Piano teacher

I have always wanted my children to love music and learn to play an instrument. Piano makes the most sense, since I can teach them myself. In the past couple of years we have begun our journey of piano lessons. My mom taught beginning piano lessons for many years. When I was going through her music to find lesson books for Ellen and Jack, I found a notebook she kept with recital programs and a picture of her students and herself at the recital. What most amazed me was that every single youth in my ward who has some musical knowledge appears at some point in a picture at a piano recital with my mother. They were eight-, nine-, and ten-year-olds in the pictures, and they are now college students or finishing up high school.

Mom taught piano right up until she was too sick to do it anymore. Almost as soon as we moved here, friends were asking me if I was planning to teach piano. When I didn't have a piano of my own, I went to my students' houses. My kids played in the back yard with siblings while I taught. Two of those families have since moved away, and we miss them! Now that I have my own piano, teaching Ellen and Jack (and soon, Rose and Elijah) is my number one priority, but I have several other students as well.

I held a recital at the end of May, a first-time experience for all but one of my students. It was short and sweet, and I am really proud of how much these kids have worked and learned. I took a picture and kept a recital program to slide into the next empty page protector in my mom's notebook.

I love everything about this picture. The extreme concentration, the long, skinny fingers, the fact that Jack is walking music. If you sing it to him, he'll remember it... I just had a little epiphany. I may be singing a lot more as the summer goes on. Jack despises practicing and is a little resentful of the fact that I am requiring him to develop his musical talent. But he has lots of good role models and understands that there are things we excel at because we like to do them, and there are things we excel at because we work hard at them. He is a natural, and I am stubborn, so we will keep at it. Even Jack gets excited about being able to actually play a song after he has put in the hard work practicing.

Homecoming

Last fall when I was making holiday plans, I asked my out-of-town sister if they were coming to Texas for Christmas. She said she wanted to come in February when our youngest brother got home from his mission instead. That sounded like a great idea to us, as well as a potential photo opportunity for my Dad and siblings since the last family photo we took was in 2011. My brother Mark was still on his mission. The last time we had a family picture made with everyone there was ten years ago.

Megan Kunz Photography

Once we found out when Matthew would be speaking in church, we started talking photographers, meals, and fun activities for the kids, and things kind of got out of hand developed into a full-blown family reunion. It was really fun to have aunts and uncles and cousins arrive over several days, so we started out slowly and then went into crowd control mode Saturday and Sunday.

Friday afternoon we met for a picnic lunch and a tour of the train museum at the Amtrak station in Temple, Texas. The push carts were a big hit.

Evan, Garin, Caleb, Jack

Ellen, Karen, Eva, Rose

Liam, Lucia, MaryEllen, Jill

Eva, Jill, Ellen, Claire, Hannah, Rose, MaryEllen, Karen, Lucia

Lots of cousins, who immediately got up when our tour guide started explaining why we don't play on railroad tracks. Good thing these don't actually go anywhere.

Another try for cousins in front of the locomotive. Lots of wiggles in this crowd of nine years old and younger.

Saturday we beat the rain and had a great family photo shoot at this park I didn't even know existed near Waco. Waterfall, stone quarry, cave, green grass, but not quite spring yet.

Artistic Images by Brigham Mayfield

Saturday afternoon we had a "talent" show for the grandchildren, featuring piano playing, dancing, jokes, tumbling, and lots of belting out "Let It Go" from the movie Frozen. We had dinner and surprise cookies for my brother William's birthday.

Sunday morning we all went to sacrament meeting together, and I remembered that I should probably think about how Primary was going to handle twenty visiting children. I had also gotten permission for my family to sing an arrangement of "Abide With Me, 'Tis Eventide." My best family memories growing up involve singing, so this was a highlight for me.

We loved spending our Spring Break with cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandpa. We loved being together to welcome Matthew home. Hopefully we won't have to wait another ten years to do it again!

If I were going to a live concert, it would be to see these guys.

Magic things happen in choir rooms.

So recently my dad mentioned to me that a young man in our ward had written a choral composition and was going to be performing it with the high school choir he was a member of, and did I want to go hear it, too, and by the way, the song is about my mom. Um, yes, yes I do want to be a part of that.

The young man has been my family's home teacher for the past two years or so. He is graduating and this performance was taking place during the last period of his last day as a high school student. He's going on a mission to Brazil in September. My younger brother used to babysit him, and my mom was his piano teacher when he was 8 or 9.

