I have to admit I enjoy a lot of the songs listed -- though I hated Dona Dona and can only vaguely recall it, thank dieties. I strongly agree with the bit about having to sing something countless times as opposed to listening. I only sing in private (to my little brother and sister, ages 8 and 6), and am often forced to hunt down the words to something new just so I don't become thoroughly sick of singing them to bed every night. Their all-time favorite is a cutesy song called "The Biplane Evermore" which I enjoy but which they ask for EVERY D*MN TIME. Also 'Gallant Forty-Twa' and two different versions of Maid O' Fife -- the well-known "Irish Dragoons" version and the Scottish "Bonny Barbry-O" which I learned from the Battlefield Band.

I do sing them lots of old standbys like Fields of Athenry and Willie McBride, but those aren't so bad since 1) they're not overdone in our household and 2) the kids don't like them enough to ask for encores like the first four I mentioned.

Yes, there are drawbacks to having the kids fight over who gets to go to bed first and be sung to! My parents don't truly recognize the sacrifice I make for their peace and quiet. "If you guys go to bed a 1/2 hour early, I'll sing you two extra songs...each." Oooh, my achin' head... It's a good thing I know extra verses to most of these, because I can cut them short and the kids don't notice.

I reiterate that I love these songs, both old and new, and they all have their place in my repertoire. But singing them over and over and over and over again to small children....

Jennifer