Song of the Day: "Three Little Birds"

"Three Little Birds"

Bob Marley and the Wailers

from Exodus

1977

(also released as a single in 1980)

There are moments when Willow loves me, but there are also moments when she despises me. I know it's a phase that most kids go through, when they are attached to mommy, and daddy can go jump into moving traffic for all they care. This is natural, so I understand (I guess it'll look preferable to when a fourteen-year-old Willow actually hates me and can articulate why).

I don't get sad or anything, because I know this is how it goes. But it's mainly just a pain in the fucking ass that Willow won't let me do certain things. She goes apeshit when I try to wipe her face off after dinner, she goes insane about every other time I change her diaper, and she won't, under any circumstances, let me put her to bed. When Pam does these things: not a fucking peep. But when asked if daddy can put her to bed, she immediately starts bawling, yelling "NOOOOO!!! NOOO!!!" until eventually Pam gives in and just does it herself. (I put Martha to bed every night, in case you thought this would be a post about not sharing parenting duties evenly.)

This sucks mostly because, by all accounts, Willow is cute as hell when she is getting ready for bed. Pam even started singing some songs to her from various baby books, and Willow just sits there peacefully, fully aware that it is time for sleep, and fully accepting of it. One of the books is based on Bob Marley's "Three Little Birds." Willow now loves this song. She's started asking for "Marley."

I wish she would let me sing it to her. I mean, my voice is universes away from Pam's in terms of aptitude, but I can still stumble my way through a reggae song. C'mon, Willow, stop being a brat! Let me put you to bed for once!