It's half marathon week! I vacillate between being incredibly nervous and incredibly excited about Saturday's race. Mostly I am just ready to cross that finish line! While I have some lingering doubts about whether or not I can actually finish the half marathon, for the most part I feel like I've done what I could to prepare. I didn't always meet my goals for my runs during the week, but I faithfully completed all of my long runs, including two 9 milers and a 10 miler this past weekend. Of course, that means that come Saturday I'll still be running 3.1 miles longer than I have in training, but I'm trusting the training and adrenaline to carry me through. I know one thing: I WILL cross that finish line, no matter what! I may have to walk, hobble, or slowly jog across the finish, but I will finish.
Just a little less than 2 years ago, I decided not to run the half marathon I'd been training for. Honestly, I've regretted it ever since. I can't believe I put in all that work, all that time, and didn't run the race! But I can't change the past, and I have to admit that I've enjoyed the whole process a lot more this time around. What's interesting to me is that last time I was training I did walk/run intervals, but this time I'm running without planned walking breaks, and I would think that I would enjoy the walk/run method more. I'm not really sure why running has been more enjoyable this time, but maybe it's because I don't feel any pressure to finish this half marathon. I did feel pressure last time, as imaginary as it may have been. I am doing this for ME and only me, so I don't have anything to prove to anyone else.
I am running because I love to run. I am running because it makes me feel strong and happy and free. I am running because I am grateful for these legs that God has given me, and I want to keep them healthy. I am running because I am not the same girl who used to sit on the couch and stuff her face with junk while watching The Biggest Loser. I'm not the same girl who used to go shopping for clothes and come home crying because once again the number on the jeans was bigger than it had ever been before. That girl didn't dream of running a half marathon; she couldn't even imagine running half a mile.
When Saturday comes, I'll cross that finish line with a smile on my face and perhaps tears in my eyes, and I'll know that I had it in me to become THIS girl all along.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Friday, March 23, 2012
Friday Five: Favorite Running Tunes
I love listening to music when I run, and having my cute little Sansa Clip Zip makes it even better because I hardly notice I'm using an mp3 player (I really should write a review of this product. Maybe I will!). Anyway, it's easy to get tired of hearing the same old songs every time I run, so I try and change up the music once a month or so. Here are 5 of my current favorite running songs, in no particular order because I can't rank them by how much I love them. The links will take you to YouTube videos of each song.
1. "Princess of China" by Coldplay. For some reason I am OBSESSED with this song. I play it about 3 or 4 times a day, which means it inevitably gets stuck in my head. There's no deep meaning or anything; it's just a fun little ditty.
2. "God is Enough" by Lecrae. Lecrae is a Christian hip hop artist, and he is the bomb diggity, yo. (I am so white.) I also listen to this song obsessively. It's an awesome running song. Go listen to it. You won't be sorry!
3. "Every Teardrop is a Waterfall" by Coldplay. I know, another Coldplay song, but I just bought their Mylo Xyloto album recently because Amazon had it on sale for $0.25! Best quarter I ever spent. ("I shut the world outside until the lights come on/Maybe the streets alight, maybe the trees are gone/I feel my heart start beating to my favorite song.")
4. "Set Fire to the Rain" by Adele. I love me some Adele, and this is my favorite Adele song. I think my good bloggy friend Andrea really likes this one, too. (Hi, Andrea!) I don't really know what this song means (besides the typical angsty Adele my-life-was-ruined-by-a-boy stuff), but I would love to know how one goes about setting the rain on fire. That would be awesome.
5. "Start Over" by The Afters. The lyrics in this song are so great and encouraging, especially when trying to push through a workout. ("The impossible is possible/But your fear is so responsible/for keeping you down,/keeping you down...You only fail/If you never try/You'll never live/Tryin' not to die.")
Now I must know: what are YOUR favorite workout songs? I'm always looking for new music!
1. "Princess of China" by Coldplay. For some reason I am OBSESSED with this song. I play it about 3 or 4 times a day, which means it inevitably gets stuck in my head. There's no deep meaning or anything; it's just a fun little ditty.
2. "God is Enough" by Lecrae. Lecrae is a Christian hip hop artist, and he is the bomb diggity, yo. (I am so white.) I also listen to this song obsessively. It's an awesome running song. Go listen to it. You won't be sorry!
3. "Every Teardrop is a Waterfall" by Coldplay. I know, another Coldplay song, but I just bought their Mylo Xyloto album recently because Amazon had it on sale for $0.25! Best quarter I ever spent. ("I shut the world outside until the lights come on/Maybe the streets alight, maybe the trees are gone/I feel my heart start beating to my favorite song.")
