Apparently I Blog More When I Have 1,452,779 Things To Do

// 9.23.09 // 26 Comments » // Homeschooling, Link Love, Parenting, Thriving

So, yeah, I’ve been updating my blog an average of twice per month, but today you get two posts in one day! I have a lot of random thoughts to get down, so I am making a list (copied from inspired by my cool friend Jenny on the Spot).

• My blog is in desperate need of housekeeping. Plugins to be updated, sidebars to be cleaned up, wonky stuff to be de-bugged. But it’s most likely that I will spend my time creating an entirely new theme design before I clean any of the other stuff up. That’s just me.
• I am starting a new part time job (details forthcoming, like after I finish the web site design and can make a big announcement and good impression and all). And I’m kinda worried. Worried I don’t know enough. Worried I don’t have the time. Worried I’ll let down my employer. Who, by the way, happens to be my sister. {gulp}
• I laid down the law with my kids the other day. I won’t go into details but this is the “strictest” I’ve ever been with them. The most I’ve ever asked from them. And so far (well, it’s been two days), they are rising to the occasion. My new motto? “Expect more.” (I know that’s a corporate slogan for something…)
• I’m so happy my kids are brilliant. They pick stuff up like *snap* that. Makes my job as a homeschooling Mom way easier.
• I have the opportunity to exercise 3 days a week at my gym. And by “opportunity” I mean that I have to be at the gym for my kids’ stuff and there is no reason I shouldn’t be exercising. I will accept no excuses from myself.
• I’m also taking an adult tap dancing class. I love it more than I can tell you.
• We’ve been having fun letterboxing the past few weeks. It was even fun today when we walked around a park for an hour and a half before discovering that the trail we were looking for was completely overgrown.
• I’m going to Vegas with my husband in a couple weeks! Vacation and SITScation.
• What the hell is up with the half-constructed Starbucks in Flemington? PLEASE OPEN SOON. And please do not tell me it’s never opening because Starbucks is closing a bunch of stores.  I will not listen. LA LA LA LA LA LA.
• Fractions are kinda hard to teach. When you’re reducing, you have to change the numerator AND denominator. But when you’re adding/subtracting, you only work with the numerator. Confusing to a kid. Need to seek out a better way to teach it.
• I want to read Atlas Shrugged. It’s 1,075 pages. If I start tomorrow I might just finish by next summer.
• I’m taking my kids to see Demi Lovato in November and I bought the VIP package so we can meet her. I’m a little more excited than a 40 year old should be about this.
• Did you know I write blogging and SEO tips over at SITS on Saturdays?
• I’m teaching a web design class to 11 students in our homeschool group.
• Did I mention we’re going to Vegas in a couple weeks?
• My oven door won’t open. The lever that locks the door closed is stuck. I’m having minor anxiety about this. I need to bake bread for a Tastefully Simple home party tomorrow.
• I have 167 email messages to deal with.
• And now I shall attempt to sleep.

Scooby Doo: The Mystery Begins

// 9.15.09 // 37 Comments » // Parenting

We’ve always been fans of ole’ Scoob in our house. My kids enjoy watching the original Scooby from the 70’s, as well as some of the newer animated movies (I’m partial to The Alien Invaders and The Witch’s Ghost) and the “What’s New Scooby-Doo” TV show. But the 2002 Scooby-Doo movie with live actors? Painful.

So I was leery of the new “Scooby-Doo: The Mystery Begins” movie. I sat down with the kids to watch and was pleasantly surprised. Fred has brown hair, but I quickly got over that because the film was well-cast (really liked Shaggy, played by Nick Palatas) and even the CGI Scooby-Doo didn’t seem as creepy as he had in the other live-action movies. The plot was decent and the movie was just plain fun to watch.

Along with the movie release, there’s a new video game, Scooby-Doo! First Frights. Fun for all ages, players can explore spooky environments as Scooby, Shaggy or any of the teen Mystery, Inc. team. The action-adventure game features co-op play allowing two members of Mystery, Inc. to work together to solve puzzles, combat enemies, and collect clues before unmasking each episode’s mysterious villain – all while gaining prestige as world famous sleuths.

I’ve got three copies of Scooby-Doo! First Frights. for the Wii to give away. Just leave a comment on this post and you’ll be entered to win.

I’m a little disappointed the video game characters don’t look like the actors in the Mystery Begins movie, but like slightly modernized versions of the Pup Scooby-Doo kids (yuck!). But I’m still looking forward to playing this game with my kids. I’ve already warned them that I always get to be Velma. Cuz geeks rock.

Update 9/21: Winners have been chosen. Congratulations to Kris, SharonK, and Brandie. Winners were chosen by Random.org.

Fresh Beat Band: Music, Action and Fun for Preschoolers

// 8.22.09 // 85 Comments » // Parenting

I swear I’m not being paid by Nickelodeon to promote The Fresh Beat Band. But I am going to post about them… again.

My first post about the new Nickelodeon band/show, Don’t Beat Down The Fresh Beat Band, is the top traffic generator to this site and could be the most-commented post I’ve ever had. Something’s going on here. What is it with this show? Well I’ve got the scoop from Teri Weiss, Senior Vice President of Production & Development for Nickelodeon Preschool Television.

Teri has been involved in the launch of mega-hits like Dora the Explorer and The Backyardigans, so I asked her if it’s typical for parents to be so outspoken about a show before it’s even aired. She explained how The Fresh Beat Band (FBB) is different than other Nick shows.

The FBB is Nick’s first live action show for preschoolers, meaning there are no puppets, no animation — just humans. “Our strategy was to launch them as a band first and get kids excited about the music,” said Teri. Nickelodeon started airing music videos by the band months ago, with no mention of a series. As the launch date got closer, the series was introduced.

“There was more conversation about this show because of the bigger window of time (used to promote the show),” Teri explained.

So why a live action show for preschoolers? “We learned a lot from Jack’s Big Music Show,” said Teri. When Nick execs attended live shows by bands like The Laurie Berkner Band and The Dirty Sock Funtime Band (both featured on Jack’s Big Music Show), they loved the energy and excitement coming from the kids.

“The energy of a live band – I wanted to bottle it and put it on TV. There was something special about it that we didn’t feel we had,” remembers Teri. She thought, “How can we create a TV show around a band that could capture that energy, tell a story, and send a positive message to kids through music?”

And The FBB was born. The show is about four best friends in a band who attend music school together. Each episode is a stand-alone with a broad-based music curriculum.

The curriculum focuses on three layers: music appreciation, self-expression through music, and comprehension of music terminology. Drummer Marina shows kids how they can make a drum kit out of anything. DJ/rapper Twist (who is a goofy, skilled physical comedy actor and my favorite character after having seen the first episode) gets his feet stuck in buckets and the band taps out a beat along with him. Musical terms and instruments are introduced and repeated to enhance understanding and retention.

Another reason there’s so much talk about this band is the “pop” feel to all the songs shown in the promos. Parents can find it grating and too sugary-sweet, but the pop feel was intentional, says Teri, because kids respond to it. However, during the show itself, kids will be exposed to different kinds of music – much more than the promotional videos are demonstrating – such as Hawaiian, opera, rock, and beat-boxing.

And while some parents may not be thrilled to have a Fresh Beat Band CD playing in their car over and over (although it’s WAY better than Yo Gabba Gabba or Wonder Pets), I think the show itself will surprise them. And their kids will love it. Check it out Monday at Noon ET on Nickelodeon.