I was doomed to this way of life from both of my parents. My clever, artistic, word-oriented parents, who love song. There really was no other possible outcome for me, and I have a feeling that my eight siblings share the disease: we can't help but twist songs for our own use and make up new ones to suit just about every situation. If you can say it, then you can probably sing it even better.I've mentioned before how we grew up with Dad singing loudly from the bathroom, for even the neighbors to hear, songs about his failing health and the validity of our mother's love for him. My mom's preferred musical canvas was her brood of children, and I can vividly remember her making the babies "dance" to silly pop songs that she would re-arrange to fit them, and then all of us breaking into fits of laughter. I think it was Noah or Jonah who was made to "dance" to the babied-up version of Miami Sound Machine's "Bad Boy".
I just know my sisters have this tendency, and I've heard that my brother, Josiah does too. The "singing mom" is active in this house, for sure. Each of my children has had a "baby song". For Lyndsay, it was "Little Bitty Pretty One", and for Conor, it was "Sweet Baby Conor" to the tune of Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline", for example. But it doesn't stop there, I'm afraid.
This morning when I was changing the baby and snapping up his onesie, I broke out into "Gonna Snap You Up With My Love" to the tune of Madonna's classic. I can't help it. I haven't snapped up a onesie without singing that made-up ditty in 14 years!
I made pancakes for breakfast. I ask the kids what they want on their pancakes, and they inevitably ask for jam. So then I am left with no choice but to break into (and demand that they sing along) "Jam on it! Jam on it! J-J-J-J-Jam on it!" Ridiculous, I know.
And then it's family prayer time, and being as I'm a child of the 80's, I must call them together with a slightly more hymnal version of M. C. Hammer's "We've Got to Pray Just to Make it Today".
The day is still young and there will be more songs to create. My kids roll their eyes, but I'm pretty sure I'll have the last laugh, for I think I've passed on the curse and they won't be able to help themselves either.
13 comments:
heeheeheeheeheeeeee!!! I love reading posts like this! Ok, I've resisted telling this story (well not really a story, more like a morning ritual for Josiah) in the past, but I can't not mention it after reading this post! So every morning, while I'm in the shower, Josiah busts out with this song...and I wish I could give you all the tune, but honestly, I think he made it up specifically for this "song"..."Oh baby baby! I love to see you in the water! Oh baby baby! You know it couldn't get much hotter!......etc....I'm laughing so hard write now at the fact that I'm actually mentioning it. So embarrassing, but I had to share! And yes! Josiah has a song for just about everything AND has made each of our kids, while they were infants, dance to one song or another. The only one I REALLY remember the songs for were Rylie. She got to dance to "I'm Too Sexy"...she mostly just "did her little turn on the catwalk, yeah on the catwalk..." And then there was the Fatboy Slim song...I guess the song is called "Rockafeller Skank"?? but I think this was technically her "theme song" only it went..."Funk soul babies" OOH, the memories! I do love my husband and this "disease" that he caught from his parents!
Though I can't sing, it's true... I do. And it drives my husband crazy that I go throughout my day changing lyrics to songs, to fit the moment. Why, I am not sure... But even if I don't sing them out loud, they are parading through my head....
Thank you for making me feel normal today! I needed that!
AHHH HAHAHAHAHA!!! I read the first paragraph and started laughing up a storm because I do it tooooo! Orion tells me all the time my life is like a musical. I literally bust into song ALL THE TIME. I sing about what I'm doing..or what I'm going to do. I sing weirdo made up songs for the kids. I randomly sing opera. This doesn't stop at home for me though. I've been known to sing at the top of my lungs in the middle of a store. I don't care..when the moment strikes, it just happens..regardless of where I am.
We do have pretty rad parents, don't we? They're both so amazing at so many things and we're all products of our environment. I love that!
This game me such a giggle! We're the same in our house, and Neil is our conductor. Forever changing the words of the kids favourite songs.
I love filling this house with music. In fact, it's a wee bit too quiet right now (the girls are sleeping). Suddenly I feel like singing.
What fun! We sing silly songs at times, but I imagine we could use more it around here. And I'm betting you have a gorgeous voice.
Doesn't everybody do that? :o)
I thought Rylie's song was
"Ry-Ry-Ry
Ry-Rylie Ann"
Like the Beach Boys' Barbara Ann.
Now, my cats have to dance. They like it even less than the babies did.
Too true! And so fun! I get the eye rolling too, but not without the sly grin that says they truly enjoy my bits of silliness!
Hehehe. If people only knew. Hahahaha
ha ha! I want to come live with you! I grew up in a house full of tone-deafers (is that a word?)
But I still make-up songs for my little one. I worry, though, that I'm doing more harm than good because I inherited my mother's lack of singing ability so I'm not exactly hitting all the notes I'm trying to.
I like to play the game where you match a song to the word so throughout the day I am always bugging my kids with a song that uses what they are saying. This is really annoying for them when I refuse to answer them but I sing for them a song that has a word from their question in it. Did that make any sense? My husband is the worst for changing the words though. The kids love it and the older ones do the same thing now. The song that is forever ruined is Shania Twain's Who's Bed have your Boots been under? He sings it "Who's Bed have your Boobs been under?" Honestly, though I don't have a performance voice at all, but singing just makes me feel better.
How fun. I grew up in a family where my mom put everything to music. Sometimes it was a pre-existing tune, and sometimes she made th tune up. I learnedt he Gettisburg Address to music, as well as my 4 generation pedigree chart! When I can't remember somethign my hubby says, "of course not, it wasnt' put to music!" I always say I can come up with a song to fit any situation. Too, too fun!
I am raising my hand and admitting I am a singingholic.. seriously.. my husband wants to kick me everytime I put something silly to music. I love the "Im gonna snap you up with my love" I may steal that..hahaha
Loved this post.
Ah, my Karaoke Queen, we are sharing the same dream! (Singing to Billy Ocean's "Caribbean Queen.")
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