4. "Set Fire to the Rain" by Adele. I love me some Adele, and this is my favorite Adele song. I think my good bloggy friend Andrea really likes this one, too. (Hi, Andrea!) I don't really know what this song means (besides the typical angsty Adele my-life-was-ruined-by-a-boy stuff), but I would love to know how one goes about setting the rain on fire. That would be awesome.
5. "Start Over" by The Afters. The lyrics in this song are so great and encouraging, especially when trying to push through a workout. ("The impossible is possible/But your fear is so responsible/for keeping you down,/keeping you down...You only fail/If you never try/You'll never live/Tryin' not to die.")
Now I must know: what are YOUR favorite workout songs? I'm always looking for new music!
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Not Every Run Is the Best Run
With my half marathon less than two weeks away, the pressure is on! On Saturday I had another 9 miler on my schedule, and I was looking forward to it all week. Then Saturday came, and I didn't want to do it. I had to go a little later in the morning (around 9:30) because Stephen had to take our dog to the vet, and it was already near 70 degrees by that point. (Apparently we're skipping spring and going straight to summer. Lame.) I knew it was going to be hot, and I have gotten so used to running in 40- and 50-degree weather that I knew the heat would be a rude awakening. Still, I knew I had to do it if I was going to be ready for my race, so to the park I went.
This run was the first one where I was using energy gels. The last 9 miler was tough because I didn't drink enough and then had serious gastrointestinal issues later on. I decided that the Gatorade G2 may be the reason my stomach was always upset after my runs, but I still needed to replenish my electrolytes, so I decided to buy some Gu energy gels. I bought 3 flavors: vanilla bean, lemon sublime, and strawberry banana. I brought the vanilla bean and lemon sublime with me and planned to take them around miles 4 and 7. I also brought 2 16-ounce bottles of water with me. I run a few laps around the park's trail and then run in a nearby neighborhood, so I left my water bottle by my car so I could just stop briefly to drink some water before continuing my run. I felt good about my plan to stay hydrated and fueled, so I started my playlist and began my run.
The first few miles weren't too bad, but it wasn't five minutes before I already had sweat running down my face. Despite a forecast that called for a chance of rain, the sun was out in all its brightness, and I could feel beads of moisture start to form on my forehead and in the crooks of my arms. But I knew dwelling on how hot I was would only make this the world's longest run, so I tried to distract myself with my music and just run. This worked most of the time, but I still watched my Garmin a lot more than I have in the past. I took my first Gu (the vanilla bean) at 3.75 miles, and it was so yummy! I really didn't expect it to taste very good, so I was pleasantly surprised at its taste. It was a very sticky, gooey substance, and I chased it down with a considerable amount of water before starting my run again. (I'm going to have to figure out a way to run and fuel/hydrate at the same time, but I'm not there yet. Even in past races I've always walked through water stations because I end up choking if I try to run and drink at the same time, but other runners seem to manage it.) After my brief break I headed into the neighborhood. Here I managed to tackle some hills and kept a relatively steady pace the whole time. With the exception of my first mile, which I consider a warm-up, all my miles were between 11:45-11:55, and I was happy with that. Still, I wanted the run to be DONE! It was hot, and I was not enjoying myself as much as I have on previous runs. I toyed with the idea of quitting at 7 miles, but I knew I had to finish this distance so I would be set to run 10 miles this week. I told myself the morning of my race could be really hot, and I certainly wasn't going to let heat prevent me from running the race, so why let it prevent me from finishing this training run?
I took my 2nd Gu and more water at mile 7 and headed back into the park to finish the last 2 miles. Not too long after I had taken the Gu, my stomach started to feel unsettled. I realized I had probably drunk too much water too quickly, and it was all sitting in my stomach like a brick. I ended up taking a walking break (my first one) for about a minute and a half before running again and actually felt much better. When my Garmin beeped to signal the completion of mile 8, I looked down and saw 12:26 as my time. I thought, "Oh, no you don't, Erin, you're not going to finish this run at a snail's pace!"
So I finished mile 9 in 11:15, the fastest mile of the whole run. :)
My run on Saturday wasn't my best run, but I still got out there and gave it my all. If I do the same thing the day of my race, I know I'll finish and finish strong.
FTC disclosure: Gu did not compensate me in any way for my review of its product. The opinions in this post are entirely my own.
