"Music Made Me Do It" . . . Share Your Story with SOL Republic!

Thank you to SOL Republic for providing the Music Made Me Do It prize pack for our #MMMDI giveaway.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Music is a time machine.

Almost every memory I have ever had has a soundtrack to it, the good times and the bad. How many times has a song on the radio teleported you back to a time in your life? How many people have you known that you think of whenever a certain song comes on the radio? Many for me.

When I hear Journey, Zeppelin, and Hall & Oates, I am sent back to the 70’s riding on the school bus (with the coolest driver ever!) and hanging out with my brothers in Tennessee.. Guns N’ Roses, Metallica, U2, and Run DMC send me back to high school and all the lifelong friends I made there. As I got older I realized how much music I had missed before my time and started listening to CCR, The Beatles, Elvis, Cream, Hendrix, and on and on.

I am convinced every phase of my life is represented by the music I was listening to at the time. I think back to all of the things I used to do when listening to music. Drawing, studying Karate, driving, spending time with friends at the beach, and bicycling. Oh boy, the hours and hours I spent on my bike when I was younger listening to music that shaped my attitude and spirit.

I would ride up and down the Charles River all day long listening to the entire albums by U2, Pearl Jam, and anything else I could get my hands on. Of course, back then I listened on my portable CD player….. but that's another story. There is nothing like blasting Pearl Jam’s Even Flow while speeding 30 miles an hour down a steep rocky hill or catching a little air to Van Halen’s Jump.

Today I listen to everything, whether it's through my SOL Republic Relays on my bike or with my Master Tracks at the office. As I age, I start to appreciate skill and talent over genre. I appreciate the quality of the sound. If its good music by a talented artist then I like it, whether its opera, rap, country, death metal, or ska it doesn't matter. And with thousands (millions?) of songs just a touch away, I can teleport back into any time of my life in an instant.

This year, music made me get back on my bike. Something I haven't done in years and years. I have a thousand reasons to get up and do something, but only music can do it every time.


Does the video above make you think of the amazing things you've done in your lifetime?  Find more Music Made Me Do It stories on www.solrepublic.com.  3G2S readers are invited to share your stories for a chance to win ALL the SOL Republic products listed below (colors may vary) . . .

Our 'Music Made Me Do It' SOL Republic Prize Pack (ARV $700+) includes:

• 1 SOL REPUBLIC Deck speaker (ARV $129.99)
• 1 SOL REPUBLIC Punk speaker (ARV $69.99)
• 1 SOL REPUBLIC Tracks Air wireless headphone (ARV $199.99)
• 1 SOL REPUBLIC Tracks on-ear headphone (ARV $99.99)
• 1 SOL REPUBLIC Relays in- ear headphone (ARV $79.99)
• 1 SOL REPUBLIC Master Tracks over-ear headphone (ARV $199.99)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck in the drawing!

TERMS & CONDITIONS:  This giveaway is open to U.S. and Canadian entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. A random drawing will be held shortly after the contest closing. The winner will be announced here and will be contacted via email. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be drawn. Although every effort will be made for the winner to receive the prize pack by December 24th, 2014, delivery in time for Christmas is not guaranteed. The prize pack image found in the contest post is only an example. The products in the prize pack may vary from the colors shown in the image and will be sent based on availability.

Introduce Your Little Girl to the Fun & Music of The Beatrix Girls Pop-Stars Dolls!

Thank you to The Beatrix Girls for providing a prize pack for our giveaway prize and for sending an additional prize pack to me as a thank you for sharing these fashion dolls and their new music CD with my readers.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Brayden, the purple-haired lead guitarist and songwriter of the pop-star girl band The Beatrix Girls has already been welcomed into our home.  Our 7 year old daughter saw her in the tween clothing store Justice and knew that this doll was what she wanted to spend her birthday money on.  Now she looks forward to adding the other three 12" fashion dolls to her collection.

