Stupid Zebra

There is a very simple line in my favorite movie of all time, Mr Magorium's Wonder Emporium, that sums up one of Oliver's new peculiar activities quite well. Mr. Magorium, a quirky owner of a magical toyshop played by a ruffled Dustin Hoffman, owns a zebra named Mortimer. In an opening sequence, we are introduced to Mortimer when Mr. Magorium throws a ball at him with the intention of playing fetch with his striped pet. The ball hits the zebra, who simply turns his head to look at him and does nothing, because, well, he's a zebra. "Stupid zebra," Mr. Magorium says.

Oliver's swing has two animal toys perched on the tray that goes across his lap. One of them is a zebra. I haven't payed close enough attention to the other one to remember what it is; it's the zebra that's been getting the attention these days. When Oliver needs a nap during the day, all it takes is a nuk, a blankie, and the swing set on low, and he's out. Which is why I was confused when I heard him cyring soon after I plunked him down for a nap. I turned around and found Ollie pouting, and staring angrily at something. The nuk was in, but he was whimpering. I looked at his feet; nope, nothing pinched. I found his gaze to be intent on something, so I knelt on the floor and moved my head around until I found where he was looking. It was the zebra. He was actually angry at the zebra.

Ollie's gross and fine motor skills are at this weird point of development where he loves to bat at things, but pretty much is just using his fist to thrust in the general direction of what he wants to hit. Occasionally he misses, and his hand backfires to bonk him in his face. Another attempt to make contact with what's in front of him is his tomahawk method. It's like he's at a Redskins game, making that offensive, up-and-down motion with his hand. Eventually he'll hit something. But the poor guy is too little to sit close enough to get at that zebra. Whatever vendetta he has for that little piece of plastic is not being fufilled. And it makes him mad. I mean, this kid stares at it with such intensity that you'd think he's trying to set it on fire with his eyes.

Zebras. They never let us do what we want.