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everybody dance now

 before we can dance, we need to snuggle.
and drink lots of milk.
it's good for the bones.
john has recently developed a favorite song, and it's a doozie: everybody dance now.

it's not uncommon for him to walk up to his daddy and i and say, "everybody dance!" (and, as i realized the first time this happened, he does not mean that we should all join hands and dance together.) at that prompt, there are two appropriate actions as a parent:
  1. whip out the iphone and youtube "everybody dance now" so the kid can listen
  2. if #1 is not available, simple start singing. and dancing, of course.
fortunately for us, either one elicits grins and giggles.

several evenings lately, john and i have ridden home in the car with that song on repeat on my phone. every time it ends, i hear a sweet little voice say, "everybody dance? again?"

but the best came in the grocery story aisle. we were just running in for a single item or two, so i didn't get a cart - john just walked along with me. i could tell he was feeling like a big boy. and he was listening so well, and being so well behaved. (and of course, making friends with everyone in sight.)

so when we were in the canned vegetable aisle searching for black beans, and john turned his angelic blue eyes up at me, and said, "everybody dance?" i did what any self-respecting mother would do.

i sang everybody dance now and danced in the aisle with my two-year-old. and he was delighted. and i was delighted. and we got a funny look or two ... but mostly other people were delighted too. 

the powers of a grinning two year old are myriad.

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