This run was the first one where I was using energy gels. The last 9 miler was tough because I didn't drink enough and then had serious gastrointestinal issues later on. I decided that the Gatorade G2 may be the reason my stomach was always upset after my runs, but I still needed to replenish my electrolytes, so I decided to buy some Gu energy gels. I bought 3 flavors: vanilla bean, lemon sublime, and strawberry banana. I brought the vanilla bean and lemon sublime with me and planned to take them around miles 4 and 7. I also brought 2 16-ounce bottles of water with me. I run a few laps around the park's trail and then run in a nearby neighborhood, so I left my water bottle by my car so I could just stop briefly to drink some water before continuing my run. I felt good about my plan to stay hydrated and fueled, so I started my playlist and began my run.
The first few miles weren't too bad, but it wasn't five minutes before I already had sweat running down my face. Despite a forecast that called for a chance of rain, the sun was out in all its brightness, and I could feel beads of moisture start to form on my forehead and in the crooks of my arms. But I knew dwelling on how hot I was would only make this the world's longest run, so I tried to distract myself with my music and just run. This worked most of the time, but I still watched my Garmin a lot more than I have in the past. I took my first Gu (the vanilla bean) at 3.75 miles, and it was so yummy! I really didn't expect it to taste very good, so I was pleasantly surprised at its taste. It was a very sticky, gooey substance, and I chased it down with a considerable amount of water before starting my run again. (I'm going to have to figure out a way to run and fuel/hydrate at the same time, but I'm not there yet. Even in past races I've always walked through water stations because I end up choking if I try to run and drink at the same time, but other runners seem to manage it.) After my brief break I headed into the neighborhood. Here I managed to tackle some hills and kept a relatively steady pace the whole time. With the exception of my first mile, which I consider a warm-up, all my miles were between 11:45-11:55, and I was happy with that. Still, I wanted the run to be DONE! It was hot, and I was not enjoying myself as much as I have on previous runs. I toyed with the idea of quitting at 7 miles, but I knew I had to finish this distance so I would be set to run 10 miles this week. I told myself the morning of my race could be really hot, and I certainly wasn't going to let heat prevent me from running the race, so why let it prevent me from finishing this training run?
I took my 2nd Gu and more water at mile 7 and headed back into the park to finish the last 2 miles. Not too long after I had taken the Gu, my stomach started to feel unsettled. I realized I had probably drunk too much water too quickly, and it was all sitting in my stomach like a brick. I ended up taking a walking break (my first one) for about a minute and a half before running again and actually felt much better. When my Garmin beeped to signal the completion of mile 8, I looked down and saw 12:26 as my time. I thought, "Oh, no you don't, Erin, you're not going to finish this run at a snail's pace!"
So I finished mile 9 in 11:15, the fastest mile of the whole run. :)
My run on Saturday wasn't my best run, but I still got out there and gave it my all. If I do the same thing the day of my race, I know I'll finish and finish strong.
FTC disclosure: Gu did not compensate me in any way for my review of its product. The opinions in this post are entirely my own.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
What I'm Loving Wednesday
I'm linking up to What I'm Loving Wednesday for the first time, and I thought I would show you all some adorable baby girl clothes I've come across. Shopping for Charlotte is super fun, but most of the time I look more than I buy (for which my husband is grateful, ha). Right now, I'm loving...
This sweet little set with Bloomers:
This polka-dot dress (maybe for Easter?):
These precious white flats:
These fun little swimsuits for summer:
And of course some little shorts:
What are you loving today?
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Things I'm Looking Foward To
1. The weekend. Always the weekend. :)
2. March 23. Stephen and I both have the day off, which means date day! We are going to go see The Hunger Games and eat lunch somewhere and enjoy a carefree day.
3. My half marathon on March 31. My training has been so different compared to two years ago. There have been very few runs that I just haven't enjoyed at all. Running has been much more fun for me this time around, but I'm not really sure why. I don't think I'm doing anything differently. Maybe I'm mentally in a different place than before, who knows? Running is still hard, but I look forward to it in a way I didn't before.
4. Painting my toe nails. This must happen soon, since we are definitely having some prime flip-flop-wearing weather!
5. Easter. I love Easter, and I am looking forward to celebrating it at our church.
What are you looking forward to?
2. March 23. Stephen and I both have the day off, which means date day! We are going to go see The Hunger Games and eat lunch somewhere and enjoy a carefree day.
