The Jonas Brothers

So, this is a post I didn't think I'd actually write. Considering how much of my life know revolves around them I suppose it was inevitable, but I was hesitant to share this.

My three girls have fallen head over heals in "crush" with the Jonas Brothers.

It started almost three years ago.... when Julia was in Kindergarten her favorite songs were Year 3000 and Sexyback. Only one of which being appropriate for a 5 year old we supported her interest. She had no idea who the Jonas Brothers were - only that she liked the song.

Fast forward a year. In first grade she acknowledges the band - primarily because of the Disney Channel snippets into their life. She loves a few of their songs (SOS, Hold On)... and then Camp Rock. This is where the real "crushing" begins. I think she likes Joe the best at this time, but finds Kevin hilarious in this movie. We start hearing more and more about the JoBros, but it's all pretty harmless.

Now - February 2009. Julia asks to go see the 3D Concert Movie. After saving enough money to buy a ticket, I agree to take her and a friend along to see the movie.

I wish someone would have warned me what would follow... but even having been an 8 year old (hell, even having been a teenager) girl didn't prepare me. I thought their music was peppy - and there is no denying these guys are cute as hell. I was surprised to learn however that they write their own music - and play instruments. You could say I was impressed for the most part by the guys. It wasn't until I watched my 8 year old daughter with tears streaming down her face that I realized what was happening. My daughter LOVED music - and adored these guys.

Here is where the story deviates a bit and becomes less about Julia's fascination with the Jonas Brothers and more about mine. I have always loved music. I'm also a musical crier. Singing along with a song that touches me makes me cry. Live music? oh hell... I bawl. Concerts, marching bands... even being around people singing can bring me to tears (just ask my mom about my Happy Birthday song crying!), and someone playing an instrument? geez. I've fallen for guys that I would have had NO interest in because of listening to them play the guitar and sing. Schmuck!

How does this relate to the Jonas Brothers? Well, first of all, they helped me realize just how much my daughter really loves music. Yet, it's so much more than that.

They amaze me. These three kids (and yes even Kevin at 21 qualifies as a kid) are literally living the dream. What would your life have been like if you were able to really live out your dreams? I mean the crazy far fetched one? The one that you may have never even realized you dreamed about? It's awesome in the true sense of the word.

The more I learn about them the more impressed I am with them. I'm not thrilled about the whole celebrity role model thing for my daughters (but that's another story) but these guys couldn't be closer to what a mom would want to have her daughters interested in. Hard working, kind, family-oriented (oh boy do these guys love their mom), talented, respectful and virtuous (I think I already mentioned cute, right?). Will they someday make a huge mistake and make millions of mothers simultaneously cringe? Of course. I hope that when that day comes, if one of my girls still idolizes whichever one that makes that mistake (Joe!), we're able to use it as an example, and show her that people make mistakes and what is important is how they handle them. I have little doubt that whichever Jonas it is (Joe!), will most likely handle the situation with grace and humility.

Now that my days are filled with little girls singing their lyrics (including Emma who knows just about all the lyrics to their songs), begging to watch their new show, and the blasphemous WWJD (what would Jonas do?)... I'm learning a lot about my girls.

Julia is whole-heartedly infatuated with them, but embarrassed by her crush. She has a Jonas t-shirt but she won't wear it to school. Her ipod is full of Jonas Brothers songs and her reasoning behind which songs she likes the best is fascinating to me. She is also learning how to play the guitar - and I'm pretty sure they have something to do with her impressive commitment to that. She is serious about her affections for them and in typical Julia fashion she is the first to bring us all back to reality when the Jonas obsession shifts into high gear.

Anna also likes them, but only as an after thought, and primarily because Julia does. She doesn't always remember which one is which, and unlike her sisters, doesn't harass us pleading for Jonas Brothers concert tickets. She does love their music, which isn't much of a surprise since their peppy, bouncy music is right up her little peppy, bouncy alley.

Emma on the other hand takes this obsession to the extreme. From the time she wakes up until the time she goes to bed she is talking about them, singing their songs, quoting their TV show or begging to watch/listen to them. Her favorite brother changes daily - but more often than not it's Joe. She's only 3 and so this whole thing scares me a bit -but even her obsession is very Em. Em isn't about the middle ground or the so called gray area - she's an all or nothing (or Black Keys ;) ) kind of girl.

So my life is about their music, award shows, web chats, music videos, their TV show, interviews... it's pretty much all Jonas... all the time.

I'm impressed with these kids - and think Denise Jonas has it going on to have raised such terrific young men. Unfortunately one of the things I have also realized about my own Jonas obsession is that I have that little tug at my heart strings... instead of a NKOTB style crush on these young (only Nick is underage though!!) guys I'm a little sad I don't have any curly haired sons of my own. (Because OMJ I'm OLD!)

Their new album comes out next week... and their crazy huge concert tour comes to Boston in July... so I don't think this JoBrobesession is going to end anytime soon. Trust me - Emma will not allow that to happen!

Another Emma story

I took Julia and her friend last Friday (opening day) to see the Jonas Brothers 3d Concert experience movie. (I admit I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it - and have some respect for the fact that although a pop/boy band machine - they write their own music and they can and do actually play instruments.) All of my girls have gone from liking the Jonas Brothers to being outright fans. Julia in particular has the beginnings of a real crush on them (she likes Joe the best, Anna likes Nick (me too) and Emma likes Joe). All three girls know the words to their songs, and squeal with delight when they catch a glimpse of them on Disney Channel.

Last night Julia was watching a live chat (it was live at one point I guess) with the Jo Bros, as they affectionately call them, and Emma was perched on my lap watching too. To understand what is happening - the boys are on on a webcam and talking to their fans online. They have a chat open and the fans respond by typing back to them. Julia loves these chats and I admit that after watching some with her the boys do seem like funny, decent kids. So, Emma is sitting there with us enthralled with Joe. All of a sudden he says, "hi emily" (they often do this because their fans will type, "HI JOE" or "Say hi to Emily" and they will respond directly.

The look on Emma's face was priceless and she whispers, "hi joe" back! Then her little face turned dark red and she just sat there looking embarassed and thrilled. Julia made us play that part again and Emma, bless her little heart, gets more and more flustered each time. After a couple of minutes she whispers to me, "joe jonas said hi to me." She looked just like a teen girl who finds out her crush knows her name.

Yes, she's three next week.