Super Trouper Sam

Of all the songs in the world that could calm a small child while they are upset, this is not one that I'd thought of. 

But, when we are in the car and Sam decides, for whatever reason, that he is not happy (a few days ago he decided to throw his toy car on the floor of our moving car and immediately regretted his action) -- all we have to do is pop in our Abba CD and find the "Super Trouper" song.  (It's track #4, by the way, on our copy.  It's necessary to know this when one is Sam's parent.)  As soon as he hears the harmonious a cappela opening ("Super trouper beams are gonna blind me, but I won't feel blue..." -- it's like magic -- he stops crying. 

It all started in Montana last summer, when Sam was just 10 months old.  Grandpa would let the boys play in his big pick-up truck (while it was parked in the driveway, of course -- not while driving around with them!) and he'd play the Abba CD in the truck for them.  He knew they liked Abba because Bryan and I had told him that we had the same CD and that Ben seemed to enjoy it.  It was the first CD that Ben ever requested -- he called "the music."  Everything else was not "music", but Abba was "the music".  So the boys absolutely loved it when Grandpa would play the Abba CD for them.  And they loved playing in Grandpa's truck, too.  (They still do.)  And ever since that trip, we noticed that if Sam was crying in the car, if "Super Trouper" came on...he'd stop. 

Sam in Grandpa's truck, July 2010

Checking out all the buttons and dials

Grandpa and Sam, July 2010

I don't know if he simply enjoys the music, or if he associates the song with the fun time he had with Grandpa in Montana -- maybe it's a combination of both?  Who knows?  But it's cute to see him chillin' out to Abba in his carseat as we cruise around town. 

Now if only Abba would work when we're at home, or at night to get him to sleep...hmmm.....