Five things that made Monday not entirely dreadful.

1. Hurricane.

Arguing with our three-year old about why he likes Townes Van Zandt, but not Leonard Cohen or Bob Dylan. Infuriating.

“I don’t like Bob Dylan because Mama doesn’t like him,” he said dishonestly.

It’s so sad when kids lie.

2. Entertain us.

A great conversation with our oldest two about pop music, rock and roll, and singer songwriters that covered Nirvana, Kylie Minogue, PJ Harvey, Jason Lytle, Ed Sheeran, ABBA, and culminated in my daughter popping on Zepp’s Immigrant Song as I prepped the two youngest for bed. #bedtimetunes

The context was their interest in who the most-played musicians on Spotify are. I have nothing against Mr. Sheeran, and rather enjoy that one duet he does with Mr. Bieber, but it is still a wonder to me how certain artists and their music exist on a well-worn path that feels like variations on the same thing over and over and over…versus the so many who create unique and beautiful melodies that never achieve a significant audience. Note: Mr. Sheeran is the top artist, at 60+ million plays a month.

Maybe give Joseph Arthur, Jason Lytle, J.M. Long, or even artists whose names don’t start with J a listen this week.

For example, I stumbled across a…Lanessa Long. Only one song out on Spotify, but it’s moving and beautiful. I should probably include a disclaimer.

But I won’t. Enjoy your listening!

Toddler with colorful hat sleeping in car seat.

3. Game of puzzle.

Our fresh-three year old is obsessed with puzzles. I love, love, to see how their various fixations and interests evolve around these ages. Becca is incredibly patient with helping him just the right amount as he toils his way through; a laser focus as he doggedly works his way through one after another. It is a job, a mission, a task he is driven internally to complete, and upon completion will allow a brief smile before diving into the next. It is beautiful.

4. A song.

The Hold Steady’s Confusion In The Marketplace. Don’t know if they’ll ever top their 2008 classic Stay Positive. But this one’s got a killer crunch and chorus too.

5a. Stories of Your Life and Others.

Tower of Babylon, Ted Chiang’s opening to short story collection Stories of Your Life and Others. The tale of the construction process of a certain to-the-heavens ziggurat in Biblical times…he writes science fiction - no wait, gonna pull a page from Margaret Atwood on this story: speculative fiction - that squeezes huge ideas and micro details into the same space and makes you think. Makes you think. Amazing.

5b. The end, part I.

A three-year old having a bad dream and racing out to the couch where Becca and I were talking; lunging himself into my arms and burying his head until falling back to slumber.