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Thursday, December 3, 2009

Kansas

Gavin and I are headed out on a trip this weekend. We're flying to Kansas to visit my sister and hang out with some girlfriends! It's going to be so much fun. Normally, the four of us girls meet in Chicago for a weekend of shopping, dining out, relaxing in our hotel, and meandering up and down the beautifully lit and decorated magnificant mile (Michigan Ave) in the snow. It's a fun time of year and even more fun to dress up with your girlfriends and admire the beauty of the holiday season on Chicago's most famous shopping strip. This year, we opted to go to Kansas instead of Chicago. "Wichita, and the wheat fields of Kansas. Kansas City K is next to Kansas City MO. Chicago, Crossroads of America, Talahassee, Tuskaloosa, San Fransisco, Guadalupe!" Sorry about that. Everytime I think of Kansas, that song from grade school pops into my head. It's something that our grade school music teacher, Mr. McAlpine, had us sing. It's more of a chant than a song, but it sure is one that sticks with you!

So, this year we're going to Kansas for many reasons. I'm bringing Gavin this year and although the hotels we stay at in Chicago are very nice and very fancy... the city just isn't the best place for a 1-year old. Another reason is that my sister who used to live in Michigan - just three to four hours from Chicago, now lives in Kansas, so it's not as convenient to meet there, which used to sort of be the 3/4-way point between Mpls and her place in Michigan. It's also fun to just mix it up a bit and go somewhere else once in a while. I would bet that we'll be back in Chicago next year, but I sure am looking forward to the comfort of my sister's house this weekend. There's something less stressful about staying in her home rather than a hotel, having the candles lit and the coffee brewing. It is going to be so much fun. We have some shopping planned and maybe some ice skating, but mostly, we're really looking forward to the time to be together with a bottle of wine or cup of coffee and no place to be and nothing to get done.

I'll be sure to take some pictures of Gavin on the airplane for his very first flight! That is, if he's being a good little passenger! Say a little prayer for our safe and tear-free travels! I packed some munchies and some new, fun toys, so hopefully he'll be content and enjoy the flight!

Happy travels!

23 comments:

Big Sis said...

You are going to have a great time. I wish I were going as well but it might get a bit crowded! Have fun and give Kristin a hug for me!

kristinrose24 said...

It's never too crowded. There's always room for family (and friends). I'm excited, but you'll have to forgive the mess. :)

april said...

Wow, I hope you guys have a great time! And you know the little mister is going to be pampered silly...

suespez said...

I was also thinking of grade school music class songs & googled "witicha and the wheat fields of" which brought me here... I was MOSTLY looking for the quirky song: "fender bender" (do you remember THAT one?... Fender Bender yah yah yah...")

I wonder if kids still learn that. Probably not. :P

suespez said...

oops. i meant Wichita. :P

Brian said...

I just Googled "Witicha and the wheat fields of Kansas" too. I had forgotten what the last line was "Talahassee, Tuskaloosa, San Fransisco, Guadalupe!" Thanks for that! Funny I can remember something from 20 years ago like that and I didn't even care that much about elementary school music class.

I've Googled it before and to my surprise had no results come up. I thought the internet knew everything. I see you're from Wisconsin, I am too. I wonder if it was from a book that was used locally but not as much nationally.

Another song that pops into my head from time to time is "It's not I said the fly as he flew thru the air [I remember it as air, maybe sky?], It's not I who made the sky blue [sky blue doesn’t sound right to me though, it maybe something else in nature] There were other verses too, I've tried different combinations and can't seem to find anything on this song on Google either.

Tim said...

Brian, this is how I arrived at this blog too. I remembered the rest of the "song," but struggled to come up with the last line, other than "Guadalupe." Ironically, I live in Wisconsin, though I went to grade school in Pennsylvania when I learned this song/chant.

Anonymous said...

I googled it also...I greq up in West Texas and was singing this song to my kids but couldn't remember what was after Tuscaloosa....

Yvonne said...

OMG I thought I was the only one whose teacher sang that!!~!

Anonymous said...

It starts:

It's not I said the fly as he flew through the sky,

It's not I who makes the stars to shine,

But I'll (something) not a bit...

Can't remember the rest. :(

Anonymous said...

"It's not I," said the fly,
As he flew through the sky,
"It's not I who made the stars to shine.
So don't praise me, not a bit,
I must do as I see fit,
And I get along just fine."

This just came to me in a dream. I remember only the first stanza and this is the only site I found with a Google search referencing the lyrics. It's been about 25 years since I remember singing it with my sister. I think we both learned it at a small school in Western Pennsylvania.

kristyd said...

I googled, "it's not i said the fly" and this is the only website i see with the lyrics to this song. i vividly remember singing this with my 2nd grade class. I'm 42! i've never remembered the 4th and 5th lines, so i'm so glad to see them here! however, i remember the first part of the song as this, "it's not i said the fly, as he rumbled through the rye, it's not i who make the stars to shine...." funny how some things just stick!

kristyd said...

and btw, I grew up and still live in Tennessee!

Brian said...

Yes, "starts to shine", that was it! The rest only seems vaguely familiar but I can still sing it and it all fits with the cadence of the song as I remember it. Thanks for posting that Anonymous. Seems like other verses might have had other insects/animals [a bird? or maybe "It's not me said the bee as he flew through the tree?"] I could be completely wrong though, it's been too long!

I'm amazed these aren't on the internet somewhere else considering they appear to have been used in grade schools nationally and over at least a 12 year period of time (I'm 30). Don't know if it's due to copyright issues or just evidence that digital recorded history doesn't start until the internet started (probably both). Would be interested to know what text book(s) they were from.

Brian said...

Oops I meant "stars to shine" obviously.

Thorny said...

OMG! How is this the only place on the entire internet that knows about the fly song???

I learned it as a kid, though I can't recall if I learned it in grade school, Girl Scouts or church. I feel absolutely certain there were other verses, though I don't remember a thing about them.

Anonymous said...

I recall some variations, too:
- It's not I said the hen, as he counted to ten
- It's not I said the cat, as he put on his hat
Etc.

It was in a song book for elementary school, 2nd grade, in Los Angeles in 1981.

It would be GREAT to find that book back.

Another song in there was:
Little child
In my arms
Close your eyes and sleep
...

Does anyone share this memory?

Anonymous said...

Thanks for sharing the lyrics. It's nice to have the gap in my own memory restored. :D I faintly remember one started "It's not me said the Flea, as he ... " but I don't think that one went anywhere.

NiColeman said...

OMGEEE,I'm in Birmingham,AL and the "What fields of Kansas" song was something I learned in elementary!! I've been searching for the lyrics or maybe even a recording of this song!! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!! :) :) :)

Anonymous said...

I'm from Sacramento, CA and I also remember this song from elementary school (late 90s)

Unknown said...

We sang the Wichita song in Milan, Ohio, i dont remember the guadelupe part though. wish there as a video!

Anonymous said...

We sang the Wichita song at a public school in the early 90s in New Orleans

Can’t believe no one knows the name still :(

Anonymous said...

Yes, these are part of the lyrics. I wish we could find the rest 😪