3. My half marathon on March 31. My training has been so different compared to two years ago. There have been very few runs that I just haven't enjoyed at all. Running has been much more fun for me this time around, but I'm not really sure why. I don't think I'm doing anything differently. Maybe I'm mentally in a different place than before, who knows? Running is still hard, but I look forward to it in a way I didn't before.
4. Painting my toe nails. This must happen soon, since we are definitely having some prime flip-flop-wearing weather!
5. Easter. I love Easter, and I am looking forward to celebrating it at our church.
What are you looking forward to?
Monday, March 12, 2012
The Difference an Hour Makes
I don't know about you guys, but Daylight Saving Time has me all messed up! I had a hard time going to sleep last night (Stephen and I both did), and then I ended up sleeping through my alarm this morning. I've been super-sleepy all day long and have yawned approximately 1,182 times. It's pretty ridiculous! I hope to go to bed a little after 9 tonight and be up at 5:30 tomorrow morning.
It's been about two months since I committed to waking up earlier during the week, and while I wish I could say I happily jump out of bed when my alarm goes off at 5:20 every morning, this is not the case. Truthfully, the amount of times that I actually got up right after the alarm went off are few (I tend to get up around 5:35 or 5:40). However, I definitely am getting up and exercising and reading my Bible in the mornings with far more regularity than I used to, and that is a huge deal for me. I love starting the day by exercising my soul and body, and I truly do feel like it makes all the difference in how my day goes. Today, for example, I have felt rushed and sleepy and out of sorts, and I know it's because I overslept and didn't have time to properly get ready this morning. I didn't exercise or spend time in God's Word, and I was actually feeling rather grumpy when I got to work this morning.
While I'm not 100% successful at waking up when my alarm goes off, I do get up more than I sleep in, and for that I'm grateful. I love waking up while the house is still quiet and asleep, and even though I don't think I'll ever truly be a morning person, I have certainly come to see the value of waking up early.
If you wake up early to get things done (whether it's exercising or reading or writing), what tips do you have for getting up?
It's been about two months since I committed to waking up earlier during the week, and while I wish I could say I happily jump out of bed when my alarm goes off at 5:20 every morning, this is not the case. Truthfully, the amount of times that I actually got up right after the alarm went off are few (I tend to get up around 5:35 or 5:40). However, I definitely am getting up and exercising and reading my Bible in the mornings with far more regularity than I used to, and that is a huge deal for me. I love starting the day by exercising my soul and body, and I truly do feel like it makes all the difference in how my day goes. Today, for example, I have felt rushed and sleepy and out of sorts, and I know it's because I overslept and didn't have time to properly get ready this morning. I didn't exercise or spend time in God's Word, and I was actually feeling rather grumpy when I got to work this morning.
While I'm not 100% successful at waking up when my alarm goes off, I do get up more than I sleep in, and for that I'm grateful. I love waking up while the house is still quiet and asleep, and even though I don't think I'll ever truly be a morning person, I have certainly come to see the value of waking up early.
If you wake up early to get things done (whether it's exercising or reading or writing), what tips do you have for getting up?
Thursday, March 8, 2012
The Saddest Birthday Girl
This video from Charlotte's birthday party deserves its own post. Take a look at how Charlotte responds to her family singing "Happy Birthday." She's less than impressed.
That expression on her face is priceless. She was clearly tired and ready for a nap by this point. I will point out that she perked up considerably when we brought out her cake. :)
As a bonus, here's a video we took on Charlotte's actual birthday (which was this past Sunday). She was giggling up a storm, and I couldn't resist capturing it on video. (Her adorable little pants were made by my aunt Zonia.)
That expression on her face is priceless. She was clearly tired and ready for a nap by this point. I will point out that she perked up considerably when we brought out her cake. :)
As a bonus, here's a video we took on Charlotte's actual birthday (which was this past Sunday). She was giggling up a storm, and I couldn't resist capturing it on video. (Her adorable little pants were made by my aunt Zonia.)
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Charlotte's First Birthday Party
We had Charlotte's party at my parents' house on Saturday, and it was a blast! My aunt and uncle even drove up from Alabama to be there. It was great to spend the morning with family.
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| Cake and photo book display |
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| All of Charlotte's monthly pictures |
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| Birthday table! |
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| Birthday chair with princess tiara and "Ms. One-derful" sunglasses |
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| Cousins! |
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| Yummy! |
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| Showing off the walking skills. |
Monday, March 5, 2012
One Year!
