Children grow out of shoes and tantrums (one hopes) but hopefully not their joy of music.

My baby sang before she could understand much of what her miniature mouth formed-it was all about the tune in her head. We had fun with that, nonsensical lyrics and all. Taller than most of her toddler pals, Emily loved Broadway musical soundtracks, wearing stripes for days at a time, and shouting music with her fierce little lungs.

Here she is, our jumping elf, because it’s just that kind of Christmas carol.

I’m thankful the melody is still king, and my kid is still singing, even if she only jumps at rave clubs.

Here’s her debut single, now available on iTunes. What’s next is finishing high school.

Is it thrilling to have a songbird in the house? As thrilling as a dancer/scientist, yes.

The highs are unbeatable.