Scrapbooking and Birthdays and iTunes

Wow. I’ve been totally buried. By scrappy stuff. By deadlines. By enjoying life, and Rowen’s birthday on Sunday. By taking a break from the internet for a bit over the weekend. :)

Scrapbooking 

But I wanted to say thank you and congratulations on completing your grid pages, to everyone who did one and uploaded it to the CK gallery. (You can see them here). It is so awesome to see your great work. Your heartfelt pages. Your photos. Great job. Loved that there were both paper and digital pages in there. Awesome.

 And I have been hearing that you love the coupon codes for the digi shoppes that are going out in the announcements to The List. Awesome. I hope you get some great goodies and head back here for some PS techniques. THAT sounds like a way to spend an evening, doesn’t it? :D

 Birthdays

And I wanted to share a few photos from Rowen’s birthday. My big girl turned 3 on Sunday. She got a new bike on Saturday, and she is SO HAPPY (she even told us so on the way home: “I am SO happy. This is my best birthday EVER.”) The bike is just her size, has handlebar streamers and a little storage bucket in the back for her “friends” to take a ride with her.

 

And since she’s still figuring out basic stuff like pedals and steering, we’re happy that it has a parental control on the back. :)

 

We made cupcakes and sang “Happy Birthday” to her, and she sighed and said in this quiet whispery voice of pure contentment, “I LOVE my happy birthday song.” Good thing, too, since we called both sets of grandparents and each set sang it to her again. :)

One of the curses of being born in early February, though, is that you don’t get to spend much time riding your new bike outside, because even in North Carolina it’s too flippin cold and windy! I never thought I’d say that about a 35-degree day in Early February… (since it’s what? -500 in Minnesota right now), but there it is.

iTunes 

We recently picked up a great kids’ music album on iTunes from a guy we saw on the Disney Channel. Dan Zanes is the former frontman for the rock band Del Fuegos, but decided when he had a family, to create a new record label and release children’s music instead. These songs are pretty folky in nature, but so cute. We have a little post-bathtime tradition of going downstairs, kids in PJs, and dancing to a few songs before bed. Current favorites are the Night Time album from Dan Zanes and the Welcome to Ralph’s World album. And “dancing” consists of two small ones in footie pj’s spinning circles in the living room. Now THAT is pure enjoyment.  (Also, anyone know if you can create a hyperlink to an iTunes album? I couldn’t figure it out). If you have any kids’ music recommendations, let me know. We’re always on the hunt for stuff that doesn’t make us want to scream. :)

 Have a great day! And THANK YOU for linking your layouts in the PSF comments. Your work is awesome. I always go look at all of the layouts you link, even if I don’t always have time to comment on them.

Comments

[Deirdre]

Would love to share some parent-friendly kid tunes...as I've gained so much from your site!

Check out
The Hoppity Song by Five for Fighting
La La Lemon by Bare Naked Ladies
Choo Choo Boogaloo by Buckwheat Zydeco

We just downloaded the theme song from 1970s Spiderman and my son (age 4) is obsessed:-)

I'd be happy to make you a CD mix, if you want to send me a snail address.

I've only dipped my feet into digital scrapping, and wonder if you could list the best place for beginners on your side bar.

Thanks for making PSE so much less intimidating!
DK

[Heather in Scotland]

"she even told us so on the way home: 'I am SO happy. This is my best birthday EVER.'” - That's so cute!

We got my 20 month DD a similar looking trike for her second Christmas; it arrived last week and came in 50 parts to self-assemble. :o

[Missy]

Happy Birthday to Rowen!!
Connor loves Dan Zanes.
I think my favorite song is Smile Smile Smile :)

You can link itunes by right clicking on the song or album title, and you'll have the option of copying the url.

have fun!

[MN Carol]

That is a mighty fine bike! It's fun to hear about her reactions to her birthday. She does look oh so HAPPY!

[Sinead]

I'm sure you know her, but we love love love Laurie Berkner. Justin Roberts is fun, too. Pretty much any of those people who play between shows on Noggin or who have been featured on "Jack's Big Music Show" (Noggin again) are faves at our house! Happy birthday to Rowen!

[Kayjay]

My kids loved John Lithgow's Singin' in the Bathtub.

[priscilla]

http://www.youaremyflower.org/home.html

Haven't purchased yet, but I love the soothing sounds.

[Courtney]

Love Dan Zanes... big Laurie Berkner fans in this house too! :)

Happy Birthday to Rowen!! :)

[gabby]

you found the PERFECT bike.
and i love it.
so so so much.
so glad miss rowen had such a happy day.
xoxoxo,
g

[Lisa VanderVeen]

We saw Dan Zanes in concert on Sunday. I had no idea who he was but a friend gave us tickets and we had to be out of the house (we're moving and we were having an open house that day) so we went. It was great! We liked it as much as Sophie did! :)

[Anne]

I don't have kids, but I've got tons of favorites from my growing up years that I still hum to myself every now and then. Burl Ives' version of 'Mairsie Doats' is one that I recently rediscovered on iTunes. I think that's how it's spelled, at least. But even better is the album I finally found on eBay: Bert and Ernie Sing-Along. Our all-time favorite record, which all three of us had memorized and was our road trip soundtrack for many trips up north in the summer. Email me if you want to hear some of it; I've got it on CD.

[Gina]

If you want an album that your kids will love and you'll sing along with, as well, check out the Curious George soundtrack. Jack Johnson has a fantastic sound. My own kids (who are big fans of Green Day and Simple Plan - they're 8 and 5) still ask me to turn up the radio when they hear "Upside Down."

[Lisa Truesdell]

yay!! happy three, miss rowan!

[michele]

you have both they might be giants kid cds, yes?

happy, happy birthday, miss rowan!!! you are so grown up and gorgeous!!! love that bike and it'll take you wherever you want to go!!

[Amy Hummel]

I have a daughter that is going to turn 5 in June. She has a trike that is similar to the one you got your daughter, and she was riding it today and I noticed that she's getting a LITTLE too big for it! We were planning on getting her a bigger bike with training wheels for her birthday, but I think we may have to take the plunge before then!

Sorry about your cold weather. I live in Southern Utah and we are having awesome weather right now. It's been close to 70 all week now. Hopefully you will get some of our warm weather since it travels from west to east!

[j.j.]

check out elizabeth mitchell! i just got YOU ARE MY LITTLE BIRD and i swear my 21 month old was hooked like within a few listens. soooooo catchy and lulling and gorgeous.