My Favorite Baby Music

There is NO finer album of baby music! 

As any parent of a baby knows, music is magic. Not magical. It does not have the quality of magic, rather it IS a miraculous, powerful force that exerts positive control over infants. It has been for both my kids. When my daughter was still in China with her new daddy since it was he who brought her home to the U.S., before she was even used to English, he called me and said, “Get her in a Music Together or another baby music class ASAP! This kid NEEDS music!” Indeed, in those first days with her new dad, the radio was the only thing that calmed this poor, traumatized baby, relaxing her and making her feel at peace. Daddy's humming along to whatever tunes were coming across the airwaves helped her get used to his alien voice, soothing her and helping the baby understand that the person who was now caring for her was a friend, not foe. Similarly, I nursed my son for hours on end while we listened to Mozart, which was supposedly, "good” for his brain.

Indeed, when Junior was born, I remember panicking because I didn't know any lullabies! So I looked for CDs containing them, and programs that would help. As a result, both kids took YEARS of Music Together, that mommy-and-baby program which not only helped us bond, but gave me plenty of musical material to not only sooth each baby, but amuse them as well. For the longest time, we wouldn't even THINK of traveling without several Music Together CDs in the car. 

So why, with Junior turning 14 tomorrow is baby music on my mind? Because as I synced my Ipod Shuffle with my computer today, I noticed several tunes that I must have placed on the device months ago. They are, indeed, baby tunes that I simply CANNOT part with. Among them:

• The entire Return To Pooh Corner by Kenny Loggins – There is NO finer collection of tunes for small children! I still remember all of the words to “Rainbow Connection,” inserting my son's name wherever I could so that Junior would learn his name. It is one of my sweetest memories of being a new mother. Loggins gave me time-tested material that I still sing to my 5'4” child when I go into his room and watch him sleep. I suspect I'll be humming some of those songs in the future, when he calls me from college to tell me he has a cold. I hope he sings them to his children, my grandchildren.
  
  
• Baby Einstein's Lullaby Classics – The Baby Einstein videos were amazing (I still have the Van Gogh VHS tape – I will not give it away). This instrumental album contains classical music that is simple, elegant, charming. It's great for listening in traffic, when you want to run people over. VERY calming!
  
  
• “Move Your Body,” “Five Senses,” and “Three Wishes” from Jump & Jive With Hi-5 – Hi-5 was a kids' television show when Junior was little. I'm talking the original cast with Kimee, Karla, Curtis, Shaun, and Jenn – not the latter people. Their hummable, bouncy tunes made for a lot of mother/son dancing when my son was a toddler. The songs are still fun to listen to. 
  
  
• “Hot Potato” by the Wiggles. I was never a Wiggles fan until we saw them in concert when Diva was 3.  Someone had given us tickets and the show was pretty ho-hum for me, as a parent, until Murray Cook (God bless him!) played a few licks of “Stairway To Heaven.” EVERY adult in Madison Square Garden came alive and, if they were like me, were grateful to the man for breaking us out of our juice box-induced comas and reminding us that an adult world still existed. 
  
  
  

Music is powerful. It effects us physically as well as mentally. As I journey through motherhood, as I face forward to the challenging teen years ahead, the baby music reminds me of a simpler time when I nursed my baby and held my new daughter, whispering, “Mommy's here. You are mine. I love you.” There's no law that says that now, just because the kids are older, I have to give up those baby tunes.

Oh, and Holly Denton, should you ever read this, you were THE BEST MUSIC TOGETHER TEACHER EVER!

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8 Ways To Make Your Theme Park Visit More Fun

 

Every year we make a pilgrimage to Hersheypark, the theme park in Hershey, Pennsylvania that really serves as a living advertisement for the Hershey Company. We've been doing it since my son was little and a he's kind of grown up there, passing through each of the height categories which they mark with a product line. He's gone from a Miniature (kids under 36”) to a Jolly Rancher (people who are 60” plus) in the blink of an eye. But we've also gone to plenty of other theme parks, including a few Six Flags, Knobels, and many owned by Disney. 

Over the years, we've developed some “coping strategies” to make theme park visits more pleasant and definitely more affordable. Here are some:

