music

We have an I-pod attachment in the glove box of our Honda Odyssey that I use A LOT. The kids all have their favorite songs. Olivia loves anything High School Musical or Hannah Montana (of course), Fergie, and lately “Jessie’s Girl” by Rick Springfield. Bekah is loving “Thriller” by Michael Jackson, “Big Butts” by Sir Mix-A-Lot, “Fly me to the moon” Frank Sinatra, and “Saturday in the Park” by Chicago. Ryan likes “Kung Fu Fighting,” Motley Crue’s “Shout at the Devil” and a song from a kid’s song c.d. called “Yucky Dinner Again!” Chelsea likes all the popular songs that are on the radio now—that almost always have some guy rapping about it “raining” in the strip club and “shortey rubbin’ up and down the pole.” There is always a fight. They each want their own songs and there is very little patience for taking turns or tolerating any song other than their own. And Ryan just sits in the back and whines because the twins can be very loud and obnoxious (not to mention passionate) about the whole radio thing and if I have to compromise to achieve silence in the car during rush hour he is usually the one that gets stuck with the short end of the stick. Poor guy. Actually Olivia is the only one who REALLY cares about music. Bekah just likes pick fights with her sister by taunting her with fairness and “taking turns,” and Ryan just doesn’t want to be left out.

Lately I have been really puzzled by a phenomenon that I cannot explain. I would be really interested to know if this is an issue just within my own family or a more universal problem. My kids often get in the car with drinks and food. I know, I know…..it’s a horrible idea, blah, blah, blah. Anyway, 20 minute lecture later, they have this very annoying and distracting habit of quickly and immediately needing to get rid of all evidence. It’s like the sippy cup or plastic cup they have been holding for the whole car trip home suddenly becomes electrified. They scream and cry until I reach back in the middle of rush hour traffic to relieve them from their angst, AND, if I am not quick enough, they have been known to hurl their dishes all the way to the cab of the van. WHAT THE HECK IS THAT ABOUT? It’s not a 10 lb. bag of sugar, it’s an empty cup! What is so uncomfortable about an empty cup that they feel the need to throw it? Has there ever, in the history of time, been an incident of a sippy cup exploding in a mini van because of inactivity? Was there a warning on the Disney channel that I missed? A safety alert that got by me? What is the emergency?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

Also, on that same train of thought, what is up with taking shoes off when the seatbelts get buckled? I never do that. I never did that with my kids. But now it is almost habit in the Kilmark van: snap the buckle, kick off the shoes. It’s not a huge problem of course…except, when we get to where we are going and we can only find one shoe. You would be surprised at how many nooks and crannies there are for a flip flop to hide in the constraints of your average mini-van. Is this just my family? Am I crazy?

Helping with dinner—using many spoons, pouring own Diet Mountain Dew.