Kids know hits.

Joey is 10 years old and interested in my music career. He likes to ask a lot of questions about my crazy fans and hecklers and give me advice about attracting people to my shows,  like: "You should bake cupcakes and give one to everyone who comes to see you." It's really hard to argue with that. People love cupcakes. 

The other day Joey asked me to give him a little preview of what I've been working on lately. I sang him a chorus of a new song, one that I'd written with a hit writer from Nashville. Joey really liked it. He said that it sounded like something you'd hear on the radio. He said it was a lot better than anything he'd heard on my CD. He said I should get busy and record that song. And if I've learned anything from this double life, it's this: Kids know hits. 

For example, I was driving recently with 4 year-old Lizzy. Taylor Swift's "Love Story" came on the radio and she had never heard it before, but urged me to turn it up. "Princesses, love, what is this?" she asked. And then we were at the library and I was trying to deal with the stroller and she was spinning in circles on the sidewalk singing "la la prince and la la princess, love story la la yes!!"

Mega #1 hit and she heard it and loved it immediately. So I'm gonna listen to the kids. They know hits. 

Shuffle and Share

Sally and I were playing songs for each other from our iPods today. Sally is 2 and her iPod was actually a calculator. It was full of hits like "Wheels on the Bus," "ABC song," and "Twinkle Widdle Dar." I played for her a little Earth, Wind and Fire, Jackson 5, and Loretta Lynn.

Then she played me an exclusive preview of the Dixie Chicks' brand new single. And I really wished we weren't pretending. I miss them.

I guess with 8 kids between them, the Chicks need a break. But when a new DC album does come out, I really hope it doesn't have "Wheels on the Bus" on it.

Sleeping like a baby

So I pulled my double babysitting shift, picked up my girlfriend Ellie, and made it to Boston in plenty of time to see the show. I did not have spit-up on my shirt. Actually little George soaked my thigh with a milky burp, and I didn't have a change of pants, but no one noticed.

The show was great, so much energy and big drums. Most of the crowd was college aged which made me feel old, but I had some nice conversations with the artists afterward, and left feeling inspired to write. Thanks to a big Dunkin' Donuts Iced Coffee and a stack full of new CDs, I stayed wide awake the whole drive home. I was actually too wired to sleep and made faces at myself in the mirror for a while, then about 2:30am I decided it was time to try to wind down in bed.

When I snuck under the covers, Ellie snuggled over close and flipped her leg over me, pinning my legs together down to the mattress. At first I was annoyed and uncomfortable. How would I toss and turn now? But then I started to calm down, really relax. I remembered how earlier that day baby George was trying in vain to fall asleep and I held him tight to my body. When he cried and tried to kick out or punch or arch his back, my arms were firm, keeping his limbs in place. And I felt that each time he tried to squirm, but met the resistance of my embrace, he relaxed a little. When he felt sure that I wouldn't drop him, that there was a stronger someone holding him safe, his wails turned to little murmurs and hums and he was sleeping like, well, a baby.

And then I was, too.