The Law of Unintended Consequences - Baby Version

First, some background. My summer Sunday schedule is almost always the same. I get up between 4:30 and 5 a.m. (depending on hanetz) for minyan. I then ride my bike for two or three hours (you will be glad to know that my testosterone ratio does not even approach 4:1). Every five to six weeks I do a five to six hour ride.

On those Sundays that I only ride two or three hours, I then get to take care of the Baby while MHW and OOD go to a shiur and MHW goes to the chick's gym. (On the weeks that I do long rides I am completely useless all day; first, I'm gone for 7 or 8 hours (I usually drive to the long rides) and second, even when I get home, I am not particularly functional as a daddy).

So, I usually have between one and a half and two hours to entertain the Baby by myself before she mercifully falls asleep for her nap. This is not a simple thing.

Now, to the point. A few years ago, my mom, zzg, bought a set of 12 Shirley Temple VHS tapes for OYD. For a couple of years, they did the trick. The movies are timeless and OYD was delighted. But what entertains a 12 year old doesn't necessarily do it for a 14 year old. So, recently, the tapes have been piled up collecting dust near the VCR in our room.

This morning, as I was chasing the Baby all over the house, she went over to the tapes and began to play. First, she methodically removed each one from the box. Then, she examined them one by one and turned them over until each one slid out of its own case. Then I stacked them all and the Baby dutifully knocked them over. This process was repeated many times. Over and over again. I got a good 20 minutes out of the Shirley Temple tapes.

Perhaps not what my mom expected when she bought these tapes but they're the gift that keeps on giving as far as I'm concerned.

Go mom.