good morning starshine...

Did you ever wonder what mornings are like in the Bloom household?  Today I'm going to give you a glimpse.

 

Our school days start with me barging into the bedrooms of my boys -- first the small one, then the larger one -- and flinging open the curtains.  My barging is usually accompanied by a song which has been popular around here for many years:
  

Good morning dear earth,

Good morning dear sun.

Good morning dear stones,

and the flowers, every one.

Good morning dear beasts,

and the birds in the trees.

Good morning to you,

and good morning to me.

...and if the cat is following me from room to room (which he usually is) I also sing "good morning to kitty's fleas."

For occasional variation I sing THIS SONG, THIS SONG, or my favorite from summers at sleep-away camp:

Good morning to you! Good morning to you!

You look kind of drowsy, in fact you look lousy.

Good morning to you! Good morning to you!

You look kind of sleepy, in fact you look creepy.

However, Tuesday was the first day of school for my boys, and I came up with a whole new way to torment my family.

I'm not sure why, of all possible mornings, I was suddenly inspired to sing this song... but there you go. And why do I seem to know most of the words by heart?  That's another mystery altogether.  ("Gliddy glub gloopy/Nibby nabby noopy/La la la lo lo/Sabba sibby sabba/Nooby abba nabba/Le le lo lo..." Good lord.)

Next week I might sing this song (my favorite part starts at around 2 minutes, 20 seconds). My younger son and the cat like the newly added song in my morning repertoire.  My husband and older son are investing in stock with companies which manufacture earplugs.

And lest you think it's otherwise all bluebirds and sunshine in my house every morning, allow me to disabuse you of that notion.  After the singing, it's all downhill.  Everyone jostles in our our small kitchen (including the cat who is inevitably underfoot, and complains when he's shifted out of the way) to throw together hasty breakfasts and pack lunches.  I get distracted reading the comics section of the newspaper until my husband points out that I should probably get moving, which sends me dashing upstairs to change out of pajamas with reminders flung over my shoulder to please hurry with shoes & socks, and then we're all barreling out the door.

Do you have any favorite morning routines?  Any special or unique ways you like to torment your family? Do tell!

Music by Which to Paint Peg Dolls

The soundtrack behind my first book was Leave Your Sleep by Natalie Merchant, It's a Big World by Renee and Jeremy, anything by Jolie Holland, plus, weather permitting, some Yann Tiersen.  This is what I was listening to while I worked on that book.

These days, while working on the second book, I'm still listening to a lot of Jolie Holland. And since my older son has started taking cello lessons (my old cello has emerged so I can play along while he practices) we are listening to a lot of this.  However, I am searching for some new music by which to paint peg dolls... Help!!

What music would you recommend while painting peg dolls (and whilst stitching and sewing and typing away on the computer?)

Yellow

 Just in case you missed it the last time I posted a video for a song by Renee and Jeremy, here is another:

So beautiful... what's not to love about this?

Ladybug

Ladybug, ladybug, 

Landed on my thumb,

Crawled onto my wrist 

And crawled up to my elbow.

Ladybug, ladybug,

Crawled up my arm,

And then she flew away...

 When my older son was a toddler we regularly attended a library story-time, the highlight of which was the moment the librarian brought out a large bucket full of tiny ladybug finger-puppets.  The roomful of toddlers made a mad-dash for those ladybug finger-puppets and then everyone would sing the little song I inscribed above.  Remembering this, I stitched up a ladybug puppet for my current toddler-in-residence to go with the little song...

by Shannon of Rhythm & Rhyme

I based the design of my first ladybug finger-puppet on this tutorial by Shannon of the blog Rhythm & Rhyme.  Her pattern yields a plump, round ladybug, perfect for little toddler hands.  Note: To make this into a finger-puppet, I added a second layer of felt to the base and left the end of the second layer unsewn to create space for a finger.

