Sound Asleep: Hot Peas ‘N Butter Catchin' Some Peazzz

It's been a long, hot summer, and my kids are ready for a long winter's nap...or maybe that's just me. These days, it seems like the season's novelty of tons of free time, beach days galore and outdoor play has finally worn off and everyone is getting on each other's nerves a little too quickly. Even my cat has been howling a bit too much lately. So when "Catchin' Some Peazzz," a new CD of lullabies ‘magically' landed on my desk, I took it as a sign and popped it in the player during a recent cranky lunchtime. "What's this?," my 8-year-old inquired. "I like the title." (Catchy, that one is-and I don't just mean my kid.) My 4-year-old, who had been crying about her jelly sandwich just minutes earlier, suddenly perked up when she heard the band's unique version of "The Itsy Bitsy Spider." "That doesn't sound like the one I know," she said and then added, "But I like it." (See, miracles do happen.) For any parent who's been on the receiving end of one too many meltdowns, "Catchin' Some Peazzz" is the antidote to cranky kids. Whether you're winding down before bedtime, or just dealing with a case of the summertime blues, this CD of easy-listening kid tunes is like comfort food for your too-tired head. The same one that deserves a nice, fluffy pillow on which to lay down. Nighty-night...

In a Nutshell: Put on your PJs, grab Teddy and hunker down with a lovely collection of sleep-inducing lullabies. (Just tell ‘em your practicing turning in early for the first day of school.)