Every Day a Song

I often find myself breaking out into song. Something in ordinary life just reminds me of a phrase from a song and I just have to sing it. So I'm always singing to my children. I probably get that from my mom, who used to wake me up singing, “Good morning, Chris, how are you? I hope you're feeling fine ...” from the Veggie Tales movie Rack, Shack and Benny.

So, here are a few songs that we just sing as life happens: Splish Splash I was Taking a Bath, Rock around the Clock, Chantilly Lace (that starts out “Hello, Baby”), Sunshine Day, (from the Brady Bunch, I think I'll go for a walk outside now...), Yakety Yak, Don't Talk Back, Lollipop, Ghostbusters (the theme song, who are you going to call?) Hmmm. So far all these songs are old songs, probably the songs my parents were singing to me... Of course, I'm always singing songs from Sound of Music as well.

I'll admit I don't know as many newer songs, except some of our favorites from Veggie Tales, Leap Frog or High School Musical. The Leap Frog Back to School has some great songs for teaching the months of the years and counting to twenty. I find myself singing them all the time, which annoys my husband a little. But at least the kids can count to twenty now without skipping 16 every time.

Of course we are also singing praise songs too. My children and I especially will sing songs about God creating and His creation. Every time we see the stars out my three year old leads us in worship with “you placed the stars in the sky and you know by name, you are amazing God.” I love how life just makes us want to sing.

It's fun also to make up our own songs. To tell silly stories with song or sing our prayers or sing about whatever we are doing. Awhile ago we made up a silly song about one of the girls giving up her pacifier. Another time, we sing to the tune of “Skip to my Lou,” about every family we know. “I knew a boy named Gideon, I knew a girl named Magdalyn, I knew a dog named Moses, skip to the Lou, my darling” and on it goes until we have sung it about all their friends, brothers, sisters, parents, pets and everything.

Or to the tune of “Here we go round the mulberry bush” sing a song about our family members and what they are doing: Daddy drives his truck to work(repeat)...early in the morning, Hannah likes to ride her bike....every single day. And on and on it can go and the kids like to help me think up the next verses.

So, what songs do you sing to your kids, or make up with your kids, or teach your kids with?