A Song in his Heart

I just put Jake to bed, and part of our bedtime routine is songs. I sing to him while he drinks his milk, brushes his teeth, and takes his fluoride.

This has been the routine for months and months.

But tonight, Jake mixed it up a bit.

He was taking an extra long time drinking his milk, and I needed a "filler" song. Heaven forbid my boy be put to bed without constant song...the pressure was on for Mommy to come through!

But what was I to sing? I hadn't rehearsed anything new, I wasn't sure if I could sing a new song in tune or not, or even if I would remember all the words.

Deep breath, Mommy. Breathe. Breathe. Relax and sing the first song that pops into your head.

Then suddenly it was there. In my mind. The tune was already repeating itself. I opened my mouth and without hesitation started signing the lyrics. Sing it with me...

Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the stream.
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
Life is but a dream.

Ahhh, a good ol' fashioned nursery song. One that can be repeated over and over. Good thing. Because it was.

Suddenly my son lit up. He applauded my efforts and begged for more!

-Really? He wanted to hear me sing more?

Another verse came spontaneously out. I was into it now. My secret desire to compete on American Idol was hidden no longer,

Row, row, row your boat...

Then suddenly the most magical and wonderful thing happened, aside from the giggles, applause, and squeals of delight I was already receiving.

Jake started singing along with me! Yup. For the very first time he was singing! He looked at me and said, "Row, row, row," then burst into laughter and giggled, "boat."

Naturally we had to rehearse our duet several more times. Naturally we had to laugh some more. And naturally, we had to hug and kiss some more out of pure excitement.

Jake got to the point where he could only start with, "Row," and then burst into laughter. I don't think I'll audition with him for Idol, he would be too distracting. But then again, he would most certainly charm the judges with his "IT" factor and raw talent. Surely, we would get a golden ticket to Hollywood.

Alas, for now I'll settle for our nighttime rendition of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" and will remember this night forever. For tonight my little boy burst into song for the first time (using actual words) and I was honored to be a part of the duet.