Lulla Lulla Lullaby

Music plays a major role in my life. It has always been my passion. The years of lessons and recitals and practicing and arguments with my mom about not wanting to practice are finally paying off. I have been blessed to have served in various music callings in each ward I've been in. I currently get to play the organ each week (something that is often more of a comedy act than spiritually uplifting - but hopefully not too many people notice the grimaces I make behind the keys) and am also involved in a choir conducted by Lex de Azevedo to perform his Christmas Oratorio. I love to sing. I love sitting at the piano and belting away. Exercising my vocal chords is such a stress reliever. But as much as I like to belt the high notes or perform for others, there is nothing that gives me greater satisfaction than singing to my children.

Evan loves to play the "Peapah" (piano). His favorite thing is to grab my hand and have me sit on the piano bench with him. Then he opens up our Primary Songbook and turns to "Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree" and we go from there. He knows how to find each song he likes. Even the ones that don't have pictures. Somehow he has memorized where they are. He just loves it. And I love it too.

At bedtime, Evan can often be a little stinker. But my favorite nights are the ones where he is calm enough to let me read him some books. He gets to pick two books to read. Lately he has been choosing the "Lullaby" book. We rock-a-bye and see the moon and watch the pretty horses while counting twinkle stars and shaking the dreamland trees. Then when we have sung them all he asks to do it again. This constitutes his "two book limit". We sing a prayer song and then thank Heavenly Father for the fun things we got to do that day. Today it was tractors, trains, and slides (we got to go to a Pumpkin farm and play). Then a kiss on the forehead and lights out.

The climax of all my musical training is this - to quietly whisper lullabies and cheerfully sing primary songs. And the practice was well worth it.

Picture: Evan signing "more" - something he often does when we are singing songs together