I don’t know much about Mother Goose. I don’t recite Nursery Rhymes for the kids and rarely will you catch me singing to them. And, yes, I have harboured some guilt about this over the years
I do, however, have a huge love of music and often dance around the house with the kids foolishly singing as we jump and tickle our way through a song. Last night we were doing just that when one of our favourites came on: Clementine by Washington. We continued to dance around and I heard Lily sing the words ‘take me home’ along with the song. It was amazing to watch her shimmy and bounce around the room picking out the words she was able to sing along to, lost in her own little world. As she side-stepped in circles wiggling her hips and pumping her arms, she said ‘wa-wa’ along with the lyrics and simultaneously made the sign for ‘water’. It was adorable. She didn’t realize that I was watching her as we danced, she was just signing to herself.
It’s been fasinating how her use of sign language has changed. She has so many words now and an unending willingness to try new ones which she was greatly lacking just a few short months ago. As I watch her dance I’m in awe; I scoop her up in my arms for a cuddle-dance. She squirms, raises her hand and says ‘no. put me down’. I reluctantly give up my attempt at cuddles and embrace the headstrong, stubborn, awesomely independent girl that is Lily.
Clementine: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?i=304028683&id=304028534&s=143455
These are such sweet years aren’t they?