When our kids get tired they get hy.per. Slap-happy. Insane.
So, there are days that they come home from school acting like deranged, strung-out monkeys. And, in moments when my judgement has completely lapsed, I have let them set their lunacy to music. They like to play "dance party" music and bounce off of each other like teenagers in a mosh pit. This usually ends well, as you can imagine.
But, yesterday. It finally occurred to me to use their idea - to my end. I played "mellow" music. And, you know what? IT FREAKIN' WORKED. (Guess all those scientists really do know what they're talking about sometimes, huh?)
Lulu played quietly while Spence and I had the most un-frustrating homework session ever.
So without further ado. Here's my mellow playlist (that will be playing every afternoon at my house until. the. end. of. time) if you want to give it a try for your deranged monkeys.
*WARING: BARRY MANILOW SONGS TO FOLLOW*
- Ain't No Mountain High Enough, Marvin Gaye
- All Out of Love, Air Supply
- All This Beauty, The Weepies
- Amazed, Lonestar
- Animal, Ke$ha
- At This Moment, Billy Vera & The Beaters
- Baby Blue, George Strait
- Baby Don't Cry, Dr. Pants
- Beautiful Soul, Jesse McCarney
- Because of You, Kelly Clarkson
- Because You Live, Jesse McCartney
- Better Days, The Goo Goo Dolls
- Bless the Broken Road, Rascal Flatts
- Breathe (2AM), Anna Nalick
- Brick, Ben Folds Five
- Broken Things, K.C. Clifford
- Bubbly, Colbie Caillat
- Can't Smile Without You, Barry Manilow
- Carolina in My Mind, James Taylor
- Come Away With Me, Norah Jones
- Could It Be Magic, Barry Manilow
- Country Road, James Taylor
- Daughter, Loudon Wainwright III
- Daughters, John Mayer
- Daybreak, Barry Manilow
- Daydream Believer, Anne Murray
- Defying Gravity, Glee Cast
- Doctor My Eyes, Jackson Browne
- Don't Know Why, Norah Jones
- Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight, James Taylor
- Down to the River to Pray, Alison Krauss
- Even Now, Barry Manilow
- Find Yourself, Brad Paisley
- Fire and Rain, James Taylor
- The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, Roberta Flack
- Flies on the Butter, Wynonna Judd
- Foolish Games, Jewel
- The Freshmen, The Verve Pipe
- Gift to Me, Martyn Joseph
- Glitter in the Air, P!nk
- Half of My Heart, John Mayer
- Hallelujah, Jeff Buckley
- Hanging By a Moment, Lifehouse
- Happy, Leona Lewis
- The Hexagon Song, Dr. Pants
- How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You), James Taylor
- How to Save a Life, The Fray
- How You Live (Turn Up the Music), Point of Grace
- Hurts So Good, John Mellencamp
- I Can't Make You Love Me, Bonnie Raitt
- I Don't Want to Wait, Paula Cole
- I Made It Through the Rain, Barry Manilow
- I Write the Songs, Barry Manilow
- I'd Really Love to See You Tonight, England Dan & John Ford Coley
- I'm Movin' On, Rascal Flatts
- If Everyone Cared, Nickelback
- If I Die Young, The Band Perry
- If You Could Read My Mind, Gordon Lightfoot
- It's All Coming Back to Me Now, Celine Dion
- Jack & Diane, John Mellencamp
- Jar of Hearts, Christina Perri
- Just in Case, K.C. Clifford (Ha Ha. You can't get this one yet - because it's not written about you and your husband! It's off her as-yet unreleased CD. You just have to wait. Nanny nanny boo boo. [At least I'm gracious.])
- Killing Me Softly with His Song, Roberta Flack
- Kokomo, The Beach Boys
- Lemonade, Chris Rice
- Let Love In, The Goo Goo Dolls
- Let The River Run, Carly Simon
- Looks Like We Made It, Barry Manilow
- Lost In Love, Air Supply
- Love Song, Sara Bareilles
- The Luckiest, Ben Folds
- Lucky (feat. Colbie Caillat), Jason Mraz
- Making Love Out of Nothing At All, Air Supply
- Mandy, Barry Manilow
- Mexico, James Taylor
- My Wish, Rascall Flatts
- Nights Are Forever Without You, England Dan & John Ford Coley
- No One Is to Blame, Howard Jones
- The Old Songs, Barry Manilow
- One the Way Down, Ryan Cabrera
- On the Wings of Love, Jeffrey Osborne
- The One That Got Away, Katy Perry
- Our Town, James Taylor
- Please Mr. Please, Olivia Newton-John
- Raise Your Voice, K.C. Clifford
- Ready to Take a Chance Again, Barry Manilow
- The Riddle, Five for Fighting
- Same, Olivia Newton-John
- Say, John Mayer
- She Talks to Angels, The Black Crowes
- She's Got a Way, Billy Joel
- Ships, Barry Manilow
- Shower the People, James Taylor
- (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay, Otis Redding
- Slipping Through My Fingers, ABBA
- Small Town, John Mellencamp
- Something in the Way She Moves, James Taylor
- Sometimes When We Touch, Dan Hill
- Somewhere Down the Road, Barry Manilow
- Somewhere in the Night, Barry Manilow
- The Song Remembers When, Trisha Yearwood
- Stand, Rascal Flatts
- Stand by Me, Ben E. King
- Stolen, Dashboard Confessions
- Superman, Five for Fighting
- Sweet Baby James, James Taylor
- Take Me Home, Country Roads, John Denver
- Tattoo, Jordin Sparks
- The One's for You, Barry Manilow
- Through the Years, Kenny Rogers
- Tiny Dancer, Tim McGraw
- True, Ryan Cabrera
- Tryin' to Get the Feeling Again, Barry Manilow
- Unbeautiful, Lesley Roy
- Unchained Melody, Righteous Brothers
- Unfaithful, Rihanna
- Waiting On the World to Change, John Mayer
- Walking Man, James Taylor
- The Way I Am, Ingrid Michaelson
- Weekend in New England, Barry Manilow
- What She Is (Is Woman In Love), Earl Thomas Conley
- What the World Needs, Wynonna Judd
- When October Goes, Barry Manilow
- Why, Rascal Flatts
- Wonderful, Everclear
- Wonderful Tonight, Eric Clapton
- Working My Way Back to You/Forgive Me, Girl, The Spinners
- You and Me, Lifehouse
- You Are the Sunshine of My Life, Stevie Wonder
- You Found Me, The Fray
- (You Want To) Make a Memory, Bon Jovi
- You're Beautiful, James Blunt
- You're So Vain, Carly Simon
- You've Got a Friend, James Taylor
- You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin', Righteous Brothers
- Your Body is a Wonderland, John Mayer
- Your Song, Elton John
- 100 Years, Five for Fighting
There you go. 138 mellow songs to soothe your raging beasts. First person to give me a hard time about "Kokomo" is getting kicked in the throat.
*Total Barry Manilow count: 17
