By Anita Garner<\/p>\n
While I drive, the little girl\u00a0in my life\u00a0sings me some songs.\u00a0 In the middle of lyrics about,\u00a0say, the wheels on the bus going round and round, she tosses in a line or two from adult songs she’s heard.\u00a0 Songs about heartache or other grown-up feelings.\u00a0 It’s always a surprise to\u00a0hear which phrases resonate with her.\u00a0 A typical re-write goes like this:<\/p>\n
“The wheels on the bus go ’round and ’round.<\/p>\n
And my heart misses you forever\u00a0and I want you to come back right now.”<\/p>\n
When she’s not singing, she tells me stories.\u00a0 She draws in a big breath, indicating something dramatic is about to occur, and begins,<\/p>\n
“Awe duh sodden.”<\/p>\n
It takes a couple of seconds to figure out the words, but her\u00a0emphasis helps.<\/p>\n
Ohhh.<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0“All of a sudden…”<\/p>\n What follows are a whole bunch of sentences, spilling out in a rush, about three pigs or Belle from Beauty & The Beast, or Cinderella or Spiderman.\u00a0 She starts off fairly true to the version she’s heard, then changes direction and lays down a new plot point.\u00a0 Something like,<\/p>\n “And Cinderella stayed in the little house and the wuff couldn’t blow it down.”<\/p>\n Just as she’s hooked me\u00a0with this twist, she announces,<\/p>\n “The end.”<\/p>\n I teach her songs from my own musical library.\u00a0 She likes a song to fit into a category.\u00a0 If you don’t clarify, she’ll ask what kind of song is this?\u00a0 On the way to school,\u00a0I say,<\/p>\n