Being a Teenybopper and a Mom

Yes, I said it. I am a teenybopper. It’s been twenty years since I was 13 and stood outside Houston’s version of DTE Energy Theatre, anxiously waiting to see those three blond bombshells perform their infectious hit song. But on this side of age thirty, happily married and with three tiny humans depending on me, I still dissolve into a bundle of nerves and {dare I say it?} teenybopperism when confronted with that music, or those three handsome faces.

Have you guessed it yet? It’s those MmmBop boys I’m talking about — Hanson. They’re still around. They have 12 children between them, three drop-dead gorgeous wives, their own record company, and eight amazing albums under their belts. Their long-anticipated sophomore Christmas offering will be available this month.

I can also tell you their ages, birthdays, and all their kids’ names, but that might scare you off, so I won’t.

My love affair with Hanson’s music has been around longer than I’ve known my husband. It’s been with me as I’ve gotten through a lot of tough times, and a lot of beautiful times. I got to meet them mere days after my husband and I found out we were expecting our first child, and the headlining song of that tour was “Waiting For This,” which pretty well summed up my elated feelings over finally being pregnant.

And despite my repeated claims to the contrary, I am a pretty regular gal.

Teenybopper

I guess the word these days is a fangirl, but in my day we were teenyboppers. I’m not sure if that’s better, worse, or just as terrible, but those of us who are still around wear it like a badge of honor. Well, once we have gotten to know you well enough for you to have established that we’re not lunatics.

One of the beauties of this mothering thing is that I can introduce my children to the things I geek out over. In the best case scenario, they geek out too. {More realistically, they tell me I’m crazy and ask me to put the Moana soundtrack back on.}

Luckily for this momma, all of our minivan mix CDs have to include Hanson’s latest single, “I Was Born.” They can’t get enough of the video, which features 11 of the Hanson kiddos dancing around and singing and being awesome. They even lost control and danced like crazy when introduced to the MmmBop video.

Kids Love Things, Too

You know what the beautiful thing about all of this is? Kids love things with all their hearts. When they love something, they throw everything they have into it. Whether it’s Shimmer & Shine or Legos or The Chronicles of Narnia, they love something and they love it hard. So kids understand. And I have to think they find it a little comforting to find out that Mommy loves something so desperately, too.

Now I just have to break it to my 6-year-old that she doesn’t get to go to Friday’s concert with me.