Singing In The Bathtub

Every person who has ever spent long periods of time with me, knows that I sing a lot. Randomly. Off-key. And often without realizing it. Sometimes the songs I'm singing are revelations of my subconscious, but a lot of times they are just random songs that have gotten stuck in my head.

I first realized the correlation between how I was feeling and what I was singing when I was 21 and going through a particularly difficult time in my life. I would often catch myself singing, "What a rotten day, this turned out to be...." a George Strait song. And another "It's the hardest thing I've ever had to do..." a cheatin' Earl Thomas Conley song. Neither of the actual songs applied, but those particular lyrics did.

When I was a senior in college, my roommate pointed out that I was always singing, "Bring me twooooooo pina coladas..." I have no idea why I was always singing that song. Maybe I was thirsty a lot in college.

Later, when I took my first job out of college at a law firm, I lived alone. If I was singing a lot, no one knew. Or so one might think. One day, my coworker who sat nearest me, blurted out, "Do you ever stop singing?" I was truly shocked. I had no idea I was singing at work. I was also embarrassed because I really don't sing well. She was nice though. She suggested I get a part in a musical so I could get it out of my system. I don't think that would have exactly tamed the beast.

A few months after starting that job, I got to go see Reba on Broadway in Annie Get Your Gun. I spent the next 6 months bellowing, "No you cain't get a man with a gun..." and "anything you can do, I can do better---I can do anything better than you." That made me a lot of friends.

Now that I stay at home with my kids, my "bad" habit is semi-harmless. Sometimes Bo tells me, "You don't sound so good mom" and the first 18 months of Avee's life, anytime I would sing, she screamed until I stopped. Even as an infant. Little brat.

Bo has picked up on the habit and sings a lot. Lately he has thrown in a little vibrato to spice up those nursery songs. You haven't heard singing until you've heard Mary Had a Little Lamb in 4 year old falsetto with some vibrato thrown in as well.

My habit has persevered, even in the face of adversity, judgement, and rejection.

I cannot help myself.

So yesterday, I was sitting on the edge of the tub shaving my legs. Too much information? Believe me, unshaved legs would have been more offensive. I was practicing my mad shaving skills that entail getting shaving gel on my shorts, t-shirt, elbows, and forehead and nicks only on the back of my ankles and just below the knee. Avee was sitting in the bathtub getting syrup off of every square inch of her body.

Since Avee's not really that great of a conversationalist, I absentmindedly started to sing.

"Because of you I never stray to far from the sidewalk..." That was all I sang. because really that's all I know.

Suddenly I hear Avee singing, "A-cuz yo get hit by a caaaaaaaaar, yo can't go in da suhweeeeeeeeeeeet!"

That's my girl: Smart AND a good singer.