Each of The Beatrix Girls (Lark, Ainsley, Brayden, and Chantal) has her own personality.  They are all empowered, goal-oriented girls who know what they like and know who they are.  A fun way to introduce your little girl to The Beatrix Girls is to watch the short Beatrix Girls webisodes available on their website, www.thebeatrixgirls.com, like the one below . . .


In addition to Justice stores, you can find The Beatrix Girls dolls at Toys"R"Us, Walmart, Amazon.com, and other major toy retailers.  When you purchase a doll, be sure to look for the VIP pass on the packaging that has a code to join the Trixie Fan Club, which allows your little fan to download free MP3s from The Beatrix Girls and more.

Other fun ways to learn more about The Beatrix Girls . . . 

• Listen to clips of the original songs from The Beatrix Girls' new album Meet the Beatrix.
• Read the official Beatrix Girls Blog.
• Watch music videos and webisodes on The Beatrix Girls YouTube Channel.
• Checkout The Beatrix Girls on Instagram!

Enter to win a Beatrix Girls prize pack . . . 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck in the drawing!

This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. A random drawing will be held shortly after the contest closing. The winner will be announced here and will be contacted via email. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be drawn.

Silly Monkey Stories: Queen's "We Will Rock You" Rewritten

Our 5 year old son may possibly be the youngest Queen fan in existence.  I am fairly certain that he first heard the hit song "We Will Rock You" by Queen on a television commercial.  However, I do not remember seeing this commercial recently.  So it surprised me a bit to hear our son singing the song the other day.  Of course, he only knows one line of the song, but he does sing it well, except for one little thing.


If you do not recall the song, here is the music video to refresh your memory . . . 




Our son's tribute to this classic had one little change in it.  He revised the lyrics to say:

"We will, we will WONK you!"

Click here to learn how to participate in Silly Monkey Stories.

Click here to read all my Silly Monkey Stories!

If you have a Silly Monkey Story to share, sign Mr. Linky below with the link to your blog post (not the link to your main blog page). Please do not forget to visit the other participants and leave them comments to let them know you stopped by!

Holiday 2010 Review: SanDisk Sansa Fuze+ MP3 Player & slotRadio Cards

Being a gadget nut, I was super excited when I learned I was going to be able to try and test the SanDisk Sansa Fuze+. The very first thing you notice when you open the package is the Sansa Fuze's sleek and compact design. The unit fits nicely in the palm of your hand and is roughly the size of a small mobile phone. The screen is sharp, bright, and large in comparison to the overall size. The face is perfectly flush; the screen blends into the touchpad seamlessly. The touch interface is VERY sensitive and requires a small learning curve to get the hang of it. Although frustrating at first, once you spend a few minutes practicing you will appreciate the sensitivity.

The Fuze+ comes with ear bud style headphones and a USB cable for recharging and connecting to your PC to transfer media. The headphones are BIG, they just barely fit in my giant ears. As large as they are, they still managed to be comfortable and weren’t an issue after extended use. The sound is clear and sharp. The Fuze+ has various pre set audio settings as well as a customizable equalizer so you can fine tune the sound to fit your taste. I was surprised how much bass the Fuze+ could produce.

Overall I was very impressed with the Sansa Fuze+ and its functionality. I like it at least as much as my iPod Nano and in some ways more. It is definitely a better looking and sleek device and the built in digital radio is a huge feature (my Apple requires a separate adaptor to play radio).

As much as I loved the Fuze+ unit itself, I did have some significant issues with my experience. I have yet to transfer any media to the device. My entire review is based on preloaded music on a separate SanDisk slotRadio card, I was unable to transfer my own music to the device. The Fuze+ was not always recognized when hooked up to my Windows Vista based PC and often turned off when connected. I was able to download some updating software from SanDisk that offered a firmware update hoping this would correct my problem. After 3 separate attempts I was unable to complete the firmware update (never advancing past 50%).

