Soundtrack Friday

A little late, but more picks from your suggestions. Hoping your weekend was just right.

Burn the City Down


No Children from The Mountain Goats


Tears Dry on Their Own from Amy Winehouse


Munich from Editors


Take Another Piece of My Heart from Janice Joplin

Weep Softly


Sleep Walk from Santo and Johnny


River from Joni Mitchell


How My Heart Behaves from Feist


New York’s Not My Home from Jim Croce

Suck it Up


One Eskimo from Kandi


Heart Like a Kickdrum from The Avett Brothers


Friday on My Mind from The Easybeats


Rill Rill from Sleigh Bells

Fun Thing: Takeout in the Garden

Lately it’s been unusually warm in the city, so Liz invited us over for takeout in the garden.

She made key lime pie, so I proposed to her. I feel like I have a lot to offer. For example, my mad mechanical bull riding skills. Consider it, Liz.

We had Burmese food.

And then moved inside when the wind picked up.

(More on Flickr.)

Giveaway: This is Kids’ Stuff

Hank’s school had an auction benefit a little while ago, and I asked some Internet friends for donations. As a thank you to the folks who donated, I thought I’d do some giveaways here as well.

Wee Wood of the Month Club from Little Alouette

These pretty wooden toys and teethers feel good in the hand, encourage imaginative play, and aren’t finished with paint or varnish that will make your baby ill. Bonus. Some toys are unfinished, others finished only with a light coat of organic flax seed oil, so all the toys are utterly chewable.

Strongman from Dria Peterson

Dria Peterson’s handmade strongman protects your little one from nightmares, and encourages him or her to hang out with carnies.

Happy Trails Felt Doll Journal from Suzy Ultman

If you kept a journal as a kid, you know the pleasure of paging back through your gift wishlists, childhood heartbreaks, and lemonade stand earnings. This diary doesn’t have a lock, which saves parents the trouble of picking it.

Hand-Knit Pony from Woolies

This tiny hand-knit pony is just right for chubby little fists. Twice the appeal of My Little Pony, with none of the offgassing.

Play Scarves from Birch Leaf Designs

Simple play scarves to use as capes, forts, or baby doll blankets.

A Leaf Puzzle from Just Hatched

This handmade wooden puzzle has the names of the tree behind each corresponding leaf. Yeah. Your kid is gonna be smarter than you.

Letter Flashcards from Pollywog Learning Products

Tactile letter flashcards are made to help little ones trace the letters with their fingers. The letters are fashioned from sandpaper with a starting-point dot on each. Literacy! Hells yes.

Please leave a comment with your favorite childhood memory to enter, and please only enter once. I’ll announce the winner on Monday. Tune in next week for a science toys giveaway, and big thanks to all the artists and merchants for their donations.

Too Much

When I got the key to my first San Francisco apartment, I did a keychain audit and realized all my other keys were defunct. I threw away the bike lock key for the bike that had been stolen, removed keys to the offices at my college newspaper, and did the same with about ten more, until I was left with only one. The key to my new front door.

Something about the symbolism of that that single key thrilled me. I felt the burden of all that ownership and responsibility lift off me. That solo key was the start of a new life in a new place, with all my options open.

I thought of that feeling this morning when I pulled my keys out of my clutch. It was like watching a clown car unload.

It may be time to reassess.