"Where words fail, music speaks."

I've written many top 5 posts about the music that Opeie has been listening to over the years. This morning is quite a big milestone on his journey in to musical preference. His number 1 song (which has been the same for a long time) has today been knocked off its pedestal. It seems that Jailbreak by Thin Lizzy is no longer the song that has been putting the biggest smile on his face. I'm sure Phil Lynott would be gutted at the thought of our mini air guitarist devoting more of his attention to a new track but sadly thems the breaks! What song has hit the top spot I bet you are thinking!! That, I will reveal shortly.

The shattering news got me thinking about Opeie's eclectic taste and I realised I had not yet written about the fact he now has an iPod with his own personal soundtrack on, which goes most places with us. Opeie loves popping his headphones in and going in to his own little musical world and I think it is so important to embrace that. Music is a big thing in our house, we all favour it over screen time and it is something that brought me and Mrs M together when we first met.

 It is so interesting to be a part of Opeie's new found love and watching him enjoying certain songs and artists really is awesome. Although there are some recent songs on his play list he definitely seems to favour the 70s and 80s tracks in his collection. The more he listens to the songs the more confident he gets singing a long. the Rupert Holmes classic is no longer "If you like being a Koala and getting caught in the rain" (which honestly, I am a little sad about). Some of my fondest memories during my own childhood were because of the music my parents listened too. I remember many car journeys with my dad listening to Thin Lizzy, Steve Vai and Judas priest and I love being able to pass that love of a great song down to my own musical enthusiasts.

Seth had never really shown much interest in specific songs (apart from intergalactic by the Beastie boys), but his little brothers new found hobby has also go Seth paying more attention to what is playing the car and around the house. Myself and Mrs M listen to such a broad spectrum of music I like to think that the boys have got access to a huge variety of great material.

I know the suspense must be driving you crazy so here's Opeie's new number 1! Drum roll please....

 

 It seems that in less than 24 hours (when I started the post), the top spot has been taken again, So It seems only right to leave you with tonights updated No 1.

"But you made a mistake, Robin. It's not easy you know. They've got the power, they've got the weapons. All we've got is a Raster, a Wally and a Bearded Avocado."

I love being able to arrange play dates with our friends throughout the week and we had a blast adventuring around some woodland we'd never been to before with our buddies Emma and Matthew. It was baking hot and we were desperate to get out and do some investigating so we arranged to meet around lunch time for a picnic in the woods and some good old fashioned rambling. I love living in Shropshire we are surrounded by beautiful greenery, some of it right on our doorstep.

The boys were full on entertainment from the get go and using what they could find on the forest floor they quickly formed a high intensity Rock band. First head banging with their stick guitars before grabbing a large piece of bark for a keyboard/mixing desk and smaller sticks for drumming. Opeie's favourite song is Thin Lizzy - Jailbreak and Matthews is Def Leppard - Pour some sugar on me. So as you can imagine being such hardcore rockers they were quite the super group. Matthew even played with one arm behind his back for an authentic Def Leppard feel.

The first thing I had spotted when we had arrived (apart from Emma and Matthew of course) was a rope swing and I was itching for a go. It was two steep a drop for the boys to go on so being the very grown up, safety conscious adult that I am I offered to go on so they could experience it through me haha. Couldn't get Emma on though, maybe next time.

The boys quickly changed from the Rock and roll lifestyle and became a pair of pirate hunters, naturally that meant I became a nasty pirate/human piñata ripe for a good stick beating. Emma was desperately trying to be a princess but was told 'no mommy YOU ARE NOT a princess!!' Harsh!!!

The story unravelled and after being made to walk the plank  and be repeatedly hit with twigs the boys explained that maid Marion had been captured and they had to find her and marry her. As lovely as that sounds it sparked a bit of a woodland dispute over who was actually going to take her hand, serious stuff!

Emma pointed out that i look like "Harry Potter gone rogue!"

The Ercall is steep and there were a few moments where I was sure someone was going down on their bum. I say 'someone' but I actually mean myself, I'm such a clumsy bugger and wearing a pair of grip less boat shoes probably wasn't the best move.

Emma had bought some books along for our adventure so we found a safe spot high up to sit down and listen to some lovely stories...

We've met some great people over the last few years and I feel so lucky to be surrounded by other parents that have similar views to the way me and Mrs M parent the boys. As the boys swung their sticks around and played, me and Emma talked about all those pressing parenting issues, household roles, co-sleeping and breastfeeding it was great to be chatting to another parent on the same page.

We eventually found maid Marian which started some bickering between the boys about over who was going to be taking her down the aisle until a very diplomatic Emma jumped in and explained that maid Marion actually had a sister 'maid Mary Anne'. Order had been restored (well after they had decide who was taking the blonde and who was taking the brunette anyway! kids!!).

"See the boys and me mean business Bustin' out dead or alive"

It has been a while since I have written a post about the music that is keeping Opeie entertained. He still surprises me daily with his eclectic taste. It makes me so proud as music is a big thing with me and Mrs M and the songs we love shaped the first few months of our relationship. I usually pick songs from 5 bands that we have been listening to but the last few weeks have been dominated by one band, and one of my own personal favourites at that.

When I was a young boy, I remember many car journeys with my dad listening to Thin Lizzy. Their songs were etched permanently in my head. Sadly i no longer have a relationship with my dad, and these distant times are some of the few good memories that I have left. Despite the negative feelings, it is still nice to have these musical encounters come full circle. Thankfully my relationship with Opeie is completely different to the one I had with my own dad and my view of parenting has me putting him first with everything I do.

Anyway back to Opeie's top 5, starting with Jailbreak, the Thin Lizzy song that Opeie can be found screaming to while pretending to play the guitar, a true Rock star in the making.

Opeie has a strange love of Shakespeare (well as much as a toddler could anyway), bizarre for a three-year-old I know but i will fully embrace anything he is interested in. When he first heard Romeo and the lonely girl he picked up on the character name in the song, and the track became a firm favourite...

Its not all about the epic guitar solo's and instrument thrashing, like his dad he is a sucker for the more mushy songs including running back and Southbound. He really does get in to his music its so cute.

And of course Opeie's top five wouldn't be the same without 'The boys are back in town'. Which is also Seth's favourite Thin Lizzy song. Opeie soaks up any music I introduce him to and he knows what he likes which is great. I will continue to send great music his way and who knows one day i might even be listening to his albums, Rock on!