And on that note
Today, I have made two great discoveries.
The first is the discovery of a great new game. We have two books of baby and toddler activities - peek-a-boo, horsey horsey and the like, but I don't believe this is in either, and I am therefore patenting it. The premise is simple: from a seated position, you hold your child on their front, horizontally, just above head height but angled down so that they're facing you (if done with a baby, or any way you can if it's a wriggly toddler). Now, pick a song at random.
As you sing to them, lift and lower the child according to the notes you're performing, as if positioning them on an imaginary stave. A knowledge of musical theory is by no means essential to play this game; merely the knowledge as to whether the note you're currently singing is higher or lower than its predecessor (which, let's face it, is hardly rocket science). Be warned that your arms will ache after a while (another reason why it's probably better played sitting down) so it is advisable to pick songs with longer notes ('Crazy', 'Amazing Grace'), rather than lengthy, mellismatic passages. 'Over The Rainbow', with its multiple octave leaps, is great fun. Anything by Gilbert & Sullivan is likely to give you a coronary.
The second great discovery I made this afternoon is that this is not the best
game to play after your four-month-old son has just eaten lunch.
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