Music

Okay so I may be an artist. But that doesn’t mean that creative thinking comes easily for me. Most of the time I need poked by inspiration or someone else’s creative ideas in order to play it out in my brain what I need to do.

So this lack of creativity resonates into my parenting creativity as well, sadly. Luckily, Pinterest has really solved that problem for me.

But then I find myself yet again bewildered at my COMPLETE lack of creativity when I realize something I should have put together … about 2 years ago when my husband and I were blessed to be able to buy the iPhone.

Babies. They get cranky. Cranky when in the car. Antsy. Antsy in the car. Antsy before bed.
Loads of doctors and parenting “gurus” will tell a parent to utilize music to help calm, soothe and stimulate brain function.
So music I did. My oldest boy likes a few songs he recognizes from the radio. Other than that I have to coax him to enjoy the song.

But just in the passing weeks did the epiphany strike me that I could download songs from the soundtracks of their favorite movies.

CAROLYN. You’re an idiot.

So over the last month I’ve collected music from Toy Story 1 & 3, Despicable Me, Cars 1 & 2, Tangled, Beauty & the Beast, Shrek and lots more from among their favorites.

When I play those jams in the car, they’re silent— well, our oldest sings along now and to me, that’s the sweetest sound ever.

I have been having a difficult time getting our youngest to settle for sleep. Some nights, I cradle him up to me and he closes his eyes within minutes. Other nights— MANY other nights —he flails and kicks me in the face and twists and hollers like a baby…MAMMOTH.
For some time, I thought, okay he’s not sleepy. So I went back out to the living room and put him down to play. But THAT NO WORK. He cries for me the instant his chunky little feet hit the carpet. Even when I sit down next to him, he crawls into my lap and holds my shirt collar (that’s his signature “I’m tired, momma” gesture).
So I’ve just been sticking it out in the bedroom with him: lights off, fan buzzing in the corner, blankie, bottle and paba (what our oldest named the pacifier) while he squirms and roughly snuggles himself to sleep in my straining arms.
I can hardly complain because I love that he treats me like cat will treat its bed: excessive kneading.
It means I am his cozy. And that makes me happy and loved to know he wants me most of all for comfort.

But squirming for 1/2hr…1 hour??? NOOOOPE!

So tonight I wildly thought that playing the bouncy epilogue song from Toy Story 3 (We Belong Together) would somehow make him sleepy.
As it began playing, I knew I’d made a mistake and that my little squawking rolly-poly would be energized by the tune.

But I felt him relax and be still !?!?

Yup, after 3 repeats he was out like a light and I couldn’a belieeeebe eet.

So umm, note to self: not just any music will do. Play what they already know, doofus.