Songs

I love singing to Ruby.  It is something that I've always looked forward to.  The songs my mom and dad sang to us growing up are really special to me, and I'm so happy when I get to sing the same songs to Ruby.  Last week I got a letter in the mail from my grandma that was so sweet it made me cry.  Right before signing it, she wrote "Sing to her!"  I love that.

For posterity's sake, here are the songs I sing to Ruby before she goes to sleep:

• The I Love You song.  This is a song Mom sang to us girls when we were especially sad.  When we were in Zions Lucy sang it to Ruby and it made me weep.
• You Are My Sunshine. This song has always meant a lot to me.  I do change the words to the 2nd verse when I'm singing it to Ruby though, otherwise I get too sad.  I say "you were right there" instead of "I was mistaken" and "smiled" instead of "cried." Just the idea of Ruby not being with me is enough to upset me.  I can't believe Mom taught us the sad verse as kids!
• Baby Mine. This used to make me and my sisters and mom instantly weepy if we sang it, because of the childhood trauma marketed as Dumbo.   So we didn't really sing it very often. I do love some of the words though, and sing my favorite parts to Ruby.
• Greenfields.  SO SAD.  It's great for when Ruby is really upset because it's long enough to calm her down AND I don't get bored singing it.  This is the song Mom and Dad ALWAYS sang in the car to us. I love it.

During normal playtime I sing fun and happy kid songs (with a hefty dose of George Michael, Frank Sinatra and David Bowie) but I love tragic songs for bedtime and naptime for some reason.  She also got a lot of Backstreet Boys when she was a newborn :)  I go through phases!

Singing as parents, and as a family all together, is a big deal to me--I guess just because that's what we did in my family.  It'll be fun to carry on that tradition.