My happiest childhood memories are of my little singing, or dancing, or acting performances. I remember every detail – including my full two lines of dialogue – from my school play when I was four. I also remember singing at my aunt’s wedding when I was about ten and meeting the front singer of the band in the toilets later, who told me that I had a great voice. T.H.R.I.L.L.E.D. I don’t remember what my aunt’s wedding dress looked like or anything; it was unimportant information to this wannabe diva-in-the-making. I used to practice singing under my duvet in the middle of the night, thinking that as I was protected by layers of synthetic fibre and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles designs, that no one would be able to hear me. And then my dad would bang on the walls between our rooms and yell: ‘Sharyn, for god’s sake – GO TO SLEEP!!!!’
Music is a big part of my life and so while I was pregnant, I chose two songs that would always be special to Jacob and I, and I learned how to play them on the piano: Somewhere Out There and Baby You’re All That I Want. I played and sang them every day and they are now the two songs I still sing Jacob to sleep with at night.
Therefore, I am decidedly overjoyed that Jacob shares my love of singing and dancing. After breakfast every morning, I raise an eyebrow in his direction and ask ‘Music?’ ‘Moosak’, he nods gleefully and jumps down off his chair to the kitchen floor. I stick on the radio and we go for it – jumping, shaking our booties, and dragging each other around the ‘dancefloor’ until we fall down laughing.
His love of singing somewhat takes me by surprise lately though, in that he suddenly knows the words to LOADS of songs. Now that he’s turned two, and his vocabulary is coming on, I guess he’s regurgitating the songs he’s heard Ass Monkey and I sing at home, and the ones he’s learned in creche. And he’s deeeeelighted with himself to share them. His guerrilla performances happen in the car, the supermarket, during dinner and most recently, in the bath. I ashamed to say that I think I’ve created a monster…
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you – Master Jacob Fynes ;o)