Hwy 69 Dance Party

My 8-year-old stepson's favorite song is Whoomp There It Is - followed closely by C&C Music Factory's Everybody Dance Now.

I have these two songs and others on a mixed CD for him. We listen to it every morning on our 30-minute treck to his "school" in Prescott. And we dance our asses off. He does a killer robot and we both do some serious head bobbing. He is trying to memorize the words to Whoomp There It Is and I'm a little relieved that he is pretty bad at doing so. Isn't this a song about getting laid? Even the title of the song eludes him. For him it is HOOOONT (said from very low in the diaphram) de da diz! HOOOONT! De Da DIZ! HOOOONT! shaka laka shaka laka... I love this time in the morning. We used to try to have serious talks - usually involving the fact that he wished that the whole world were made out of candy and what he would eat first as he stared longingly out of the window. One day I decided to have the "new baby" talk with him. I went on for like 15 minutes about how there is no way that we could ever love the new baby more than him and that he is so important and that he is going to make the best big brother, etc, etc - I about made myself cry. When I was finally done there was a slight pause followed by "Those clouds look weird." I just had to continue driving and cross my fingers that a fraction of what I said may have sunk in, even a little bit. Now all of those mushy talks have been replaced by Oakley and I - shaking our groove thang!

I went to the doctor's yesterday and heard my little bean's heartbeat. Right when she found it I recognized it and this made me feel so maternal. Like perhaps since I can recognize my child's beating heart then I will know what to check for when making sure that it has not died in the middle of the night - or afternoon - or morning. I am sure that there will be a lot of "checking" going on. Hell, I didn't enter Oakley's life until he was in Kindergarten and he thought I was completely loco when I used to sneak in his room to make sure that he was still breathing! When the nurse found the heartbeat she said "Hi mommy, happy early mother's day" and I just teared up. I would love to say that everything came together and seems real now - but all that I can say is that it seems "more real" now. I feel more of a connection to my belly.

After I dropped Oakley off and turned around to make the 30 minute drive back I put in some loud country music and sang my ass off. I drummed on my belly to include the new baby. I hope that one day my bean and I will dance down the highway - it won't have to look far to learn some great moves. No, not me - Oakley.