The Fun Car...

As the proud mother of a Kindergartner and Preschooler, I have ushered in yet another area of parenting: Carpooling.

The neighbors and I have a complicated yet smoothly running weekday carpool routine, that allows me some extra time to run that last errand or get in that shower I desperately need.

So when it's my turn to drive, I like to liven things up.

I blast silly music or a song that makes no sense (to my defense...what child DOESN'T love a nice "You're So Vain," by Carly Simon, at 8:10 a.m?). I sing along.

I may use hand movements that cause my children to yell, "Mom! Two hands on the wheel!"

I play the "what did YOU have for breakfast??" question game. I ask them if they had an old shoe with their orange juice.

I become a loud swedish woman who opens the SUV and yells, "Quickly voo children! Zee policeman is veddy veddy angry at my parking spot. To the Kindergarten door vis you, I say!!"

The kids are wide eyed, giggly, confused, but mostly enjoying the 7 minutes we are together before school begins.

For a while, I didn't know why I did this. Maybe I just liked to watch the kid's shocked face...maybe the coffee had gone to my head. And then I remembered...

The Rutledge Family Singers.

Yes, I was once a member of this fine group that consisted of my dad, mom, sister and myself. When friends were lucky enough to ride with The Rutledge Family Singers, they'd enjoy a car full of harmonious show tunes. For some reason, and I know you will be shocked by this, I thought nothing of belting out the soprano part of a Music Man show tune with anyone who rode along. No ride was too short for a spontaneous song.

No one ever seemed to mind and no one ever seemed to act like it was odd, least of all The Rutledge Family Singers themselves.

And so things come full circle...as I am now a mom. Who rides in cars with kids. And looks back and sees Lucy's lit up smile, because I am the silliest mom she knows. And there really isn't anything odd about it.