A Toddler Soundtrack

In the spirit of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo happening this time of year, here is a (semi-)musical version of what the babies have been up to these past few weeks. If you don't know these songs as sung by Bob Wills (Happy Birthday, Bob) or Asleep at the Wheel, fire up those MP3 search engines, because you don't know what you're missing. And, anyway, then you'll be able to sing along to the lyrics below.

David really clapped for the first time today, when listening to Roly Poly. I guess he needed a catchy tune to clap along to. Carmen today started imitating Matt's "yeah." As in, "All done? Yeah!" "Yeah!"

You're From Texas
Pardon me stranger I hope there's no danger
You'll think I'm getting off of my range

(David 23 January)

Oh but I calculate that you're from my state
And though you may think its strange
I allow as how you're from Texas
Because the lingo I understand
I'll bet my cale that you hail from Texas
There's no mistaking the brand

(Carmen 23 January)

You've got a smile like an acre of sunflower
Your eyes are blue bonnet blue

(David 22 January)

Shake hands its grand that you're from Texas
'Cause I'm from Texas too
You've got a smile like two acres of sunflower
Your eyes are blue bonnet blue

(Carmen 22 January)

Shake hands its grand that you're from Texas
'Cause I'm from Texas too!

---

I n t e r m i s s i o n . . .

(Carmen temporarily content after climbing a package of toilet paper, 17 Feb.)

(Part of the morning routine: standing on tippy-toes at the front window, watching the cars and buses on their way to work and school, 20 February.)

(Hey, what's Mama doing outside?)

(I see her, too!)

---

Roly Poly
(A tribute to C&D's vanishing baby chub!)
ROLY POLY, eatin' corn n' 'taters
Hungry ev'ry minute of the day
ROLY POLY, gnawin' on a biscuit
Long as he can chew it, it's OK.

(I don't know where Carmen learned this. Is she imitating us, roaring like a lion, trying to demonstrate her sense of delight, or is it just a successful trick to catch our attention? We had to encourage her a bit to catch her little trick on camera. She is even more exuberant-looking when she is not being filmed.)

He can eat an apple pie
An' never even bat an eye
He likes everything from soup to hay

(Experiencing the new playground mulch in the screened-in porch, 5 March. It was fun to put in our mouth (but not eat because it tastes and feels nasty!) and throw out all over the floor.)

ROLY POLY, daddy's little fattie
Bet he's gonna be a man some-day.

ROLY POLY, scrambled eggs for breakfast
Bread n' jelly twenty times a day
ROLY POLY, eats a hardy dinner
It takes lots of strength to run and play.

(Two weeks ago after rocking Carmen for about five uninterrupted hours, I decided that I wanted a small nursing stool to take some pressure off of my aching back. When I brought the stool home, Matt assembled it and noticed that C&D wanted to climb it, especially Carmen. He placed it against the futon, and, well, you see what happened. I thanked Matt for assembling the stool, but did not bother to thank him for helping Carmen learn this new trick.)

Pulls up weeds and does the chores
And he runs both ways to all the stores
He works up an appetite that way

(It didn't take long--the time can be measured in tenths of a second--for C&D to realize what a water table is for.)

ROLY POLY, daddy's little fattie
Bet he's gonna be a man someday.

(Enjoying the new water table right away, 5 March.)