Serenades

One of the things I have enjoyed most about the past five weeks is watching Joe with his little sister. He was the most visibly excited about the pregnancy of all the boys. Every night when I tucked him in, he asked eagerly whether he would be able to feel her moving as I lay beside him. Every night he sang her the Indiana Jones theme song, and when she fusses in the car these days, that's his automatic response. (His older brother sings the Star Wars theme at the same time. Feel free to draw your own conclusions about whether dueling movie themes sung over the noise of a wailing baby can actually serve to bring down the unhappiness level in the van.) Today, though, we were driving home and baby was protesting. "Quick!" said Pete the 3yo. "Sing the Indiana Jones theme song for her!"

I often sing the muffin man song to her, altered to "Oh, do you know the muffin girl?" and "Oh, she's the sweetest muffin girl...who lives at [conveniently anapestic house number]." Recently Joe was playing a fierce air guitar and belting out a song in his best imitation of a rock star voice. His lyrics: "Oh, yes, I know the muffin girl."

Coming soon to a radio station near you, I'm sure.