the unlikely orange

for the past four summers now i've been making an annual "summer cd," just for my own kids to listen to as we travel around through the summer months.  part of the idea was to have some "feel-good" music for the summer, as well as to expose my kids to something beyond kidz bop.  now the kids are making suggestions for the song list, too, so it has become a collaboration.  over the last four years, it has evolved into something with a theme, only because my own compulsion is to mix songs in a way that isn't just a grab bag of random music, but a kind of musical story, at least one that makes sense to me.  so this year's cd is about dreams.  and bears and bananas, too.  here's the song list.  i've been making mix tapes for the last 30 + years.  i remember recording things off the radio, pretending i was the dj, putting songs together in ways that made sense to me and interested me.  i kept mixing music through my high school and...

here's the thing...i feel like the world needs more affirmation and encouragement.  the world needs more positivity, more joy, more love.  and while i can't change "the world," i can change the way i act and the things i do.  so i have decided to start telling people how awesome they are.  and i think it is important to do some of that in a public way.  so, here is a (slightly edited) letter i sent to our sons' elementary school principal.  he is awesome.  i hope it inspires you to tell someone how awesome they are, too.  and be awesome, yourself.  Mr. Feldman, I wanted to send you a quick note just to offer some affirmation, gratitude, and maybe even encouragement.  I believe that SCASD is a great school district, but I also know that being in public education can be a tough gig these days.  I admire teachers and administrators, especially when they do their job as a vocation, with passion and conviction.  This I see ...

i know that the world isn't beating down any doors to see my kids' piano recital, but some of you have wanted to see it, especially since Shannon and i have been telling the story of what Quin does at about 1:30 into the video...the smile on the instructor's face says everything you need to know.  you gotta' feel the music! enjoy!

happy mother's day from the milinovich boys.  we recognize that mothers day isn't always a joyful day for everyone, but for us, we have to say that we are blessed with wonderful examples of motherhood in the boys' motherr, grandparents, aunts, and church moms.  in order to celebrate all that incredible love and nurturing, we've been making an annual mothers day video for 10 years now! here you can see our 10th installment, a tribute to moms everywhere, and especially our mom, using bob marley's "three little birds," as a way of saying that mom always seems to make everything alright, even when things are broken or overwhelming.  we hope you enjoy! below you can see all our other videos, in reverse order (amazing how much these kids keep growing!). here was last years, a superhero kind of tribute: in 2016 we were moving and preparing to make a new home: in 2015 we were celebrating the way mom nurtures and feeds us: 2014's i...