Day 3.127: Growing up (growing down)

E5N1 is in the process of saying goodbye to diapers (not nappies). He has been making good progress despite not being as ready and motivated as Exile #4 was when she went through the process as soon as we got to the US, nor as consistently treated as Exile #3 was when she went through it just before she turned two years old and her baby sister was born.

Anyway, here are some pictures of him looking fiercely independent during our walk yesterday.

Which just leaves me to explain the title. No punning today, but I will share the words to this piece of beat-poetry.  Well, this is how I hear it and it's at least as close as any other rendition I can find on the Internet.  I love the journey of the lyrics, the twists in each verse and the repeated structure. I particularly like the wine/water verse - many pregnancies have been discovered by sudden alcohol intake reduction, but I'd never have thought that offering or serving someone wine could be taken as an insult. Wake up to being a mother - and not a child.

The Blue Aeroplanes: Growing Up, Growing Down
(G. Langley / A. Bruschini)
©1992 Ensign Records
(Hopefully if they find it, they will consider this homage 'fair use', if not I will remove it!)

Wake up this morning to say goodnight again
Give me your sleeping hand
Shake up your clothes, mine
Say, "Coffee?"
Say, "A letter for you."
Say, "Rescue me!"
Have a heart child - we're on the adult bus in an hour and working.

There are worse things than words, you know
But you wouldn't believe it to hear some people talk.

Wake up, it's Christmas morning
All the parents are gone and the children aren't here yet
Say, "Have a drink," and
Say, "Open this one first!"
Say, "Duty calls!"
Have a heart child - wrapping it's the hard part.

Well, wake me up to go to sleep again
Wake up, there's been a hit-and-run
Broken glass everywhere
Say nothing, it's obvious what's going on here
Say, "This street's never been the same since Kennedy died!"
Have a heart child - you weren't even born.

So wake up and let me tell you
When are we gonna see the big bright tonight?
Say, "Now why would he give you the wine and me and water?"
Have a heart child - he thinks I'm driving.

Ah, wake up, wake up to the morning nausea
Wake up to death in life
Wake up to being a mother and not a child
Say, "If this is life give me breakdancing!"
Say, "If this is art give me television!"
Say child, do you think we should have a heart to heart?