2012-03-20: Dad's Songs

The family was playing this morning, and something happened that reminded Dad of how he used to make up silly songs to sing to Nigel. The first, of course, being "Rub-a-Baby-Tummy", which goes like this (sung to a variation on the overture from The Barber of Seville):

(Dad is rubbing Nigel's tummy in various ways while singing)

Rub a baby tummy,
Rub a baby tummy,
Rub a baby tummy, today

Rub a baby tummy,
Rub a baby tummy,
Rub a baby tummy, this way

It's very, very funny
To rub a baby tummy, so

Rub a baby tummy,
Rub a baby tummy,
Rub a baby tummy, today

(End by grandiosely blowing on his tummy)

Nigel used to get very excited anticipating the end of the song, and Dad would make sure some of the rubbing along the way was light, and some heavy, and some very tickly, adding to the excitement.

Another classic was "Jingling Pig", which goes like this and requires the jingling accompaniment of a tubular rattle with a pig's head:

Jingling pig
Dancing a jingling jig
He's not very big
Jingling pig

Ring-a-ting swine
Ring-a-tings all the time
Isn't she fine?
Ring-a-ting swine

(Jingling interlude)

Jingling hog
Dancing a jingling jog
His body's shaped like a log
Jingling hog

Ring-a-ting sow
Ring-a-tinging right now
No one really knows how
Ring-a-ting sow

(Ending flourish)

2012-03-10: Remembering Cookie Grandma's Funeral

Grammy came with the family to a home and garden show at the Southtowne Expo Center today. Nigel remembered Cookie Grandma (Mom's grandma) lying in the coffin at her funeral viewing. He didn't realize much more about that experience, and Mom and Dad didn't emphasize that she was dead. That experience has certainly stuck with him, though.