Long Naps - Friend or Foe?

Why is it that my darling daughter always knows when I have plans? I know she loves leaving the house and being able to see new things and people, yet whenever I plan to get together with friends, that is when she decides to put a wrench in her daily schedule that I have tried so hard to work around.

Up until now, my babe has usually only taken naps that last 20-30 minutes. She even sneaks in quite a few 10 minute ones just to keep me from thinking I may be able to get something done while she is asleep. I've finally got used to her short nap habit, so when I put her down an hour or so before I plan to leave the house, I assume that she will be up well before we need to go.

However, because I've got used to this schedule it means it must be time to shake things up a bit. Today I was an hour late for a play-date (obviously more for my social well-being than hers at this stage in her life), because she decided to take a two hour nap this morning. Usually I would be singing hallelujah, but instead I was checking my watch every five minutes. And this is not the first time an unexpected long nap has interfered with a friend get-together.

I know that I could just wake her up and head out, but I didn't have the heart (and lets face it, I did not want a cross baby on my hands as previous experience has taught me is the result of waking my sleeping beauty before she's ready). This meant that not only was I late, but I also did not get to fully enjoy the "mom time" that nap time brings.

But hey, Genevieve clearly loves to be spontaneous and I get to just go with the flow right.

Whizz Fish Song

As mother's day is approaching, I was recalling various fun memories of my mom. I used to love listening to her sing the Whizz Fish Song. It was a rare treat when we could talk her into singing it as she often struggled a bit to recall the complete words and tune. This song takes me back to my childhood, as well as to years well beyond that, as I try to envision my mom sitting on my grandfather's lap listening to him sing. I never met my grandfather and I think this song is my best connection to him. I found the words today on the web and thought I would share them with you (specifically my family who can share in the memories with me).

Whizz-Fish (Songfest 1948)

On the swaying branch of a rubber tree,
a thousand miles away,
On the banks of the Hula River,
in far off Uruguay,
There sits a nervous monkey,
his eyes with fear agleam;
His tail is dangling gently
within that limpid stream.

Just every nineteen minutes
it 'whistles through the air
With a South American whizz-fish
a-dangling helpless there,
But the teeth of the hungry whizz-fish
are hard on his tender tail,
And if you listen carefully,
you can hear that monkey wail:

(chorus)
Oh, shades of Izaak Walton,
Was that another bite?
If I didn't feel so hungry,
I'd quit this job tonight.
But I love the toasted whizz-fish,
Though his bite drives me insane,
But I do so 'wish to catch that fish
That I manage to bear the pain.

One day a great big Juba fish
With jaws 'bout six by nine
Came swimming down the river,
And seized that monkey's line;
Continued on his journey
Quite unconcernedly,
While the monkey screamed and chattered,
And clang to the rubber tree.

The tree stretched like a garter,
A hundred miles or so;
When the fish let go,
the monkey flew
Like an arrow from a bow;
They say he's still a-flying,
And if you'd care to try,
You can hear him sadly murmur,
As he 'whistles through the sky.

repeat chorus