Friday, October 17, 2008

Baby Beluga In The Deep Blue Sea

Now that Brett is getting a little bit older (well, now that he is more aware of things anyway), Steve and I have started becoming concious about what he watches and hears. I know that he can't talk yet, but he jabbers and I can tell that sometimes he is trying to mock sounds that we make. So, what we say might not come out of his mouth but he is processing it in his little brain. Even the tone of voice that we use.

Sometimes Steve gets frusterated when the Packers aren't doing well and will yell at the TV. Last year I remember decorating the nursery while he was watching a game and telling him that he had to learn to cool it because this time next year we'd have a baby. And, I definitely don't want Brett learning certain words and walking around the playground saying them.

Well, a couple of weeks ago he was watching the Packers and had Brett with him in the living room. I was doing laundry or something. Well, his team made a bad play and he yelled at the TV. Suddenly Brett started crying. I think that was all it took for Steve to learn to cool it. Brett doesn't understand yet why Steve was upset, but he definitely heard the tone of his voice and knew that it wasn't a good one.

That's just one example of how he's so tuned into everything. So, I've also been aware of what he's listening to on the radio when I am driving and decided that it was time for Brett to have some of his own music to listen to.

So, we put together a bunch of kids CD's on my iPod and made a "Brett's Party Time" playlist. He's got a wide range of jazz, blues, folk, rock and basic children's music.

I never realized how much I'd actually like Raffi! I remember the Full House episode where Michelle goes around and sings Baby Beluga, but I never listened to it myself. Well, Brett has Baby Beluga on his playlist and let me tell you that is one catchy little children's song. I'll sing it to him from time to time... and my new favorite song to sing to him in the tub is no longer "Rubber Ducky"... it's Raffi's "Bathtime" song. Such good tunes!

Well, as I mentioned he has several different genres of adult music in kid form (sorry, but Steve and I couldn't do Barney). One of my favorites is They Might Be Giants. Good stuff! We knew last year that we wanted to get Brett these CD's ("Here Come the ABC's" and "Here Come the 123's"). Steve and I are self proclaimed geeks and enjoy TMBG (I've got "Dial A Song" on my iPod as well, come on who doesn't like "Particle Man")... so we figured we'd try these CD's on for size. And, they don't disappoint.

They are actually very educational... for example in "C is for Conifer" they stop and list like 20 different kinds of conifers. Kinda funny, but really, it's educational!

Here are two different links to songs off of these CD's by TMBG... High Five & Apartment #4. Good stuff! Very catchy. Next, I want to get the Barenaked Ladies kid's CD (oh yeah, they've got one too!). Now only if Ben Folds would do one (although he did do the soundtrack for "Over The Hedge"....)

4 comments:

Cathy said...

They Might Be Giants wrote the theme of Mickey Mouse Playhouse, and the Hot Dog Dance song from it. They make me proud, aiding in appreciation from an entirely new generation! Also, Raffi! I'd never heard of him until Chris's library class teacher had a CD, we snagged some for X-mas last year for Chris, and he loved it. In preschool Thursday I could hear them playing the Spider song. I was proud to say Chris and I already knew it. Now if I could only get him to stray from VeggieTales (though that's some other good stuff too until you listen to it for hours on end).

Carrie said...

I do want to get some Veggie Tales DVD's at some point when he's old enough to appreciate them. They are sooo cute! :)

Tina said...

OMG, I thought I was the only person to immediately think of Full House when I hear that song! Another great children's singer when Brett is a little older is a guy named Jim Gill. My students LOVE his music!

The Carrels said...

The Barenaked Ladies CD is great...and just wait until he's 2 and hears you say Sh!t and then he repeats it non-stop for the next 2 hours...it is awesome! Makes you feel like a great parent!