94 Seconds

When we first found a crib bedding set that we agreed on, we were a bit wary of how expensive it was. Yes, all we had to do was pull the trigger on the Babies R Us scanner and it would be placed on our wish list so that others might buy it for us...but would there be some generous soul who would spring for the $170 bed set?

As it turns out, we didn't need to worry. On a random registry clean-up trip to Babies R Us, we found our crib bedding to be on sale. Wait, not on sale, clearance. As in, 75% off. I sent Michael to ask a sales associate if this was for real, because I just couldn't believe our luck. It was real. So real, in fact, that this meant we could afford the whole package: the crib bedding, the rug, the storage boxes, both canvas hangings, a large rug, and a mobile. As we checked out, I was filled with euphoria celebrating the biggest bargain I had ever uncovered. We saved over $300.

It all went together so nicely, and Oliver adores the mobile:


But one thing about this designer collection has left us baffled. That mobile plays music, but only if you wind it up. Wind-up? Really? Why, in this society where everything runs on a remote or wireless, do we still resort to things that only work when you wind it up? I'm not complaining about the manual labor and fine motor dexterity required of turning a little crank, but I am complaining about the running time. 90 seconds is hardly enough time for me to get in a shower. I'm good, but not that good. We can often be found putting entertained Ollie in his crib, turning the crank until there are no clicks left, and bolting out of the room to finish whatever we need to finish. Because it's a mere few seconds after those 90 until we see this:
If anybody can think of a useful task that can be completed in 94 seconds, let me know.