So my kids are very used to the Christmas television classics – Rudolph, Drummer Boy, and Frosty. They’ve seen different versions, but we stay pretty faithful to the ones everyone knows. Frosty has his song – you all know it – and in the song somewhere, they sing “Thumpity Thump Thump, Thumpity Thump Thump”. It’s Eilis’ favorite part, because she has her father’s knack for remembering song lyrics – meaning, she doesn’t know many, so when you get a line like Thumpity Thump Thump, it’s hard to screw it up.
We were driving around the other day, listening to Christmas music on the radio (non-stop since early November), and The Ronettes version of Frosty came on. Eilis was happily singing the words she knew in the back, waiting patiently for the Thumpity Thump Thump line, only to find out with absolute disappointment, that the Ronettes version does not have a Thumpity Thump Thump line. Oh my. Did they not know that at some point they would incur the wrath of Eilis? Did they not realize that there would be born one day into this world a child who’s sole mission in life would be to spot grievous injustices in this world and track down the offenders?
So, from the back of the car, she starts, “They didn’t say Thumpity Thump Thump!! Mommy, they didn’t say Thumpity Thump Thump. Mom, I said, they didn’t say Thumpity Thump Thump.”
“No, Eilis,” I calmly reply, “they did not.”
“What’s their phone number? Can you call them?”
“Who should I call?”
“You should call Frosty. Or you could call that little girl that plays with him. Let’s call her.”
“Well, Eilis, she’s not a little girl anymore. She’s a grown woman, in her 40’s, married and with a different last name that I don’t know.”
“Then call Frosty.”
“I don’t think he has a phone.”
Then she makes that noise that sounds like she is channeling Satan. Through gritted teeth she says, “Then just get somebody on the phone so I can tell them next time to sing Thumpity Thump Thump.”
“Okay, Eilis.”
So today, riding around in the car, we switch to the other channel that is playing all Christmas music. Guess what? They played the RIGHT version – Jimmy Durante with the Thumpity Thump Thump.
I hope she thinks I had something to do with it. I hate to be on her bad side.