1. Be prepared – Check the park's website for information on how to pay (one park we visited did not take credit cards and we had to run into the nearest town to find an ATM). Find out if there are discount tickets available and figure out which best fit the needs of your family. Hershey offers a Sunset Pass which allows you to enter the park the evening before and enjoy the next day at a bargain price. Whereas this wasn't prudent when my kids were little and had earlier bedtimes, it's great for now when they're older. It means we get more time in the park resulting in less rushing around to see everything.
2. Find out if you can bring in food/water – Yes, this is part of “be prepared” but it's also a money-saving tip. Water costs a lot in these parks, so if you can' bring it in, enter with an empty water bottle and plan on filling up at water fountains or in the bathroom where you can often find the coldest water. Also, in hot weather, many parks are required by law to give you ice when you ask for it. You can hydrate on ice cold water at a fraction of the cost. Similarly, bringing in protein bars and fruit not only saves money, but calories.
3. Plan when to go – Weekends tend to be busier. Cloudy days and weekdays tend to be less busy. Find out if there are any giveaways or special events planned. Those will make the park more congested as well.
4. Buy park souvenirs outside the park – We've found t-shirts and other items with the park's name on them, for a fraction of the cost, at a local Walmart and other retailers.
5. Do recon on the park and develope a strategy – Grab a map of the park, hopefully before your trip, and decide which rides are musts; then head to those first when you enter. By doing that, you'll avoid disappointment when the rides get super long, when the kids get cranky, or if inclement weather hits. If possible, make an itinerary. We always hit the attractions furthest from the entrance, so while most people are meandering through the park toward the back, we're working out way forward, thus avoiding the crowds. Know where shelter is (perhaps in a theater or arcade) and what might be air conditioned. On hot days, knowing where to find cool air will save you.
6. Pack a waterproof bag or backpack – You'll be living in your bag while you're at the park, so make sure it's durable and preferably waterproof. Stock it with hand sanitizer, cheap plastic ponchos, a first aid kit in a Ziploc bag, and sunscreen. Pack extra Ziploc bags to put electronics in to protect them from water rides, spills, or rain.
7. Take pictures of your kids when they first enter the park – In case you get separated, you'll be able to show people what your children look like and what they were last wearing.
8. Take breaks – Your visit isn't a race, it's an experience. Take into account that little feet need to rest. Don't rush the day; savor it.

Yep. We're headed to Hersheypark next month, as we have for the last decade.  The one year we didn't go, the kids missed it terribly and it was then that I realized how much they looked forward to it and how the pilgrimage had become an important part of their childhood memories.  Coping strategies won't entirely eliminate the stress of going, but will minimize it, allowing all of us to enjoy a rare day together, as as family. 

 

Don't Kid Yourself: The Garden State Plaza Shooting Affects Us All

Is the concept of safety merely a shadow in our past?

 
The Garden State Plaza shopping mall in Paramus is massive, the mother of all shopping venues. It's full of tony stores and bright spaces with “streets” leading to even more opportunities to spend your money. It's a place I grew up near and frequented while I lived in Bergen County. Family members still live nearby. So watching the news last night and seeing it in lockdown due to a man shooting a rifle was surreal.

I remember the Plaza, long before it was enclosed when it was a series of strip malls strewn together, encircled by a moat of parking lots. It tried to evoke the feeling of a small town with its benches and well-manicured plantings. I frequented Bamberger's and Gimbels and even worked at a bank at the mall while I was in college. Back then, every Christmas , Santa's reindeer would be housed in makeshift stalls and you could go right up to them to feed them while a person in a large snowman suit walked around giving out candy canes. Among my peers, the mall was probably the more unpopular of the two in the area (the other being The Bergen Mall) because it was outdoors; shoppers would freeze going from store-to-store and if the maintenance guys didn't shovel the walkways properly, there was a good chance you'd slip on the sidewalk outside of J.C. Penney. And don't even think about going to the Plaza on a Sunday! Due to the highly-restrictive blue laws that are still in effect in Bergen County, limiting what can/cannot be sold, the mall was closed on the Sabbath, so if you were Holiday shopping, you'd better get to the GSP during the week because Saturdays were a notorious mess.

Over the years, the mall expanded to become a virtual city of retailers. With Pacman-like precision, it gobbled up stores from nearby cities and even incorporated the nearby movie theater into its massive folds. I eventually left Bergen County and would primarily go back to the GSP only when we took family who still live in that area out for dinner. I avoided it at all costs because for me it had become too big, too loud, and overwhelming. The last time I had been in it, to review a new store called Marbles, I'd dragged my kids around trying to find the tiny retailer. Despite the mall's map, it still took us a good half hour to get from one side of the mall to the other.

Seeing video of helicopters circling and SWAT teams positioned in front of the Nordstrom's I had been in so many times was puzzling. Why would someone want to shoot at people in a mall, I naively wondered. I could picture the inside of the store with its “classy” piano player and elegant merchandise. I remembered the double-decker carousel my daughter had ridden many times over the years and the massive food court that had impressed my son when he was little. I knew that there were tons of places a shooter could hide.

I understand the fact that the world is a scary place. I'm used to being on alert when I'm in New York City or the airport. As my town is hit by more and more crime, I instinctively clutch my daughter's hand tightly whenever we go out. But malls are specifically designed to invoke feelings of safety, with their soft music and ever-visible security guards strutting around. You're supposed to feel safe there and while I'm not stupid enough to think they're fortresses of safety, I did let my guard down just a wee bit when I was in them.

No more. I heard reports that some security guards at the Garden State Plaza succumbed to panic last night. Even with the safety drills that had been done, when faced with the prospect of being shot by a gunman, a few were moved to tears. I don't blame them. As much as you practice, you never know how you're going to react to something until you're face to face with it.

The world is a much scarier place now. Another venue in my memories of childhood has been tainted by some idiot with a gun. Even though he didn't hurt anyone but himself, he frightened more people than were present in that mall last night. The ripple effects of his actions are hitting the world today, eating away at the feelings of security we try desperately to hold on to. How sad that what was once surreal is the new reality.

(Note:  This post also appears on Jersey Moms Blog.)