If I closed my eyes, I might actually think that I was at a club (remember those!) Sure, Justin Roberts and the Not Ready for Nap Time Players were rockin’ the kiddie crowd – that’s expected at a Children’s Fest – but the fact is that they were on every parents’ wavelength, too. I want the CD…really I want it, not for my kids (though they’ll enjoy, too.) More from them later….

Earlier today Disney’s Choo Choo Soul got everyone on their feet. You know this incredible team – Genevieve and DC – from the interstitials on Disney’s Playhouse block of shows. Where were they when I was 3?! (answer: not born, but never mind that.)  Genevieve and DC were actually a hip hop team before they started doing kids music, which they got into by accident when they voiced a video game. Are you noticing the “by accident” theme? (see previous entry with Tom Lichtenheld)

When I talked to Genevieve and DC backstage I asked them what the biggest difference is between performing for adults (when they did hip hop) and performing for the tykes. As if Genevieve is not endearing enough already, listen to her answer(!): kids don’t care how much you weigh or who you’re dating. Love that! You can currently get some of their songs on Disney Playdate cd. In addition, Genevieve is helping create music curriculum for Disney English in China (Disney schools in China) and DC is a visual artist whose latest work can be seen on the walls (as murals) of San Francisco-area restaurants.

The scene backstage is like kid-music-and-book heaven: Choo Choo Soul eating lunch at the next table over from Caitlin Sanchez (voice of Dora the Explorer), old friends meeting each other again and chatting about the common friend their editors know, adoring fans meeting one another (I’m talking one band meeting another), and talent switching into their regular-person mode after their hyped-up, high energy stage mode. Outside, kids’ eyes are glued to the performer on stage who’s reading a book that just made them burst out with giggles. Some eat hot dogs, some drink juice boxes and I have yet to hear a tantrum! Something’s going right! Will it continue to be so idyllic…?!

If you have had kids in the last 10 years, you have come across at least one of Tom Lichtenheld’s books. He’s the illustrator of massively popular books like Duck! Rabbit!, Shark vs Train and Everything I Know About Pirates. He got his start by accident when his nephew asked him to draw pirate pictures. Tom spent a weekend drawing and writing these “made up facts” about pirates, bound it and sent it to his nephew. Soon people were telling him to send it publishers, which he did…and got some rejections but after a few years landed an agent and the rest is kid literary history!

How might a book author/illustrator make a reading compelling for a sea of young-uns who, as we all know, can be distracted by a blade of grass? Well, by engaging an audience member – in this case one very together (truly, I was astounded by her ability to not sound nervous!) 8 year old girl read Duck! Rabbit! with Tom. This was followed by Tom doing an impromptu illustration of a pirate playing baseball…not to be confused with the Pittsburgh Pirates. This pirate was the manifestation of two slips of paper drawn from two bags – one “A Bag of Heroes” and the other “A Bag of Settings.” This is also a technique he uses when he teaches kid writing workshops – it helps them find a writing topic (I think I’ve just found a new place of inspiration!)

Speaking of inspiration, Tom – who has no kids of his own – gets his inspiration by observing kids…no doubt, this is a goldmine of inspiration. (calling all of our kids’ imaginary friends….)

The kids delighted in Tom’s presentation and a long line formed in the book-signing tent.

I had a chance to chat with the extremely nice and talented duo, the Okee-Dokee Brothers, who performed earlier today. Super fun music that you’ll like (for real.) Speaking of music – I’m off to check out Justin Roberts and the Not Ready for Nap Time Players…they’re riling up the audience and I need to see what’s happening….!

A sunny day made even brighter with the squeals and laughter of a thousand kids – that’s the scene from backstage at Target’s Children’s Book Festival. Target invited Mom Culture to live blog from the event, and since books are one of the great joys of life, I was all in!

To my left is the iconic puppet Lambchop (I won’t mention what was on my dinner plate last week), currently on- stage is the upbeat Choo Choo Soul from Disney (aka, Genevieve and DC) and next up is Tom Lichtenheld, the illustrator who brought us hits like Duck Rabbit. It’s a day full of really cool music, readings and entertainment that you and your kids will love!

There’s time to join the fun – the festival runs until about 5pm today at Hyland Park Reserve. It’s free! And if you want to clean out a bookshelf or two before you come here, bring your gently used books and they’ll be donated to Twin Cities area schools. Here’s a link if you want a few more details and directions.

More to come after I talk to a couple of these talented people who keep our kids entertained and learning to love books….

(my piece & slideshow – from momlogic.com)

(my piece from momlogic.com)

(my post for momlogic.com)

Recently, two moms of teens told me they wish they had been less wordy with their kids when they were little, because now the kids debate everything. If, ten years ago, they had just said, “No hitting” rather than, “That behavior is unacceptable in this house, because hands are for clapping and hugging, not hitting,” then today their teens would not be trying to filibuster every parental request. Hmm … I don’t know about that.

