Monday, January 19, 2009

Rock On!

"Come on Mom! Come play Rock Band with us! Come on!!! It's fun!"

I tried to come up with a plausible excuse as to why I couldn't play. I couldn't say that I had laundry to do because my washing machine is broken. We just had dinner so I couldn't use the excuse that I had to cook. I could have told them that I had to work on my book. Hmm, honestly, I think I'd rather play Rock Band with the kids than to work on my book right now. I sighed, "OK, I'll play, but you have to promise NOT to make fun of me when I suck."

"We won't Mom! Come on! It's fun! Try the drums."

I sat down at the drum set. "How do I know which one to hit?" I asked as I looked at the four different colored drums.

"You just look at the TV." duh "Oh and if you see a yellow bar, you have to step on the pedal."

"I have to use my feet too? I don't think I'm that coordinated. If I have to use my feet, can I count this as exercise?"

My kids rolled their eyes at me and starting doubting their decision to let me join their band.

They pushed "play" or whatever it is you're supposed to push to make the song start. Colors went flashing across the TV screen at the speed of light.

"Which side am I on? Which one is me?!" I shrieked, afraid that I'd be kicked out of the band if I missed any beats.

"You're on the right, Mom! Follow the ones on the right! You're missing all of them! Hit the green one, blue, yellow, Mom, hit the blue and red now!"

I flung the drumsticks around wildly hitting anything and everything within 10 feet of me. I looked like a total spaz. I think Austin fell off my bed laughing at me. Thankfully, Jackson and Savannah were too busy playing guitar and singing to notice my total idiotness (yes, it's a word).

When we finished the song, my kids were only too happy to "let me go back to what I was doing".

"No way! I know what I'm doing now! Let me do another one! I understand how to do it. I'll do better! I promise!"

The kids relented and didn't kick me out of their rock band. And you know what? I did great! I'm the drumming queen, I tell ya!

Then the kids decided I should expand my horizons and play the guitar. That wasn't one of their better ideas. How is a person supposed to bend and contort their wrist to play that thing??? It isn't human, I tell ya! I never did well when I took guitar back in junior high for the same reason. Who can make their fingers move on the right buttons when their wrist is all twisted? It's not normal. And while you're bending your wrist in unnatural ways and trying to remember which finger presses which colored button, the colors are flashing by on the TV faster than your brain can send the signals to your mangled hand!

After that little exhibition, the kids put me back on drums where I rocked out.

"WOOOOOOOOOO! That was wicked awesome! Come on kids! Don't you want to drop out of school and take our show on the road? Come on! It'll be awesome!"

I think this is the point, they decided that Rock Band is not for parents.

55 comments:

Kitti said...

Sounds like a good time! It really does get easier the more you practice. I feel like a pro now, I'm just as good as my kids =)
~Kitti

Angie [A Whole Lot of Nothing] said...

Would you laugh if I told you that I bought Guitar Hero World Tour (with the drum set) with my Xmas money?

Start laughing.

I need to make a vlog about it.

Bethany said...

RockBand is HARD but I have a fun time playing around with it. Glad you enjoyed your adventure with the band!!

Jennifer Foster said...

I found that I am a closet drummer. I love it! When we play, the kids end up going back to their Legos and the parents play all night...ourl ongest streak was 7 hours!!!

Anonymous said...

Rock on, Dawn!

My daughter has been trying to get me to play Guitar Hero with her since Christmas. I haven't played yet for the very same reasons you pointed out in your post! Thanks for agreeing with me!!

Donna in PA :)

Suburban Correspondent said...

I've been wanting to try that game myself...

Crazy Raven Productions said...

Not for parents?! Heck with that! My 56 year old mom rocks the Rock Band guitar with my brother and sister (and, occasionally, me singing way the hell off key.) She even bought Guitar Hero Decades for the Nintendo DS I bought her for Christmas. I think it's awesome that you played it with your kids, and I'm impressed that you took to the drums that fast...they're the hardest ones straight from the get-go.

Shari said...

ROFLMAO! You are too funny Dawn!

Anonymous said...

HA! I was actually late picking my son up from a church event because I couldn't put down the guitar. Seriously. I felt like the worst parent ever. Until I got back home and beat my previous score.

Anonymous said...

haha i'v enever played Rock Band.. but i tell ya guitar IS painful! its getting better now but i got tendinitis for a while when i first started! i still wonder at the guy who designed that thing sometimes though.

Jkhb said...

