Have you ever seen a whale with a polka dotted tail?

I love that my mother can text message. It provides so much entertainment for me some days. This morning's text informed me that it was Raffi's birthday and suggested I take an elephant out to play in his honor.

This Canadian that has been called "the Bruce Springsteen of the younger set" taught me so much. He taught me how oats, peas, beans, and barley grow. He taught me how to identify Santa ("ho ho ho", cherry nose, cap on head, suit that's red...). He taught me about life.

In case elephants are not readily available to you, some other ways you could celebrate the birthday of a man who helped shape my childhood and who I am today:

Go to the zoo

Sing about a baby beluga

Eat oples and banonos

Eat iples and baninis

Sing French Christmas carols

Happy Birthday Raffi!

And if I have anything to do with it, this kid will be singing Down By the Bay and Petit Papa Noel before s/he can talk.