Personally, this concept of “fewer words” is so contrary to the way I do things. For one thing, my kids are little, so I’m constantly saying, “Use your words,” because that beats tantrums and screaming as a form of communication. For another thing, I’m a talker. I was even awarded “Most Talkative” in seventh grade — which I took great pride in, because I was very shy until I hit 6. And guess what my favorite band was in the early ’80s? Talk Talk. (True!) .

Continue Reading at momlogic.com…

(from Mom Culture’s Metro magazine blog)

“Slammin’ Words”

The spoken-word Olympics, the National Poetry Slam, is going on right now through August 7 in St. Paul! The best slam poets (slammers? sloets?) in the nation will pour their hearts out through this captivating performance art.

I love words, but do not fancy myself a poet. Inspired, though, by the Poetry Slam–along with the concept that there’s really no right or wrong in art–I offer up a variety of poems using motherhood as my muse. My own attempt at Slam Poetry appears as the last poem. Enjoy…?

Ode to Mac ‘n Cheese:

You were so special
A magical orange concoction of oozing cheese and lovely noodles.
Back then, you only came in elbow shapes.
I think your sauce was thicker.
My parents rarely fed you to me, maybe when they had to meet friends early
So you became a delicacy…and I wished for many early nights out.
But that was then.
Now you show up frequently…too frequently.
You come in about 63 different shapes, though the character shapes are always impossible to make out after they are cooked.
So often you are left uneaten in the bowl and then you start to look sad.
Congealed and cold and maybe a darker shade of orange (weird.)
But you are so easy and fast, I cannot abandon you.

...Continue reading more original (and silly! ok, one serious) poems at Metro magazine

(my post for Mom Logic)

Sometimes my well-being rests in the hands of a 20-year-old college student. Crazy, right? I didn’t even want my well-being resting in the hands of a 20-year-old college student when I was a 20-year-old college student!

But this is how it is when you have kids: The least-expensive route to having those much-needed dates with your partner is to hire a college student. And why not? My husband and I almost always go out after the kids are in bed, so essentially the sitter’s main job is to watch television — which, in all likelihood, she’s pretty practiced at. It’s the easiest beer money she can ever earn.

Apparently, though, getting paid to sit on the sofa and flip through magazines was not enticing enough last week, because our sitter stood us up. Maybe a better offer came along … somebody offered her diamonds to eat chocolate cake, perhaps?

Part of the problem is that, when you’re a 20-year-old college student, you…CONTINUE READING AT MOMLOGIC.COM

the work of gino hollander and drew beson frames the work of sushi chefs

I always love a chance to get together with The Blog Pantry posse of fellow bloggers – getting out from behind the screen is a necessity.

This month we gathered at James Rutherford’s new Kirkland Gallery, a gorgeous space on the street level at 6th & Marquette in downtown Minneapolis. James’ inaugural exhibition includes the work of the Los Angeles-based Gino Hollander, Gino’s granddaughter Siri Hollander, Drew Beson of Minneapolis, Norman Korpi of Los Angeles (who was on the first season of MTV’s The Real World – back when I was still the demographic for MTV…sigh)…and a room of art from 3 and 4 year olds. True.

kirkland gallery kid art room

I was honored that James asked me to curate the kids’ art room. What I loved about putting this together is being able to show the purest form of creating in the subconscious – kids naturally live in that clear, present space, but as adults we work hard at attaining even a few moments of such bliss. Like young children, I think that many artists have the ability to access this place where creativity flows unobstructed by worries and to-do lists.

So back to last night’s event – Kitchen Pantry Scientist (Liz), one of the founders of The Blog Pantry, brought sushi from Whole Foods which was extra delicious because it uses sustainable seafood, as well as BakeMeAWish.com cakes – more than just dreamy, these cakes have a cause. For instance, when you order a Freedom cake the company sends one to a soldier overseas, as well.

Fun company and tasty treats in a setting of wonderful artwork capped off by a gorgeous pink evening sky as I walked home. It was a good night.

(from the Mom Culture blog for Metro magazine)

It’s the closest thing I’ll come to having a garage. Actually, I have a garage in my apartment building that I like very much; it’s heated and keeps me dry during rainstorms. But I’m talking about a garage with a door that opens up to reveal an array of toys, balls and board games (Twister, anyone?!).

My newfound “garage” lives at the Walker Art Center’s Open Field. It’s a wooden tool shed that holds many great surprises inside.

I know the Walker probably designed Open Field for everyone (probably), but through my myopic parenting eyes it seems to have been conjured up as a special summer gift to those of us with kids. Open Field is like a library – except instead of books, there are toys to borrow (for use on-site only.) Communal playing: it’s not just for jam band shows anymore!

The “garage” holds a variety of things to play with, so it is especially perfect for little kids who tend to have the attention span of a fly when surrounded by new toys. I really love watching little kids have access to free play because choice is not something they have a lot of in life. Sure, we pretend to give choices (e.g., “Do you want the fish sticks or the noodles?”). But in truth, kids don’t have much say in most matters, so free play and lots of options are the holy grail of childhood.

As I was watching my 2 year old play, I had fun imagining what it was like inside his head while he played at the Walker’s Open Field. Maybe something like this: (CONTINUE READING AT METROMAG.COM…)