nine months for life

Now that we do more than just lying around, the weekends are getting more “active”. With it being the coldest weekend of the season so far, it has been up to mother goose (yes, that’s me) to get creative and figure out what all this “little person” can do over the weekend.

Now, you have got to remember that unlike babies, “little people” don’t get fooled. You cannot make fleeting baby sounds and get away with it. These activities have gotto be the REAL STUFF.

So these are what I came up with …and the reasons I think they work.

1. Fold the laundry: Put the washed and dried clothes about 5 feet from baby. Fold them high up in the air. If possible wave them around making different shapes in the air. Narrate what you are doing at every step.
Pros:
- Laundry gets folded ;)
- Hopefully, “folding laundry” gets wired into the baby circuitry and your child will willingly do/fold her laundry for the rest of her life ;)
- Improvising and adding activities such as Peek-a-Boo into this activity is extremely easy
- Clean clothes can double up as teethers
Cons:
- It does not work unless you narrate every single step …animated is even better ;)
- You have to be ready to face reality …If it absolutely does not work, it could imply that your wardrobe sucks ;)

2. Read the Sunday Paper: Pile up Sunday ads on your side. Put baby on your lap,facing forward. Read one ad at a time.
Pros:
- You get your window shopping done
- You save money and learn to tell yourself that you are just so happy to be fitting into your old clothes that you really don’t need any new ones.
- Baby reads the newspaper …you might be instilling a great habit in your baby ;)
- Ads are bright and the paper crackles … babies love that
Cons:
- Colorful ads do NOT double up as teethers
- The house is a big mess …it is a lot harder to recycle little bits of paper strewn allover the bed/floor.
- You do not have the luxury to check any ad i any greater detail since stopping for more than 10 seconds on a page might really irritate the baby.

3. Dance to the music (baby music and nursery rhymes, that is):
Pros:
- Your daily workout!
- I would love to think that babies get a sense of rythm when you do things like this ;)
Cons:
- Itsy Bitsy Spider???? C’mon!
- Things like this might kill the little social skills or social life you have left ;)

4. Pet the pets
Pros:
- You come to remember that the animals walking around in the house used to be your babies at one point.
- You throw your touch-and-feel baby books away.
- They love this activity - baby, cat, dogs and all!
Cons:
- Tufts of hair in little baby hands? Hmm, not good!
- You throw your touch-and-feel baby books!

5. Check email

6. Watch the news on TV

7. Stare baby in face

5,6 and 7 are really not recommended. Seriously. While they might work, guilt is almost a sure side-effect ;)

Any fun activities I can add to this? Do let me know :)