Dawn, try the guitar across your lap Jeff Healy style. That is what I have to do it is more like playing the piano that way. Go on the road? Next thing you know you will have a wild flower painted bus like the partridge family!!

RefreshMom said...

Aww--too bad they kicked you out after all. If you could have talked them into the touring thing you could have switched TV shows and become the Partridge family instead of the Brady Bunch. Joe could be your Reuben Kincaid and Brooklyn could be a substitute for Simone (and no, I'm not implying she's a dog, but she would be a good mascot).

Anonymous said...

Hi Dawn, My son also got rock band 2 for Christmas. I am a singer and I can't sing to hardly any of the rock songs on there. I think they should invent Country Band next! I can just see a bunch of mom's being the Dixie Chicks. Kristine in Michigan.

noexcuses said...

It's rather addicting, isn't it? I suck at playing instruments AND singing, so I just make movies of the concerts! You go Drummer Mom!

Magda said...

Hahaha. I don't think I could even BEGIN to do it. That's how uncoordinated I am. Sounds like you had a great time though.

Anonymous said...

*grins* In my house Rock Band is totally for parents! We're expecting our first (a little boy!) and my husband loves to play. I'm not nearly as good as he is, but I still have fun when he isn't trying to teach me how to get better. XD

You needed to pose some pics of you sitting at the drum set. That would be awesome.

Karrie said...

Guitar Hero is awesome! Give it some practice and you will do fine. My husband thinks he is ready to join a rock band since he knows how to press some colored buttons on a plastic guitar!

One day I will get the drums and give them a whirl!

Anonymous said...

Show us some video! :-D

Love from Holland
Cindy

Patois42 said...

I'm not positive, but I think Shirley Jones started out that way.

Kim said...

Woo,hoo, Go Mom! :)
Check my blog out please I have chosen you for an award! God Bless

Anonymous said...

It's vocals or nothing for me. My husband actually put up a video of me on drums on New Year's Eve at his Facebook page. I'm concentrating so hard on those flashing bars of color, I look like I'm angry enough to bite a snake.

Anonymous said...

It's awesome that you can play the drums well. My siblings and I, who by the way are all over 18 and two of them are married with multiple children, play every Saturday night. I have attempted the drums and it is too hard. So props for being able to rock out on the drums!!!

Anonymous said...

Yep, I am the singer for our family band too, that is all my family will let me do! You should try vocals Dawn, it's way fun! Deb

Stefanie said...

Yay! I love Rock Band!

Anonymous said...

My husband and I LOVE Guitar Hero.

Laura ~Peach~ said...

i swaer I think we should get video of this drumming sensation!!!!

Mr. and Mrs. Nurse Boy said...

I, too, can rock out on the drums! Who knew?!

Mrs. Nurse Boy

Keeley said...

Rock Band and Guitar Hero ROCKS.

My son says to tell you that he plays expert on drums and guitar. Show-off. He wants you to say "Oh he's so handsome and good at rock band!"

Anonymous said...

Can you video yourself playing?! I would love to see someone else acting silly. When I do it with my nieces I also look like a spaz, they look like total rockstars. :p

Lyndsay said...

At least you didn't throw up... there have been stories in the news about kids getting dizzy and throwing up after watching the flashing colors for too long.

Kristen said...

major props to you i have barely managed to master guitar hero... rock band is a whole nother animal! thanks for the laughs

Photo Quilts said...

Haha, we own Rockband for PS2 and Guitar Hero World Tour for the Wii and our kids aren't even old enough to play yet. lol. Shhhhh! It really is for them I swear were teaching them early.

Cookie said...

You are braver than I am. I wouldn't even try it!

Anonymous said...

I can't believe your kids didn't want to go on the road with Mom in a rock band. If I had ever told my crew they could quit school and take their band on the road, they'd have let me play whatever instrument I wanted whether I was any good or not. Some people just don't appreciate real talent. So wait till they graduate and go solo. %)

Angie said...

Strange. I find the drums waaay harder than the guitar.

Michelle said...

I love the fact that your kids want to do this kind of stuff with you. That's so cool that they want to play with you still. This is what I hope for!

And I want to know where the video is ;)

Unknown said...

OMG! My kids got Rock Band and Guitar Hero for Christmas, and my husband has probably spent more time on it than they have! One day over the winter break, it was 1pm and my daughter was still in her pajamas because Daddy was insisting she stay and play JUST ONE MORE SONG. Then another ONE MORE SONG. It's addicting!

Anonymous said...

