The Orange And The Green
Imagine my surprise when I arrived at the school today to see my son hopping while he retrieved his backpack, and then doing some sort of high stepping back to his table. Imagine my bewilderment when my son raced out of his classroom and latched onto my arm, begging me to buy some Irish music.
Apparently, the school had an assembly today with some Irish step dancers.
My daughter joined us and began her own version of hopping and ankle crossing. My son started up, too.
I stood there with a straight face until they were all sweaty and panting. And then I led them to the van, with promises of some iTunes Irish dance music after a snack and some rehydration, because damn that hopping made them thirsty.
At my son's insistance, I am now the proud owner of a copy of The Orange and The Green by the Irish Rovers. And he has been proudly stepping away all evening.
When my husband came home, my son climbed up onto a chair and did his whole routine. We both stood there smiling mildly, nodding in time to the music and exclaiming over the random high kicks he added into the mix. And when he was finished, and retired to the other room, my husband and I both broke into our own versions of it, arms stick-straight at our sides, feet doing a whole lot of nothing, but frantically, and idiot grins on our faces.
Made my day today.
Comments
This is how it starts. Then your kid is going to Irish dance lessons twice a week, and reeling and jigging all over your house, at the grocery store, even in the doctor's office. You find yourself buying gillies and $150 hard shoes, and that is just the beginning...feisanna fees, $900 elaborate dresses. The worst part? How proud you are of them and how you love every moment of your undoing...
Posted by: Heather | March 9, 2007 11:10 PM
The Irish is fun, Jenny. And good aerobics to boot!
Posted by: Carmen | March 10, 2007 3:38 AM
How cool!
One of my favorite memories was seeing Makem and Clancy in Dallas (probably 15 years ago). They did 'Four Green Fields' and that song still haunts me.
Dance on!
Posted by: ben | March 10, 2007 6:34 AM
How many calories does that burn?
Posted by: jenn2 | March 10, 2007 8:39 AM
You have got to video tape that. I could just picture it, since my 2.5 yr old tries to bust some moves to "that's right your not from Texas" by Lyle Lovett. No we are not into country... but apparently he is. In the past month, he has boycotted every singer except for John Mayer and Beyonce. Seriously. I am not kidding. It's killing me.
Posted by: Michelle | March 10, 2007 7:56 PM
I came across a post of yours: ---
We did the cinderella one, too - and I distictly remember thinking it was a dirty rhyme - I must have been eight or nine at the time.
Also big at my school was the little song:
Tra la la boom-de-ay, I met a boy today, he gave me 50 cents to go behind a fence. Quite graphic, that song.
--- My daughter sang that one and we have been trying to remember the next verse with much frustration but little success. Any chance you remember it and would be willing to share?
Thanks
Posted by: Arnie | March 11, 2007 9:03 PM
I came across a post of yours: ---
We did the cinderella one, too - and I distictly remember thinking it was a dirty rhyme - I must have been eight or nine at the time.
Also big at my school was the little song:
Tra la la boom-de-ay, I met a boy today, he gave me 50 cents to go behind a fence. Quite graphic, that song.
--- My daughter sang that one and we have been trying to remember the next verse with much frustration but little success. Any chance you remember it and would be willing to share?
Thanks
Posted by: Arnie | March 12, 2007 7:07 AM
Now your children can do The Dance of My People.
Posted by: Oh, The Joys | March 12, 2007 1:03 PM