Lost Generation

This video made my day in a week in which it does seem that work is more important than anything else just because I've had so much going on there outside the normal hours. Watch all the way through, and enjoy:

New Listening Journals

It's Friday, I'm finally done with my mountains of grading (at least until the next batch comes in on Monday), so it's time to share what my students are writing. The latest listening journals are up over at my class's blog and they range the gamut from obscure American composers in the Romantic period to unjustly neglected masterworks. I'll let you decide which is which. So take a few minutes and join in the conversation we've been having about the works.

We Live in a Nudist Colony

Over the past week, Sam has rediscovered a penchant he had when he was 18 months old for taking off his clothes. Several evenings over the past few days we've heard him rummaging in his closet after we've put him to bed and had gone up to see what he was doing. Most of those evenings we've found him getting toys out of his closet completely naked, no pajamas, no pull-up. We help him get dressed and back to bed, but the process is a bit disturbing.

This newfound freedom of Sam's does have its humorous side, though. At bedtime, I always read to him, Joy joins us in prayers, and then we share hugs and kisses all around. Often Sam will have to hunt for the hugs and kisses he's going to give us - I've had mine be out in the hall, and Joy's have been under the bed. This past week, though, the hugs and kisses have been in his pajamas. "Wait," he'll proclaim, "I've found them!" and then proceed to zip open his pajamas, reach down to his knees, pretend to pull something out, put it on his lips, and then turn to give us hugs and kisses.

The best story comes from Monday night. I was at dinner with a job candidate, so Joy was putting the boys to bed by herself. She left Sam happily playing in his room as she put Noah to bed, and when she came out Sam had left both his room and his box of markers empty. She hunted him down only to find him without pants or diaper, marking all over himself. He had decided to draw on his big cardboard box that currently serves as an elevator and must have decided the box shouldn't have all the fun. He had given himself a unibrow, his knees were different colors, the tops of his feet looked like those of hobbits. But Joy found the best part when Sam turned to go upstairs. Evidently, his bottom had begun to itch, so he took a marker and scratched it. The results were as you can imagine - his bottom was covered with marker, fortunately the washable kind.

We'll see where this nudity goes next.

Everyone Needs a Little Raisin Brahms

In my undergraduate class, we've been discussing the creation of the canon of Western music. (One reason why they are writing listening journals is to explore items outside that canon) When we got to Johannes Brahms on Monday, we discussed how instrumental he was in solidifying the notion that older composers needed to be studied, performed, and performed properly. This kind of veneration of older composers froze Brahms when he went to write his own symphonies; he saw himself in Beethoven's long shadow and took twenty years to finish his first symphony. I'm sure, then, that he'd be glad to see the same kind of veneration continues today, just now directed at him:

New Tooth!

Since early December, Noah has been showing the classic signs of teething - he drools constantly, he rubs his tongue over his gums and sucks in his lips over them, he sighs and relaxes when you rub his gums. But for the past three months there has been no tooth. His doctor told us it was coming, family members told us it was coming, basically everyone who spends time with him said it was coming. But still no tooth.

As of yesterday morning, my son is no longer dentally challenged. His top left tooth poked through and is now just peeking out from the gum line. Of course, you all know what this means now. Sam has to be careful biting Noah because he can return the favor.

Just a Reminder That He's Going to Take Over the World

Remember when I mentioned that Noah's sign for "more" looks more like Mr. Burns evilly cackling "excellent" than the traditional sign? Several of you have asked for photographic proof, so here, for your morning's entertainment, is Noah asking for more of the camera:Don't let the innocent expression fool you - he's looking at you, sizing you up, and plotting ways to subjugate you to his will.

New Blog Added

Just a quick note to point you to a new blog I added to our "Friends and Family" blogroll. One of our good friends in town, Leslie, has started blogging (and has actually been blogging since October, but it took a spiritual enrichment retreat at church for us to find out). She is the mother of one of Sam's best friends, Cole, who is a month younger than Sam, and has another son, Micah, who is a month older than Noah. So yes, we have lots of stories to share. Hope you enjoy.