May 16, 2013  |  5:38am

electradaddy replied to your video: Not everyone will appreciate this, but these kids…
I thought it was cool.
So did I, but I got some “huh?” responses from people i originally shared it with.
Musical heathens, I guess.

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Filed under: music heathen video
May 14, 2013  |  3:55pm

Not everyone will appreciate this, but these kids have rhythm. I shared Khaliyl’s original video in 2011, when he was 2 years old.

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February 17, 2013  |  8:30am
Songs of the Boy, Part 9

It’s been awhile, but here are some more lines from Luke’s improvised singing:

  • If you hit my anger button / You’re gonna be sorry sorry SORRY!
  • There are butts in the air / There are butts on the ground / There are butts in the ocean / There are butts all around / There are butts butts butts butts BUUUUUUUUUTTS!
  • You got more rocks in your head / Than I have in my rock collection / And I think you’re stuck.
  • Don’t flush the chicken down the toilet / Unless Dad has the plunger ready.

Various past lyrics:

  1. From Luke: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8.
  2. From Beth, see 1, 2, and this Thanksgiving thing.
  3. Also this.

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Filed under: songs singing lyrics music improv improvised improvisation vocal kids child children childhood boys dads fathers fathering fatherhood parents parenting parenthood anger butts chicken toilet rocks
December 13, 2012  |  8:30am
Songs of the Boy, Part 8

More lines from Luke’s improvised singing:

  • Welcome to the Buttcheek Rodeo / Hang on and watch out!
  • Polly ain’t getting a waffle from Daddy today!
  • A billion barnacle buckteeth can’t be wrong.
  • Once when I was a child / There was poop on the ceiling.

Past lyrics from Luke: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7.

For songs from Beth, see 1, 2, and this Thanksgiving thing.

Also, inexplicably, this.

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November 17, 2012  |  9:00am
Thanksgiving and the Sky Song
Beth: [age 4] "For Thanksgiving, we're going to put on a show."
Me: "We are?"
Beth: "Yes! We're going to build a stage outside. A real stage with real curtains. Then the curtains will open and Luke will sing a song while I dance."
Me: "I had no idea. What song is he going to sing?"
Beth: "It's a new song. We have to write it. Here is a piece of paper and a pencil. You start writing."
Me: "But what should it be about?"
Beth: "It should be about the sky. Call it 'The Sky Song.'"
Me: [writes that down] "Okay. So, what are the words?"
Beth: "Here is what I like about the sky..."
---
I like the sun in the sky.
I like the clouds in the sky.
I like the stars in the sky.
I like the moon in the sky.
I like how the sun and the moon are bright.
I like how the sun and the moon are bright.
I like the birds flying in the sky,
Especially the birds flying in the sky,
Because they can fly whenever they want to.
I don't like rain that makes us all soaked and yucky.
But I do like snow that I can pack into icepacks and throw.
---
Beth: "Now, you go write the song. Don't come back until you are done!"
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Filed under: song music songs lyrics words dancing stage dance show curtains boys girls siblings child children childhood dads thanksgiving holiday november fathers fathering fatherhood celebration parenting parenthood parents play
October 18, 2012  |  4:33am

SEA JELLIES: original video from Andimthedad.com

This past summer, on a visit to Boston, we took in the jellies exhibit at the New England Aquarium. Beth, age 4, didn’t really care about them — she was more into the penguins — but Luke, age 8, was totally enamored.  He especially liked the small phosphorescent “sea walnuts.” He grabbed my iPhone and started taking photos and videos.

In order of appearance, the types of jellies in this video are:

  • Leidy’s comb jelly (“sea walnuts”)
  • European moon jelly
  • Pacific sea nettle
  • Australian spotted jelly
  • Atlantic sea nettle
  • Leidy’s comb jelly (again)
  • European moon jelly (again)
  • Lagoon jelly

Luke was the camera man and/or director for most of these shots.  He also helped me picked out the clips to include from the ~40 minutes of footage.  I handled the final video edits and scored the music. The basic contours of the song had been floating around in my head for awhile and, in a fit of insomnia, I finally connected with some kind of sea jelly inspiration. I work with digital media professionally, and have written a lot of songs over the years, but this one is gratis: If anyone wants to use it for anything, the MP3 is up on Soundcloud for downloading under a Creative Commons license. You are free to share it and remix it, but please drop me a note by e-mail or Tumblr ask to let me know what you’ve done with it.

As with the prior And I’m the Dad nature videos on hummingbirds and bees (or that strange tutorial on bristlebots) this is one minute long. I have no explanation for the chosen length, other than that it is an easily digestible time, and that forcing a boundary keeps you focused on quality.

Would it be even cooler if these were live shots in the wild? Yes. Can I afford the money or time to take my kids on such a trip? Unfortunately no. Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy this.

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Filed under: Boston New England Aquarium animals aquarium biology boys child childhood children dads fatherhood fathering fathers fish jellyfish kids life massachusetts music nature neaq ocean parenthood parenting parents science sea songs tank video