January 7: Musical Comfort

Aria’s been down for the count for a few days with a fever that ebbs and flows. She’s been napping several times per day, which is rare in our world. If you are a parent, you know how horrific it is when your little one is not healthy. As the tallest 10 year-old in her school, Aria is typically a bigger eater than her mama. (Calories are lost on the young). Since she’s been sick, it’s all I can do to slip a few calories into her. This afternoon she finally rounded the corner.

How did I know we were out of the woods? She asked for butternut squash / kale / chicken soup. And wanted to play Monopoly together. And grabbed me to tango across the living room. Which got me thinking about something that is a standard within our family culture. And how our own culture is probably nuts for many yet suits us to a T.

It’s like this: Our world often resembles a musical. We are sort of a Glee / Wicked mash-up with a side of The Sound of Music. We sing around our home. A lot. And dance. All the time. Music is something that makes my home feel like home to me. (It is no coincidence that I find myself blogging about music. It’s lifeblood to me).

If we can have comfort food, can we not also allow for comfort music? I cannot describe how many hours I spent rocking Aria while singing her everything from You Are My Sunshine to A Case of You. I sang to her in the car when she was a baby and her seat had to face away from me in the backseat putting her firmly out of reach. My voice was a connection to remind her she was safe. We sang songs in the tub, using floating plastic dolphins that each played a musical note when bopped on the head to compose songs and Baby Einstein plastic books that taught body parts while I demonstrated melodies. Music has been a cozy blanket wrapped around my daughter throughout her life.

So as she has been sick and I’ve been fretting over her dropped caloric intake, I turned to this old standard. Musical medicine. From the time Aria transitioned from my milk to cereals, fruits and veggies until she was about 4, I sang her this song at nearly every meal we shared. It made her giggle with delight. It made me feel all “Yes We Can” WWII woman. It became a tradition like saying “Come Lord Jesus” was in my youth. It was what you did when it was time to eat. You sang.

I learned this song from Dinah’s rendition but couldn't find her on Spotify. So today I'm serving a double helping of Shoo Fly Pie. Enjoy!

Dinah Shore - Shoo Fly Pie and Apple Pan Dowdy

Betty Taylor's Shoofly Pie Version - Spotify

{Foodie bonus: Here’s the recipe I use for our soup:  Chicken / Kale / Butternut Squash Soup

Hint: I make kale chips (cut up kale pieces; toss with olive oil, sprinkle with salt; bake at 350 for 8 minutes) to put in the soup. It really makes the kale pop and brightens the soup. This hint is kid approved – Aria loves kale because of this soup.}