Music Products We Have Loved

I Know This List Will Be A Work In Progress.....

Singing with Isaac!

Before Isaac was born, Noah and I went through this book and put tab post-it notes on 31 different lullabies in both Spanish and English (and one in French) that we chose to be 'Isaac's lullabies'. Most nights before we fell asleep while I was still pregnant, we would sing through all 31 of them. We haven't sung through them all in a set since he was born, but these are or go-to lullabies and all that practice we did before he was born has paid off in our hopes to learn these songs ourselves.

The Book of Lullabies Compiled by John M. Feierabend

Another John M. Feierabend book we have used religiously (literally) is the Book of Church Songs and Spirituals. I used this book when I taught music at Westminster Christian Academy, and still use it for Kindercamp and Kinderchoir at First Baptist Church in Huntsville, and with Isaac everyday. These are the songs I grew up singing, my Mom grew up singing, and we want to pass on to the next generation.

The Book of Church Songs and Spirituals by John M. Feierabend and Madeline Bridges

I've been compiling fun, folk songs from many, many resources for several years now that I've used in classroom settings, camp settings, and church settings. We sing these songs everyday with Isaac, in the car, during meal times, while we're playing or cuddling, when changing his diaper, or getting him dressed. Here are just some links to a few good books filled with songs.

150 Folk Songs to Sing, Read, and Play

First Steps in Music for Preschool and Beyond

Sing Together Children

Listening with Isaac!


One of the best gifts we received shortly after Isaac was born was a Baby Einstein turtle that lit up and and played music. I was little overwhelmed when we first brought Isaac home because I had no idea how to get him to interact with his surroundings, but one of the first things I could get him to watch and focus on was this turtle. In later months, he learned to press the buttons and play with the turtle himself.

Baby Einstein Baby Neptune Ocean Orchestra Musical Toy

Isaac loved the turtle so much, we bought him what we have affectionately called his ipod because we felt it was a more portable version of the turtle. When he gets into a crying fit in the car, this is one of the fail-safe ways to calm him down.

Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes

We need to do a better job of listening to children's music on long car rides. Though we haven't done a whole lot of listening, I love the style and voice of Jill Trinka who sings only with an auto harp, dulcimer, or guitar accompaniment. This c.d. is full of children's folk music.

There's a Hole in My Bucket

I wish, wish, wish, there was a c.d. of The Book of Church Songs and Spirituals...but there isn't. I found this c.d. at Wal-Mart and we bought it for Isaac. This is the c.d. we have in his c.d. player in his room that we play for him while he's playing, getting dressed, or going to sleep. There are probably better c.d.s out there and I'll be sure to look out for them when browsing at the Christian Book Store.

Little People Sunday School Sing-Along

Playing with Isaac!


Making noise and experimenting with sound is very fun for our 8 month old Isaac. He especially loves drums. Though anything has the potential to be a drum to an 8 month old, playing with real drums is a real treat! This is the drum that Isaac can play because his Marmee has a great selection of drums as an elementary music teacher. Though it's really expensive, there are great smaller and less expensive drums I know he would enjoy too!

Remo Kid's Percussion Rain Forest Gathering Drum

Isaac has really enjoyed shakers as well! Sometimes they are more fun to chew on than actually shake but he definitely has fun!

Gymboree Shape Shakers

Kindermusik Animal Shakers

Isaac's Marmee has a real baby grand piano which is a lot of fun to play! But when we're at home and there is no baby grand, we play our Little Tike's Tap-A-Tune. Isaac's Tap-A-Tune is the old, old version, and not the one they sell in stores today.

Little Tike's Tap-A-Tune Piano (Vintage Version)

I know I'll be adding, and adding to this list in the many months and years to come!

The Facebook Over-Sharer?

Facebook is a completely different place now than it was when I first joined back in March of 2005. I remember so well when Samford students were finally able to join and we all jumped on the band wagon and feverishly began 'friending' one another. It has changed and grown so much since then, with the addition of status updates, pictures, groups, notifications, mini-feeds, comments, and of course the ever popular 'like' button. Back in 2005 it was only for college students who had a college email, but they slowly included more and more groups of people, and now anyone over the age of 13 can have an account. It is no longer just a college thing and hey, those of us who joined back then aren't even in college anymore. What amazes me constantly is how everyone has such varying opinions about what facebook rules should be. What is the correct facebook etiquette? What do people expect from their facebook friends? I think most people have rules that they follow for themselves, but they expect others to follow as well, but are these rules universal?

