Sometimes I think I live in a musical. In my house, we really do randomly break out into songs. Sometimes they are existing ones like Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star or the Alphabet Song. Sometimes we make up words to existing songs to be about the Pumpkin or to fit the moment. Other times we make up new songs altogether for the Pumpkin or the dog or the cat.
Probably the favorite song of Londo's, mine and the Pumpkin's is one I am proud to say I made up completely for the Pumpkin. It's basically her first name, middle name and last name, and then some words describing each name. Unfortunately, I don't use the Pumpkin's real name here at Cara Mama, so I won't be able to share with you all my genius. Besides, it's a tune I made up, so you wouldn't get the full effect of my brilliance by reading.
Instead, I will share two other songs that are very near and dear to me and my relationship with the Pumpkin.
When the Pumpkin was a newborn who would not be put down and needed to constantly move, I would pace the hallway of our first floor with her in my arms or a sling and bounce while I walked. And I would sing to a tune I made up:
What's so wrong with the Pumpkin Pie
The Pumpkin Pie
The Pumpkin Pie
What's so wrong with the Pumpkin Pie
The Pumpkin Pie of mine, of mine.
Nothing's so wrong with the Pumpkin Pie
The Pumpkin Pie
The Pumpkin Pie
Nothing's so wrong with the Pumpkin Pie
She just likes to cry and whine
It went on with versus about how she liked to bounce up and down while we walked all around, and then I'd make up whatever else came into my head. I haven't sung it much for her lately, since she doesn't seem to cry and whine for no reason anymore and tends to be soothed in other ways or with other songs. But I sang this song multiple times a day for weeks straight there in the beginning.
A song I made up the lyrics for in the first few weeks of her life that I still sing is the following one, which is to the tune of Brahms' Lullaby. I sing this to her every night and every nap (with slight variations) that I put her to bed:
Lullaby and goodnight.
Go to sleep little Pumpkin*.
Go to sleep. Go to sleep
Cause it's time for you to sleep.
Close your eyes, rest your head,
And just go to sleep.
Mama sings and Mama rocks
so that you can sleep.
You are loved very much
By your Mama and Daddy
Your dog and cat, all your friends
And your whole family.
We all want you to sleep
Because it's your bedtime
And you'll feel so much better
If you get your sleep.
And we hope that tonight
You sleep all through the night
And not wake, even once
Until six o'clock or later.
We all feel much better
when we sleep till morning.
And tomorrow when you wake up
I'll be right here.
Since coming up with those lyrics, I've looked up the real lyrics to Brahms' Lullaby. I like mine much better.
*I sing her real name here. Although in the first song, I really do sing Pumpkin Pie.
This post was written for Parent Bloggers Network as an entry for a contest sponsored by Bush’s Beans. This week's Blog Blast by Parent Bloggers Network was Sing Out Loud, Sing Out Proud to support a campaign by Bush's Beans. Bush's Beans is having a contest for people to rewrite the Beans Beans Magical Fruit song. Check it out!
7 comments:
I LOVE the fact that you make up songs on the spot! I used to sing Simon&Garfunkel's April Come She Will to mine when he was little little. That's all I could come up with during a rough moment; and it ended up being our fav lullaby.
Wow, you're made up songs are so much sweeter than ours. Normally if we're making up songs to calm him down they include phrases like "pain in the ass" or we work calling him "Mister Poopy Pants" into the rhyme.
We also never seem to sing the same song twice, except at bathtime which always includes a chorus of "Splish Splash, Parker's takin' a bath."
I don't even have to make up the songs around our house; Alexis does it for me. Or, at least I think they are made up. I'm pretty sure Snow White and Meg the Bulldog have never actually played together.
We are also constantly singing to Dorothy as well. We have so many that to get her to calm down for a diaper change I usually ask her what song I should sing, and she always has one in mind. Her favorite song is "The Mommy Song," which is sung to the tune of "Oh Donna." Other favorites are "The Daddy Song," sung to "Tinkle Tinkle," and the more recent "Milk Song," sung to the tune of "Frere Jacques." Winnie the cat also has a song, which is my favorite, which goes (to the tune of Winnie the Pooh)
Winnie the Cat
Winnie the Cat
Fluffy and grumpy and kinda fat
She's Winnie the Cat
Winnie the Cat
What would we do without her?
Jasmine the cat also has a song, but it isn't as nice...
Jasmine the Cat
Jasmine the Cat
Tiny and Whiney and full of mats
She's Jasmine the Cat
Jasmine the Cat
She really needs a new home
First I feel as though I am cyberstalking you (we met at MommyEm's wedding - pre-MommyEm so to speak) but she told me about your blog and I tend to look at it with the news, facebook, etc.
I too changed the words to Brahm's Lullaby (mostly because I didn't know them) and yours are VERY similar!
Also, as an aside, I thought MommyEm's song about Jasmine was hysterical.
How creative! I'm such a stooge in the musical realm that I borrow popular tunes and redo the words. If I sing at all.
All of you are very creative. We used to be in the same boat with i'm not skippy, inserting PITA sometimes or other non-mentionables. Not so much anymore.
DH is the master of making up songs. The one he used to sing a lot goes like this:
Who likes bananas?
Who likes bananas?
Who likes bananas?
Banana nana do!
I did make up a cheer:
His name is Monkey*! What?!
His name is Monkey*! What?!
M - O - N - K - E - Y*
Monkey*!
*Monkey was replaced with his real name which fits better with the whole thing, IMO.
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