Catching up

So much happens in two weeks around here: a twinkle, twinkle nursery transformed into a pimpin' Steelers pad; a registered 2009-2010 kindergartner amongst us; and yet another saga in the potty chronicles.

Now that everyone and everything is up and running again, we've got lots of catching up to do. Sooner or later we'll get to it all, but first ...

The world must be wondering what tunes we're singing and dancing to. After all, Taylor Swift was a hit in this house long before she became country music's best-selling artist of 2008, and our quartet was singing Sugarland's "All I Want to Do" before the song's album hit the top of Billboard's top current albums chart. I'm convinced there's something to these eight tiny ears.

So what's hot now? Actually, it's what has been a hit for a bit ... the Zac Brown Band and the group's first album, "Foundation."

We listen to the CD almost daily and Trace can't hear the "Chicken Fried" track without saying, "more, more" upon its completion. After three or four "more, more"s, he gets cut off and we move along with our listening. And each time we're in the car and the song comes on the radio, Alivia can be heard belting out "a cold beer on Friday night" from the backseat.

The entire CD gets not only play time, but listen time amongst our reviewers. There's "Toes," which is reminiscent of Aunt Mandy and her beach excursions with toes in the water and ass in the sand; there's "Whatever It Is" which Alena puts her stamp of approval on; and there's "A Different Kind of Fine" that could quite possibly sum up Alysse in future years.

The music gets little booties shaking, and the songwriting is to be admired. Who can't appreciate lyrics that include "Ain't it funny how it's the little things in life that mean the most?"

Kudos to the Zac Brown Band for making an album all six of us enjoy, encompassing vast differences in tastes and opinions. Love it.