A few weeks ago one of our neighbors gave the girls a CD called Silly Songs to listen to in the car. So, every time we’ve traveled anywhere lately, this has been our audio entertainment. Fortunately, it has thirty tracks so it’s not unbearably monotonous.
However; our middle child, the ever-inquisitive Preschooler, doesn’t really do “silly.” She’s always been more of the serious type. To illustrate, this is the type of face she often gives me when I say, “Will you smile for a picture?”
In contrast, the Kindergartener loves silliness and slapstick humor and hamming it up for the camera. So, when it comes to silly songs, she just sings along pretty much oblivious to the meaning of the lyrics. And, the Baby, of course, doesn’t care what kind of music is playing so long as it’s upbeat and high-pitched.
The Preschooler, though, has an unquenchable need to know and understand whatever lyrics she’s singing along to so she can make sense of it all.
Take, for example, It’s Raining, It’s Pouring
It’s raining, It’s pouring
The old man is snoring.
Went to bed and bumped his head
And couldn’t get up in the morning.
The Preschooler: Mommy, how did he bump his head?
Me: Well, I’m not really sure.
The Preschooler: Why couldn’t he get up in the morning?
Me: Umm, I guess his head was still sore. {And, this is the point when I realized how tragic this song really is. I think the implication is that this poor old man slipped in the rain, bumped his head, suffered a concussion, and didn’t wake up in the morning. So much for a happy ending}.
Then, there’s Pop! Goes the Weasel
All around the cobbler’s bench
The monkey chased the weasel
The monkey thought t’was all in fun
Pop goes the weasel.
The Preschooler: What’s a weasel?
Me: It’s a little furry creature with short legs and a long tail.
The Preschooler: What does it mean it popped?
Me: Umm, … I’m not sure. {Any guesses as to what that means? Even Wikipedia is unsure. So, I just told her it means the weasel explodes, and she accepted that answer}.
And, then there’s the lesser know Kookaburra
Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree
Merry, merry king of the bush is he
Laugh, kookaburra! Laugh, kookaburra!
What a life you lead
The Preschooler: What’s a “kookaburra”?
Me: I have no idea. {Confession: I’ve always thought they were saying “cuckoo-berry.” Clearly, I have much to learn about birds. As it turns out, a kookaburra is an Australian Kingfisher bird. But, maybe everyone else already knew that}.
Just thinking about the Silly Songs CD makes me tired. I think we’re going to have to find several wordless CD’s to play for awhile so my brain can recover.
In other silliness, the Baby has started regularly wearing this Rubbermaid around as a helmet. I tried it on and it diffuses a surprising amount of noise.
I can’t say for sure, but I think maybe it’s her way of saying she’s also tired of listening to the same old Silly Songs.
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