A lifetime ago when Maddie was about two years old, she fell in love with a song. Her teacher at the daycare center used to play a song called Sticky Sticky Sticky Bubble Gum, and oh, how Maddie loved that song. She would toddle around the house singing that song in her little voice that I can now scarcely remember.
“Ticky ticky ticky buddle gum, buddle gum, buddle gum,” she would sing. I would clap my hands and rejoice as only a new mommy can. In my effort to give her the world, I bought Maddie the CD so she could play the song at home on her durable red and yellow Fisher Price CD player. Gosh, Maddie loved that song.
It has been a long time since Maddie attended that daycare.
Tonight I was in the laundry room folding endless piles of clothes when I heard it. Sticky sticky sticky bubble gum, bubble gum, bubble gum. My hands froze mid-fold, and I cocked by head to listen. Sure enough, that CD was playing somewhere in the house.
I followed the music until I was standing in the doorway of the playroom. There was Katie, playing school. She was standing at the easel, surrounded by her students: teddy, dolly, fluffy green dinosaur, and sparkly unicorn. They were listening attentively as Katie taught them the words and movements to the song. “It’s almost story time,” she told her attentive class when the song was over, and I slipped out of the doorway before she caught me spying.
I walked back to the laundry room and felt my eyes sting with tears as I remembered little Maddie, two years old with a head full of curls that would soon disappear. Then I smiled at that sight of Katie, five years old and in firm control of her classroom of stuffed animals.
I began to hum as I folded our shirts.
Sticky, sticky, sticky, bubble gum….
Thirty-one stories for thirty-one days as part of the Slice of Life Story Challenge, hosted by Two Writing Teachers.
Wow, I really connected with this post this morning. When I hear snippets of songs my ‘babies’ used to sing and dance to, I am transported back to those moments. Though it is bittersweet, I am grateful that a smell, a song, or a taste of something can bring joys back to life. Thank goodness for sticky, sticky, sticky bubble gum! Hugs to you!
Oh yes that song brought back all the memories for ALL of you! I too remember your curly haired little ones who have grown up – for me – through your words.
It goes so fast.. I also blogged about time moving quickly with my kids. I love – and want to remember – that you stopped folding laundry and went to embrace the moment. An image to hold dear and remember what is really important in life. Thank you
Clare
I’m in it right now. My son is two-years-old and bringing songs home from school. We are often singing “Who Stole the Cookie…” I try desperately to bottle these moments. But, what a wonderful 5 year-old moment of Maddie in her classroom, passing on her favorite song to her very attentive pupils 🙂
Ahhhh. A song handed down from one sister to the next. How sweet. Watching them grow up has to be so rewarding, and also so very hard!!
Yet more proof that “the days are long, but the years are short.”
Aww what a sweet memory…and I sense a future teacher in the making!
Thus proving that adage, “Like mother, like daughter.”
She’s got your number!
How heartwarming. Another memory to be cherished.
You will never forget those moments. Thank you for sharing this. It reminded me how every Christmas I can still hear my precious little daughter (who is now 31), saying ” Mewwy Cwipmas!”
Oh man, you got me with the head full of curls line. It instantly made me connect to my 3.5 year old and how she will big before I know it!
And I sing that song with my preschoolers!
What a wonderful walk down memory lane. I love the overlap of how it was Maddie’s favorite and now Katie is teaching it to her stuffed animals. 🙂
My kids would sing ‘do your ears hang low…’ over and over again. Now when I hear that song, I am immediately transported to that house and their little voices singing.
It’s a blink…and they are grown-ups. Enjoy!
how does time fly by so fast? In the moment, it doesn’t seem like it is going fast at all, but afterward, you can’t believe where the time went. Thanks for sharing!
How sweet!! Your stories are so precious Dana.
Loved that! I’m reading Slices from yesterday before I get to my own. Lovely Slices… Dana… loved your slice as well. Loved it!
Bonnie