I attempted to transfer files to the device manually only to have various issues including endless clocking and unrecognized files after the transfer. The included SanDisk conversion software was also a disappointment. I attempted to convert a 25 minute animated video file to the Sansa Fuze+ format using the provided utility and was also not able to progress past 49%.

Even with the connection and format issues the SanDisk Sansa Fuze is a great sounding and sexy MP3 player. The controls are sensitive and easy to use once you get going. The preloaded slotRadio cards that are offered separately offered me 1000 songs to keep me listening for hours. BUT, as much as I love my Fuze+, I would warn anybody purchasing one to be prepared for connection issues and maybe a few calls to support. If it weren’t for the preloaded slotRadio card I would not have enjoyed the Sansa Fuze+ as much. Until these issues are corrected, I would not recommend this MP3 player to anybody who has only basic PC ability.

To learn more abou the Sansa Fuze+, visit SanDisk.com . This 4GB MP3 player currently retails for $79.99 and is available in 5 colors. You can also find the Fuze+ in 8GB and 16 GB models for a slightly higher cost. View the full selection of SanDisk slotRadio Cards on Shop.SanDisk.com .

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of SanDisk and received the SanDisk Sansa Fuze+ and VH1 slotRadio Card to facilitate my review.

Silly Monkey Stories: Great Composer-in-Training

This year we attended our annual Christmas dinner at my cousin's house. There they have a beautiful grand piano. All three of my children wanted to play with the piano because it was a huge leap from our little electric Camp Rock keyboard. When it was Jake's turn, he tried to play some rock 'n' roll by banging on the keys. Makenzie did the same. When it was Luke's turn, everyone was pleasantly surprised.

Luke actually gently pushed down on one key at a time. He did not bang on the keys. The music he produced was lovely and just flowed. I could tell he was enjoying listening to the music as much as those around him.

Before I knew it, Luke was giving me lessons. He was explaining to me how the keys all the way to the left were "noisy", as if that was the technical term.

Luke even turned the pages of the book as if he was really reading the music. Then he went as far as asking me for a different book so he could play another song. I wish we had the space to have a piano in our house for him to practice. I think there may be piano lessons in his future.

Click here to learn how to participate in Silly Monkey Stories.

Click here to read all my Silly Monkey Stories!

If you have a Silly Monkey Story to share, sign Mr. Linky below with the link to your blog post (not the link to your main blog page). Please do not forget to visit the other participants and leave them comments to let them know you stopped by!

Giveaway & Review: Jonny Diaz "More Beautiful You" CD (5 Winners) [CLOSED]

Singer, songwriter, and musician Jonny Diaz's latest CD titled "More Beautiful You" would make the perfect stocking stuffer for any fan of easy listening and gospel music.

This was my first experience with Diaz's deep soulful voice. I was pleased to find that some of his songs had a hint of country to them. I also found that there is variation in his music, so it is not just all one sound.

My favorite song on this CD is the title track "More Beautiful You." Take a minute to watch the music video . . .

You can find the "More Beautiful You" CD or MP3 at your local music retailer or online at iTunes, Amazon MP3, Napster, Rhapsody, and Zune.


Thank you to Big Honcho Media for providing us with both a review product and contest prizes free of charge.



What you can win:
FIVE lucky readers will each receive a copy of Jonny Diaz's CD "More Beautiful You".


Limitations:
This giveaway is open to U.S. addresses only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.


How to Gain Entries:
Listen to the sample tracks from the CD More Beautiful You. Then leave a comment telling me which song might be your favorite of the ten. You MUST do this to be eligible to win this contest.

Extra Entries:

1) For 5 extra entries, leave a relevant comment on one of my non-giveaway posts. Then leave FIVE separate comments with the name of the post on which you commented. You will earn 5 extra entries for each different non-contest post you comment on.

2) For 5 extra entries, enter one of my other contests. Leave FIVE separate comments here telling me which contest you entered. You will earn 5 extra entries for each contest you enter.

3) For 10 extra entries, blog about this contest linking back to this post AND JonnyDiaz.com . Then come back here and leave TEN separate comments with the link to your blog post.

