Ring Around the Rosies

The other day when LuBear stayed with us while Jason and Laura moved to their new house, I remembered the old game "Ring Around the Rosies". Although I can't imagine anyone reading who doesn't know this ancient children's game, it goes like this; you hold hands and walk slowly in a circle while chanting the following:

Ring around the rosies
Pocket full of posies
Ashes, ashes,
We all...fall...DOWN!

When you say "down", everyone falls down. Little kids love this game because it's fast, it's simple and they can do it before they can sing it.

Taking Lucy's hands in mine, I began to sing and go in a circle and Lucy walked along with me.

However, as the end of the game loomed, it slowly dawned on me that, 1) I was going to have to fall down on a hardwood floor, 2) the last time I played this game I was (*ahem!*) several pounds lighter than I am now, and 3) I'm 54, not 20 months old.

When I fall down nowadays, or get down on the floor for any reason, I'm definitely concerned about the process of getting back up again.

And did I mention my knees have been shot since my 20's, due to riding/jumping and/or jogging on cement too much?

Yeah.

So when the big moment came and it was time to "fall down", I sort of lurched over awkwardly and tried to collapse onto the floor gently without doing too much damage. Even though I tried to use my hands as much as possible to absorb the shock, I still ended up wincing as my knees hit the unyielding wood. LuBear eagerly followed suit, flinging herself with abandon onto the hard floor, giggling happily.

At only 20 months when she falls, intentional or not, she practically bounces off the floor, she's that flexible and light.

Her Nana? Not so much.

Which brings me to another flaw in bringing up this game. One of Lucy's favorite words is "again".

"Again!" she squealed.

Oh good god.

"Again?" I asked, hoping against hope maybe I heard her wrong.

"AGAIN! AGAIN!" Lucy clapped her hands excitedly.

Great.

So around we went again, this time with Lucy pulling on me with all her strength, trying to fall early in anticipation the way kids always do.

Oy.

When we reached the end, I let go of her hands and gleefully she plopped onto the ground without a care in the world, waiting with a huge grin for Nana to join her.

Nana groaned while she did her unintended imitation of a walrus sunning itself on the beach.

"AGAIN!" Lucy shrieked.

Nana tried to smile.

"What about 'e i e i o'?" I asked, trying to divert her to another favorite, "Old MacDonald Had A Farm" which has the wonderful benefit of no physical challenges.

"AGAIN!"

OY.

We had to play Ring Around the Rosies at least 8 more times, my knees getting more and more upset about it, 'til Nana finally had to say "no more, Lu" which brought on an instant barrage of noisy protests.

"AaaaAAAAAAAaaAAAAAAAA, AGAIN AGAIN!" she screamed, tears rolling down her face.

But although one of the worst things in the world for Nana is seeing little LuBear crying her heart out, Nana and her crackling sore knees were all done.

Thus goes the story of Nana's Epic Fail at Teh Ring Around the Rosies.

(By the way, in case anyone is interested, I found out that, although Daws teased me about teaching an innocent young child a rhyme that actually refers to the Black Plague, there is no basis to that old rumor and some version of "Ring Around the Something" where you fall down at the end is very old and present in most cultures worldwide. Who knew?!?)