I met my dad at the high school, walked down to the choir room, where the choir director met us and chatted with us for a few minutes. Class started, and Mr. Rice gave a little introduction to the choir. "This is Mr. Jackson. He and his wife have eleven children; they all graduated from Midway High School, and they all sang in the choir. This is his daughter, the second of eleven. We are really privileged as a choir to be performing a song written by a member of our own choir, and Addison came to me and initiated this project. Mrs. Jackson was Addison's piano teacher, and she passed away almost two years ago. He wrote this song for her."

So then I was already emotional, and was immediately reminded of how I felt watching my mom at my youngest brother's last choir concert. Addison's song is beautiful and a sweet, sweet reminder of how we can connect and touch and serve and bless others just by sharing our gifts. In addition to teaching all eleven of her own children to love music, my mom had a hand in the musical education of just about every child Addison's age in our ward as a piano teacher, Primary music leader, and faithful member of the choir. When she knew families couldn't afford it, she offered free lessons or lessons in exchange for something other than money.

Addison is on the left end of the top row in the video.

The Gift She Gave Me
Dedicated to Ellen Jackson

by Addison Wilson


When I was only a child
I found a glorious thing
a gift I was giv'n
it was the gift she gave to me

You took me by the hand and
you showed me your true love
you taught me to sing and
gave me a gift sent from above

I remember how my heart clinched with pain
As I watched her slowly die
Oh what an awful day

I promised on that day
my songs shall be in her name
maybe deceased, but
her song still lives within me

She lives on through my song that is ringing
she can never die while my voice is singing
Though she is gone her mem'ry lives on

She lives within my heart that is beating strong
she lives on
she lives through my song which is ringing
she can never die while my voice is singing

she took my hand
she taught me to love
she lives through me
she gave me music

She cannot ever die while my voice is ringing
while my song rings through the sky
she cannot die

Soy un hijo de Dios

Our Primary serves the children of our ward and also the children of the Spanish-speaking branch in Waco. At the beginning of the year we decided on a couple of songs we would learn in Spanish for our program at the end of the year. As Mother's Day approached and we were invited as a Primary to sing in both Sacrament Meetings, we decided to go ahead and teach the kids the first verse of "Soy un hijo de Dios" (I Am a Child of God).

I've been singing this to my kids in Spanish since they were born, and Elijah only just barely started asking for the song in English at bedtime last week. Apparently, he now knows the difference between the Spanish version and the English. We haven't been doing much speaking Spanish at home for quite a while, so I was happy that Ellen was really excited to learn the song in Spanish for real.

On Mother's Day, the children sang beautifully in English in our ward, and then we stayed after Primary for one more meeting, and they kids sang beautifully the same two songs in English for the Spanish-speaking branch. I wasn't really prepared for how emotional I would be when they all sang "Soy un hijo de Dios" at the very end. It was really amazing. What a blessing for the children, leaders, parents, and teachers it is for us to get to know the children and families from the branch and some of their language as well.

Today I was standing in the hall at church and someone opened the Primary room door, and the children were singing "Soy un hijo de Dios" again. I started crying again. At least I wasn't standing in front of the kids, crying, although that does happen on a regular basis. It's so sweet for these children to know who they are in two languages.

Hello, old friends

Hello old friends 
There's really nothing new to say 
But the old, old story bears repeating 
And the plain old truth grows dearer every day 
When you find something worth believing 
Well, that's a joy that nothin' could take away 

And so we meet again 
After all these many years 
Did we sow the seeds we're reaping 
Now that the harvest calls us here 
It seems that love blooms out of season 
And much joy can blossom from many tears 

So old friends you must forget what you had to forgive 
And let love be stronger than the feelings 
That rage and run beneath the bridge 
Knowin' morning follows evening 
Makes each new day come as a gift.

--Rich Mullins

I'm so glad to hear from so many of you after my long break from blogging. I like to follow your blogs and know what's going on with you and your families, too. If you don't see your page linked on the right sidebar or here, let me know so I can visit you!! 

Music and Mom

Today and everyday I'm grateful for my mom. I'm so glad she left volumes and volumes of written ideas, thoughts, and feelings. I find journals, notebooks, planners, and random notes when I'm least expecting it. Recently I found something else completely unexpected.

