One of my favorite childhood memories is that of listening to my mother sing me lullabies at bedtime. She would lie in bed with me and sing my favorite tune "Where have all the flowers gone". In reality it is a depressing anti-war song, but well, I don't recall noticing that. I remember relaxing into the melody, closing my eyes and feeling loved. I would tense up when she got to the last verse because it was almost over, and I knew she would disappear into the grown-up only world of night time. I might hear the tv softly humming the Hill Street Blues theme song, or the loud crunching of my father eating an after dinner bowl of grapenuts, but bedtime was always a little sad, a little lonely, I wanted my mother to sing to me forever.
When Zack was a toddler I started singing lullabies to him, it wasn't every night but it was frequent and over time it has become a mandatory part of the bed time routine. I am now never permitted to miss it. I have tried. There have been nights when my husband was on night-night duty and I have been happily yapping away on the phone. "Not tonight Zack, Daddy can sing to you" I call up the stairs. That hasn't been well received. So up I go to sing the songs. It's a sweet time. My kids have their favorites tunes. Zack requests "You are my Sunshine" every night while Evan chirps "Sea Shell!" from his crib, expressing his desire to hear a song from his music class. I sing for them, and stroke their heads and try to prolong the notes of the last verse making the song last just a bit longer.
But I have decided that I need some new material. I can only sing the same two songs over and over again for so long. So....ta da! It turns out that Anya Jane has her very own CD- Lullabies by Anya Jane & Friends, to help me broaden my horizons! Most of my Denver readers probably already know about Anya. She is a fabulous musician who also runs the "Music Train", fun music classes for the little ones. I took two sessions of The Music Train with Evan before we moved to Berkeley. Oh how I miss it! Anya has a gorgeous voice, and she makes kids music hip and fun, instead of hokey as we all know it can be. So for my FIRST EVER bloggy contest I am giving away her awesome CD!!!
How to win:
You must be a follower, if you are not already a follower-please sign up
Post a comment to this blog entry by March 14. Be clever if possible.
I will select a winner at random.
Good Luck!
I'm a follower! And our Turtle would absolutely love this CD. He has a CD player in his bedroom and he loves to turn it on right before bed.
ReplyDeleteThat wasn't particularly clever but it's all I have. :)
Ever since Maya was born, she cried when I sang. I tried Wheels on the Bus, America the Beautiful, etc - she just screamed louder. Now that she can talk (and she's pretty articulate for a 4 year old) she says "Mommy, I don't like it when you sing. Please stop." Nice.
ReplyDelete"sooooooooooo...plant a watermelon upon my grave and let the juice..schh schh (yes you make the actual noise like slurping) run through! soooo plant a watermelon upon my grave that's all I ask of you! so mom makes chicken and she makes it mighty fine but nuttin can be better than a watermelon vine sooooooooo... plant a watermelon upon my grave and let the juice schhh schhh run throughhhhh.." yep.. An actual Bergman family lullaby straight from the farmlands of Iowa... it’s a bit peppier than a lullaby but nonetheless great! Feel free to add it to your repertoire.
ReplyDeleteOh, we would so love to win this CD. We now attend Music Train, and my little 1 year old Ava shakes and shimmies to every song. Music seems to be one of her first loves, and I had already thought of purchasing this CD but am on a budget (teacher turned stay at home mom). Thanks for offering this! Looking forward to reading your blog.
ReplyDeleteWhen Luke and Ella Rose moved to their toddler beds my husband made up a song (as he does quite frequently) to the tune of "Everybody find a Lap" from Music Together class which is really "Shortenin' Bread".
ReplyDeleteThe first verse goes like this:
Everybody Everybody stay in bed
Everybody Everybody stay in bed.
Just keep the pillow under your head
that's the easy way to just stay in bed.
There were about 3 verses and my kids will still sing this or request it at night time.
Remember my dad singing lullabies in Yiddish to me way off-key. This memory is over 50 years old, but still very clear. Such is the power of lullabies!
ReplyDeleteYour post brought back lots of memories for me of childhood, and singing songs to my own children. Now my grandchildren need a song before they can get to sleep. Kids like macabre things, like "Where have all the flowers gone?"
ReplyDeleteThis is an all time favorite at my house:
Mama's little baby loves shortnin' shortnin'
Mama's little baby loves shortnin' bread.
Two little babies, lying in the bed,
One of 'ems sick and the other ones dead.
Called up the doctor, the doctor said,
Feed them babies shortnin' bread.
I know, why on earth? My song bank just ran dry one night, that's why. But hey, it's no worse than the "Now I lay me down to sleep prayer", or "Rock-a-Bye Baby". I mean who hangs a baby up in a tree, one with a weak branch no less?
I hope your winner enjoys the CD.
You know my favorite song to sing but it's not for bedtime.
ReplyDeleteFinn is wearing jeans today jeans today all day long! Of course there is the monkey song but I haven't had many requests for that one recently.
So cool!
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about getting sick of the same songs. My son, Sam, has been listening to "Dreamland" from Putumayo since he was born EVERYNIGHT. I like to think it is magic and makes him sleep 10min longer in the morning!
My favorite lullaby CD is from Jack Johnson,
"Sing-A-Longs & Lullabies For The Film Curious George" He has a dreamy voice.
We made up a song when Lukas was a couple months old. He hated tummy time and therefore we hate tummy time. Watching him writhe around and cry for the sake of tummy time is my least favorite activity. So here's the song we made up to make it a bit less painful (please sing to the tune of row row row your boat)...
ReplyDelete"I like tummy time, youoo like it too
Play play play play that is what we do"
REPEAT
I usually sing "how much is that doggy in the window" a little new material would be great!
ReplyDelete