This, my friends, is how I plan to get through every Monday for the rest of my days.

In the last several months, Ellie has opened herself up to watching things that don’t include “Finding Nemo” in the title. One of the new additions is “The Little Mermaid”. After several hundred viewings, I heard her singing in the bathtub like Ariel. She allowed me to capture her performance on camera.

The vibrato gets me every time.

You’ve seen the ads for Body Works. The company that skins dead people and poses them in sculpture-like positions for the world to see (at a nominal fee). Well, Ellie has created a song to accompany the show. And to make it a little less dark.

(Sung roughly to the tune of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star)

This is your stomach
These are your lungs
This is your shoulders
These are your arms
Your cheeks don’t have any bones
Your eyes have fulled up of liquid
And your teeth are just only bones
Intestines are for dudes
Kidneys make peeps
Here is a plant and
I see its roots
Look at my kitty princess
I like her kitty meatballs

Ben’s car wouldn’t start this morning. I’m hoping it just needs a new battery and doesn’t have anything to do with that pesky check engine light that’s been on for a few months. Living paycheck to paycheck is okay until something breaks. However, the song we got to listen to during our commute took our minds off all financial woes. It was rather free form. Sung softly from the backseat and is still making me smile this afternoon.

We love everythiiing today.
We LOVE everything.
We love the clouds in the sky and the roads and the signs.
We love the apple juice and the kittens too.
We looove the arch when we seeeee the arch.

We love everything today.
We love the playgrounds and the slides and all the school work today.
We love the friends of the world today.
We love all the things in the world.

We love everything in the world today.
We love the lights and the sculptures and the buildings of the world.
We love trucks and cars and even motorcyyyycles too.
We love the butterflies of the world flying all around.

Yes we love everything today.

I ran across this video today. It was taken after a visit with Santa. Not just any visit. This one took nearly two hours. We had to walk by his Santa village 36 times first. Then, we peeked into the window. 22 times. We stood in line and backed out 4 times. Then she did it. She stood within 8 feet of him, waved to him with her Meeper, and bolted. I managed to grab the gratuitous candy cane and little sticker book from his white-gloved hand, and followed her. I think the photographer might have gotten a motion shot of my left butt cheek during our exit.

And then, she just wanted a little unwind time at the mall bench. I’d like viewers to take note of the love shout out to her Dad and to her Meeper (beloved blanket with typhoid). Neither of whom had any responsibility in for Santa Quest 2010. Will I also be forgotten during her acceptance speech at the Oscars?

The down side to not having cable should be obvious. BRAVO. The up side is that I don’t have to endure the Fresh Beat Band (i.e. Satan’s siblings).

The down side for you, is that by choosing to view this, you will have to listen to my rendition of their theme song, hummed through my nose with a Chicago accent. The up side is a future STOMP star in our midst.

Ellie loves the movie, “The Rescuers”. Early on, mice from all over the world gather during a UN meeting. The Rescue Aid Society of mice sings their creed. It’s a catchy little ditty. One that I find myself singing all day long. Out loud. Unconsciously.

I was informed, during the 4,257 rendition, that my lyrics were incorrect. Ellie sang it the proper way for me.
R*E*S*C*U*E,
Rescue hey, no higher cheer.

We will forever sing it this way. From this day forward. I don’t have the heart to correct cuteness. Just for comparison sake, this is the actual chorus.

R*E*S*C*U*E,
Rescue Aid Society.

While in the car this afternoon, the Christmas channel played the Charlie Brown song when the kids sing “Christmas time is near. Happiness and cheer.” Ben turned it off after two minutes.

Ben: Ugh. I hate that song.

Me: Yeah, it is on the whiny side.

Ben: I don’t really enjoy listening to children sing.

Me: [saying nothing but looking at him with interest.]

Ben: [totally back-pedaling] I mean. I’m glad that they do. It’s good that they want to. It’s just that I personally, don’t find it aesthetically pleasing.

During bath time this evening (Ellie’s, not mine) I was treated to quite the musical interlude.

Ellie: Mom, do you wanna hear my meat song?

Me [reluctantly]: Sure honey.

Ellie [sing songy]: Meat is brown. Meat is soft. Sometimes I drop it on the ground.