A few years ago one of my brothers recorded Mom playing the piano and made a CD. I was looking for some Christmas CDs I have and found my mom's piano CD, which I don't think I've ever listened to. I turned it on and it was like she was in the other room playing the piano again. She recorded all her favorite songs to play, songs I've heard my entire life. She also included an arrangement of "Love One Another" that I did for my grandmother's 80th birthday, and it took me a minute to realize why it sounded so familiar to me. One track features my brother Matthew singing with my mom accompanying. I am so, so, so glad she took the time to make the recordings.

I had the CD playing while I was getting breakfast ready and making lunches for Jack and Ellen before school. Ellen came out and said, "I know these songs! Grandma played them on her piano." So sweet.

That's my mom in the picture with Ellen on the day she was born and the day Mom found out her name was Ellen, too.

Spring Piano Recital

I am so proud of these kids, and amazed at what they accomplished in a few months.

Do good.

Pipe organs and hand bells

We took the kids to a Christmas hand bell concert at Baylor tonight. It was really fun to hear the Carol of the Bells played on lots of bells. No pictures.

About a month ago we took the kids to the Halloween organ recital in the same recital hall at Baylor.

Ellen with the program:

Watching the pre-recital show (set up and last minute practicing):

Roxy Grove Hall at Baylor and the pipe organ:

It was a Halloween organ recital on Halloween, so they encouraged dressing up. We revived our Incredibles t-shirts for Jack, Ellen, Jack Jack, and I, Rose went as a monkey, and Elijah was a very cute Pooh bear.

The organ was very loud. Ellen spent most of the recital with her hands over her ears. I spent most of the recital standing in the back with fussy Elijah and tired Rose.

During the last number, the kids quickly perked up when they saw the ghost puppets dancing in the pipes of the organ. It was hilarious and we were all entertained.

As we were walking out, they passed out candy. On our way back to the car Ellen said, "that was really, really fun. Can we go again next year?" I'm so glad we held out and stayed to the end.

What musical adventure is up next? A piano recital tomorrow night, and the end of my first semester as a "real" piano teacher.

Scripture power

This is one of my kids' favorite songs recently.

In the car, at bedtime, for family home evening, for morning devotional, you name it.

And the lifetime achievement award goes to . . .

Tonight I went to my baby brother's spring choir concert. He's a graduating high school senior, so this was my last chance to attend a sibling's concert. I dragged my husband and four children, ages 5, 4, 2, and 7 months tomorrow, along with me. I did not have to ask myself if it would be worth it because I knew it would be.

The music, the black formal dresses and tuxedos, the slideshow of seniors and choir events throughout the year, the seniors singing "Roots and Wings," the senior girls holding hands and everyone hugging everyone else, just sitting in the auditorium took me back, and the nostalgia was definitely flowing.

The most impressive event of the evening was the fact that my mom, less than a week after coming home from her two-week hospital stay and surgery, got herself up and dressed and went with my dad to see her youngest son's last choir concert of his high school career. In a few months he'll be off to college.

As the choir booster organization was recognizing the choir directors and the directors were recognizing the accompanist and the graduating seniors, I couldn't stop thinking about what a friend mentioned just before the concert started. "Your mom just told me that she and your dad have been coming to Midway choir concerts for over 21 years."

I began hoping that somewhere in all those thank yous and recognitions they would recognize my parents, who were attending choir concerts long before the choir directors and pianist began working there, before the booster club existed, and before the auditorium was even built. I was hoping someone would make a special announcement or bring out a special plaque or a bouquet of flowers for the parents graduating their eleventh Midway senior and choir member, but no one did. They probably don't even know.

It doesn't really matter, since my mom would have done (and in reality did) whatever she had to do to be there just because it was Matthew's concert. I'm pretty sure my mom and dad got into parenting for the rewards, not the awards. I can't remember my mother ever missing a concert. It did take just about everything she had, and she ended up skipping out on ice cream and post-concert analysis around the kitchen table, but thanks to my amazing, wonderful husband, for the first time in over 21 years, my mom now has a video recording of Matthew singing with his choirs, and she can enjoy it whenever she wants. I hope she also enjoys Rose saying over and over, "Me seepy; me seepy. Me lay down." during his appropriately titled song, "Sleep."

I love you, Mom. Congratulations, Matthew. Happy spring, happy singing, happy graduation.

