Soundtrack of my life...

Looking out the window it was a grey skies kind of day. I decided it was also a cleaning my carpets kind of day. My kids were just hanging around. They were reading, playing and listening to some tunes on their headphones. It got me thinking.When was the last time I listened to music on headphones? When you are a parent, you don't usually allow yourself the freedom to be cut off from the world, as you are when listening to headphones. The phone may ring, the door may get knocked on, and most importantly, your kids may need you so how can you check out like that?

I am a music fanatic. My life has played out like a soundtrack. I can literally tell you songs and exactly what I was doing at the moment I was listening to them. I was listening to headphones today; I had one in one out. I was checking on my kids every 5 minutes to be sure I didn't miss anything and it got me thinking about all those songs, all those moments. How do you list a soundtrack of your life? 

I thought I'd give it a try...

SONG or ALBUM- SANG BY- WHAT I WAS DOING

-Thriller- Michael Jackson- I was 4 years old. The world premiere of this video; I remember hiding under the shelf our t.v. sat on. This video FREAKED ME OUT!

-Tomorrow- Annie Soundtrack- 5 years old, singing it to myself, playing in the backyard of or first house on Sunny Brae Ave. in Canoga Park CA

-Guilty- Barbara Streisand and the Gibb Brothers- I thought I may be a figure skater so I would practice my routine on my rollerblades in my backyard :) Oh my gosh I was such a dork. I would try to do axles on rollerblades and to Barbara of all people :)

-It takes Two- DJ EZ & Rob Base - Dancing at my school's Halloween Carnival with my friends in 6th grade, I believe moves like the "Roger Rabbit and "Running Man" were involved :)

-Under the Bridge- Red Hot Chili Peppers- The students pick in a ecology contest that got it played over the classroom speakers during the final 15 minutes of the day. 

-Any Album - Nanci Griffith or Jimmy Buffet- swimming in our pool when my Dad was home. Especially Drive in Movies and Dashboard Lights and Cheeseburger in Paradise

-Cry like a Rainstorm - Linda Ronstadt- Driving around LA catching my Dad at mile markers for the LA Marathon- I sat and rewound it over and over on my Walkman on the song Shattered. I loved the chimes in the background.

-Use your Illusion I and II- Guns n' Roses- Me trying to be cool for my childhood love and his friends. I was 11 :) Civil War and November Rain were my favorite.

-Here Comes the Sun- First of all my Dad sang this ANY time the sun came through the clouds growing up and secondly driving into the canyon home from camping at Leo Carillo, with Eileen and my sisters for the last time before we made the move from California to Washington. Just as we started to turn inland where you couldn't see the sea. I knew I would never forget that moment.

-Phantom of the Opera- Driving with my Nana from California-Washington. Both she and I loved it :)

-Hero- Mariah Carey- My first c.d. I ever bought myself. I laid on my bed and listened to it over and over.

-They're all gonna laugh at you- Adam Sandler- On a ferry with my friend to the San Juan Islands

-Strong enough and the rest of the album Tuesday Night Music Club- Sheryl Crow- Dare I say...making out with my boyfriend Joe :)

-A Few Small Repairs- Shawn Colvin- Pulling weeds for my mom and dad in our backyard, one gorgeous summer day between junior and senior year.

-Jagged Little Pill- Alanis Morissette- Driving with my girlfriends in their Camry to home from school and to games. Over and OVER

-Snoop Dogg- Doggystyle- Driving with the guys in Joe's Bronco, boy could it bump...Haha how long has it been since I said those words :)

Also Regulators- Warren G and Nate Dogg- That was like their anthem

-Lightning Crashes- Live- Driving to Lake Chelan. I can feel the wind and sun on my hand as I put it out the window.

-As I lay me Down to Sleep- Sophie B. Hawkins- Driving from Chelan to Wenatchee :) I had to leave Chelan with Joe's family and go with my family to Idaho, I was very sad and I just kept repeating this song :) Oh young love :)

-The Promise- Tracy Chapman- Driving Joe to college, our first time living far away from one another

-Strokin- Clarence Carter- Dancing at my dad's 50th Birthday. Akward, Hilarious and Fun. Especially when the cops showed up and realized it was a 50th Birthday not a teenager party.

