Preparing the Acceptance Speech for my Songwriting Grammy

Michael has been sleeping in the "bassinet" portion of his pack n' play and our version has a semi-lame mobile attached, with three white-ish animals: a lion, a horse, and an elephant. Michael is in love with the lion. I don't know exactly how to explain it, but the child clearly has a distinct preference for that particular animal and will grin and coo at it incessantly. Today I was changing his diaper and felt very sorry that I didn't have a lion song to sing to him, since, you know, he's so interested in them. So I made one up to the tune of "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." It went like this:

Lion, lion in a cave
I must ask you to behave
Please don't eat my baby boy
He is not your chewing toy
Lion, lion in a cave
I must ask you to behave

Harper thought this was great fun and thus began a morning of making up songs. While Harper's songs weren't entirely composed of actual words, she gets credit for rhyming and sticking pretty closely to the rhythm of Twinkle, Twinkle. We were all enjoying this immensely until I made up this song:

Rebound, Rebound please don't bark
Or I will take you to the park
And I will not bring you home
And you won't have any bones
Rebound, Rebound please don't bark
Or I will leave you at the park

Up until that point, Harper had been laughing hysterically with each song I finished. (And there were many, but I won't post them all, I want you to be surprised when my album drops.) I sang that song, however, and she looked at me very sternly and said, "Mom, that is not a good song. That is not a funny song at all. I would be very sad if someone took Rebound to the park and he didn't live with us anymore. You make up a new song right now and don't sing that sad song again!"


*****
And now a couple of random pictures because I hear you people like pictures.

(I know, no animals/blankets in the sleeping space!!! Don't call child services, I was right there. And yes, he's trying to nurse from the stuffed dog.)

(I love the lighting in this picture, taken by my friend Cindy, even if Harper is yawning like she's sooo unimpressed with the world.)