Station

Lyla has one of those Exersaucer things (or some other-brand offshoot) that reminds me of Homer Simpson's work station at the nuclear power plant. I can picture Lyla a little older sitting in it and scheduling her time: "Let's see, first I have to push the cow button and listen to the moo; next on the agenda is spinning the ball with the beads in it; oh yes, and I don't know if I'll get to it, but at some point I should really put that dinosaur puppet in my mouth."

It's almost impossible to get her feet through the little foot holes on the first swipe. More than once I've realized that she's in there sidesaddle, as I've accidentally allowed her to cram both legs through one hole. But once she's in, she's good for about four minutes, a baby playtime eternity, before she's itching for the next activity.

What I like the most about the Exersaucer is that we didn't buy it, but borrowed it from a friend whose son recently outgrew it. These fancy toys are only good for a couple months before the kid is ready for the next batch, so it's unfortunate if you find yourself buying everything. But I think this one will last Lyla awhile. She doesn't really operate any of the toys yet, opting instead to stuff her fingers in her mouth, like Homer with a donut. Somebody should tell her to get back to work.