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Is it just me, or is this week really hard to get settled into? Yesterday felt like Monday, today feels like Tuesday....and yet tomorrow is Friday. Some people are back at work and school, many others don't go back until Monday. It feels like a holiday still...kinda. What it DOES feel like here, finally, is winter. Brrrr! It's been really cold, so cold I'm scared to leave the house with the baby because I worry she'll get sick. But you don't really get sick because you get cold, do you? I mean, logically I know that getting sick requires germs and bugs and all that. But whenever I have her out and it's cold, I worry. I worry about everything, though, so it's not like this is new. If I thought I had irrational fears BEFORE, man, was I wrong. Having a baby gives you a million more things to be worried about. It's like every terrible thing in the world is suddenly personal. Forget the cold: that's the reason I don't want to leave the house. (But we do leave the house. We have to. You can't live your life afraid, boxed up in a room. You just have to bundle up---literally, spiritually, however you can---and head out to face what's there. Easier some days then others, but isn't that the case with just about everything?) Meanwhile, the baby is into music. She loves all the music that plays on her Exersaucer (and there's a lot, as my husband insisted on buying the biggest, best one they make) but she especially likes it when I sing to her. Now, I have terrible singing voice, so she's pretty much the only person who has ever displayed pure, unadulterated joy at the sound of it. I mean, I bust out a little "I've Been Working on the Railroad," (accompanying the music on the Exersaucer) and you should see how excited she gets. You'd think I was Allison Krauss or something. So today I was singing a little "Clementine," since that is her middle name, and realized I didn't really know all the words. So I went online and looked them up and...man, is that a depressing song. All those years singing it as a kid I guess I never really paid attention to the lyrics (which you can read here, if you don't know them either). A girl drowning? In her sandals? While taking her ducks (sob!) to the river? I don't know if this is appropriate for children, even if the site claims it's a good lesson about the importance of learning how to swim. I know the world is dangerous--as I said above---but does SHE necessarily have to know it, at this young age? Maybe I'll just stick to the Itsy Bitsy Spider. Sure, there are some panicky moments, but it all works out in the end. have a good day, everyone! |
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I was going to suggest another song called 'Clementine' that you could sing, but that's possibly even more inappropriate! http://www.lyricsdomain.com/13/mark_owe Mark Owen makes everything cute though. Happy new year!! |
disturbing children's songs "Rock-a-bye baby" talks about the cradle falling down. I always found that creepy. Instead I sing it "When the bough breaks the cradle will fall, and I'LL CATCH YOU BABY, cradle and all." My husband was so insistent that "Ring Around the Rosie" was about the bubonic plague and that "ashes, ashes we all fall down!" was about all the deaths that occured. I am proud to say that he was WRONG as the trusty site snopes.com declares otherwise: http://www.snopes.com/language/lite |
On January 3rd, 2008 02:55 pm (UTC), (Anonymous) commented: Some kids songs *are* kind of creepy, but I don't know that they cause any traumatic scarring. One we used to sing all the time when we were kids was "Found a Peanut" (same tune as "Clementine!") and it's all about dying from eating a bad peanut and going to heaven. I think for kids, music is more about the fun of the tune and remembering the words - it's more of a memory exercise than any actual realization of what the songs are saying. I mean, look at how old you were when you finally understood the words. :) I am constantly amazed at how my kids are NOT traumatized by things I find creepy or morbid. As long as the things we're reading (or singing or watching) are age appropriate, I'm fine with letting them know that not everything is safe, but the important part is that you follow it up with assurances on how to make things safe - just like the people making the "Clementine" song about water safety. Yeah, Clementine drowning is scary, but here's how you can prevent that, and that makes the kids feel empowered, when they know there are things they can do to protect themselves. Wow, sorry, didn't mean for this comment to be so long - I think I was just inspired by your bit about "You can't live your life afraid, boxed up in a room. You just have to bundle up---literally, spiritually, however you can---and head out to face what's there." |
There are two new(er) books out, The Daring Book for Girls and The Dangerous Book for Boys http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/10 They have all this fantastic information about things for girls and boys when they're younger. Games, how to make your own battery, the books are just amazing. It even has songs and poems that "every boy and girl should know". That part was my favorite!! Despite the fact that I'm 21 and not having kids for at least a few more years I had to buy them! |
On January 3rd, 2008 06:06 pm (UTC), (Anonymous) commented: Kid's Music Make sure at some point you get her the Laurie Berkner Band cds and DVDs. She is a great children's song writer and these cds have ended up being some of the most popular gifts I have given to new moms. Byt the time she is walking, she will imitate all of the movements on the DVD. |
On January 3rd, 2008 09:12 pm (UTC), (Anonymous) commented: there's a book that's written around that song (Clementine). it's called Dreadful Sorry, it came out about 15 years ago. its a bit of a thriller/romance but it you can see parts of the song in the book. |
On January 5th, 2008 02:50 am (UTC), (Anonymous) commented: clementine Wow that is super depressing.... |
On January 5th, 2008 03:58 am (UTC), (Anonymous) commented: well see im a girl scout, and theres tons of songs we have that we sing at the camp i go to. the large majority of them end in some sort of death, and its the little kids that sing them the most. im not sure WHY kids songs are so morbid, but they really are |
On January 9th, 2008 02:37 am (UTC), (Anonymous) commented: THANK YOU I AM ABOSOLUTELY IN LOVE WITH YOUR BOOKS! I JUST FINISHED YOUR BOOK "JUST LISTEN"... I LOVED IT! I CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF YOUR BOOKS AND I LOVE HOW YOU HAVE THE GIRLS OF YOUR BOOKS FIND GREAT GUYS. IT MAKES ME WANT TO BE THEM OR AT LEAST BE A PART OF THEIR LIFE. I GET SO WRAPPED UP IN YOUR BOOKS AND I SERIOUSLY CANT PUT THEM DOWN! YOU ARE MY FAVORITE AUTHOR AND I HOPE YOU ALWAYS KEEP WRITING BECAUSE I LOOOOVVVVEEEE ALL THAT YOUR WRITE. THANK YOU FOR WRITING SUCH INTERESTING, REAL, AND ENCAPTURING BOOKS! |
