Songs For Adoption (Updated)

I first posted a list of songs for adoption about four years ago. Without going into great detail (if you want more, read the original list), adoption has been a part of our how family has grown, and for that I'm grateful.

This Saturday, November 20, 2010, families across the United States will celebrate National Adoption Day. Everyone's adoption journey is a little bit different, so trying to come up with a list of adoption songs is difficult work. Still, here's a short list, which I've generally tried to restrict to very adoption-specific songs. I'm sure there's more that's crossed my desk over the past four years, so if I've missed any, please let me know in the comments.

"Happy Adoption Day," by John McCutheon (off his Family Garden CD or his Supper's on the Table... best-of)
"From God's Arms to My Arms to Yours," by Michael McLean
"The Red Thread," by Lucy Kaplansky, off the album of this same name
"Cartwheels and Somersaults," by Justin Roberts, off Meltdown! -- OK, this isn't really about adoption, but it is all about the joy of adding another child to a family and it spoke to our family's situation wonderfully.
"Not Alone', by John Carlin from his CD First Time For Everything
"When Love Takes You In," by Steven Curtis Chapman off Declaration
"Once Upon a Time," by Miss Lynn off her forthcoming album Something New (and download the song for free here) -- those of you with a Guatamalan adoption experience should check it out, especially...

Songs For Playgrounds

I know that with Labor Day coming up and schools back in session, many areas of the country may see a decrease their use of playgrounds, but in the desert climates of Arizona, Labor Day means that the first month of school is in the books and it's possible to use playgrounds after 9:30 in the morning. So playground usage actually goes up 'round here.

In honor of this fact, and celebrating playgrounds generally, here's a list of playground and play-inspired songs. Or songs from play-inspired albums. Or songs from albums with "playground" in the name (excluding Putumayo Kids).

And while you're at it, why don't you visit my playground blog?

Humungous Tree - Barenaked Ladies (Snack Time!)
Multiplication Treehouse - Duplex (Ablum)
Jungle Gym - Jack Johnson Feat. G. Love (Sing-A-Longs & Lullabies For The Film Curious George)
Sign My Cast - Justin Roberts (Jungle Gym)
Hopping And Sliding - Music Together (Bells)
Water Balloon - The Okee Dokee Brothers (Take It Outside)
My Trampoline - Peter Himmelman (My Trampoline)
How Fast Can You Run? - The Quiet Two (Make Some Noise)
Playground - Ralph Covert (The Amazing Adventures Of Kid Astro)
Treehouse Orchestra - Ralph Covert (The Amazing Adventures Of Kid Astro)
The Great Outdoors - Ralph's World (All Around Ralph's World)
Swingset - Ralph's World (Green Gorilla, Monster & Me)
Ice Pack - Recess Monkey (Field Trip)
The Sandbox Song - Recess Monkey (Tabby Road)
Playground - Rocknoceros (Pink!)
Playground!!! - Roy Handy & the Moonshot ((I'm Gonna Be) Your Best Friend)
Little Sally Walker - Suni Paz (Songs For The Playground)
Playground - The Terrible Twos (Jerzy The Giant)
Ooh La! Ooh La! - They Might Be Giants (Here Come the 123s!)
The Bare Necessities - Tony Bennett (The Playground)

Songs For Moms (Updated, With Feeling!)

It's Mothers' Day Sunday? OK, so this is a bit late for burning a CD and mailing. Perhaps your mom can handle a zipped file (or iTunes gift card). For some reason I skipped this last year, so I've got 2 years of songs to add to my last list.

Here's a list of songs for mothers or songs about mothers, in no particular order. I've avoided lullabies (songs by moms, typically), as well as songs about general parentual units, or songs about moms and dads.

If a song isn't on the list, it's because of one of the three "O"s: Oversight (I knew about the song and just forgot), Omission (I knew about the song and chose to exclude it), or Obtuseness (I didn't know about the song at all). I expect the third category to be fairly large -- it is every year -- so feel free to add your suggestions in the comments section. List after the jump...
"Mama Don't Allow" -- numerous versions; try Brady Rymer's version off of Every Day Is a Birthday
"Mama Hug" -- Brady Rymer, Every Day Is a Birthday
"Mama Is Sad" -- Justin Roberts, Yellow Bus (it's a song about divorce, so I'm guessing it's not gonna go on too many mix tapes)
"Five Little Ducks" -- try version on the Old Town School of Folk Music's Songs For Wiggleworms
"Thank You Mommy" -- The RTTs, Turn It Up Mommy!
"The Coffee Song" -- Ralph's World, At the Bottom of the Sea (not really about moms specifically, but it was the first song that came to my wife's mind when I mentioned the topic of the post)
"Hush Little Baby" -- try version on the Old Town School of Folk Music's Wiggleworms Love You, though it's just as often that Dad is the person buying baby that billy goat
"Mother and I" -- Bill Thomas (and a Circle of Friends), Time Can Be So Magic
"Hope My Mama Says YES!" -- AudraRox, I Can Do It By Myself (more about the kid than the mom, but that's what Mother's Day sometimes ends up being, no?)
"Mommy She Loves Me" -- Ginger Hendrix, Macaroni Boy Eats at Chez Shooby Doo
"Nerves" -- Terri Hendrix, Celebrate the Difference (not really celebratory, but the recipient mom will nod her head in understanding, then ask you to get her a beer)
"A Dozen Roses" and "I Made It For You" -- Peter Himmelman, both off My Green Kite
"From Scratch" -- Justin Roberts, from Pop Fly
"Sleepyhead Mommy" -- Frances England, from Family Tree
"Multi' Taskin' Mama" -- Funky Mama, from Moo Juice
"Meltdown" -- Justin Roberts, from Meltdown! (A reader: "Like "Nerves," not celebratory, but a song every mom can relate to. Pass me another beer.)
"Kiss Ya Mommy" -- Ralph & Ralph (single)
"Mama Loves You" -- Solange Knowles (from Yo Gabba Gabba!)
"Two Mommies" -- Alastair Moock, from A Cow Says Moock (though this is more a family song)
"Mommy" - Supernova (Greasy Kid Stuff 2)
"Mama's Pajamas" - Mommie (Mommie's Dearest)
"Stacy's Mom" - Fountains of Wayne (Welcome Interstate Managers -- just kidding!)
"I Want My Mommy" - Imagination Movers (Juice Box Heroes)
"If Mama Had Four Hands" - Sarah Lee Guthrie (Go Waggaloo)
"Mama Loves You" - Earthworm Ensemble (Earthworm Ensembler)
"Mama Said No" - Dean Jones (Rock Paper Scissors)
"Never Getting Lost" - Justin Roberts (from the forthcoming Jungle Gym, though it's really about the comfort of moms)
"All of Us" -- The Jellydots (Jelly Jukebox)
"Always Mom" -- The Hipwaders (Goodie Bag)
"Happy Mother's Day" -- The Harmonica Pocket