4) Friend me on Facebook. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Facebook profile.

5) For 2 extra entries, share the link to this contest post on Facebook. Then leave TWO separate comments with the link to your Facebook profile.

6) Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.

7) Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment. You may do this once per day until the end of the contest.

8) Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

9) Add my button or blog link to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.

<br /> <a href="http://www.3garnets2sapphires.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd206/Busymonkeez/Graphics4Me/NEWBlogButton125x125.jpg" /></a><br /><br />

(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)


Random Drawing:
This contest will be closed on Thursday, November 19th, 2009 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

Good luck in the drawing!

Review: "Groovy Music City" Music Software

Sibelius has recently added a new game to their line of Groovy computer gaming software called Groovy Music City. This software peaked my interest because my son has always shown an affinity towards various musical instruments and I thought that this game would allow him to explore music-making in a different way.

This series of software was designed to aid music teachers by bringing music education into the age of computer gamers. Students can learn about rhythms, bass lines, chords, and more by building a city using road signs, robots, planets, and of course buildings. Each object represents a different aspect of music and each variation in color gives off a different sound.

Below you will find a screenshot of my 5-1/2 yr old son's character walking through a city that he built. As he passes by each element, it lights up and the corresponding sound comes alive, thus creating a musical composition.

What I thought about the Groovy Music software:

1) Even though the software is recommended for ages 9+, I think that anyone who is computer literate can enjoy this game, whether they are 4 or 90 years old. For this reason, I think this game is a very good investment because your child is not likely to outgrow it anytime soon. The older one gets, the more complex a composition one can create.

2) My son's favorite part of the game is placing the buildings which represent the rhythms. This directly relates to the kind of music he likes. He very apparently is draw towards music that has particular kinds of rhythm.

3) I think this software does a good job in helping children make sense of music. For example, the speed limit signs labeled with various speeds in MPHs are what controls the tempo of the music.

4) It is really great that there is a secure site where all Groovy Music users can share their compositions with each other. This a wonderful way for children to be inspired by the work of other children.

5) We did have one major issue with the software. After we registered the software the first time, the next time we attempted to use it, we got a message instructing us to register it again. When we attempted to do so, the software stalled at the point of trying to access the Groovy Music website to approve our registration. After many attempts, we turned to customer service for help. They suggested we download a patch. We did this twice without any resolution to our problem. We were very disappointed that customer service had no other suggestions to offer. Then we accidentally discovered on our own that disconnecting my son's laptop from the Internet allowed us to access the game.

Other than the complications we had accessing the game, I do think that the Groovy Music software is a worthwhile way for children to spend their time on the computer. It is such a versatile program that it is sure to please almost everyone no matter their taste in music.

If you are interested in learning more about the Groovy software line, visit Sibelius.com . You can purchase this software for your PC or MAC on the Sibelius website, Amazon.com, and most places where specialty software is sold.


Thank you to Sibelius for providing us with a review product free of charge.

Giveaway & Review: Missing Pieces CD (Aaron Barnhart) [CLOSED]

Aaron Barnhart's new CD Missing Pieces is scheduled to release on May 26th, 2009. When I was given the opportunity to review an advanced copy, I jumped at the chance since I very much enjoyed the single "Day In Day Out" which had released in March.

This ten-song collection of what I consider to be easy-listening music with a modern sound includes:

Day In Day Out
Missing Pieces
Painkiller
One More Second Chance
The Water's Edge
Another Day
Better Than Happiness
Whatever You Get
Million Miles
Slings & Arrows

I think this CD is perfect to play while you are in the car or when you finally get to sit down at the end of the day to unwind. My favorite song out of the ten is "Whatever You Get". This particular song has a feel-good style, is a little more upbeat than the others, and sends a nice message . . . "Whatever you get, give it away."


Thank you to AaronBarnhart.com and the Family Review Network for this review opportunity.


