In Tune With The Young'uns

My son has grown a lot in the past couple of years. A lot.

He's taller than I am and weighs more than I do. Well, we'll pretend that the last part is true. To find out for certain we'd have to weigh each of us and compare the values. I have no problem putting him on a scale but I break out in a cold sweat just thinking about getting on one myself. So in the interest of pseudo-science we'll hypothesize that he weighs more than I do and we'll test that theory someday when I'm able to fit in a size 8 dress again. Which will never happen so don't hold your breath! (I tried holding mine but it didn't help much.)

My point is that The Bear is almost all grown up now. Even when I call home and he answers the phone I often pause while trying to figure out 1. Who is this man answering the phone? and 2. What is he doing in my house? He sounds a bit like his dad but I don't usually confuse them. And often his dad is sitting right beside me when I make the call.

It is a known fact that I don't always relate well to grown ups. But babies? Well, babies are another matter entirely! Give me a baby and a rocking chair and I'll sing sweet little lullabies until the infant either goes to sleep or I do cries for his/her mama and I hand over the child to be fed.

I have many songs in my repertoire, but when The Bear was a baby most of my selections came from the Kenny Loggins lullaby CD. We bought that particular one because the room that Princess and her baby brother shared was decorated in a Winnie the Pooh theme and the song "Return to Pooh Corner" went along so well. (See how sophisticated we were? Even the mood music in our nursery coordinated with the decor!) :)

The Bear's favorite song from the album was "All the Pretty Little Ponies." When he was small, I sang that song a lot. One member of the newest generation of family rockers, Fen, likes "Rainbow Connection" the best. On the days that he's here I cuddle him and sing it.

During Lulu's recent visit the family came over to our house to play board games one evening. I took the opportunity to try out my technique on the newborn Lili in the adjoining room. Not too long into my mini-concert I heard The Bear yell, "Stop it!" Thinking, of course, that this expostulation was meant for one of his fellow-gamers, I ignored him and went on singing.

"Stop it!!!" he shouted again with more force!

"Who are you yelling at?" I demanded. (Okay, you caught me! When my brain is otherwise engaged in singing and rocking I am unable to form a proper grammatical response to annoying interruptions.)

"You!" he informed me.

"Me?!" I'm not about to sign a recording contract or anything but I didn't think my singing was that bad!

"Yes, you! You're singing those lullabies and they're making me drowsy!"

Ah! I've still got the touch! He may be bigger than I am now but he'll always be my baby!