Songs For Graduation

A reader wrote me recently asking for suggestions for a mix CD to be played during a kindergarten graduation slideshow. (Yes, she noted that a kindergarten graduation ceremony was a little odd -- neither of us had one that's for sure.) Did I have anything that conveyed a feeling of a rite of passage? If some of the songs caused a tear or two to well up, so much the better.

While I didn't have a readymade list, I pulled out a mix CD I made for Miss Mary Mack and found some songs that I thought would work well in such a setting. I've added a couple more to the list, and what you see below is the result.

As always, I look forward to your suggestions on expanding this list. In no particular order, they are...

"Barking at the Moon" - Jenny Lewis (Bolt soundtrack)
"Luck" - Secret Agent 23 Skidoo (Easy)
"Happy Doesn't Have To Have An Ending" - They Might Be Giants (Bed Bed Bed)
"See You on the Moon" - Great Lake Swimmers (See You on the Moon! compilation)
"Giant Sized Butterflies" - Justin Roberts (Pop Fly, more appropriate for the first day of the school than the last, so I guess it'll come at the beginning of the slide show)
"Birdhouse in Your Soul" - They Might Be Giants (Flood)
"Who Are You Not to Shine" - The Nields (Rock All Day, Rock All Night)
"Jubilee" - Elizabeth Mitchell (You Are My Sunshine)
"Fruit Jar" - Justin Roberts (Pop Fly)
"Educated Kid" - The Hipwaders (Educated Kid)
"Anna Kick a Hole in the Sky" - The Nields (All Around Singing in the Kitchen)
"It's a Big World" - Renee & Jeremy (It's a Big World -- actually a lot of this disk is probably appropriate, especially in the "making the parents cry" category...)

Radio Playlist: Kindiegarten - Alphabet

I'm starting to do a better job updating the Zooglobble Radio station -- eventually I'll be updating the station's playlist (or a portion thereof) every week or so. This week's update is the first in a regular series called "Kindiegarten" -- songs about an ostensibly teachable subject, but selected mostly for their tunefulness. The debut playlist features songs about the alphabet, though that definition is stretched a bit to include a few songs that just happen to spell words out and a few songs about books. Yeah, homeschools and preschools should probably use this as music to play during the breaks in their learning.

By the way, you can see when particular programs air by perusing the station schedule here. This particular playlist airs in the morning for an hour, but the songs are also scattered throughout the day.

Playlist: Kindiegarten - Alphabet
Animal Alphabet Song - Alan Mills (Smithsonian Folkways Children's Music Collection)
Crazy ABCs - Barenaked Ladies (Snack Time!)
S-N-O-W-M-A-N (Snowman!) - Billy Kelly (Thank You For Joining the Happy Club)
Alphabet! - The Biscuit Brothers (Family Favorites)
Alligators All Around - Carole King (Really Rosie)
Let The S Go - Caspar Babypants (Here I Am!)
Alphabet Dub - Elizabeth Mitchell (You Are My Sunshine)
ABC's - Ella Jenkins (Smithsonian Folkways Children's Music Collection)
The Book I Like To Read - Frances England (Fascinating Creatures)
My Dog Has Fleas - Heidi Swedberg and the Sukey Jump Band (Play!)
A Counting Error - John Upchurch and Mark Greenberg (John And Mark's Children's Record)
Favorite Names - Key Wilde & Mr. Clarke (Rise And Shine)
ABCD Medley - Laurie Berkner (Whaddaya Think Of That?)
I Love My Library - Lunch Money (Dizzy)
Don't Look, I'm Making A Book - Monty Harper & Mr. Billy (Let's Get Creative)
Dictionary - Muckafurgason (Greasy Kid Stuff 2 - More Songs From Inside The Radio)
Bingo - Neil Bartoleit (Wiggleworms Love You)
ABC - The Nields (Rock All Day, Rock All Night)
L-U-C-K-Y - Opus Ditty And The Hoedown Gang (Let's Go Fishing)
ABC's - Ralph Covert (Ralph's World)
Apples & Bananas - Susie Tallman, Peter Maslen, Mark O'Connor (Children's Songs, A Collection of Childhood Favorites)
Consonants - The Terrible Twos (Jerzy The Giant)
Z Y X - They Might Be Giants (Here Come The ABCs)
B.A.T.H - We Are The Not Its (We Are The Not Its)
ABC - Ziggy Marley (Family Time)

Due to internet radio broadcast restrictions, songs are broadcast randomly and displayed her in (iTunes-based) alphabetical order.