What you can win:

One lucky reader will win their own Aaron Barnhart's Missing Pieces CD.

Limitations:
This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.


How to Gain Entries:
Visit Aaron Barnhart's official site and listen to a few of his songs. Then leave a comment telling me which one of the 6 songs on the music player you like best? You must do this to be eligible to win this contest.

Extra Entries:

1) For an extra entry, leave a comment on Aaron Barnhart's MySpace page. Then leave a separate comment here with your MySpace username.

2) Add this blog to your Technorati Favorites. Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so and under what username. Add to Technorati Favorites

3) For 5 extra entries, blog about this giveaway linking back to this post AND to AaronBarnhart.com . Then come back here and leave FIVE separate comments with the link to your blog post.


4) Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.

5) Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment.

6) Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

7) Add my button or blog link to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.

8) Add my "Graco Twin Stroller" giveaway button to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.

9) Add my "Father's Day Fling" giveaway event button to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.

(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)

Random Drawing:
This contest will be closed on Monday, May 25th, 2009 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

Good luck in the drawing!

Giveaway & Review: Funky Kidz Music CD [CLOSED]

If you read my blog often, then you know that I have reviewed many different children's music CDs. Our 2yr old twins like almost everything, but my 5yr old seems to be indifferent towards any music that is not rock 'n' roll . . . the kind that makes him want to dance. I think it is extremely important to expose him to different types of everything, including music. So when the opportunity arose for my son to receive a copy of Funky Kidz, I was very curious to see how he would like it.

Funky Kidz contains twelve popular children's songs remade into a New Orleans jazz style of music. The assortment of songs include anything from the Beetles' Yellow Submarine to Judy Garland's Somewhere Over the Rainbow.

What I thought about the Funky Kidz CD as a parent:

1) All 3 of my children have always preferred adult music to cutesie children's songs. I welcome any CDs like Funky Kidz that offers the same children's music in a style that is more appealing to my own children.

2) It is also nice for the parents not to have to listen to the same cutesie music repeatedly. I would not mind listening to the songs offered on this CD consecutively two or three times.

3) I like the range of music offered on this CD. There are both fast and slow songs, as well as songs where the saxophone dominates and some where the electric guitar is featured.

4) This CD successfully introduced my children to new genres of music, including jazz and country music.

What my 5yr old son thought about this CD:

1) My son definitely approved of this CD. It seems to be the favorite out of all the CDs we've reviewed in the past few months. He liked the fast songs as well as the slow songs (like Garden Song), which goes against his normal pattern.

2) He was very excited to recognize the Hokey Pokey from just the instrumental portion at the beginning of the song.

3) At first he thought You've Got a Friend in Me was going to be his favorite song on this CD, but then he heard This Little Light of Mine and changed his mind. He had heard this song before on one of his favorite shows Little Bill and decided this was his favorite song for sure.

I think it is safe to say that the Funky Kidz CD is a winner in our house. If you don't win this contest, you can purchase this CD right from the Funky Kidz website.

What you can win:
One person will win their own copy of the Funky Kidz CD.


Limitations:
This giveaway is open to U.S. & Canadian addresses only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.


How to Gain Entries:
Take a look at the list of songs offered on the Funky Kidz music CD. You can even listen to a few if you'd like. Then leave a comment telling me which song is YOUR favorite. You must do this to be eligible to win this contest.

Extra Entries:

1) For an extra entry, leave a separate comment telling me which song you think would be YOUR CHILD's favorite.

2) Add this blog to your Technorati Favorites. Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so and under what username. Add to Technorati Favorites

3) Blog about this giveaway linking back to this post AND to FunkyKidz.com . Then come back here and leave a separate comment with the link to your blog post.


4) Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.

5) Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment.

6) Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

7) Add my button or blog link to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.

8) Add my "Dr. Hippo" giveaway event button to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.

9) Add my "Father's Day Fling" giveaway event button to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.