I admit it, I am a huge facebook addict; I check my facebook account multiple times a day, read all the news in my news-feed and update my profile, status, and pictures regularly, and as of two years ago, I even have facebook on my phone. I have been a facebook addict since 2005. When I got engaged on October 22, 2005 I changed my profile picture to a picture of my new engagement ring (there were no photo albums back then, the profile picture was the only way to upload a picture, there was no 'engaged' relationship status, and also there were no status updates). My friends wrote on my wall and I felt loved and grateful. When facebook added the photo albums (a limit of 60 pictures in one album) I created all sorts of albums and uploaded pictures of my college friends, our Delta Omicron events, my friends' weddings, family holidays, and Noah and me. When they introduced the status update it included the word 'is' For instance: Katie Hoppe is at the library, Katie Hoppe is at the mall. I remember trying to come up with all sorts of creative ways of expressing myself while still remaining grammatically correct within the construct of Katie Hoppe is.... I enjoy facebook, love reading other people's updates, and love making updates of my own, but I realize that not everyone shares this love and I wonder how much is too much and what is our responsibility to be sensitive to others. 

Facebook can be a miserable place though for many people at different times in their life. Though I've always loved facebook, it was a really hard place for me to visit when I was struggling with infertility for three years. It seemed that everyday, someone else was announcing their pregnancy, posting pictures of their baby or ultrasound, or updating their status about their pregnancy or child. I was constantly fighting feelings of jealousy, bitterness, and a deep sadness. At one point I deactivated my facebook for about a week, and at another time, I hid everyone who had children from my 'news feed.'  Although, it isn't just updates about children that can be upsetting, but updates about engagements, marriages, jobs, trips, houses, and other purchases that cause others pain. Is there such a thing as 'over sharing'? Can you update too much? Are there things that we should and should not share on facebook?

I had one friend who did not update her facebook when she got her first job after a year of being a substitute teacher because she knew that there were others out there still struggling to find work and she wanted to be sensitive to them because she remembered what it was like when she was reading constant updates about new jobs when she had been looking and interviewing. I recently had another friend post that she does not put 'belly pictures' up on her facebook, because she remembers how affected she had been by seeing those constant pictures when she was struggling with infertility. This hits me hard. As I mentioned previously, I love updating my facebook but I don't want to hurt anyone. Am I wrong for being such a constant updater on facebook?

I don't have an answer. I am sure many people have firm but varying opinions on this topic and there is no Emily Post book we can consult for facebook etiquette. Everyone has different levels of comfort about sharing their joys and sorrows and everyone has different levels of facebook involvement. Is there such a thing as over sharing on facebook? Where do we draw the line between sharing and over sharing? 

From March 2011-November 2011, I put up 43 posts about or related to pregnancy and updated my profile picture 9 times with belly pictures. 

From November 2011-July 2012, I have posted 69 times either about my baby or mentioning my baby, have updated 7 photo albums 60 times that have pictures of my baby in them, and have updated my profile picture 9 times with a picture of a baby. 

I tried hard to not fall in this trap, but here's my honest truth:

1. I love pictures. I take pictures constantly. I love scrapbooking, organizing pictures, framing pictures, and even posting pictures. 2. I love my son. As hard as it was for me before I had him, I am even more so overjoyed that he is here now. I have considered the idea of creating another facebook account for Isaac, where I would post updates about him and pictures of him there, that way only people who wanted these updates and pictures of him would see them. I will still think this idea over further.

I try my best everyday to never be condescending to anyone, to be sensitive the needs and feelings of others, and respect everyone's current place in life whether by choice or not. I would never and have certainly never meant to assert that my life is more blessed, busier, or more filled than anyone else's. I realize though, I am not perfect, I make mistakes everyday and I am really sorry if I have ever caused anyone pain. . I have been pondering this query of how much to share since March of 2011 and am no closer to an answer. I have enjoyed the community of facebook with sharing and swapping stories, laughs, and advice but acknowledge the possible negative side effects. I guess all I can do is continue to observe the world around me, try to be as attuned as possible, and try to find a good balance.