October 3, 2007 @ 12:19 am | Filed under: Family
And part of it is the way the kids’ minds work, and how I marvel at it. Rose mentioned that she likes to listen to “music without words” when she is reading or painting. “You know the kind,” she said, “sort of soft and dangerous.”
Soft and dangerous. I kept turning the phrase over in my mind. It’s perfect; I know just what she means. I iChatted Scott, our music guru, to ask for CD suggestions. He fired back a list. (Or rather, John Stossel did. Don’t ask me why, but that’s my husband’s current IM avatar. I think I liked last week’s pirate hamster icon better.)
First I had to laugh for about ten minutes because John Stossel knows there is no way in tarnation I would voluntarily listen to Brian Eno. I know, musical genius and all that, but ambient music makes the fillings want to leap out of my teeth, and my eardrums shiver like aspen leaves.
When I finally stopped howling, I found the Shostakovich and put in on. This was at lunchtime; the girls were just sitting down to sandwiches. Rose listened to the opening notes of the symphony and said, “Yeah. That’s just what I meant.”
“I know what she means by ’soft and dangerous,’ Mom,” mused Jane. “To put it in math terms, I’d call it XYZ music. You know—it’s about variables.”
“Signing Time!” yelled Wonderboy.
“Do you like my mustache?” purred John Stossel.
I couldn’t answer. I was busy pouring milk for children who are soft, dangerous, and variable.
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How wonderful! This is the sort of day I dream of as I consider homeschooling my daughter who will be kindergarten age next year. She also enjoys “music without words” and often describes it as “dancey music”. Her favortie “dancey” pieces right now are Mozart’s Piano Concerto #23 and a CD of Tchaikovsky’s waltzes.
Posted on October 3rd, 2007 at 3:35 amJohn Stossel! ROTFLOL!!! Maybe your husband and mine were separated at birth (does he like “The Tick” cartoon, especially “that mustache feeling” episode)?
My guy has had a “Ed Harris and Potted Meat for president” campaign for the past 2 elections now.
Where do they come from and who are these small people they gave us?
Posted on October 3rd, 2007 at 4:38 amThanks for the laugh. Real life is good. Very good.
How very blessed we are.
Posted on October 3rd, 2007 at 6:07 amwhat a great insight. Children often see things that I am completely oblivious too. When do we lose that as adults? lol
Posted on October 3rd, 2007 at 6:14 amI love those kids. And your anti-John Stossel, too.
Posted on October 3rd, 2007 at 6:53 amToo funny, and I know just she means too! John Stossel never would I have dreamed that one LOL!!!
Posted on October 3rd, 2007 at 6:58 amI love this!!
Posted on October 3rd, 2007 at 9:31 amWould Mr. Stossel, I wonder, be willing to recommend some starter music for a baby? Stimulating but not too stimulating if you know what I mean?
Posted on October 3rd, 2007 at 10:32 amOh my goodness, thanks for the laugh! That was great!
Posted on October 3rd, 2007 at 6:26 pmyou gave me such a laugh with this post! I could barely follow what you were talking about, but found it all highly amusing anyway! My husband has a political person as his avatar- just because he is so *not* him, not going to mention who now…
gave me such a laugh, now I’m thinking of what off the wall/opposite me I can use as a avatar…
my kids call the Four seasons “butterfly music” for some reason.
thanks for the chuckles
Posted on October 3rd, 2007 at 9:12 pmThanks for the laugh, Lissa! It must be fun to chat with John Stossel!
Posted on October 4th, 2007 at 6:12 amLOL at John Stossel, that must have been disconcerting the first time
My kids love ‘music without words’. I find it highly amusing when they do some kind of head-banging dance to Tchaikovsky’s Russian Dance from The Nutcracker though 
Posted on October 4th, 2007 at 10:50 amJohn Stossel Is Unavailable for Comment | Melissa Wiley says:
[...] had a question for Mr. Stossel after yesterday’s post. Would Mr. Stossel, I wonder, be willing to recommend some starter music for a baby? Stimulating [...]
Posted on August 2nd, 2008 at 8:17 pmSaturday Miscellany | Melissa Wiley says:
[...] and I have taken geekdom to a whole new level lately by communicating via Twitter. John Stossel’s mustache is so jealous. Everyone else is probably grossed out. “For the lover of truth, discussion [...]
Posted on August 3rd, 2008 at 6:13 am