SING IT LOUD!

Oh, how I wish you could hear what I am hearing right now!  I’ve just put Levi to bed for his nap and his singing is bringing me to tears!

*****A little explanation, first.  Levi enjoys a cartoon called The Little Einsteins very much.

It is one of his favorites.  Not mine though.  I think it is quite poorly made…even though it is a Disney cartoon. But, the concept is amusing and appropriate for him at his age. Four children explore the world…the whole world…on their rocket.  The rocket is powered by the music they make.  Tapping a steady beat, clapping fast or slow, singing high or low, playing various musical instruments are all ways to make their rocket, (whose name is Rocket), go!  They choose a piece of classical music each time to base their melodies on.  They then make up words to fit to the music according to their exploration.  Where they go in the world is based on a famous artist’s work.  They show the painting and then enter it to find their adventure.  Then at the end of each cartoon, the credits go to the composer’s work and the artist’s work.  Clever concept, as I said.  But it surely could be done with better graphics and animation.*****

Now, none of that matters a whole lot, because Levi loves it and I find it among the less objectionable of the many cartoons that are offered to our children these days.  And, so we watch it…daily.  Today’s episode was about a big jet that had the power to change the seasons.  The children were ready for springtime, as they had a flower ready to plant outside.  But, the big jet had other plans.  So there was lots of room for talk about the various seasons.  Eventually, they all ended up back in spring time and the little tulip got planted and they were all able to sing this little song…“Oh, yes, oh, yes, it’s springtime!  Oh, yes, oh, yes, it’s springtime! It’s springtime! Oh, yes, it’s springtime!”  Powerful lyrics, huh?  They sang it several more times as they powered Rocket back to it’s hiding place next to their home.  (We never see any adults or parent figures…’cause I’m sure they don’t know their children are flying off all around the globe!)

When sweet Levi hears a song he likes, he tries his best to sing along.  Because singing along with a song or music is difficult for an apraxic child, he will miss quite a few words.  He’ll get some in the right place, but he usually ends up several beats after the song ends.  That is if he’s singing along with a song…if he’s singing it acapella, then he nails it just fine! We have been so very pleased with his progress in the area of singing.  He is doing way better at this point in his therapy than we or his therapist thought he would be doing.  It’s not the singing itself that is the problem…It’s singing at the steady rate with which the music moves along.  But, he’s definitely a music lover and he’s going to conquer this hurdle.  Our faith is strong on this.

I changed his diaper and gave him another drink of milk and put him to bed.  An extra hug around the neck and a sweet kiss, and he stretched out and waited for his blanket to be put over him.  One more kiss…then I turned on the monitor and shut the door.  I grabbed a glass of tea, and sat down to look at the computer for the first time today.  And, then I heard it…loud and clear over the monitor...“Oh, yes, it springtime!  Oh, yes, it springtime!  It is!  It is springtime!”  Not word for word, but pretty close for a new three year old! ” It springtime! It springtime! Oh, yes! Oh, yes! Oh yes! It is! It is springtime!”  And, the correct melody, too!

Then, he began singing his own version…and added in quite a few extra words…

“I see trees….love Lulu….Pa, Pa, Pa…Uncle Ian… Tina… Jackson…love Mommy…love Mommy.  It’s springtime!  It’s springtime!  Birthday party….bloons (Balloons)…Oh, yes, it is springtime!  W…X…Y…and Z.   It’s springtime! Daddy, rescue…Daddy Redbird…..It is springtime! “A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I J, K, LMNOP,Q…R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z. Now…said…A…B,C’s…won’t…sing with…me?  W…W…W…W…It springtime, It springtime, It is. Yes, Mam, It springtime…”  (This was over about a 6 minute period).

As I grabbed a pencil and tried to keep up with these wonderful lyrics, I was laughing and crying at the same time.  How sweet are these words?  These are the things that are in a little boy’s heart on the day after the day after his third birthday.  These are the things he knows for sure.  These are the things that cause his heart to break forth in song.  It reminded me of my mother, who, no matter what chore she wold be involved in, would invariably break out into a song of praise to God, or a hymn or a song of worship.  It was IN her and it had to break out.  It was a gift…not to those within earshot…(even though she had a lovely voice)..she wasn’t singing to us…I think it was an unconscious gift of praise to her Creator!

“…Sing to the Lord a new song…”  Psalm 149:1

And, I think what I heard today, from Levi, was, in his own way, an unconscious gift of praise about the things that make up his wonderful world.  Surely, it had to have made God smile.  For these words he sang speak to love of family…of our natural world…the fun he had at his birthday party…his growing mind.

“God has given us these times of joy.”  Nehemiah 12:43

And, it caused to me vow anew that the things he hears from television and radio and CD’s and books  while he is in my care, are all words that bring about joy and peace and goodness….words that point to his Heavenly Father.  For we as his parents and grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins should see to it that he hears enough of the words that build up and teach, that there is never room for those which are not pleasing to take root.  It is the same for your children and grandchildren, as well.

“Don’t use foul or abusive language.  Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that

your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.”  Ephesians 4:29  NLT

3/31/14