Of course, this first ladybug finger-puppet never stayed on my finger for very long, what with my wee Bloom craving to hold the ladybug puppet himself, so I quickly whipped up another finger-puppet.  This second puppet is flat -- not quite so round, plump and squeezable, but just as tickly as she makes her way from thumb, to wrist, to elbow to shoulder!

In case you'd like to make a ladybug of your own and sing along, here is a video of the song...

Note: This post has been linked to Creative Friday at Natural Suburbia and Friday's Nature Table at Magic Onions.

File this under Weird and Wonderful

Last February I posted about my balloon-loving toddler.  I am here to report that his balloon obsession continues in full swing.  There are times in our lives when distraction is required (during diaper changes, car rides, etc...), and in these moments, when there is no balloon on hand, we will offer to sing a song about a balloon.  If we are not in the mood to make up a song ourselves, the only balloon-related song Mr. Bloom and I know is Up, Up and Away, first made famous by The 5th Dimension in 1967 and later recorded by other artists such as Nancy Sinatra, Diana Ross, Dionne Warwick and Sammy Davis, Jr. The problem with this song is, up until last week, we only knew the first line, so we would sing that one line over, and over, and over, and over (you get the idea...)

So last week, I finally went online and found some clips of the song Up, Up and Away on You Tube. These video-clips should definitely be filed under "weird and wonderful" and I especially like the costumes. I recommend having a look at some other 5th Dimension videos, too -- all their costumes are amazing!

 Did I mention weird and wonderful?  That would definitely apply to this version of Up, Up and Away sung by Nancy Sinatra...  And just in case you were inclined to sing along, here are the lyrics:

Would you like to ride in my beautiful balloon?
Would you like to ride in my beautiful balloon?
We could float among the stars together, you and I,
For we can fly we can fly...
Up, up and away
In my beautiful, my beautiful balloon
The world's a nicer place in my beautiful balloon
It wears a nicer face in my beautiful balloon
We can sing a song and sail along the silver sky,
For we can fly, we can fly
Up, up and away
In my beautiful, my beautiful balloon
Suspended under a twilight canopy,
We'll search the clouds for a star to guide us.
If by some chance you find yourself loving me,
We'll find a cloud to hide us,
We'll keep the moon beside us
Love is waiting there in my beautiful balloon
Way up in the air in my beautiful balloon
If you'll hold my hand we'll chase your dream across the sky
For we can fly, we can fly
Up, up and away
My beautiful, my beautiful balloon
Balloon...
Up, up, and away.....

If you'll excuse me now, I've got to track down my white miniskirt and Go-Go boots so I can dance along, too!

Roses Love Sunshine, Violets Love Dew...

Down in the valley, the valley so low,

Hang your head over, hear the wind blow.

Hear the wind blow, dear, hear the wind blow,

Hang your head over, hear the wind blow.

Roses love sunshine, violets love dew,

Angels in heaven know I love you...

Know I love you dear, know I love you,

Angels in heaven know I love you.

Write me a letter containing three lines,

Answer my question: Will you be mine?

Will you be mine, dear, will you be mine?

Answer my question: Will you be mine?

I learned this quaint, old fashioned love song at school when I was ten years old. I've always remembered it and always liked it.  About a month ago I heard the song again on Elizabeth Mitchell's album, You Are My Little Bird and it's become a favorite bedtime lullaby for my wee Bloom.  If you like, you can hear a clip of it here (listed as track number 116.)

Perhaps tonight you'll rock someone to sleep to the tune of this song, too...

Grow Grow Grow

We got our summer garden into the ground about a month ago.  This is our second year planting vegetables in this tiny spot on the side of our house and we are trying to learn from our mistakes.  Last year the deer ate up our green bean vines and powdery mildew infested our cucumber, zucchini and pumpkin vines, so our yield from the garden was only a few strawberries and a small crop of tomatoes.

