My Secret Life As A Songwriter

When I'm not living the glamorous life of a stay at home mother of twin two year olds, or waxing philosophical here on the blog, I am cultivating a new career of sorts.  Songwriter extroidinaire.  See, we started singing to the kids during our tooth brushing routines.  But "Old McDonald" got really old, real fast.  So I started taking requests, which was a challenge but super-fun.  They'd say something like, "Jesus Loves" and I'd start into "Jesus Loves Me" only to have them yank the toothbrush out of their mouth and tell me, "No Mommy, udder one".  After some quick brain racking I got the first bar of "Jesus Loves The Little Children" out and the mouth popped open again, satisfied and ready for me to continue.  It became a fun little game, me offering song choices, them requesting... sometimes mid-brush.  Until one day, when Addison asked for "The Gramzy and Pop Song".  Riiiiiiight.

There was no getting out of it.  No other song would do, and so I did what any self-respecting mom would.  I had to wing it.  I plastered on a smile and said, "Of course... the 'Gramzy and Pop Song' is a great song*!  Then I sang like my life depended on it.  And kind of, it did.  My audience of two, they are my life.  And if they want a little musical theater/comedy to pass them time, then who am I to judge?!?  Haven't we all been stuck in a boring meeting and started chatting with a neighbor, writing up mental grocery lists, or doodling?  How grateful would I have been if just once I'd asked for a little song and dance, and GOT IT!?!?  Apparently, as grateful as the kids are...  because they now regularly request all kinds of random songs.  About people.  Silverware.  Whatever's on their mind really.  Which is all kinds of awesome.  Does it rhyme?  On a good day.  Does it have a catchy tune?  Occasionally.  Do they love it?  ALWAYS.  And isn't that what all songwriters really want?  To create something out of nothing.  And to make someone feel something (even if it is intense laughter at the ridiculousness of their mother).


*Side note:  "Gramzy and Pop" sounds like a show tune from "A Chorus Line" and is a 16-bar repetition of the title phrase, which for some reason is all I could think up on the spot, but turned out to be quite easy to remember... and it is by far the most requested tune to date.