This is the way my Grand Ma makes... MASHED POTATOES
This is the way my Grand Ma makes... MASHED POTATOES

First she gets a pot that's this big, (Both arms make pot);
Pulls off the lid (Take off lid with CLANG sound);
And takes it to the sink like this
(Keep arms in pot shape; Count and move to sink:
"1,2,3. 1,2,3. 1,2,3. 1,2,3)."
Turns on the faucet (Turn it on sound and movement)
Fills that pot to the tippy top...
(make filling noise and raise level arm to resemble water level).
Then she takes that pot over to the stove.
It's kinda spilly don't you know, don't ya know..
(Keep arms in pot shape; Count with grunting sound
and move as if water is about to spill "1,2,3. 1,2,3)."
Turns on the stove, (Click);
Put on the lid, (CLANG)
And waits for the water to boil.
It goes...
(Bu bubu Bu bubu Bu Bu BUH. Bu bubu Bu bubu Bu Bu BUH).
(Make bubbles with palms turned up and fingers wriggling).
While it's boiling, she gets out a sack--
a big ole' sack- puts a crick in her back.
It's mighty heavy, don't ya know, don't ya know!
(Throw heavy sack over back and walk).
And she says: "This ole sack's put a crick in my back!
Yessirree I got a crick in my back!"
(Counting "1,2,3. 1,2,3. 1,2,3. 1,2,3" and lean over as with crick.
Say "OOCH!" and rub your back.)
Then she counts 'em out into the sink:
(Count and make fists.
Clap open hand on top of each fist on each count).
One potato, two potato, three potato, four, five potato, six potato, seven potato... MORE

This is the way my Grand Ma makes... MASHED POTATOES
This is the way my Grand Ma makes... MASHED POTATOES

Then she cleans 'em with a scrubber. Get out your scrubbers.
(Make a "scrubber" and "potato" out of two fists.
One scrubs the other on each count).
Scrub potato; scrub potato scrub scrub scrub;
Scrub potato; scrub potato scrub scrub scrub;
Then she pricks 'em with a fork.... Be Careful!
(Make fork from two fingers, and prick on each count)
Prick potato, prick potato, prick prick prick.
Prick potato, prick potato, prick prick prick.
Then she peels 'em -
(Make peeler with one finger, and peel on each count).
Peel potato; peel potato, peel peel peel.
Peel potato; peel potato, peel peel peel.
Then she pulls off the lid (CLANG),
and plops 'em into the boiling water...
(Make fists and noise.)
One plop, two plops, three plops, four,
five plops, six plops, seven plops... MORE

This is the way my Grand Ma makes... MASHED POTATOES
This is the way my Grand Ma makes... MASHED POTATOES

Puts on the lid (CLANG)
And waits for the potatoes to boil...
(How'd they go?).
They went
(Bu bubu bu bubu bu bubu BUH. Bu bubu bu bubu bu bubu BUH).
(Make bubbles with palms turned up and fingers wriggling)
And... the old fashioned kind, takes a long time.
So while they are cooking, she does a little dance.
She goes "La dee dah dah Dee dee dah dah La dee dah dah Doo;
La dee dah dah Dee dee dah dah. All around the room!"
(Dance like a "grandma would. Use your spoon--
even try doing the sixties' version of the 'mashed potato dance).

Pretty soon, those potatoes are done,
so she turns off the stove (Click),
And carries that pot over to the sink--
careful not to burn her arms...
(Count "1,2,3. 1,2,3. 1,2,3. 1,2,3.
Pull arms out as if afraid to burn,
and make face as if pot is hot and heavy).
Pulls off the lid (CLANG)
Pours off the water (Psshhhhhhhhh)
And the steam goes all over her glasses
(Make fftt sound and use flat open right and left
hands alternating as if brushing across each lens on glasses.
Fttt fttt ft ft ft; Fttt fttt ft ft ft)
But Grandma doesn't care 'cause she's getting ready--- to mash!
Get out your mashers!
(Two open claw hands pointed down.
Mash using whole body.
Jump in the air on each down beat)
Mash potatoes, mash potatoes, mash mash mash.
Mash potatoes, mash potatoes, mash mash mash
Pour in some milk (Pour in milk. Psshhhh)
A whole lot of butter
One pat, two pats, three pats four;
five pats six pats, seven pats, more.
(Repeat if you feel like it!)

A little bit of salt
(Make a salt shaker and sound with one hand--
Chi chichi Chi chichi Chi Chi Chi.
Chi chichi Chi chichi Chi Chi Chi!)
A little bit of pepper
(Make grinder out of both hands and grinding sound-
Grr, grr, grgr gr. Grr, grr, grgrgr.)
Then she takes a spoon, and stirs 'em all around
(Count and stir "1,2,3. 1,2,3. 1,2,3. 1,2,3").
She takes a little lick and says,
"Mmmm mmmm, mm mm mm. Mmmm mmmm, mm mm mm.
A lick for me. A lick for you.
A lick for everybody in the whole room... ! "
(Go all around room with spoon giving pretend tastes.)

This is the way my Grand Ma makes... MASHED POTATOES
This is the way my Grand Ma makes... MASHED POTATOES

This is the way my Grand Ma makes... MASHED POTATOES
This is the way my Grand Ma makes... MASHED POTATOES

 

© Katherine Dines and Rachel Sumner. All rights reserved. Used with permission.