Tuesday, October 21, 2003
care and feeding of the urban young.
yesterday, on the train, two unacquainted babies were parked next to each other in large prams. their mothers were making conversation, and the babies were eyeing each other. one was more outgoing, and eventually stretched out a hand to the other. and then kind of bopped him with it, but not in a mean way, just to say, hey. i'm here. you can touch me. and then the other one touched him back.
they grinned and mugged at each other, and the more outgoing one started phonating all sorts of baby communique, and then he noticed that his shyer companion had a well in the front tray of his stroller filled with dry cereal. he slowly dipped index and thumb pincers into the cheerio reservoir, watching to see if it was okay. no reaction from shyer baby. mister congeniality did it again. and a third time. and then took his whole and and smashed it down inside the well to grab as much cereal as possible. shy baby did not let this pass, and jammed his own tiny potato hand in there as well. there was a tense moment--their screwed up little faces!--but when it passed, both babies emerged with fists of cereal, triumphant and pleased with each other.
they grinned and mugged at each other, and the more outgoing one started phonating all sorts of baby communique, and then he noticed that his shyer companion had a well in the front tray of his stroller filled with dry cereal. he slowly dipped index and thumb pincers into the cheerio reservoir, watching to see if it was okay. no reaction from shyer baby. mister congeniality did it again. and a third time. and then took his whole and and smashed it down inside the well to grab as much cereal as possible. shy baby did not let this pass, and jammed his own tiny potato hand in there as well. there was a tense moment--their screwed up little faces!--but when it passed, both babies emerged with fists of cereal, triumphant and pleased with each other.
