Saturday, January 9

Bye Baby Bunting...




It's funny the things you remember from your childhood. I wonder if my kids remember the same thing from their childhood, that I remember from mine. The songs...

There were two songs that my mom used to sing to me especially when she took me out of the tub and toweled me dry. I remember sitting on her lap, wrapped up cozy in a big bath towel, and I can still hear my mom singing to me...
"Bye baby bunting
daddy's gone a hunting
to get a little rabbit skin
to wrap his little baby in."

and then she would also sing,
"mommy's little baby loves shortening, shortening
mommy's little baby loves shortening bread."

(okay, as I wrote out that last song, there were a couple thoughts that came to my mind. First of all, why would a baby like shortening? i.e. lard But then I do like "shortbread" cookies! hmmm, is this where my sweet tooth came from!!) Isn't it funny how childhood songs, when you review the words, some of them are really strange! And, being that I am a Metis (card carrying one at that) I guess the rabbit skin, daddy hunting song could almost take me back to my roots so to speak! (smile)

So - back to the memories. I remember sitting on my mom's lap. (wow, I can't believe the feeling that just washed over me with this memory. Man, I miss my mom!) Believe it or not, I can almost feel that warmth of me sitting on her lap with the towel wrapped tight around me as she hugged me and rocked me gently. And I can hear her singing too. Funny how that comes so clearly.

So it was that when I had first of all Josh, and then Ashley - I sang those same two songs (plus others) to them as well. These two songs were also usually sang when I was getting them cozy and dry out of the bathtub.
"Mommy's little baby..."

"Bye baby bunting..."

Often my kids would say, "sing it again mommy" or "more" ~ and of course I would oblige!
Those are very warm memories for me too. I am thinking that I can hardly wait till I get to sing these to our little Everett. Except I will have to change the words from "mommy" and "daddy" to "granny and poppa"
I guess I will have to sing "Granny's little baby loves shortning, shortning"
and "bye baby bunting, Poppa's gone a hunting..."

The other day - when the kids were out, Ashley was shooting some pictures and she captured one of the most beautiful shots ever... it is of Everett smiling and it looks like he is waving. (sorry, for some reason, Ashley's pics load quickly but always load small)

O, Little one... how I love you.
My little baby bunting...
I'll love you for ever! I'll love you for always.
I LOVE YOU little Everett John Klassen.
I love you more than yesterday, but less than tomorrow.
O Lord, thank you for the gift of my grandbabies. Thank you for the safe arrival of little Everett who just turned 3 weeks old. Thank you Lord. Thank you.






1 comment:

ashleymarie said...

some of the earliest memories i have are of me sitting on your lap and you singing those songs! i think i'll sing them to my kids too.. sometimes i sing them to michael even! :)