Effect

As an adult involved in any child's life you want to have a lasting positive (hopefully) effect. I hope my nephews remember me fondly as one is all grown, one is just about there, and the third is a man-child. I have a niece who is also grown this year and has graduated high school. I hope there is loving and respectful remembrances of our times together rare and distant though they may be.

As a parent, you want the same type of effect only magnified 1,000 times in the little daily activities and moments of life. You want that little voice in their his head to say "be careful," "be polite," "be compassionate," be you." And there are the moments like this morning on our way to school when you know. You receive confirmation that you, at times, have made such an impression on a young life that it appears quite unexpectedly. There is an immense source of pride in knowing that at some point, your child actually paid attention to you - for a second anyway.

I previously wrote about our song "Where are the cows" (which I realized a few days ago is sung to Farmer in the Dell - don't ask I am just learning about Doggie Doggie Where's Your Bone - at H's request - and need to figure out the melody on that one so my mind is preoccupied). So, we sing this song on the way to school as we pass a large pasture. H has begun filling in every other line for me.

Mommy: "Where are the cows?"
H "Where are the cows?"
Mommy "Where are the cows?"
H "Are they outside today."
He is capable of adding previously rendered verses, too, although somehow "They must be in the barn" always comes out "They must be in the farm." Oh, well, it's close enough.

I usually try to sing nonsensical ridiculous songs about whatever comes to mind, I don't always have a good emelody in my head but try to make it simple so I can repeat it if required. As a reasult, H has put in a few requests lately. Tonight he wanted me to sing about Buzz - as in Buzz Lightyear. That one was not one of my better ones. I do take pride in "Rock-a-Bye Kitty" and "Where is H" - sung to Frere Jacques (that was one of my ealiest ones and tought to beat.)

Where is H
Where is H
Where'd he go
Tell me so
Where did he go off to
What did he get into
Tell me so
Mommy wants to know

This originated when Mommy was in the shower and H would wander off playing - it usually worked as he would treat it like hide-n-seel and come back so I could keep an eye on him.

This morning we were doing our little "Where are the cows" ritual when we reached the main road again to turn towards H's school. It is a Red School which was handy as when we changed schools we just referred to it as H's Red School. On a side note, we drove by his "old" school the other day - not a usual occurrence as we don't often travel that road - when H noted "There's my old school!"

Anyhow, a tiny little slightly distracted voice sang from the back seat "I don't see my red school, I don't see my red school, I don't see my red school" trailing off so I didn't hear how it ended up. Hurray! It was completely on his own. He came up with the words and used the melody to sing a totally ridiculous, completely irrelevant, and absolutely nonsensical song.

He has been paying attention.