I met a Bear

Sometimes it's funny the things we do to sooth our kids. Heck, to sooth ourselves enough to be able to sooth our kids.

Because bedtime was often a fussy time for baby E early on, I found myself having to sing the same song over and over and over again before he'd calm down. So I tried to find the longest song possible, so that there was less repetition necessary (you know, for my own sanity, because lord knows singing Twinkle, Twinkle 432 times is gonna push a momma over the very closely looming edge pretty darn fast). What I've ended up with singing to baby E most often is not exactly a traditional lullaby. Oh heck, it's not a lullaby at all.

Ok, are you ready for it? Here is the lovingly lullaby I sing to my sweet baby, "The other day (the other day), I met a bear (I met a bear), a great big bear (a great big bear), a way out there (a way out there). The other day I met a bear, a great big bear a way out there...".

Anyone else know this song? It's one I learned at 4H camp. It's one of those back and forth songs (hence the words being repeated in the parentheses). I remember it being loud and kind of yelled back and forth between the camp staff and the kids. And holymoly, I just discovered that the B.are N.aked L.adies totally recorded it. And here are the lyrics, you know, in case you're super desperate for an awesome lullaby as well. Although, I must be honest, I totally changed the line about having guns, because that just seemed wrong to sing about guns to him in a lullaby. I mean, I have standards and all, y'all.

So, anyway, the Bear song was the longest song I could think of - especially with the verses I may have made up and added. Plus, it was super easy to remember in the middle of my super sleep-deprived existence. And, because it was so very long, baby E had almost always calmed down by the end of it. So it was like this promise to myself "just make it til the end of this song and he'll be calm and maybe even asleep". That silly song gave me hope, people.

Even now, if he's fussing or squirming big time, I know that without a doubt he'll be content and likely asleep by the time I'm done. Occasionally it takes a 2nd round to get him to sleep, but usually one does the trick.

Of all the things I dreamed about singing when I was taking voice lessons (what, you didn't know about that? Yes, I took voice lessons for probably 7 or 8 years), old camp songs to my screaming baby was not one of them. And yet, it works. And, truthfully, he's not such a fan of some of the more traditional songs and has been known to sign "all done" when I start up one of them. This little guy has quite the opinion about things.

Today's lessons: While, as we previously learned, washable markers are not so washable sometimes, and the washing machine is not that effective at taking care of not-supposed-to-be-pink cloth diapers, Mother Nature is quite the expert. She, at least, can bleach some diapers back to their original lovely white color. Thank you, Mother Nature for sending sunshine this week!