Dancing Queen Prt 2

After awhile, even the most paitient of us will get sick of the same three or four songs if played enough. New Order was starting to get to us (if not yet to Mia, she's young and doesn't know any better). With that in mind, last night I went hunting for something else that might sooth the savage cries during her daily 6:00-9:00 fussy period.

Sad to say, neither Lyle Lovette, Counting Crows or Digable Planets made a dent in her wails. (so we have a diverse range of interests, sue us). It wasn't until I put on some Fat Boy Slim that she broke into a big smile and calmed down. Three minutes into "Rockerfella Skank" and her little head was resting on my shoulder. (We'll try to keep her away from the explicit lyric songs, but you can't argue with sucess).

In a way I can understand this actually. Soft sweet lullabys might work well for when she's 1-3 years old, but right now she needs something to help her focus. There's just so much going on in that little head of hers at all hours of the day, you want, nay, Need some way to slice through the gordian knot and find a way to relax. That's what dance music is all about really. No clever litterary references, no intricate A-B-A-C-B rhyme scheme. What the situation calls for is a thumping back beat that overwhelms and captivates, and goes on for 10 minutes.

Later she'll understand the verbal gymnastics of an Ani DiFranco or Tribe Called Quest, but for now it's just a matter of finding the beat and sticking with it.

Postscript:
This was perhaps a bit too sucessful last night. I burned out my calves bouncing to the same three songs for about an hour. She stopped crying but would wake up once I stopped bouncing. We tried to get her calm so we could watch the West Wing but she'd have none of it. In a fit of moral weakness, we brought out the big guns, putting her in the car seat and swinging it back and forth. I tell you, it's an automatic winner. Unfortuantly I'm now paying the price with a sore back and burning legs today. Hope she appreciates this.