Look, someone copied your kid's name! http://www.coolest-birthday-cakes.com/coolest-onesie-cake-15.html

Mirth said...

I'm the drummer at my house and I totally rock out. My 62 year old dad plays the guitar or bass and he does awesome. It takes some getting used to (and no amount of torture will get me to sing) but it sure is fun. As an aside, if you're ever upset with Joe, start boxing. I knock my husband out every single time. :)

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry if this has been commented on before, but did you know when you click on your name in Amazon it brings up your book AND "White spot syndrome virus in frozen shrimp sold at Massachusetts supermarkets.: An article from: Journal of Shellfish Research"? You have a very broad range of areas of expertise Miss Dawn! :-)

Anonymous said...

Hey, my kids can beat me on the Wii Fitness portion of the sports addition....the more I do it the worse I am. My Mii is like 100 yrs old....

With all those " I tell ya's" you make me think of Junie B Jones. Might be because I am reading her right now, I tell ya!!!

Have a good evening, Rock Star!

Sherry

Anonymous said...

LOL!!!! We got it for Christmas too and my 10 yo and I have had a blast playing together. She is even looking forward to another adult coming over this weekend for the purpose of playing Rock Band with her and myself. Rock on Dawn!!!!

Karen

Anonymous said...

Sounds like a good time! We just got Rock Band 2 from Amazon yesterday and the kids and I are going to try it out this weekend. Can't wait!! :)

The Collins Chronicle said...

My husband and I played for the first time in the middle of Circuit City! How dumb did I feel when he had to reach over and show me how to play the guitar! Oh ya mean I have to hit the colored bars AND strum it??!! At the SAME time?!! I was laughing so hard I was crying! Now we are trying to find it so we can continue the good times in the privacy of our own home.....

Anonymous said...

OMG....there is no blog post today!!! I am going to go through withdrawls! Does this mean that there will be two posts tonight???

Cheryl Pitt said...

Totally random-I was just thinking about how you call your brood a "6 pack" and about how you're trying to get in shape...so I guess you could technically say you have "6 pack abs!" Bwa-ha-ha I crack myself up. I think I'm going stir-CRAZY with all this cold weather, :)

Tammy said...

I can't tell you how many times I've been coerced into playing rock band, even singing sometimes! Eeek! I cannot play the drums to save my life, but I'm decent on the guitar.

Emma's Mommy said...

I purchased the latest issue of Good Housekeeping yesterday and was sitting there reading it when I realized on the following page was....YOU!!! Wow.....you are famous! LOL!!! Can I have your autograph? Hee Hee

Anonymous said...

ROFLMAO...thank you for ALWAYS brightening up my day Dawn! I can just see you rocking out too!

Coach Jamie said...

What a fun thing to share with your kids It is so good for kids to see parents having fun!!

noexcuses said...

I went out and purchased Good Housekeeping, but could not find you! Is it just a regional thing? Did I not have the right issue? Am I just stupid? Nobody needs to answer that...I know.

Anonymous said...

Dawn,

Did I read that right? Your washing machine is broken???? EEK... run away, run away... the laundry monster is going to gobble you up! How--in--the--world-- are-- you--surviving? I know... just make your kids wear their clothes inside out on every other day? oh yeah, right. They already do that. (joking....) When are you going to get a new one? Now, I'm really worried about you!

~Lisa, Dallas, Texas... mother of 5 messy kids

Rachel Tramontana said...

Dawn, don't laugh. But we got the game for my step kids last year and decided to "try it" before giving it to them (they live out of state...the game was actually going to stay with us anyway, so we didn't really feel too bad about "checking it out"). Bad idea. LOL. I seriously got tendonitis from playing the Rock Band guitar. My left arm (elbow) hurt so bad, I had to see an orthopedic surgeon and get a cortizone shot. When I told the nurse the ONLY thing I had done differently with my left hand (was play the Rock Band guitar) he yelled out to the Doctor "Got another Rock Band in here!" I have since laid off the guitar for fear of getting another SHOT...ugh. But to hear you say that about your wrist...that brought back that memory...LOL. Seems as though the game should have a warning "may cause tendonitis....make sure you hold guitar properly." LOL

lisa24n7 said...

There's nothing like play to relax our spirits! go girl! And by the way, turn the sound down before I call the cops! lol j/k Great blog!

Victoria said...

I love me some Rock Band and Guitar Hero!! Whoever invented these video games really knew what they were doing and that everyone has that deep down desire to be a rock star.

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