I did research and learned that squash from the family Curcubita Moschata are resistant to powdery mildew, and so we planted butternut squash and a beautiful variety of pumpkin called Musque de Provence.  We also planted blue lake green beans, two varieties of tomato, carrots and we have strawberry plants which survived from last year (you can even see an eager strawberry, nearly ripe in the photo below!)  For good measure, I planted some morning glories & snapdragons and allowed last years nasturtiums to go to seed...

Every morning when I look over our growing garden I have a little poem running through my head.  The poem is by Woody Guthrie and I first heard it last week sung as a rhythmic chant to gentle percussion on the album You are my Little Bird by Elizabeth Mitchell.

Grassy Grass Grass

by Woody Guthrie

Grass grass grass,

tree tree tree,

leafy leaf leaf,

one two three.

Birdy birdy bird,

fly fly fly,

nest nest nest,

high high high.

Cloudy cloudy cloud,

wind wind wind,

rain rain rain,

mud mud mud.

Doggie doggie dog,

runny run run,

quickie quick quick,

homey home home

Beddy bed bed,

sheety sheet sheet,

sleepy sleep sleep,

dreamy dream dream.

Dancie dance dance,

singy sing sing,

grow grow grow,

biggy big big.

It's a good chant to sing over a garden but I think it's even better for singing over growing children...  our best, most beautiful little blossoms and blooms...

St. Clare

Every so often I hear a song which makes my heart beat faster and gives me butterflies in the pit of my stomach. The other day I found a CD by Suzanne Vega at the library and was listening to it in the car. The moment this song started playing I felt a fluttering of wings...

St. Clare
by Jack Hardy

call on that saint
and the candle that burns
keeping her safe
until her return

plaster and paint
holding the fire
a poor woman's saint
holding all man's desire

bold little bird
fly away home
could I but ride herd
on the wind and the foam

all of the souls
that curl by the fire
they never know
all man's desire

watercress clings
to the banks of the stream
in the first grip of spring
when the snow melts to green

barefoot and cold
and holding a lyre
by the side of the road
holding all man's desire

call on the saint
when the white candle burns
keeping her safe
until her return
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Little Red Bird

Little Red Bird (Ushag Veg Ruy)

(Refrain)
Little red bird on the lonely moor,
Lonely moor, lonely moor,
Little red bird on the lonely moor,
Where did you sleep in the night?

Out on a gorse bush, dark and wide,
Dark and wide, dark and wide,
Swift rain was falling on every side,
O, hard was my sleep last night...
(Refrain)

Did I not sleep on the swaying briar,
Swaying briar, swaying briar,
Tossing about as the winds rose higher,
O, little did I sleep last night...
(Refrain)

Did I not sleep on the cold waves crest,
Cold waves crest, cold waves crest,
Where many a man has taken his rest,
O, Little did I sleep last night...
(Refrain)

Wrapped in two leaves I lay at ease,
Lay at ease, lay at ease,
Like a babe on his mothers knees,
O, sweet was my sleep last night...

This is a Manx lullaby from the Isle of Man. I'm not sure where I learned it, but it's so beautiful it's impossible to forget. Here is a clip (and another clip) if you want to have a listen.

If I were a Feather Bed

If I Were a Featherbed

by John McCutcheon

If I were a featherbed in your house so fine,
I'd wrap my arms around you tight, keep you warm in the wintertime...

And if I were a woolen rug a-sittin' in your front hall,
I'd reach right up and I'd tickle your toes if you stepped on me at all...

If I were an old banjo, felt your finger on my strings,
I'd play the sweetest little song that a banjo e'er did sing...

If I were a hair ribbon and my color it was blue,
I'd be ten times as beautiful because I'd be wearing you...

If I were a drop of rain trickling down your chin,
I'd run right up and kiss your lips, and kiss them twice again...

If I were a breath of wind on your cheeks as you walked by,
I'd pick you up upon my back and teach you how to fly...

_________________________________________________

Another favorite lullaby...
Here's a link in case you want to hear some of the melody...

Fais Dodo

Another favorite lullaby around our house... this one is French and you can hear a sound-clip here...

