If You're Going My Way...

Last morning of preschool until September. After drop-off, and a quick milk pick-up at Earth Fare, Stella and I headed back home. With our recent late afternoon running schedule, I decided to use the a.m. time to start laundry, unload the dishwasher, empty trash, tidy bedrooms. Fun things.

While I puttered about the house, Stella latched onto Heath's latest prized possession, No Stall 123 hauler from the Cars movie. The likelihood of him sharing this particular toy is slim to none, and I could tell from the delightful humming that she did while she opened and closed the side-doors and placed a variety of items (Leakless race car, Little People fire fighter, Trader Joe's cat cookie, juice box straw) into the hauler, she knew what she was doing had an edge of taboo to it, that time was limited, and she better enjoy the heck out of it while she can.

While I emptied the garbage bags from upstairs I noticed that her humming had changed to full-on song singing. I peaked down the stairs and watched her roll No Stall across the train table. She interrupted her song with a beep-beep (No Stall was letting a fire truck know that he was coming through), then continued on with what was becoming a recognizable tune.

Hee, bee, dee, la, fee, eff, ga, hee, eye, jah, she sang to the tune of the ABC's. As soon as she noticed that I was enjoying her ditty, she immediately clammed up and came running. She grabbed my hand and led me back to the table, and handed me a truck to roll with her.

We pushed Mack and No Stall round and round, making occasional pit stops, and honking noises. Then Stella started to sing again. But it wasn't her ABC's. It took a few bars before I could recognize one particular word.

Are you saying highway? I asked.

She smiled and nodded. 'ighway. She started to sing again.

Are you singing Life is a Highway?

'ighway, she repeated with an eager nod. I had recognized her tune. Her Rascal Flatts tune from the Cars movie that she watched with Heath recently.

Now she not only sang, but it was loud and proud. And then it was accompanied by her signature dance move, a saucy side-to-side rocking motion with a very subtle head bob.) Then she enthusiastically pointed her finger at me, saying, Mama, 'ighway. It was duet time.

Then the sillies took hold and she threw No Stall down on the table and ran to climb into my lap.

You ready to go get Heath from school? I asked, taking note of the time.

She shot up, grabbed Puppy who was left on the floor with strict instructions from Heath this morning to rest because he's sick, ran to the back door, screeching, 'ighway. Hee. 'ighway. Hee.