Today I’m linking up with Lisa-Jo for Five-Minute Friday.
Join me!
The rules: Write for five minutes. No editing, revising, overthinking, or backtracking. Just write.
Today’s Topic: Song
From the day we brought her home, I’ve been singing to her.
When she was teeny, teeny-tiny, I would make up songs that rhymed about everything from changing a diaper to her sweet, stuffed puppy that I hoped would become her favorite. I even took one of our favorite books and put it to a song, one that she will often sing to me now.
Always Sometimes I probably sounded like a dork, but I wanted her to know that music is a huge part of our lives from the beginning.
And I wanted her to love it.
By the time she was six months old, she would coo with me as I’d work my way through the rotation of favorites. (Aka: the ones that allowed me to host my own little concerts. ;)) And by the time she was just over a year old, she’d started to sing little pieces of Jesus Loves Me…and, oh, how my heart turned to a pile of mush.
Around the time she turned two, we were walking hand-in-hand from Target to the car, and I started it.
I’ve got sunshine…
And she finished it…on a cloudy day.
And when it’s cold outside…
I’ve got a girl named Mae. (Yes, I rewrote it slightly. ;))
I guess you say, who can make me feel this way? Maelie…Maelie!
But perhaps my favorite so far happened on one of those mornings just a few months ago, the kind that started with messes and frustrations and oh-so-many mommy moments that were less than gorgeous. And as I wrestled her into her clothes for the day, she looked up at me.
Gave me her silly, heart-melting, smile.
And she broke into song.
I love you, a bushel and a peck.
A bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck.
A hug around the neck and a barrel and a heap,
A barrel and a heap, and I’m talking in my sleep
About you.
About who?
About you!
Every single word.
It completely made my day, probably my year.
My Maelie girl…wherever you go in life, always remember music. It’s powerful, it’s beautiful, and you will go far if you always keep a song in your heart.
I know you will.
Mel! I love this. Am I allowed to comment before the linkup goes public? I think so. This is so sweet. I need to sing more to the kids, that’s for sure. Being Lutheran, though, we do sing a LOT at church
My boy loves to sing at home, but won’t when he’s in front of anyone. Your Maelie is so super sweet and adorable! Thanks for sharing this!!! Hope you have a wonderful and blessed Friday, friend!
Thank you, friend! Hope you have a great weekend…blessings!
Oh, when they start responding to you. I love the baby stage but the getting older stage is awesome too!
A friend has told me since the time Mae was tiny that there are wonderful things about each stage. I’m thankful for that, especially in the temper-tantrum season! 😉 Have a great weekend!
This made me smile. So sweet!
Thanks, Kelly!
Mel, this is a wonderful post. Your daughter is beautiful! I love the voices of little one’s singing. It brings true joy!
Thank you, Jennifer! One of my favorite sounds is her laugh…I just want to bottle it up and keep it forever.
I love singing to my children, still. Even the older ones at 22 and 29 still hear me sing to them. One of my favorites I sang to them from the time they were in my womb is “You are my sunshine”! Blessings!
I hope she’ll still let me sing to her once in awhile when she’s in her 20’s.
That’s so sweet…blessings back to you, friend! 
This is so precious! My parents made up songs for me too, I still remember them.
She’ll treasure those forever.
I love that…it made me smile. (But I do hope she doesn’t remember the songs I made up about dirty diapers…) 😉 Have a great weekend!
Undoubtedly! Music is an integral part of life and I cannot comprehend how anyone doesn’t enjoy it (my cousin Anthony told me he hates music, finds it irritating, and prefers to only listen to talk radio). I hope Maelie falls deeply, madly, head over heels in love with music every day.
I can’t imagine a life without music…and I hope it’s one of her favorite things forever.
Have a great weekend, Tam!
i take songs and rework them for my kiddos, too. our favorite has always been “wakin’ up is hard to do…” to neil sedaka’s original “breakin’ up is hard to do.”
you should have heard the giggles rapidly turning to belly laughs by my biggers the first time they heard the song with the real words and realized what i’d done!
great memories!
Ooohhh….that’s a good one! Yep, I’m sure she’ll take joy in correcting me someday, but for now, I’ll enjoy the rewrites.
Have a great weekend!
Dear Mel
You and Maelie might have songs in your hearts, but you have just brought tears to me eyes! I also used to sing to my boys when they were small, and today they are both good musicians. My oldest plays a mean solo on the drums and my youngest has a voice like an angel and plays all the different guitars.
Blessings
Mia
We joke that she will be a drummer someday. One of our good friends is a drummer, and she just loves him. Not too long ago, she pulled out the pots and pans from her play kitchen, set them up, and played her “drums”. One of my favorite memories so far.
Blessings, sweet friend.
Love this and I am the same way….always singing you are my sunshine to my kids!!
Beautiful
Love that!!
Thank you, Kimberly!
sweet foundation for all the years ahead, Mel … a song deeply implanted in a little soul!
Is there anything more precious than hearing your little one just belting out a tune or singing witht he radio. Right now may favorites are the renditions of Toby Mac and Newsboys coming from a 4 yr old who makes up the words he doesn’t know. Just love!!
I’m looking forward to the day when she starts singing to the radio with me. She hears me belt it out every day…I can’t wait ’til we start singing along together!
