Art&Seek Jr. is one mom‘s quest to find activities to end the seemingly endless chorus of the “I’m Bored Blues” while having fun herself.  Impossible you say? Check back on Tuesdays for kid-friendly events that are fun for adults, too.

Rose and I had a wonderful, serendipitous moment Monday when we both realized we shared something in common.  It all started a couple of weeks ago when I was listening to a radio story on 9/11. The song tagged to the end of the story was one I’d never heard before, but I liked instantly. Aside from having a great rhythm that made me want to sing along, it also had powerful lyrics that had me thinking long after the song was over. Since the song title wasn’t listed with the story, I began an immediate search for the name. After a couple of days of hunting, I finally found it on YouTube. I was so moved by the song that I watched it several times and even went to the band’s website to find out the motivation and meaning behind the lyrics. I made a mental note to purchase the song when I had time and then forgot about it …until last night.

Rose was getting ready for bed, and as I was braiding her hair she began singing my song! True, some of the words had gotten lost in translation, but it was definitely the same song I had been so moved by three weeks earlier. Since I had never played it for her, I asked where she had heard it. As it turned out, it was part of a trailer for a new Disney movie that she’d seen on the computer at school. The trailer only included about 20 seconds of the tune, but she liked it so much, she played that same 20 seconds over and over until she (mostly) learned the words. Now, granted, the 20 seconds of the song used in the Disney trailer conveyed a totally different meaning than what I heard after the 9/11 story, but it still made us each pause for a second and smile at this accidental discovery of what we share in common.

This whole tiny episode made me realize how wonderful it is to discover those things that you share in common with your kids. Whether it’s music, art or baseball – it’s a great feeling when you look at the mini-me and think, “Wow! She really is my kid!”

Here are a couple of upcoming events that are great for exploring those shared interests or just spending quality time together:

If you have a daughter (who is 7 years or older) and you both love to do art, you can get in some great girl time AND a free art lesson. The Frisco Public Library is holding a free Mother-Daughter paint workshop this Saturday at 3 p.m. Local artist Diana Moyer will show you and your daughter how to work with pastels and explore your artistic side.

If you and the kids love looking at the moon – or just being outside on a pretty night – you won’t want to miss the Japanese-American Society’s Otsukimi, or moon viewing, on Monday. The event will be at Winfrey Point at White Rock Lake, which serves as a beautiful backdrop for the first harvest moon of the season. You can take a picnic dinner or purchase a Japanese box supper and listen to Japanese flute music while you gaze up at the moon. Yes, I know – it’s a school night. But c’mon, it’s a HARVEST MOON! Who knows when you’ll have a chance to share one again.

Oh, and in case you were wondering: The song both Rose and I adore is “Some Nights” by the band fun. Here’s a link to the Wreck-It-Ralph trailer Rose saw at school.

Therese Powell is an Art&Seek calendar coordinator and KERA-TV producer.  She spends most of her free time seeking out adventures for her 7-year-old daughter, Rose.  Tell us about your quirky kid adventures by leaving a comment. Or e-mail Therese at [email protected].