Night Songs

This evening I took Sam and Fiona for a stroller ride. Our neighbors gave us their double stroller, which allows me to get the baby out for some fresh air. At the same time, I get to have some very interesting conversations with Sammy as we explore the neighborhood.

Today, as we were walking along, Sam said something I couldn't quite catch.

Liz: What was that you said, Sam?
Sam: The trees. The trees are singing their night song.
Liz: Their night song?
Sam: Yes, look, see the trees moving? [he points to some trees swaying in the wind] They're saying good night to us.

I swear, it just about melted my heart. I know where he got the night song idea from. We've been going on regular walks in the evening, and I have been trying to make a point of pointing interesting things out to him. There are a lot of things that adults notice, but take for granted, that kids haven't ever noticed and are fascinated by. One of the things I've been trying to get Sam to notice is the sound of birds chirping. Until I pointed it out to him, I think it was just background noise, but now henotices and gets excited about it. Of course, he's at the age where he wants to know the whys of just about everything, including why the birds chirp. So I told him that the birds were singing their goodnight song, and telling us "it's time for bed, the sun is going down, tonight we'll sleep and tomorrow we'll play again." Honestly, I don't think this is that big a bit of fancy on my part. At the time I told him this, the birds were chirping in that specific way they do at the end of the day, the way that they do when the sun will go down soon.

Anyhow, this stuck with Sam, along with the fact that when the birds go to sleep, the night animals come out to eat and play. And somehow, it evolved in his little head and now the trees sing their night song to us.