The waiting game

Elijah went into surgery just after 7 this morning. He had a good night and actually slept. This morning he was pretty calm, even though he was obviously hungry. The anesthesiologist gave him something that started working immediately, so Jack and I said goodbye to a very sleepy baby.

The nurse has been out once to tell us that things are going well so far. The entire process is expected to take about six hours, so we won't know much until early this afternoon. Even after he comes out of surgery and goes to the CHSU for recovery, they take up to an hour and a half to get him settled and comfortable before we get to go in.

I have loved this song since the kids started learning it in Primary in January. Ellen knows all three verses, Jack Jack can sing the first two without help, and Rose can even sing along on the chorus. It has brought a very peaceful feeling to our home and lives. You can listen to it here.

If I Listen with My Heart

1. If I had been a little child when Jesus lived on earth,

I would have like to walk with him and listen to his words,

But as I search the scriptures I can hear his words of peace,

And if I listen with my heart I hear the Savior's voice.

2. I hear a living prophet speak the words that Christ would say

If he were here upon the earth to talk with me today,

The prophet teaches how to live in righteousness and peace,

And if I listen with my heart I hear the Savior's voice.

3. I feel the Holy Spirit as he teaches truth and right,

He comforts me in times of need, He testifies of Christ,

He speaks to me in quiet ways that fill my soul with peace,

And if I listen with my heart I hear the Savior's voice.

This one is for my dad.

Happy Birthday, Dad!!

This post is also for my brothers. You know who you are.

While I was home visiting my parents and youngest brother, we got some family together to go with us caroling at a nursing home like we did last year. Ellen remembered going, and wanted to go again. So did I. I learned all the words to "Frosty the Snowman" from singing it so many times by request after my kids heard it on that caroling trip.

This year there were 15 of us, and my brother took his guitar. We added "Feliz Navidad" to our repertoire, which my kids already knew. Ellen loves singing along, even if she doesn't know all the words.

While perusing the book of Christmas/holiday songs we were working from, I happened upon a hilarious little gem that I laughed about all weekend long. I also enlisted Matthew in learning it so we could sing it for everyone who came to visit. Over and over and over.

Are you ready? It's called R2D2, We Wish You a Merry Christmas. Oh, yes. I come from a family of big Star Wars fans, but this really gave me something to laugh about. I'm sitting in the hospital writing this and still laughing about it. I suspect if a certain college roommate had known this song, we would have sung it for our college ward Christmas party, in addition to that Beatles Christmas song.

(Chorus)
R2D2, we wish you a merry Christmas.
R2D2, we love you, it's true.
R2D2, we wish you a merry Christmas,
we hope our little message gets to you.

(Verse 1)
We look up at the winter star,
we know that's where you are.
Our chiminey's big and round,
so you can come right down.
And if our wish comes true,
we'll spend Christmas Eve with you;
our hearts will sing with glee
as we decorate the Christmas tree.

(Chorus)

(Verse 2)
And if the snow becomes too deep,
just give a little beep.
We'll go in by the fire
and warm your little wires.
Spreading Christmas cheer
will be easy with you here.
We'll dance and sing and play
from Christmas Eve 'till Christmas Day.

(Chorus)

That's no typo in verse one. It really does say "chiminey". And it gets better. In doing a little research, I found this song is one of a whole Star Wars Christmas album, "Christmas in the Stars". Oh yes. This song is Jon Bon Jovi's first professional recording. Enjoy.

Was it worth it?

This is what Jack always asks me after I've insisted on doing something that was logistically complicated, inconvenient, required help from other people, and had few obvious rewards.

This was also the question in my mind as I sat in the aisle of an auditorium filled to capacity with a squirming one year old child on my lap who didn't understand "It's not our turn to sing" when she wanted to sing along (loudly) to the choir on stage's rendition of "Deck the Halls."

I sang in choir in school starting in the fifth grade. Junior high, high school, undergraduate, and graduate school all hold memories of choir practices and performances for me. In high school the annual Christmas choir concert always ended with an invitation to alumni to join the choirs on stage in singing "Let There Be Peace on Earth." After I graduated from high school, whenever my visits home coincided with the Christmas concert, I attended not just to sing with the alumni, but also because I always had a sibling in the choirs to sing with.

