My Things in Song: Thing Two

On Wednesday, my Thing Two, my baby, turned 11.  Yup.  I’d feel old at this moment, except that her sister, Thing One (I am so creative with names), will next Wednesday turn . . . egad . . . 15.  That should not be possible as I’m pretty sure I’m younger than Thing One, maturity wise anyway.

They grow so fast.

But that’s okay, because as they say, kids keep you young.  Or just drive you so insane you think you’re young, and so you do stupid stuff like try to jump on a trampoline when only part of you actually jumps with you, and other things, like your thighs, just don’t move at all.  And you look silly.  But your kids still like it.  Well so far they do.   I’ve only managed to really embarrass Thing Two by singing “Under the Sea” as loud as possible while she exited the car to go to school.  Yes, I have all the lines to almost every Disney song memorized.  Be afraid, children.

Under de seaaaaaaaaaaa!

Anyhoo, I didn’t get a post done on her birthday, so I decided to do something different and think up a song that reminds me of each Thing.  I thought of several different ones with Thing Two.  “You Crack me Up”, and “She Drives Me Crazy”, among them.  But really, the best one, and the one that will probably make her give me that “You are a terrible mother and I’m moving to that orphanage in Oliver Twist” is “MmmBop”.

Do you wanna sing some MMMMBOOOOPPP?

Why this song?  Because it’s perfect that’s why.  It’s sung by precociously talented children, is nonsensical and goofy, and if played long enough makes me want to climb a wall.  On the other hand, it’s also insanely catchy, happy-go-lucky, cheers me up, and makes me want to jump-dance like the Peanuts gang.  Sometimes we join hands and all do it together.

Thing Two has been a handful since the beginning – a handful of love and crazy.  She climbed tables and cabinets to eat bananas (through the peel sucking out the fruit like a monkey) before she was a year old.  And as I’ve said before, she taught me that super glue is not poisonous, though probably not good for your tooth enamel.  Nothing like walking by and seeing a tube of the stuff with tooth marks in it.

Now imagine TEETH MARKS.

She’s the only baby I’ve ever known who growled at me when she didn’t get her way.  Playpens, baby swings, and any restraining device was of the devil.  Naps were for sissies, like Mommy.  She always wanted to be “in the middle” which meant sister did not get to sit by Mommy, only Thing Two.  “IN DE MIDDLE!” was so familiar, I had to get Thing One up first so we’d have some time to sit together.

IN DE MIDDLE!

She had definite favorites from the very beginning.  Penguins were especially high on the list for years.  I know every breed of penguin – there are like 19.  Who knew?  She loves what she loves, and doesn’t care what anyone else thinks about it.  For quite a while she dressed like a living Rainbow Bright doll, but that was her style.  She likes being weird, and that’s awesome.  Now her favorite things range from Minecraft, Star Wars, and Legend of Zelda to My Little Pony and Disney dolls.  She also happens to be my most social child.  The majority of my phone calls are her friends calling my phone since my Thing is the last child on earth without her own cell phone.

No cell?  Does your Mom like live in 1982, dude?

She’s artistic, a hilarious and fabulous author, a computer and camera wiz (here Mom it’s like this) and a loving friend to almost anybody.  I’m sure I’m leaving things out, because there is so much to Thing Two, that you can’t stick it in one package.  The last 11 years have been a crazy roller-coaster ride, and I expect that to continue.  She’s nothing like her sister – she’s nothing like anyone I know.  And I can’t wait to see how she grows.

Plant a seed, plant a flower, plant a rose
You can plant any one of those
Keep planting to find out which one grows
It’s a secret no one knows

Time has passed so quickly since I had a gave birth to a screaming baby with black Don King Hair and bright red skin.  Now she’s trying so hard to grow up as fast as possible.  I hope she doesn’t try too hard.

Off to work, Mom.

In an mmmbop they’re gone
In an mmmbop they’re not there
In an mmmbop they’re gone
In an mmmbop they’re not there

Love you, Thing Two

Mommy