The Jr. VP has a jigsaw puzzle of the U.S. states. He is very good at remembering the names of the various states and where they go on the map. This is even more impressive given that he can’t read, and only remembers the states by shape and location. Watching him do the puzzle has been fun the last few weeks, and you never get tired of saying “Good job! I bet you are the smartest boy in town!” when he finishes it. He is so good it is starting to freak me out some. He picked up a piece and said “South Dakota!” and put it in the right spot. How the hell did he know it was South Dakota, and not North? Or Wyoming? Or any of the several other rectangular shaped states? Maybe he taught himself to read and didn’t bother mentioning it to me and/or Mommy, but more likely he is some kind of geography savant, a Rain Man but with maps instead of math. I’ve always wanted to be a showbiz dad; maybe I can take him out on the circuit. You know, the circuit? The traveling geography savant circuit? They winter in Florida if I’m not mistaken? Good people out on that circuit.
On Sunday the Jr. VP was sick, and his mood was affected accordingly: we had a little meltdown at the Hillsdale farmers market when I tried to convince him that the communication tower we could see (on top of Council Crest maybe?) was not in fact the the Eiffel Tower as he was insisting. We probably shouldn’t have gone to the market, but we thought that might be better then him sitting around all day being sick. We were incorrect. Our trip to the market was brief.
Babies, even ours, seem to like it when you sing to them. Hell if I know why the Intern doesn’t start immediately crying when I bust out into song; the CEO can’t sing to save his life. Still though I try. I like to sing a bit from Oh Brother Where Art Thou? (”Go to sleep you little baby. . .). To the CFO’s great amusement I also go with (parts of) Afternoon Delight (”Gonna find my baby gonna hold him tight…”) The Intern is too young to be disturbed and the CFO knows enough just to laugh, but I probably shouldn’t burst out into that one at the Fred Meyer. The Jr. VP also likes to sing songs to his little brother. He likes the rock and he likes his Johnny Cash; he even likes some music actually meant for kids (Blast those infernal Wiggles!) but he will also sing the classics, or his versions thereof. For example in his version of Rock-a-by Baby, the last two lines are “then Daddy will catch you, then we’ll burn down that tree.” He doesn’t like to fall you know, and he sees no reason why he should sing a song glorifying the act. Smart lad.
