Category Archives: songs/songwriting

Listen to: Nana

This is a fun and playful song all about me and my nana! This song started as a little ditty I used to sing to Owen on Saturday mornings…

Owen and mama two days together
Owen and mama two days together

or if it was a three day weekend I’d sing

Owen and mama three days together
Owen and mama three days together

or if I had a week off of work I’d…well, you get the picture.

He was just a baby at this time and I can still see his little smile whenever I sang him this little tune.

When I was writing songs for Obstacle Course, I decided to turn this little ditty into a song. I added verses and changed the chorus from “Owen and mama” to “me and my nana”. I thought nana had a nice ring to it and depersonalizing it would hopefully welcome others to join in on the fun. But guess what? I don’t call my grandma Nana, I call my grandma Oma. What do you call your grandma?

Give it a listen. I hope you’ll sing along!

“Nana” is a track on my upcoming album, Obstacle Course. Please check back soon for album updates or sign up for email updates by clicking the “Follow This Blog” button in the right sidebar.

– kk

Listen to: The Fort

I wrote this song one day while waiting for Owen to wake up from his afternoon nap. On this particular day Owen slept a lot longer than usual. I found myself with precious free time but no idea what to do.

I decided to build a fort out of a large cardboard box. I cut out a window and a door and – voilà – a fort! I was super excited to see how Owen would react when he saw his new fort. So I sat down and waited for him to wake up…and waited…and waited…”Hmmm?” I thought. “What should I do now?” I had to do something with all the excitement I was feeling over yes, a cardboard box.

The first verse of the song was basically already written

I’m building a fort today
I’m hoping you will come and play
It has a window, it has a door
When you get here it will be so much more
Fun at the fort today, down at the fort today

and the rest just followed.

So now, here is the full song for your listening pleasure!
I hope you enjoy it!

“The Fort” is a track on my upcoming album, Obstacle Course. Please check back soon for album updates or sign up for email updates by clicking the “Follow This Blog” button in the right sidebar.

– kk

Song Inspiration: The Edamame Cheer

We went out for dinner the other night and when the server brought a plate of edamame to our table Owen’s face lit up with a huge grin and he called out “edamame” and clapped his hands in delight. He then gobbled down the edamame one after another practically non-stop. He has always liked edamame but the day I gave him a little pile of full pods instead of shelling the beans for him, well that day edamame shot way up to the top of the list of his favorite foods.

Inspired by the excitement he showed over the edamame I made up a little song. We sing it at dinner sometimes especially when we are having…EDAMAME!

Owen loves edamame!

The Edamame Cheer

I love edamame
Edamame is yummy, yummy for my tummy
I love edamame
Edamame is yummy, yummy for my tummy

When the plate is put down in front of me
I clap my hands, I cheer in delight
Let’s count it down, so happy that it’s time to eat
3, 2, 1
Edamame! All Right!

© 2012 Kristin Kellner

Ikura is his favorite

I don’t have an edamame picture but here is one from a sushi outing
He also loves sushi, his favorite is ikura (salmon roe)

Song Inspiration – Whale Kisses

Recently, while packing up a bunch of baby gear that Owen had outgrown, I came across Owen’s aqua-themed activity mat. I felt a little sad preparing his things to give away because each item, the mat especially, triggered so many memories of Owen as a baby.

Owen spent countless hours rolling and crawling and drooling on this little piece of fabric. When he was tiny he would lay on his back, kicking his feet and punching his arms all over the place. If we played James Brown, those arms and legs really seemed to have a mind of their own.  Sometimes he would repetitively kick one of the foam poles that arched over the mat, jiggling all the sea creatures and rattles that hung above.  As he grew he became more interested in those items hanging from the poles, he would pull and swat at them or just study them and explore the different textures. He was a champ at tummy time, and would lie on his belly and rake his hand across the silky surface. I smiled as I pictured him on the mat and felt a little unsure about giving it away. But I finished packing it up and hoped another family would enjoy it as much as we did.

Later I went downstairs and saw a little whale shaped pillow peeking out of a basket, another piece of the aqua-themed mat. Seeing it triggered another memory. I remembered when I lightly touched it against Owen’s cheek and sang “whale kisses, whale kisses” and Owen giggled for the first time. I picked up Whaley, as we call the pillow, looked at it and then hugged it close. “Whale Kisses, Whale kisses, ….” I sang in my head and smiled to myself again. For just a moment I wondered if I should bring it upstairs and pack it with the rest of the mat but I knew right away I couldn’t. Our little whale pillow is definitely a keepsake item and will stay with us.

Whale Kisses
Whale Kisses
Gently on your cheek
Whale Kisses
Whale Kisses
Giggles soft and sweet

I swim right by you
Up an down and all around
I’ll rise and surprise you
Blow a spout of water out

Whale Kisses
Whale Kisses
Gently on your cheek
Whale Kisses
Whale Kisses
Giggles soft and sweet

The deepest oceans
That’s where I roam, my happy home
I eat lots of plankton
My baleen, filters it clean

Whale Kisses
Whale Kisses
Gently on your cheek
Whale Kisses
Whale Kisses
Giggles soft and sweet

Here is the video of Owen’s first giggle and the inspiration for the song “Whale Kisses”.