My sweet Charlotte is one year old! I can hardly believe what was once this:
has become this:
Is that not the sweetest picture?? I found a Groupon that offered a relatively inexpensive photo session with live ducklings, and I thought that was perfect for Charlotte's 12 month pictures. She had a BLAST with those ducklings. I don't think the ducklings felt the same, however, especially not the one that almost got its head yanked off by Charlotte's overly enthusiastic hand. :) She got down in the water and splashed and splashed (hence the wet shirt) and scared all the ducklings into the farthest corner of the little "pond," but fortunately the photographer was able to get this picture of Charlotte's trademark happy grin (the real version does not have the top of her head cropped off).
Big things are happening in Charlotte's life right now. She's WALKING! She started taking a few steps here and there last Monday or Tuesday, and now she can get across an entire room. She still has lots of stops and starts, but when she falls or almost falls, she gets up and starts going again, usually with a hugely proud grin on her face. It's amazing to see how quickly she's caught on and how much she has learned. A lot happens in the first year of a baby's life! At this point she still prefers to crawl, but I think in a few weeks she'll discover that walking is much more efficient and allows her to carry her toys around without resorting to the rather crippled-looking crawl she currently adopts when wanting to bring toys with her as she moves.
Charlotte has been pretty clingy with us of late, and while it can sometimes make getting ready in the morning difficult, I cherish this time because I know one day she'll be a teenager who will probably roll her eyes at the mere sight of me. She especially loves being with her Daddy and lights up when she sees him. She loves to climb all over him and sit on his head. It's quite the sight. She also loves to push her push toy and giggles when we act like we're running away from her. She also giggles when we pretend to chase her, and she's an all around delightfully easygoing and cheerful baby. She waves at almost anyone she sees, even if they don't even see her, and she loves to watch people. She can clap and wave and blow a kiss, and she recently began pointing at things she wants to look at more closely. She's a great mimic, which causes her Daddy to make goofy gestures that she then repeats.
She has gotten much more talkative, although her speech doesn't resemble anything close to real words, with the exception of "uh oh" and "dada." She says "mama" on VERY rare occasions, and never when I try to get her to say it (the stinker!). Hearing her little voice chatter as I drive us home after work makes my day.
When it comes to food, she will eat virtually anything we give her. We've discovered that she signals to us that she is through eating a food when she starts casually throwing it on the floor. Our dog Bailey wishes she would do this more often. :) She likes to have food to hold in both of her hands and will ask for more even while both hands are full. She has transitioned from bottles to sippy cups with relatively few problems, for which I am grateful since there was a time when I thought she'd never want to give up her beloved bottle. She can down a sippy cup of formula in mere minutes, and she also really enjoys drinking water. We don't give her any juice, so I'm glad she seems to like water. I'm hoping that continues.
Charlotte Marie, I never could have imagined how you would change my life. You are a true blessing and an absolute joy. Stephen and I couldn't love you more if we tried.
And no matter how old you are, you'll always be my baby. I love you always.
has become this:
Is that not the sweetest picture?? I found a Groupon that offered a relatively inexpensive photo session with live ducklings, and I thought that was perfect for Charlotte's 12 month pictures. She had a BLAST with those ducklings. I don't think the ducklings felt the same, however, especially not the one that almost got its head yanked off by Charlotte's overly enthusiastic hand. :) She got down in the water and splashed and splashed (hence the wet shirt) and scared all the ducklings into the farthest corner of the little "pond," but fortunately the photographer was able to get this picture of Charlotte's trademark happy grin (the real version does not have the top of her head cropped off).
Big things are happening in Charlotte's life right now. She's WALKING! She started taking a few steps here and there last Monday or Tuesday, and now she can get across an entire room. She still has lots of stops and starts, but when she falls or almost falls, she gets up and starts going again, usually with a hugely proud grin on her face. It's amazing to see how quickly she's caught on and how much she has learned. A lot happens in the first year of a baby's life! At this point she still prefers to crawl, but I think in a few weeks she'll discover that walking is much more efficient and allows her to carry her toys around without resorting to the rather crippled-looking crawl she currently adopts when wanting to bring toys with her as she moves.
Charlotte has been pretty clingy with us of late, and while it can sometimes make getting ready in the morning difficult, I cherish this time because I know one day she'll be a teenager who will probably roll her eyes at the mere sight of me. She especially loves being with her Daddy and lights up when she sees him. She loves to climb all over him and sit on his head. It's quite the sight. She also loves to push her push toy and giggles when we act like we're running away from her. She also giggles when we pretend to chase her, and she's an all around delightfully easygoing and cheerful baby. She waves at almost anyone she sees, even if they don't even see her, and she loves to watch people. She can clap and wave and blow a kiss, and she recently began pointing at things she wants to look at more closely. She's a great mimic, which causes her Daddy to make goofy gestures that she then repeats.
