Learn to Listen

Whether you're getting ready to hit the road for a summer vacation, looking for an audio solution to help entertain toddlers who are beginning to resist nap time or (as I talked about last week) seeking an alternative to traditional story time, audio stories are a great way to entertain little ones without resorting to TV.

The other weekend we were in the car with the kids running a series of errands.  Chris had the radio tuned to CBC radio 2 and they were running a version of Peter and The Wolf featuring narration from Patrick Stewart (Captain Picard).  The minions were immediately captivated by this symphonic story, which must run in the family since my dad is obsessed with it and it was a childhood staple in our house.  They both requested to hear it again just a few days later.

Horton, Thing 1 & Thing 2 at Sarasota's Children's Garden Florida

Here are some interesting Books on CD that you might want to explore with your little ones.  I know we'll be grabbing a few of these before we begin our summer road trips up north.  I have provided links to Amazon, or you may want to see what your local library has in stock before you charge your credit cards.

Peter & The Wolf
This is the one that really captivated the minions featuring Patrick Stewart.  It has music and a great story although some kids might find it a little scary.

Charlotte's Web
We watched this movie with the kids for the very first time after it was recommended by another parent at daycare.  This story quickly became a favourite of Jack's, someone whose attention is a little harder to keep, so this will be on our shortlist of audio purchases.

The Gruffalo & Friends
Grandma and Grandpa bought Molly and Jack the book The Gruffalo's Child as a present last year and this quickly became one of their most requested stories.  It could be interesting to explore The Gruffalo's other adventures via CD.

Murmel Murmel Munsch
It's no surprise to many readers that the minions are both pretty crazy about Robert Munsch stories. This collection includes some of their favourites including: Murmel Murmel Murmel, Andrew's Loose Tooth, Pigs and Mud Puddle.

The Cat in the Hat and Other Stories
This gives you 11 Dr. Seuss stories with voicework including Billy Crystal, Kelsey Grammer, John Cleese, Dustin Hoffman, John Lithgow and more....

I'm thinking we might be setting up two library cards in the very near future....

What are your favourite audio stories, pre-schooler, big kid or adult?

To read about three digital videos that Jack has always enjoyed click here.

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I Write the Songs that Make the Whole World Sing

Music is a very important part of our lives and we have always hoped that the exposure we give Molly and Jack to a variety of music will enrich their lives.

When I was pregnant I remember being at a Pixies concert and Molly jumping in utero each time Frank Black paused then belted out one of his legendary yowls.  Little did we know that this jump was a sign of who Molly is today.  She loves to be chased, startled and one of her favourite games to play with Chris is quiet, quiet, LOUD, LOUD.*

Molly at an outdoor show for The Rural Alberta Advantage - looking longingly at the beer garden.

The day we brought the minions home from the hospital Chris determined that he had a very important decision to make: what would be the first album that the minions ever listened to?  After great debate he determined that it would be R.E.M.'s album Murmur on vinyl.   When I recently asked him about why he selected this album: his answer: "A lot of reasons."  When I asked him to elaborate he simply said, "because it is awesome."  Clearly he's not willing to give up the recipe for the secret sauce, or he doesn't remember.

Jack LOVES music and sings to himself, usually at the top of his lungs, and dances all the time.  Sometimes he'll make up his own lyrics, other times he goes for children's classics like: Ba Ba Black Sheep, the Alphabet song**, Twinkle Twinkle, or Happy Birthday.   He's obsessed with my drum kit, his marching drum set and his toy xylophone.

Molly does not feel the same way as her brother.  The only song I've ever heard her sing is Happy Birthday, in the correct context.  Most of the time she prefers silence.  She routinely asks Chris to stop singing, dancing or to be quiet. This has been happening with such regularity that we've started to compare her to John Lithgow's music hating Reverend Shaw Moore in Footloose: "If our Lord wasn't testing us, how would you account for the proliferation, these days, of this obscene rock and roll music, with its gospel of easy sexuality and relaxed morality?" Only Molly says things like, "Stop it daddy, stop singing, be quiet."

This past weekend, while we were assembling a record shelf we tried something new.  We put on The Beatles, 1967-1970 compilation and she went crazy for it, she played and danced the entire time it was on.

When my niece M. was a baby we could always calm her down by playing Corey Hart`s album Boy in the Box.  It was uncanny and Corey Hart will always remind me of her.

I would argue that The Beatles are now the most important musical influence in Molly`s life thus far.  If you find the right music, for the right person at the right time you may inspire even the biggest critic to get up and dance.

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*Essentially they both shush each other and whisper about being quiet until Chris breaks the silence by yelling, "LOUD, LOUD, LOUD!" at the top of his lungs. I find it mildly annoying, but they both love it.
**You know he's Canadian because he always sings the "zed" at the end.