"What do you mean, it isn't my farm?"

Maybe you've been wondering why anyone would sing a version of "Old MacDonald" with their child's name inserted (see my reference to a little ditty I call "Young MacIsaac" in my last entry). Isn't a classic American folk song good enough for little Isaac? What will this indulgent revisionism teach him? Do these upper middle class children have to be the center of everything? Will Isaac feel foolish when he gets to preschool and learns that it isn't his farm after all?

Once upon a time I might have defended the integrity of our nation's traditional music, but now it really is all about Isaac. But it's also about pragmatism. A month or so ago, my mother asked my brother if Isaac had a favorite song, and without delay (or indication that he felt he was saying anything unusual) he replied, "Young MacIsaac." It's true. We've tried them all, and it's the one song that stops the crying and brings a smile. For some reason he loves it -- I don't know if it's his name, the animal noises, or something else, but since it works I'm sticking with it.

Other household favorites:

• "Ike's Been Working on the Railroad" ('Someone's in the kitchen with Isaac...')
• "Skip to My Lou, My Isaac"
• "Bicycle Built for Two" ('Isaac, Isaac, give me your answer do...')
• "W-A-L-T" ('There was a baby had a dog, and Walt was his name-o...')