She has gotten much more talkative, although her speech doesn't resemble anything close to real words, with the exception of "uh oh" and "dada." She says "mama" on VERY rare occasions, and never when I try to get her to say it (the stinker!). Hearing her little voice chatter as I drive us home after work makes my day.
When it comes to food, she will eat virtually anything we give her. We've discovered that she signals to us that she is through eating a food when she starts casually throwing it on the floor. Our dog Bailey wishes she would do this more often. :) She likes to have food to hold in both of her hands and will ask for more even while both hands are full. She has transitioned from bottles to sippy cups with relatively few problems, for which I am grateful since there was a time when I thought she'd never want to give up her beloved bottle. She can down a sippy cup of formula in mere minutes, and she also really enjoys drinking water. We don't give her any juice, so I'm glad she seems to like water. I'm hoping that continues.
Charlotte Marie, I never could have imagined how you would change my life. You are a true blessing and an absolute joy. Stephen and I couldn't love you more if we tried.
And no matter how old you are, you'll always be my baby. I love you always.
Friday, March 2, 2012
Friday Five: Charlotte's Favorite Songs
Well, my intentions of posting every day this week did not become reality. Blogging time just gets away from me! But I did want to take a moment to write about Charlotte's love of music. She's loved music from early on, and it cracked us up the first time she "danced" to a song. She likes to bob up and down and also move her hips side to side, and it is pretty much the cutest thing ever. It's so interesting to me that dancing in that regard is instinctive because we didn't teach her that; her body just heard the music and responded. She's had a her share of songs she's liked, so here are her top favorites, some current, some from her younger day (as if she's so old now!)
1. "Bringing Home a Baby Bumblebee." I think this is her current favorite. We have a DVD of kids' songs, and she just grins hugely when this one comes on, and she will do her signature dance moves. She also is learning the motions because she is a genius.
2. "The Ants Go Marching." She used to REALLY love this one, and it was the one way we could get her to smile for a picture when she otherwise wouldn't. It was also great for distracting her while we changed her diaper.
3. "Hush Little Baby." This was the first song we noticed Charlotte respond to. I used to sing it to her, and if she was fussing sometime she actually would go silent and listen to me. It also helped her go to sleep. I still sing it to her sometimes if she's upset.
4. "Scrub-a-dub dub." What's that? You don't know this song? Well, that's because I made it up. I frequently make up little songs for Charlotte, and this is one that stuck. I sing it to her every time I give her a bath, and she'll grin and sometimes clap when I sing it (because my voice is amazing). The lyrics are deep, so prepare yourselves:
5. "The Numbers 6 Song." This is also an Erin original, and it's based on the blessing found in Numbers 6:24-26: "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace" Isn't that beautiful? I often sing this to Charlotte as I put her to bed at night. I like to think it helps calm her.
What are your favorite children's songs?
1. "Bringing Home a Baby Bumblebee." I think this is her current favorite. We have a DVD of kids' songs, and she just grins hugely when this one comes on, and she will do her signature dance moves. She also is learning the motions because she is a genius.
2. "The Ants Go Marching." She used to REALLY love this one, and it was the one way we could get her to smile for a picture when she otherwise wouldn't. It was also great for distracting her while we changed her diaper.
3. "Hush Little Baby." This was the first song we noticed Charlotte respond to. I used to sing it to her, and if she was fussing sometime she actually would go silent and listen to me. It also helped her go to sleep. I still sing it to her sometimes if she's upset.
4. "Scrub-a-dub dub." What's that? You don't know this song? Well, that's because I made it up. I frequently make up little songs for Charlotte, and this is one that stuck. I sing it to her every time I give her a bath, and she'll grin and sometimes clap when I sing it (because my voice is amazing). The lyrics are deep, so prepare yourselves:
Scrub-a-dub dub, Charlotte's in the tub,I'm expecting a Grammy any day now. :)
Getting herself all clean.
So we scrub and we scrub in the tubby tub tub,
'Til she's finally squeaky clean.
5. "The Numbers 6 Song." This is also an Erin original, and it's based on the blessing found in Numbers 6:24-26: "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace" Isn't that beautiful? I often sing this to Charlotte as I put her to bed at night. I like to think it helps calm her.
What are your favorite children's songs?
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