-Sex & Candy - Marcy Playground- One very weird, funny night playing Kings with some friends of a friend. This song was on repeat :) 

-Truly Madly Deeply- Savage Garden- this is what was playing constantly the week we got engaged :)

-Take me Home Country Roads- My Uncle Jay on the guitar and the entire OB family singing at New Years. There are actually several songs that could go here, but this is the one my kids love the best :) Feel free family to substitute in- Eve of Destruction, Landslide, Sweet Home Alabama, I wish you Love. There are many many more. We love them all.

-Sara Evans- Born to Fly- It seemed like my sisters and I all had a song that pertained to us on this album. They might hate me, but we would drive around like we were in a music video, singing at the top of our lungs

-Crush- Dave Matthews Band - Any and Every Night we ended up at The Pub in Ellensburg. We'd close them down to this song. 

-Greatest Hits-Kenny Chesney- Camping in college and My sister Kelsey who was 6 at the time, used to sing Don't Happen Twice word for word. I can still hear her sitting in the back of my car singing along :)

-Greatest Hits-Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers- Sitting on a hillside overlooking the Ellensburg Rodeo watching the riders practice, BBQ'ing burgers.

-Californication- Red Hot Chili Peppers- Sitting on the grass, after they pulled all their furniture out on the lawn, drinking margaritas with Joe, his room mates and neighbors at Central.

-When you come back down- Nickel Creek- We were leaving Stevens Pass after skiing and we were blasting this song. The mandolin is amazing! As we were driving it was one of those nights with lower clouds in between the mountains. The stars were peaking in and out of view. It felt like we were getting a peak into heaven. 

-What's Love got to Do with it- Tina Turner- I have a friend who shall remain nameless, but nonetheless, she can rock this song out Karaoke style and her moves just can't be beat. I have seen her performance many times in many places, but it never ceases to put a smile on my face.

-Runnin' on Empty- Really any Jackson Browne- My last Sunday morning before I got married. My dad always played music while making breakfast on Sunday morning. And being as it was my last Sunday morning at home, I awoke to him singing along and the smell of bacon was in the air. I snuggled down in my covers to relish in this moment and further cement the memory. What should I hear 2 seconds later, my sister coming down the stairs screaming "God Bless it Dad, If I could just sleep in one freaking Sunday, I should be so lucky..." and I thought, well that just makes it perfect :) *the underlined words have been changed for my more prudent readers :)

-White Ladder- David Gray- the week before, during and after my wedding. This Year's Love makes me emotional even today.

-Cowboy take me away- Dixie Chicks- Dancing with my husband, Joe for the first time. xoxo. He surprised me by changing the song to this as he pulled out his cowboy hat when the song started I thought I'd die :)

-Chely Wright- Jezebel- I danced to this song all the time, when I was pregnant with Keegan and Jagger our dog would freak out, EVERY TIME. It was hilarious. 

-Come away with me- Norah Jones- Walking my newborn baby boy Keegan back and forth in the first backyard that was ever my own. Trying to stay calm and cool, that very first summer. 

-Black Jack Baby- Elizabeth Mitchell- The song and album Keegan liked and I could actually listen too over and over. It became Delaney's song

-Continuum- John Mayer- Cam was about 3 months old when this came out and we listened to it on repeat for weeks. It calmed him, we danced to it and he smiled and it kept me sane with 3 kids 4,2, and newborn YIKES! There were many days following sleepless nights with Cam that I would almost fall asleep dancing him to sleep (I hoped) to Slow Dancing in a Burning Room.

-In a Daydream- Freddy Jone's Band- I am sitting on a boat at Wapato Lake, or really somewhere, anywhere hot and awesome

-Marry You- Maddie's song- This is a very new song, but I know for the rest of my life I will think about how she looked as a little munchkin singing it.

-Blessed- Brett Dennen- Whenever I am happy or content or feel complete- so at some point daily, I hear this song in my head. I am truly blessed and I do not forget it. It is either that or a little Gnarles Barkley- Crazy :)

I feel like this list could have been even longer and I get excited to know that I'll surely be adding to it. But it's funny how a song can touch you and stick with you. Embossing a memory on your heart and staying with you always. All it takes is a few bars, and you are right back to that moment, no matter how long ago! 

So when you think about it...what is the soundtrack of your life?

Happy Listening, 

Ashley