Blessings

We say (or rather, sing) one of these two blessings before dinner every (well, we try to remember, sometimes the kids have to remind us) night.

God Our Father was taught to me by my niece Justine, who learned it at preschool. She always sang it at family dinners and I thought (and still think) that she was the best thing since sliced bread. She was cute as a bug's ear (one of my Mom's expressions) as a toddler.

God Our Father
God Our Father
Once again, once again,
May we ask your blessing?
May we ask your blessing?
A-men. A-men.

Thank You, Jesus was introduced to us by Karen from New Hope this past summer. This is the one I prefer, since I refer to Jesus almost exclusively when I pray with the kids at night. Now don't think I am snubbing God or anything, it's just that I think Jesus is a little easier for them to understand than God, or Heavenly Father, or Father God, or Lord.

Thank you Jesus
Thank you Jesus
For our food,
For our food,
Bless it to our bodies,
Bless it to our bodies,
A-men. A-men.

Both blessings are to the tune of Frere Jacques.
Jonathan has started correcting us lately that we should say AHHH-men instead of A-men. He says his teachers at school say Ahhh-men. He is already starting to figure out that his teachers know a lot more than Mama and Daddy about a lot of things. Which is good.
To me, Ah-men is like sort of snobby and Northern, and A-men is sort of downhome and Southern. I know I am basing this on absolutely nothing and it does not matter one bit. I grew up with Ah-men, but now I like A-men better. I remember the first time Dave went to New York with me to meet my Dad. We went to a Methodist church service and everyone said Ah-men, and Dave lets out this big, booming A-men! It was so funny at the time and one of those wierd little moments that I'll never forget. I had brought this Kentucky boy home and it just made him seem so Southern and so Baptist (which he is very much a Southern Baptist) even though he does not have an accent.

Does anyone else have a different blessing they say or sing at the dinner table? Or a good prayer for kids for other parts of the day?

Oh! My dearest friend Lara left this blessing as a comment, but I just wanted to include it here also, because I think it is the cutest and most fun thing ever, esp. for a family of boys.

Lara: We sing the Superman blessing. Did we teach you that one? It goes to the tune of the Superman theme...
Thank you Lord for giving us foodThank you Lord for giving us foodand our daily breadwhich we must be fedThank you Lord for giving us foodA!! MEN!!