugar Cookies This is a blog kept by one of my favorite authors.

My 2 year old's party!

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The party was so fabulous. I'm gonna give you a description so you feel like you're there. There were 20 kids, and their parents there; toddlers from my playgroups, and neighborhood kids. First of all the zoo: the baby animals were there to pet all over the yard. A big curly wooly sheep in the middle of the yard. Four tiny baby goats that were so adorable, they ate all the overgrown grass near the fence while they were here. There was a snuggly grey bunny just chilling out, and a duck & 3 chicks in cages that were taken out on a one by one basis for petting (cuz they're liable to fly away). There was a nice pony that all the older kids rode, and toddlers mostly just sat on for photo ops. "no pony, no pony, mommy up" was DD's take on the pony.

Then I had the sandbox open with lots of toys in it, balls of all sizes all over the yard, chalk and ride-on toys on the bball court. I had the sand table with all of DD's jungle animals. There were giant balloons; a my little pony, pink care bear, and green turtle, some animal print balloons. I had wrapped up the four trees in contrasting crepe paper to mimic animal prints- black & white like a zebra, orange & black like a tiger, yellow & black like a bee, and green & blue like a toucan. Plus I hung a bunch of extra crepe paper to make a billowing crepe curtain across one branch. Happy birthday banners everywhere, and a cute jungle print tablecloth. Beer for the adults, and juice boxes for the kids. The food got totally eaten to the last crumb. There were just two chicken wings left at the end. We had dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets, hot chicken wings/legs, spinach nuggets, cheese & crackers, fruit, veggies & dip, animal cookies, rainbow goldfish.

Dh's rock music for kids was playing on the boom box the whole time and so many people commented on it. The neighbors were incredulous that it was him, and one of the neighbors is a teacher who's going to buy some for her school kids to listen to cuz they're sick of all the kids' music that they're allowed to play.

The cake was awesome. I had ordered this Madagascar cake with jungle animals but they were out of that set of toys. So the cake decorator called me at home from her house the night before and told me she was going to decorate the colors just like the cake I ordered, and buy the animals herself and arrange them. She was so sweet, and charged me way less than what it should have been, with a ton of farm animals amongst trees on the cake. And it was delicious.

Then the presents were so awesome too; everyone in the neighborhood knows how DD loves Care Bears because whenever we go for walks she takes all her mini care bears with her. So she got four fluffy plush care bears along with cartoons on dvd. Lots of books, and animal themed puzzles and toys. Everyone just really came through with the perfect gift for maia's interests.

So I'm very happy with the way the party turned out. By the end I got to settle down with a beer while 3 remaining kids played on the slide and talked to each other. Everyone left feeling really good and had a happy time at the party.

beginnings

7:52 PM Edit This 0 Comments »
Well here I am. Don't know what I'll be sharing exactly, but it's nice to have a toe in this pond.