Sing Like a Bird

In our church the children all move to the next class up every January first, this move in Primary (kids Sunday School for ages 4-12) has brought a change or two for Birdie.Birdie is a "Sunbeam" this year... an exuberant Sunbeam bringing her own little brand of sunshine into the lives of everyone she encounters. Going from her previous experience in nursery with all of it's freeplay with toys, snacks and three sentence gospel lessons to the more formal environment of Primary with it's schedules, singing time and longer lesson time.... and most importantly no snack, has been a little rough. I should say that it is relatively rough... 'cuz Bird is one of the older sunbeams as her birthday is this Friday, the rest of the class has all the rest of this year to turn four. Plus the Bird is the Bird and she is in all things, gung-ho. There has been a shuffle of folks substitute teaching in that class until last Sunday but now she has the cutest couple team-teaching. But the damage was done, because this morning Birdie needed a little extra lovin' to get into the groove so I went and sat with her for a few minutes before the "Junior Primary" sharing time began. While I was sitting there the "music lady" saw Birdie and, bless her soul, said
"oh Birdie, I'm so glad you are here. Are you ready to sing?"

It was instant superfluity.

"oh... so ok, I guess... I'll go... bye." I mumble as I remove my chopped-liver-self to the adult brand Sunday School.

Later I was in the hallway during class time on my way to or from the changing of the bum (LaLa, like her sister before her has a regular morning BM routine going) and I saw the husband half of Birdies teacher in the hall. I asked if Bird had warmed up to them and of course she had the second I stepped out. He commented on her amazing singing ability... this brand new sunbeam singing every word of every Primary song. He was amazed that whenever he looked over at her, there she was gleefully belting it out.

Birdie sings. She was born with a love for music. Any time that she is getting grumpy, or naughty or sad all it takes is a song to lift her spirits and set all the world to rights. When she was born she gotten a little bit of fluid in her lungs and when the nurse lay her bundled and smashfaced body in my arms Birdie was grunting. The nurse said I could only hold her a moment because the grunting was a sign of mild respiratory distress and she needed her lungs cleared. I wasn't too worried... I mean, I had picked the hospital based on the reputation of it's NICU, but no mama wants to hear her baby in distress, mild or otherwise. I started singing The Wheels on the Bus to her and her grunting, wheezy breathing immediately calmed down and she looked at me. She looked right AT me and I swear my heart caught, I know my voice did because it was such a direct gaze.

We do alot of singing in this house... part of it's me and the rest of it all about the girls and the fact that they sing and would sing even if they had been born to a deaf-mute mama. Often instead of reading books or telling a story we will sing before nigh-night time, and since the goal is to wind down The Chaos-Girls to about a Cat-2 level, I lean toward Primary songs since they tend to be a little less rockin'. So it's not all that shocking that Birdie is singing her heart out at church. I just question whether or not she is singing "every word" like her darling teacher thinks. Lately I have been ending our evening sing with the song "Families Are Forever" because it's easy to sing it like a lullaby and the girls really love the words... so far as they remember, or understand them. Last week we were singing the second verse and the words are...

"...while I am in my early years
I'll prepare most carefully
so I can marry in God's temple
for eternity...."

I was hearing some different lyrics from the top bunk. I wasn't sure so I invited Birdie to give us a solo. Sure enough, she had revamped a line in there, so instead of singing...
"...so I can marry in God's temple
for eternity."

she sang...
"...so I can share my problem life
for all eternity."

Turns out this is how she always sings it. True story.