Blessings, Amy!
I always loved singing to my kids (they didn’t care that I couldn’t carry a tune AT ALL). However, when they began to sing back to me was so special. Vacation bible school songs from years ago are still sung in our house just not as often. The picture of your little Mae is so precious. Continue to sing into her life. Have a great weekend friend.
Thank you, friend! My mom tells this story (and I’m pretty sure it’s true) that she potty trained me by singing to me. I guess she’s really bad (I don’t remember ever hearing her sing, really) and I told her I’d go if she’d just stop.
Sometimes I wonder if it really happened, but we get a smile from it, anyway. 
I love the songs shared with little ones. We make up silly songs all the time in my house and my face can’t hold the HUGE smile I want to wear when I hear them sing. And my middle girl? She does her praise hand just like I do when we sing worship songs. melts my heart…
I love that…Mae is starting to imitate me a little, but she definitely has her own style. It will be fun to watch her as she gets older.
Blessings!
I love it when they start singing your songs back to you! And, better yet, when I happen to hear my oldest singing them to her younger siblings….melts my heart!
I love that.
Blessings, Charlie!
These are such precious times with your daughter! Music is truly powerful, and I love how you are sharing it with Mae! I sang to my little ones constantly…Wheels on the Bus was always a favorite
I haven’t introduced her to that one, yet, but we’d have so much fun making up verses for it. We’ll have to try it! Thanks, Amy…have a great weekend!
Oh how I loved to sing to my babies when they were young. I miss it so. I remember being in the car and singing a song that I didnt know the words to so i sang the chorus and then i sang “something, something, something” and the next time we heard that song my then two year old sang the chorus and then filled in those other words with the word “something”
Cherish these moments with your child, they grow so fast. God bless you, I pray you have a great weekend
I feel like I blinked and she’s almost three…I don’t want to blink anymore, but at the same time, I cherish each memory we create.
And I’m sure we’ve had a few “something, something” moments…sometimes I just stick my own words in there, too. 
Have a great weekend, Marisa!
ack! We are so kindred 😉 I sing all the time and my boy knows so many songs as a result…my heart will never be shaped the same it has melted so many times….
just LOVED this, girl!
I love that…I’m sure my heart is the same…pretty much a constant pile of mush. But it’s good.
Thank you, sweet friend…blessings!
Oh what a beautiful thing. To have a little that sings. I’m so happy for you. I hope you’re happy too. It’s a wonderful, wonderful thing! 😉
Oh, I am definitely a happy and blessed mama…even when she doesn’t sing, but I’m so thankful she has a song in her heart.
Thank you, Debi!
You made me smile – real – big – just now Mel! I too make up songs and silly rhymes for almost everything. I’m blessed to have grandchildren to share these silly songs with now as my kids are all grown and have their own families now. I remember many times when song brought us together and made us feel warm and close and giggly as a family. What a blessing that we have this gift of song in our God sized hearts! Yep, always have a song in your heart – it will get you there!
Hugs,
Kelly (stopping by from fmf)
Thank you, Kelly, for your sweet words and encouragement and for stopping by today! Wishing you a wonderful weekend! (((hugs back)))
LOVE LOVE LOVE! So beautiful, Mel. The story, yes. But even more, your heart. And the song, oh keep singing the song! And she will sing with you.
Thank you for your sweet words and thoughts, Teri, and for stopping by today! Blessings, friend!
Absolutely lovely. My grandmother (MiMi) used to sing that bushel and a peck song to me. I loved it then and I love it now. Thanks for the pick me up today!
Thank you, Holly! Isn’t that song the best? Someday I want to get a video of her singing it…it’s way too cute.
Hope you are doing well…have a great weekend, friend!
Yes! My hubs is the one who has always made songs up for Madison, ever since she was born. But I’m the only one she’ll let sing “bushel & a peck” ….we sing it & snuggle and she squishes my face between her hands and says “again, mama”….it’s so wonderful
This makes me smile so big…I’m determined to soak up all the cuteness and sweet that comes with this stage because I know there will be a day when she won’t ask me to sing anymore. Gotta belt out the tunes while we can! 😉 Have a great weekend, friend!
Beautiful Mel! It is a joyful thing to sing with your daughter(s). My sisters and I sang together and now my daughters do. Bless you!
Oh, I love that!
Blessings to you, too, sweet friend!
So very precious, Mel. I know you are cherishing these sweet young years with your girl. My firstborn turned 18 today and it’s true, what they say…it goes by fast. We were just watching some old home videos of her the other day. She wasn’t quite a year old yet when she heard her dad playing guitar for the first time. She crawled over, pulled up to the couch and started “singing” along. It brought tears to my eyes to see the beginning. She is now a worship leader, singing on stage every week, leading middle-schoolers in worship and praise. I bet Mae has singing in her future, too 😉
Oh, I can imagine the tears that would bring…thank you for sharing!
I find myself dreaming those kind of things for Mae…and while it would be wonderful if she grew up singing, I know no matter what, His plans for her are beautiful. 
Hope you are doing well, my friend…and I finally mailed the sarong on Friday, so look for it in the next few days. 
Blessings and have a great week!
This touched my heart.
Thank you, friend! Have a great week!
This is so many kinds of adorable. What a sweet story, Mel!
Thank you! Blessings!