Babies 401: Advanced Neglect Parenting

The second baby to enter any house is a totally different ballgame, folks. As second time parents, we are much more relaxed about almost everything involved with Maia (except for changing diapers, and that's just me and my anti-poo-jay agenda). With Aidan, whenever he was awake I felt the need to do something with him-- anything at all even remotely resembling education. Maia? Well, last night I plopped her in her baby papa-san chair, put it up on the table, and taught her how I make pizza. I guess that's still educational, but not in the same over-the-top, learn your times tables by age 2 way I had with Aidan. Don't get me wrong; I still cuddle the crap out of this girl, and she gets more kisses than Hershey has ever made, but still.... I suppose a certain amount of self-discovery time is good for babies, to let then take in the world. Or at least the fuzzy, wobbly shapes they can see all around, since their eyesight still sucks at a week old. That being said, at least when I put her down I put a big black and white book in front of her (the first possession of Aidan's she has usurped, come to think of it-- it was a Christmas present from his Grandma) so she can develop insane ideas that the whole world is this way.

Aidan, speaking of education, is making great strides in his development. It's kinda wierd, but sometimes I listen to him, and he's like a really lovable walking science project gone astray-- you know, like when a mad scientist creates the perfect woman, but it turns out she's super intelligent and begins some crazy topless rampage of laser beams and freeze rays? Kinda like that. Because I honestly don't know where he comes up with some of this stuff; obviously, he's learning it at school, but it's the places hiss mind focuses on (or ignores) that are absolutely fascinating. Right now, he can count to 11. Not 10, not 12, but 11. He's a walking sound byte from Spinal Tap; I've tried, and it is physically impossible to get him to say the word "twelve". Just "eleven", and then he goes back (again, for no good reason) to eight. Then there's his alphabet song: "A, B, C, D, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, M, P. Q, R, S, W, X, Y, Z. Now I know my A, B, C, D..." and it repeats on an infinite loop. When I try to fill in the missing letters, he just stops and stares at me like I am seriously mentally deficient and making up letters at random.

Which, to be fair, I do sometimes. Gotta keep him on his toes, you know.