My mom mentioned my youngest brother would be singing in his last Christmas concert, and as soon as she told me the date, my mind went to work figuring out how I could go. After concluding it would be a logistical nightmare and an imposition on too many people, I reluctantly decided several times to skip it. But in making plans for the Christmas season, deciding when to spend time with my family, and considering Jack's work schedule, several stars were forced into alignment and I managed to be in Waco on the day of the concert.

I got a babysitter for Elijah. A wonderful friend and neighbor agreed to let me drop him off at her house before the concert. Jack had already left because he had to work. I took Ellen, Jack Jack, and Rose with me to the concert because I was sure I could handle it, and because I envisioned what a lovely experience it would be based on several assumptions:

1) that I knew my children well enough to be able to predict pretty much how things would go.

2) that the novelty of a high school Christmas choir concert in a big auditorium at night would be entertaining enough to discourage bad behavior.

3) that sitting with Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Mary, and Uncle Luke would be fun and discourage bad behavior.

4) that the music would be entertaining enough to discourage bad behavior.

5) that the concert would be long enough for at least one of them to fall asleep, thus preventing bad behavior.

I was almost right on in my assumptions, but what I didn't expect was for Rose to be so into the music that she would want to sing along. I had to take her out, and then stand in the back, and then sit on the floor in the aisle just in case. But as I was sitting there listening to my brother's men's choir sing "Of Music," a song commissioned for them to sing at the 2011 Texas Music Educators Association convention in a couple of months, I was completely enveloped in beautiful music and fitting words, and all I could think was "yes, this was worth it." The music actually moved me to tears. Moments later, Rose dropped off to sleep.

Jack Jack and Ellen also fell asleep before the end of the concert, and although they saw Matthew sing, they missed Grandpa singing in the "combined mens choirs and dads" Christmas numbers, and me singing with Rebecca, Mary, Matthew, and all the combined choirs. We had to carry them out to the car and carry them into the house. We were already home when I realized that I had another child, and that I needed to go pick him up, too. I don't know how my wonderfully helpful family members felt, but that concert was all the Christmas gift I needed, and it was worth it.

It was worth it for my children to hear beautiful, beautiful choral music performed well. It was worth it for my children to hear their Uncle Matthew sing "Feliz Navidad" for his "Senior Spotlight" solo. It was worth it for Ellen to learn what a spotlight was. It was worth it to sit in that auditorium again with my parents and sisters and brothers-in-law and brother. It was worth it to sing "Let There Be Peace on Earth" with two of my sisters and my youngest brother. It was complicated, and it was inconvenient, but it was all worth it.

Latter-day Prophets

At the end of our Gospel Art Book are pictures of all the prophets since Joseph Smith. Jack and Ellen wanted to know who all those old men were, so I sang them the "Latter-day Prophets" song I learned when I was little. That song immediately supplanted the hymn "How Firm a Foundation" as Jack's number one song request. "The Ox Cart Song" has been pushed to a close second.

Ellen said to me one day, "Look what I can do!" The next time she wanted to sing it I caught the video. Pretty good singing for a 4 year old, when the entire song is composed of 16 uncommon names.

Latter-day Prophets

Latter-day Prophets are, number one,

Joseph Smith, then

Brigham Young

John Taylor came third, we know, then

Wilford Woodruff

Lorenzo Snow

Joseph F. Smith, remember the F,

Heber J. Grant and

George Albert Smith

David O. McKay was followed by

Joseph Fielding Smith

Harold B. Lee

Spencer W. Kimball

Ezra Taft Benson

Howard W. Hunter

Gordon B. Hinckley

Thomas S. Monson

These are the latter-day prophets!

More Christmas music!

First, it's kind of pop-y sounding, but I love it. The harmonies are beautiful, the voices are beautiful, and I just love, love, love a cappella. This song starts out good, and it just gets better and better.

And here's a funny one by the same group. It's the most fun Twelve Days of Christmas I've seen in a long time.

Holiday cheer

Since the first of December, it seems like life at our house has exploded. We have had activity after activity, mostly due to my poor planning and inability to say no, but also because it's the end of a school semester for Jack, the end of the year in Primary, and the holiday season.

If it were any other month, I would probably be crawling into a ball in a corner crying about how overwhelming my life is. I have, in fact, had moments of panic. But since our crazy schedule has also been filled with a mothering group meeting, a Christmas nativity open house, the First Presidency Christmas Devotional, a game night, crocheting/crafting, babysitting friends' kids, book group, bilingual story time, decorating gingerbread houses, and parties, it has actually been fun. Not to mention the fact that my house is generally more clean because I'm often expecting people over, and that's a good enough reason for me to clean up.