Fais dodo

Fais dodo, Colas mon petit frère,
Fais dodo, t'auras du lolo.
Maman est en haut,
Qui fait des gâteaux.
Papa est en bas,
Qui fait du chocolat...

Go to sleep, Colas my little brother,
Go to sleep, & you will get some sweets.
Mama is upstairs,
She's making some cakes.
Papa is downstairs,
He's making some hot chocolate...

Fais dodo, Colas mon petit frère,
Fais dodo, t'auras du lolo.
Papa est en haut,
Il joux piano.
Maman est en bas,
Elle danse la samba...

Papa is upstairs,
He's playing the piano.
Mama is downstairs,
She's dancing the samba...

Fais dodo, Colas mon petit frère,
Fais dodo, t'auras du lolo.
Papa est sur l'eau,
Qui fait des bateaux,pour le petit frère -o
qui fais bien dodo...

Papa is by the water
He's making boatsFor the little brother
who is sleeping so sweetly...

Fais dodo, Colas mon petit frère,
Fais dodo, t'auras du lolo.
Les gentils oiseaux
Font des chants nouveaux
pour le petit frère -o
qui fais bien dodo...

The gentle birds
Are making up new songs
For the little brother
who is sleeping so sweetly...
Fais dodo, Colas mon petit frère,
Fais dodo, t'auras du lolo.
Les anges la-haut
Font un beau chateau
pour le petit frère -o
qui fais bien dodo...

The angels above
Are building a beautiful castle
for the little brother
Who is sleeping so sweetly...

Lullaby

Mornings around here are quiet. My mother went home about 2 weeks ago and Little Mr. is at summer camp for a few hours each day. Baby B. and I curl up in the rocking chair and I dust off favorite lullabies which I used to sing to Little Mr. when he was a baby.

The lullaby A La Peurta Del Cielo is unusual and rare and a particular favorite of mine. It was collected in Mexico by the Federal Music Project as part of President Roosevelt's New Deal. You can hear a clip of it here...

A La Puerta Del Cielo

A la puerta del cielo vendan zapatos,
Para los angelitos que andan descalzos.
Duermete nino,
Duermete nino,
Duermete nino, arru, arru.

At the gate of heaven little shoes they are selling,
For the little bare footed angels there dwelling,
Sleep now my baby,
Sleep now my baby,
Sleep now my baby, arru, arru.

Benditos los ninos duermiendo tan quietos.
Benditas las Madres que tanto los quieren
Duermete nino...

God will bless the children so peacefully sleeping.
God will bless the mothers whose love they are keeping.
Sleep now my baby...

Obsession

The sun has gone from the shining skies,
The dandelions have closed their eyes,
The stars are lighting their lamps to see
If babes and squirrels and birds and bees
Are sound asleep as they should be.
(Anonymous)

Every few years I buy an album of music which I cannot stop listening to. I listen in the car then, when I get home, I bring the CD into the house so I can listen some more. My current obsession is Natalie Merchant's most recent album -- a 2-CD set called Leave Your Sleep.

In the liner notes, Merchant relates that her inspiration for the album was sharing poetry with her own child. The songs are all poems written for children & set to music in a variety of styles. There are no less than 4 musical arrangements which include accordion, which, as far as I'm concerned, is nothing less than fabulous. The CD set comes with an elegant little book which includes all the poetry/lyrics and fascinating biographical information on each of the poets featured. The poems are dreamy and some of the music to which they are set is even dreamier.

I think my favorite is Equestrienne by Rachel Field:

See, they are clearing the sawdust course
For the girl in the pin on the milk-white horse.
Her spangles twinkle; his pale flanks shine,
Every hair of his tail is fine
And bright as a comet's; his mane blows free,
And she points a toe and bends a knee,
And while his hoofbeats fall like rain
Over and over and over again.
And nothing that moves on land and sea
Will seem so beautiful to me
As the girl in pink on the milk-white horse
Cantering over the sawdust course.