Ball games and cracker jack

We've tried to make music a big part of our kids' lives. We listen to the radio all the time in the car. I sing them lullabies most nights. I even made each of them a lullaby CD when they were born. We took music classes (which we loved in State College, slightly less so in Durham but that's all about the teacher.) We sing all the time. Silly songs, made up songs, theme songs, etc. We have dance parties. (Michael Franti's Say Hey I Love You is great! ) We look up kid music videos (love those Sesame Street takes on popular songs, especially this one and this one.) We have parades with our musical instruments.

Hayden has always loved singing and music and is making up things herself now; sometimes to tunes we recognize, sometimes to her own tune. And now, even Eliza is starting to be more interested in music. Eliza dances a bit more than Hayden did when she hears a good beat which is cute to see her shake her hips back and forth. And she has requested me to sing a few times lately - "Mommy, sing, sheep" (baa, baa, black sheep).

Luckily, even at summer camp, Hayden got to have "music" a couple times and learned some camp songs, including Take Me Out to the Ball Game. Jason helped her completely master it and now she can sing the whole thing. Now, she hasn't been to a ball game (what's a ball game Mama? "baseball" why do they call it just a ball game?), but she really liked this song and has made it her own. And we even found some Cracker Jack at the store to taste, since the first time I heard her sing it, she went "buy me some peanuts and cracker jack, I don't know what the cracker jack is." I just had to help her out with her Americana knowledge!

So anyway, here's Hayden singing take me out to the ball game. Then there's some running in circles which has been happening a lot around here lately. Then a tackle. (also common). And then Eliza makes an attempt at singing, which Hayden takes over (again, also a frequent occurrence.) Enjoy! Eat some cracker jack!