I can also see just by looking at my calendar that things are going to "calm down" a little. By that I mean that we're about to leave town and spend some more fun time with family for Christmas and New Year's.

Some things that I feel have also kept us a little more centered are some regular (as regular as possible) evening activities. They only take a few minutes, but Ellen and Jack look forward to them and it makes taking baths and putting on pajamas so much easier. We have a felt nativity calendar that we add a piece to every evening. I also clipped the advent calendar from the December issue of the Friend magazine this year. Adding a Christmas carol and those two things to our nightly routine of a few scripture verses and family prayer has helped me enjoy our busy days and remember the purpose of it all.

Now if you, like me, have realized that the "Christmas music radio station" plays any song that mentions the word Christmas and that most of them actually have nothing to do with traditional carols or even fun kids' Christmas songs, and that bothers you, even though you keep listening and hoping that the next song will be some pop star singing a horrible version of "O Holy Night" because even that would be better than the rest, here are a couple of songs I rediscovered this year.
Little Baby
Joy to Everyone

Finally, if you happen to be hosting or attending a holiday event involving food, (!) let me share these two recipes that were surprise hits at a potluck dinner we had with friends and our combined bazillion kids, who were so excited to be playing together that they spontaneously burst into a chant of "we need one more! We need one more!" Like you need one more treat recipe, but here it is:

Reindeer Treats

These are not attractive, as suggested by the name. But they are delicious, even to my normally sweet-averse taste.

1 bag chocolate chips
1 bag butterscotch chips
1 bag mini marshmallows
1 can roasted peanuts

SLOWLY melt chocolate chips and butterscotch chips. (In the microwave or a double boiler is ideal, but you can just use a regular pot and the stove, too.) Add marshmallows and peanuts and stir until coated with chocolate. Drop onto waxed paper and let cool. Enjoy.

One batch we made adding about a cup of Rice Krispies cereal. We loved the extra crunch.

The second recipe is a little involved, but definitely worth the effort.
Chile Verde

Leaves are falling all around

Happy fall. We've updated our spring popcorn tree to a fall leaf tree. Many fun preschool activities revolve around this tree on our front door.

Caen las hojas
Caen las hojas alrededor
En los techos, en la flor
Caen las hojas en mi nariz
Manos, pies, y soy feliz.

Leaves are falling

Leaves are falling all around
On the housetops, on the ground
Leaves are falling on my nose
On my head and hands and toes.

Love hammer

So did you recognize the tune that Jack Jack was singing "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, Mom" to during Rose's 5 month portrait session?

Apparently we have developed a pretty fluid sense of music around here. Some songs we sing in Spanish. Some songs we sing in English. Some songs we sing in Spanish and English. We make up a lot of songs. Daddy doesn't sing much, except for Family Home Evening, one of the few times we are allowed to have everyone singing together without Ellen or Jack protesting and assigning themselves or someone else a solo. Then Daddy is required to sing. Ellen once stopped us in the middle of our opening song because, "Daddy!! You're not singing! Sing!"

Jack Jack is pretty true to the tunes he knows, but he likes to throw in his own repetitive lyrics, such as "agua," "Mommy," "Daddy," "angel," and (dare I say it) "devil." He heard someone talking on the phone say "devil," and the next thing I know he's walking around repeating it over and over. He hasn't done it since, though. Can you guess what words he immediately picked out of the following video clip to wear out vocally and giggle hysterically about?



But I digress. After I caught Jack Jack's rendition of "Mommy Mommy," otherwise known as "Book of Mormon Stories," Ellen wanted to sing a "song." I recognized a couple of tunes about building families and stars shining brightly (see those twinkling hands?) from some Primary songs we have learned this year, but those were definitely not the words we learned. What are those words? I have no idea where she gets this stuff. "Ghostie?" My favorite is "love hammer." It reminds me of "crocodiles happen."

Oh yeah, and that music in the back ground is my phone ringing. Every time I play this clip, I think my phone is ringing, until I realize it's just the video. Every time. Nothing like "Jingle Bells" in July. I think I have only myself to thank for my kids' crazy music manifestations.