Last month, Daniel was having a hard time relaxing for nap. I put a Jack Johnson CD on, and he settled. In the last month, we've noticed him humming along with the music, and he often demands YOW CeeDeee!! (yellow cd!) when we've having a difficult bedtime.
This morning I went into Daniel's room at 7 because I heard him singing. We greeted each other, and he said he wanted to stay in bed. He asked me to put the Yow Cee Dee on and said he would stay in bed for awhile. I left him be, but listened to him sing from the next room.
At 8 I went in, and we spent time talking to each other. It was a neat way for him to get back into the swing of things since he had been away from his house since Wednesday night.
We cuddled and rocked, read a book, and decided to make a triple batch of muffins. Daniel requested Punkin muffins, and got the ingredients out for me. He got out a can of pumpkin from the pantry - which he called punkin pie can - and then got out the baking soda - which he called bacon sue dah - and said that's what we needed.
Look how many different toys Daniel played with in one ten minute play time! He used all of these toys for a concert, I think. He even danced with the bear while the music played.
Daniel really loves drumming. I made him a variety of them using empty containers. He experimented hitting them with different objects, but finally settled on chopsticks. He also enjoyed hitting different sized and density objects to hear their unique sounds. A large portion of his playtime is devoted to percussion.
I played percussion throughout secondary school, and I enjoy being able to teach him about different rhythms and drumming techniques. Maybe he will want to be in drum line, too!
Daniel attended his first concert (we think). He was so attracted to the musicians at the farm festival we went to that he kept pointing for us to go there. He was so fascinated by the musical instruments. He kept time tapping on his knee. When we left after ten minutes, he threw a fit because he wanted to stay!
Daniel's favorite music is now the GLEE soundtrack. He can be throwing a fit, but when he hears them sing "Don't Stop Believin'" he grins and sings. When they sing "Gold Digger" he laughs. He must already know that a show choir just can't pull off K.West.
I would watch this show online while feeding him, so I wonder if he remembers the music from that drowsy experience during his younger months.
I hope one day he likes to sing and is talented or interested enough to be in a choir (or boy band or garage band!). My heart would swell with pride. And I imagine it would sound just slightly better than his monotone singing these days!
From four weeks, Daniel has shown a preference for certain music styles and songs. He likes soothing ballads, including Dance to Your Daddy, which is found on a CD called Softly We Sing that I play for him to prepare for nap times.
I found while traveling, singing the lyrics are nearly as effective at calming him down! Here are the two verses on the CD:
Dance to your daddy my little laddy, dance to your daddy my little lad, you shall have a fish and you shall have a fin and you shall have a haddock with the boat comes in.
Dance to your daddy my little laddy, dance to your daddy my little lad, you shall have a fishie in a little dishie, you shall have a haddock when the boat comes in.
I wanted to learn more about this song, since I'd never heard it before and since it seems like a regional one. I found that it has been the theme song for a fish company's commercials in Britian, and that the composer and songwriter are unknown.
I also found verses that didn't make it onto the lullabye CD, but which are pretty funny...
Original Lyrics:
Dance to your daddy my bonnie laddie, dance to your daddy, to your mammy sing;You shall have a fishy, in a little dishy, you shall have a fishy, When the boat comes in.
Here's your mother comin' like a canny woman,here comes your father,drunk, he canna stand.Dance to your daddy my bonnie laddie, dance to your daddy my little lad.You shall have a fishie on a little dishie,you shall have a fishie when the boat comes in.
Dance to your daddy my bonnie laddie, dance to your daddy my little lamb. You shall have a coatie and a pair of breekies, you shall have a whippie and some bread and jam.
I often sing or hum this tune to him to settle him down... now that I know the alternate lyrics about a father who has had too much to drink and promises about getting breekies and whippies... maybe I will find a new song to sing him!
