Jacko de Mayo

Just a quick shout-out to our nephew in Seattle, Jack, who turns two today. Happy Birthday, Jack!!

(Jack in the box - get it?)

And another shout-out to Katie, who was on the front page of the Tribune today. Very cool.

So, a pretty quiet weekend here thus far. I am happy to report that the workmen returned on Wednesday and work on the porch is progressing. Before long we'll be able to walk out our back door again. Hooray! Maybe later we'll take some more pictures.

We also picked up the new car yesterday and drove home cursing every other driver on the road for coming even an inch closer than they should to us. It didn't take long for the birds to christen the car properly of course. Sigh...

Eliza is enjoying the new car as well, but was a bit cranky by the end of the day, having spent far too much time in cars and strollers for her taste. So just one walk today and then lots of playtime. Tonight she gets to play with her new babysitter, Valerie, whom we know from the gym.

BTW, GREAT story on NPR yesterday (one that was too short in my opinion) on the evils of marketing to children. The synopsis from the website:

Morning Edition, May 4, 2007 · Susan Gregory Thomas, author of Buy Buy Baby, questions the value of the "smart toys" aimed at children from early infancy. A toy market estimated at more than $20 billion preys on parents' fears and ambitions.

You know the drill - buy this toy/video/cd/whatever and your kid will get into Harvard when s/he is 18. The story makes the point that there is NO science to back up these claims (shocker) and that mostly they serve to create brand and character recognition. Never too early to mold kids into eager consumers, right? So frustrating. And the fear is insidious. I often find myself wondering if I'm stimulating Eliza enough, if I need to change the radio to an all classical station because otherwise she'll fall behind (fall behind what, exactly?). Regular everyday life is stimulating to babies, the story reminds us. Good to know.

We noticed this fear factor even before she was born. Cribs, for example. Every crib sold in the United States has to meet the exact same safety requirements (space between bars, no hardware sticking out - things like that). So the cheap crib from Walmart is just as safe as the insanely expensive Italian import crib. I'll grant you there are cosmetic/structural differences that can be important (quieter rails and so forth), but for safety, they are the same. Yet, you feel like a "better parent" if you buy the more expensive one. It's just insane. And manipulative. And it's hard to stay conscious to the fact that you are being manipulated.