how about a pet rock?

Fourteen month old Sonja has always reminded me of my sister Jill in many ways, and now a new and significant similarity has made itself very clear: She loves animals too much!! Jill has always been soft-hearted magnet for lost or injured animals. She has taken quite the menagerie over the years and has many sad experiences with those who did not survive despite her care. I think most babies like animals, and Sonja responds to them with pointing, laughing, clapping, and exclaiming "DAAA!" for dog, "DAAIY!" for cat, or whatever the appropriate word in her language might be. So yesterday we watched a video online that had been posted on our friend Bob's blog. It was called the "Nom Nom" song or something, and was a montage of cute animals eating stuff: bunnies, puppies, kittens, mice, a little donkey, etc., just rolling around, munching along to a silly, dancey song whose lyrics were only "nomnomnomnomnom, nomnomnom." Sonja reacted with typical joy, exclaiming and pointing. We watched it again. She screeched with delight and indicated that I should play it again. In the middle of the third play she suddenly sort of groaned and then began CRYING -- "oohoo --oohoo" -- tears just poured down her face and she collapsed into my lap! All I can figure is that she was overwhelmed with emotion for the animals. Oh boy. I reeeeeeeeally don't want a frigging dog.