September 30, 2001 - Sunday
Harry has started to request songs at bedtime by name; not always the right name, but a recognizable one anyway. He doesn't do it all the time, but he knows many of the songs I sing now, as well as many of the ones his mother sings when I'm not there, and often makes requests. He isn't too shy about rejecting a song with a callous "don't like" once it starts, and I'll stop and change unless I'm well into a song. Then I'll usually tried to teach him it's not nice to interrupt.

There's "The Gorilla Song," which is actually the proper name of a song on his Bananaphone CD; the "Garden Song," or "The Changing Garden of Mr. Bell," also from Bananaphone; "Tonight" for "Just the Way You Look Tonight;" and the "Rainbow Song," which is either "Over the Rainbow" or "What a Wonderful World." I think it's the later, from the bridge that starts, "The colors of the rainbow," but I'm not completely sure. On Thursday past, he asked for the "Bridge Song," which after a moment of thinking I decided must be "Bridge Over Troubled Waters," even though it's not at all much of a children's ditty and I'm mildly surprised it would be on his favorites list. But, his mother confirmed it Friday night when she was singing for him and he requested it again. It is quite a nice song and I can't help be pleased that he likes it.

But, what really struck me this evening was something else. I was getting ready to sing my last song for Harry (I now always sing four songs and leave whether he's asleep or not and before the last one I always sit up and tell Harry it's the last one - it's been working pretty well) and asked Harry what I should sing. He didn't answer, so I suggested a couple songs. He nixed them with a straightforward "no." Then I asked if I should sing the "Bridge Song." Harry didn't say no. He didn't say anything. But, he deliberately nodded his head up and down. That's not a communication action that I thought he was familiar with, so I asked again. He smiled and nodded again. I sang the "Bridge Song" and he headed for sleep.


Comments, opinions?