It doesn’t take long after becoming a parent that you start to become hyper-aware about the choices we all must make when to comes to the things that entertain our children. Sure, there are questions like “How much screen time is okay for a 2-year old?” and “What age do I
My wife gets up very early, every day of the week. By the time the boys and myself are up, she is almost always already out the door and on her way to the office. She leaves so early because it means she can be done with work, and home,
(Read part 1, Straw Bale Gardening: Introduction, here.) Okay, so you’ve gotten yourself a mess load of straw bales. What now? Well, first of all, it would probably be a good idea to make sure that what you have is actually straw, not hay.
I currently have 21 bales of straw laid out in various configurations in our front and back yards, in which I plan on growing a bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables this year. My neighbors ask a lot of questions, because clearly they can tell I’m onto something (if not
Just in time for this weekend’s momentous Star Wars Day, I got a lovely package this week from my friends at Hasbro. I’ve long been a Star Wars geek, and proudly. I’ve written before about trying to figure out when and how to introduce my boys to the epic saga (I even
A couple of years ago, my wife Anna came home from work and told me that she’d done something that day that made her entire day better and she couldn’t wait to tell me all about it. She explained to me that she’d been inspired by something she’d been reading
Can you believe it’s been over a year now since the whole “Huggies Thing”? Me neither. I’ll have to write about that soon. But in the meantime, I heard from Huggies late last week with a sneak peak of the video above, the first ad in their new Test Town
How do you know you’re a modern day parent? When your 4-year-old already knows these things.
It doesn’t take long after becoming a parent that you start to become hyper-aware about the choices we all must make when to comes to the things that entertain our children.
Sure, there are questions like “How much screen time is okay for a 2-year old?” and “What age do I let my kids watch Star Wars?”, but I’m talking more about questions like “How do I make sure my kids never, ever fall in love with Barney?” and “Is there any children’s music that isn’t terrible, annoying, or both?”
Thankfully, if you really take the time to look, the answer to the latter is a resounding “yes.”
One prime example comes from Portland indie artist and musician Julianna Bright, who created an alter ego of sorts by the name of Cat Doorman as part of her foray into the kids music scene.
Her first album, the Cat Doorman Songbook, is one of the most wonderful collections of unexpectedly lyrical, catchy, clever, whimsical, touching, and inspiring folksy songs that our vehicle’s CD player has had the pleasure of playing.
And playing.
And playing some more.
Because my boys just can’t get enough.
I asked them which of the songs were their favorites, and their answers, though shifting constantly the way those of very small children do, always seem to come back to two tracks: the funky “Yeah!” and Cat’s adaption of the classic “Little Red Wagon.”
I have to admit I’m partial to “Yeah!” as well, particularly the lyrical back and forth between Cat and her child vocalists, which I have a blast singing along to with my boys as we drive around town:
Cat: And you’re not too young…
Kids: To get it done!
Cat: And you’re not too small…
Kids: Not at all!
Cat: And you’re not too wiggly…
Kids: Higgly-piggly!
Cat: And you’re not too precious… to wash the dishes.
Kids: Awwwww…
Another favorite of mine is the alphabetic song “So Many Words,” which is not only super catchy but also astoundingly high-thinking in its word choices for each letter of the alphabet. There’s no “A is for Apple” here. Rather, A is for Agate, Allosaurus, Aeronautic, Atom, Abacus, and Archipelago.
And that’s just A! I love songs that don’t talk down to kids, but inspire them (and their parents) to learn more.
This collection of songs doesn’t just inspire to learn, but it inspires to create, to imagine, to dance, to clap, and to bask in creation.
Check out this section from “Turn Around,” and tell me that it’s the same old same old kid’s music you would hear from a certain purple dinosaur:
Looking out the window of a moving car,
The radio tuned down low.
The song says to believe in something that’s better,
So let us go.
We’re not some little wounded birds, come to flitter,
Or to be studied in a cage.
We’re stronger than you think,
And we may just be the ones to turn the page.
We enjoyed this album so much, that when I found out Cat Doorman and her band were going to be appearing in concert at TaborSpace in Portland on Mother’s Day, we made plans to attend as a family. It was just delightful, watching the boys dance around to this music they’ve come to love so quickly. And Julianna herself was so sweet with them — even adding an extra number to the set after Tucker walked up and asked her to hold off on singing “Yeah!” until he returned from a quick-but-much-needed trip to the potty. Great show.
The Cat Doorman Songbook is available on Amazon and iTunes, and I’d highly recommend it. You can find her on Facebook as well, if you’d like to know more.
Well you’re in luck! I’ve got one to give away!
Enter by liking/following (or already being a fan) of Daddy Doctrines or Cat Doorman, on Facebook or Twitter, or by leaving a comment below answering “What was the first concert you remember attending as a child?” Or do them all, and enter yourself five times!
Full track listing includes the following songs:
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This month also sees the release of Songs for Johnson Creek, a 12-song compilation album bringing together Cat Doorman with other A-list Portland kindie songwriters and performers – from nationally-known artists like Aaron Nigel Smith and Laura Veirs to local favorites like The Alphabeticians and Mo Phillips – to benefit salmon restoration in Portland’s Johnson Creek.
The album will be available digitally from Bandcamp on May 23, 2013, and all proceeds from sales will support fish habitat improvements.
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Note: Promotion open to U.S. residents ages 18+ only, void where prohibited. Winner will be chosen at random on May 23, 2013, and will be notified via email to obtain their U.S. shipping address. If there is no response within 24 hours, or we are unable to verify your entry, an alternate winner will be chosen. Shipping address must be a street address – no P.O. Boxes, must reside in the U.S. Prize provided and delivered by Sugar Mountain PR. Not responsible for lost or misdirected mail.
Disclosure: Daddy Doctrines was provided with a CD of the Cat Doorman Songbook for review. All opinions are my own, and those of my kids.
My wife gets up very early, every day of the week.
By the time the boys and myself are up, she is almost always already out the door and on her way to the office. She leaves so early because it means she can be done with work, and home, later in the afternoon. This gives her time with the family before, during and after dinner, and through bedtime. It also means going to bed herself shortly after the boys are asleep, most nights, but it’s a sacrifice she makes every day for us.
While I take the boys throughout the week to run errands, to buy groceries, to get a bite to eat, or for a fun (and hopefully educational) trip to the zoo or aquarium, she sits in an office, footing most of the bill.
Certainly she enjoys her job, and the interaction with adults, and the chance to make use of her education and abilities…
But she doesn’t do it because she loves going to work, she does it because she loves us.
(Read part 1, Straw Bale Gardening: Introduction, here.)
Okay, so you’ve gotten yourself a mess load of straw bales. What now?
Well, first of all, it would probably be a good idea to make sure that what you have is actually straw, not hay.
I currently have 21 bales of straw laid out in various configurations in our front and back yards, in which I plan on growing a bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables this year. My neighbors ask a lot of questions, because clearly they can tell I’m onto something (if not on something). And I want you in on it too.
But perhaps I should start at the beginning…
I'm a proud full-time at-home daddy, a part-time children's book author and illustrator, a sophomore blogger, and an accidental activist. Canadian-born-and-bred, I now live in Portland, Oregon, with my lovely (and much smarter) wife and our two adorable sons.
I'm proud to be affiliated with the National At-Home Dad Network. Check them out to find a dad's group in your area.
