Music Review: Dreyer Family Band- Family Photograph

What do you get when you have one remarkably talented family, full of presumably sleep deprived and slap happy parents, adorable kids and a boatload of instruments and musicians?

The Dreyer Family Band.

I had the pleasure of reviewing their new CD called Family Photograph. The CD is a walk through the love drenched and wild extremes of parenting, with songs titled, Loud House, Mad, Cutie Baby, You Get What You Get (how many times do I feel this way?) and Boo-Hoo. You'll find plenty of jazzy songs, and these are groovin' for a living room dance party with your babes, like the songs Loud House and Mad. But what I really love is the down home bluegrassy and bongo jam music on this CD. My favorites are Big Green Tree, Peace and Love and Family Photograph. My girls love hearing the children sing throughout the album, and trying to figure out what they are saying. They especially love the silly picture on the album insert. I know they can listen to this CD as they get older and can more fully understand the words, too.

It's obvious that these parents are up to their eye balls in love for their kids, and it shows. Such sweet songs as The I Love you Song and Covers give voice to the unconditional, deep and profound love we feel for our children. And it sounds so darn lovely.

I also love the story of how the album was created. No big studio here. Only homegrown, family driven music. According to the The Dreyer Family Band website,

"Who Are We?

We are the Dreyer family. Twin brothers, Matt and Craig, married Annie and Cami - their collective kids are Mac age 11, Emmett age 8, Silas age 2, Finley almost 2.

What’s this music all about? Our family experiences! This is homegrown in the extreme. Recorded in 11 days over 2 family vacations, this music was made for us and is just too good not to share."

I'm so glad they did!

If you need a new CD in rotation and want an authentic family recording of lively and sweet music about parenting, life, and love, The Dreyer Family Band: Family Photograph is for you. You can buy it at CDbaby, or at Amazon.

Relax! Slow Parenting (Chill, or Even Free Range) on the Rise

Perhaps as a backlash to the micromanaged, overscheduled children of the past 10 years, many writers are sharing a new trend in parenting-- with many names, all entertaining, such as "idle"; "free-range" or "slow" parenting. Oh, yeah, do I like the sound of that.

According to this article Let the Kid Be from the New York Times, more and more parents are refusing to overschedule, hover, and worry about every move their child makes. You've probably read their blogs, late at night, when you are worrying about something, and they made you feel better. It's a bit like watching the Nanny show when you think your kids are poorly behaved, because by god, they are never that bad.

The truth of it is we all like to read about moms who admit moments of unglory and tedium in parenting. It makes us all feel normal, in the widely emotional journey of parenting, where extremes are the norm.

If this trend is a bounce away from the last generation, or a response to the economy is not clear. I think it's always been there, this reality of imperfection and toil, it's just that blogging has given many a new voice.

But back to the idea of doing less. I've often pondered all the things I could be doing with my children: music lessons, gymnastics lessons, violin lessons, soccer-- you name it. I see my friends doing some of these things with their kids and I wonder if I should too. And then we play for hours in the yard, or imaginary story lines take place all over my house on a rainy day. My gut says chill out. Life is short, and as soon as they start school, the pace will be forever altered. So live it now. Why do I sometime feel like I have to do something with them every second? The research is with the "chill" parenting style: wide swaths of creative play produce higher functioning, happier kids. Not that you need to worry about that: just pull up a lawn care, chill out and watch.


(originally published on Eco-Child's Play)

Green Mama Activism: Tell the EPA about Air Quality

Remember that post awhile back about how mercury rates are higher in areas where there are largely unregulated cement kilns?

Well, now is our chance to tell the EPA that we want better air quality for our families. If you live in Washington D.C., Dallas, or Los Angeles, you can attend an open EPA public hearings on their proposal to cut toxic air pollution from cement kilns.

Here's the skinny on cement kilns:

According to Earthjustice, "Cement kilns emit a range of pollutants in addition to mercury, including:
1) sulfur dioxide
2) particulate matter, a major contributor to asthma and other respiratory illnesses
3) total hydrocarbons, some of which are known carcinogens

EPA's proposal would cut emissions of these and other dangerous pollutants by more than 75%, a very good thing."

I agree. If you can't make it to the hearings, you can send your comments directly to the EPA, and learn more at the Earthjustice site.

The EPA needs to hear from us, because, again according to Earthjustice, "Though cement kilns aren't as well known as coal-fired power plants, the production of cement releases a range of toxic emissions comparable to the pollution from power plants. The cement industry has evaded regulation for decades, but the EPA is finally making efforts to clean up these polluters. It’s crucial that they hear from concerned citizens, because the cement industry will certainly be commenting on the regulations as well. EPA estimates the proposal will result in as many as 1,600 premature deaths avoided each year."

Let's speak up for cleaner air. We've got lots of ground (umm, and sky) to make up.

Green Mama Activism: Top Shoe Brands Deforesting the Amazon and Contributing to Global Warming

For an eye opening experience, watch this video about where the leather in many top brands of shoes comes from. According to Greenpeace,

"For the past three years, Greenpeace has been investigating the cattle industry in Brazil. Not only is the cattle industry the chief source of CO2 emissions in Brazil and also responsible for 80% of deforestation in the Amazon, it is also the largest single driver of deforestation anywhere in the world.

Our investigation exposed the Brazilian government’s complicity in bankrolling the companies responsible for deforestation in the Amazon, as well as several top name shoe brands – such as Adidas, Nike, Reebok, and Timberland – whose demand for leather may be supporting cattle ranchers that are illegally slaughtering the Amazon."

In ads these companies promote health, exercise, and enjoying nature, while contributing directly to global warming and rampant deforestation, two of the most critical (and interrelated) environmental problems of our time.

Take action to tell them they are a BIG part of the problem. What shoes are in your closet?


image: New Running Shoes by Somewhat Frank