(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)

Random Drawing:
This contest will be closed on Monday, May 11th, 2009 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

Join in on the Ultimate Blog Carnival May 4th - 8th!

Good luck in the drawing!

We've Got a Little Head Banger

I picked up this cd at the music store at our local mall. Our 4yr old son seems to enjoy rock style dance music over anything from the typical children's genre of music. I was a little surprised to find the majority of children's cds ran between $16 and $20. I was glad I found this one for less than $12.

This cd contains songs by the original artists with children mixed in here and there. It is really great for parents and kids to enjoy together. (Click on the photo above to hear samples of each song.) Here is the track list:

1. I Love Rock & Roll


2. Livin' on a Prayer


3. Crocodile Rock


4. Hit Me With Your Best Shot


5. R.O.C.K. In the U.S.A.


6. One Way or Another


7. Beautiful Day


8. Rock and Roll All Night


9. Don't Stop


10. It's Still Rock and Roll to Me


11. Help


12. Old Time Rock N Roll


13. Heaven Is a Place on Earth


14. What I Like About You


15. Heart of Rock and Roll, The


16. Jump

Jake seemed to enjoy the harder head banging songs and complained that "Crocodile Rock" was not really a rock and roll song. LOL!! Still, he enjoyed it enough that I would purchase other Drew's Famous Kids cds in the future.

It Happened AGAIN!!!

I have been watching the reality show "Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious" and the season prior to this I had watched "Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll." Well, what always happens is that Robin assigns such great songs for the contestants to sing, usually classic songs from the 70s, 80s, and 90s, that I always get one song stuck in my head for a week or two. And who suffers the most? . . . My poor family, of course, because I couldn't carry a tune in a bucket or in a Fendi bag for that matter.

Last night I watched the season finale and Chrystina sang the song "What About Love" by Heart (1985). Luckily for my family, I don't know many of the lyrics anymore and just have to hum my way through it.

Now I just wanted to say that I think it was a great surprise that they decided to make the group Girlicious a 4-girl group instead of 3. Although Charlye is extremely talented, I think the judges were right in eliminating her just because she did not appear as if she would be devastated if she did not make it into the group. I also want to add that I enjoy watching this show because the girls are all so talented in both singing and dancing. I am just so impressed with their commitment and how they work their butts off. They can do things I could never do and I just want to bow down to them (that is, if my aching back would allow me to).

The Next Partridge Family? . . . NOT!!!

Everyday, the kids and I have "music time" during which we will dance to a cd, sing songs, . . . anything musical.

Today I suggested that we dig out all the toys we had that are musical instruments. This resulted in a 4-key piano, 3 drums/bongos, and a pair of maracas. I know we had more upstairs, but these were plenty. So we turned on our Leapfrog Fridge DJ Radio and started playing the instruments. Everyone had a turn at the drums, but Jake seemed to enjoy them the most. He showed off by playing all three at once using his hands and his feet. Makenzie seemed to love shaking the maracas (one of her favorite toys) and Luke just wanted to rock to the radio. I'm very impressed with this Leapfrog radio by the way. It has lots of different songs that are catchy, easy to understand, and none of them are annoying.

We had lots of fun playing with the instruments and will certainly do it again (and do it often). I hope the neighbors don't mind.

MMMBop by Hanson

We were shopping at our local BJ's Wholesale Club earlier this evening. I noticed that they had the music turned up a little louder than usual (loud enough so I could barely hear my phone ringing in my back pocket). I had both twins in one of BJ's wonderful double-seated shopping carts and they seemed to be enjoying themselves. Luke seemed to be more into the music playing and Kenzie seemed to be busy looking around at everything.

Well, when Hanson's 1997 hit MMMBop came on (if you don't remember it, use the link in my title to hear a short clip), Luke got this huge grin on his face and started rocking his whole body from side to side. He did this until the entire song was over. It was so adorable, I had to stop in the middle of the store and dance along with him. He never had this reaction to "The Wheels on the Bus!" I guess I've been playing the wrong type of music for him.