Methods

A2 has a little fine motor trouble. He would LOVE to eat those Cheerios on his high chair tray, and picking them up is easy enough. But somehow, they seem to get lost on the way to his mouth.

Sometimes, you forget you already picked some up, so you open your hand to pick up others and they all fall out. Sometimes, you remember, but turning your hand at just the right angle while opening it and pushing Cheerios into your mouth all at the same time is just too difficult. Consequently, most of your Cheerios end up on the floor. This is much easier, and a lot of fun too. You just pick up a handful, move the hand out over the edge of the tray, open it, and watch Cheerios go bouncing all over the floor. Then you look at Mommy's face, because it is always interesting after this action.
However, there is a way. If you pick up a handful of Cheerios, but don't try to push them into your mouth, but instead suck on your fist for about 2 minutes, it becomes quite simple. When your fist is dripping on the outside and slippery on the inside, all you have to do is squeeze it a little tighter in just the right place, and POP!!! A Cheerio will appear stuck to the outside edge of your index finger wedged against your thumb. Then all you have to do is lick it off. This is a little time-consuming, but if you're hungry enough, it's definitely worth it.
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A friend gave me this thing. I don't know exactly what it's called. The website said something about Moby Dick, so maybe Herman Melville invented it, I don't know. If he did, it's about the only good thing he ever invented. Anyway, it's a long piece of fabric that you intricately weave yourself into. When you're done with yourself, if you want some more entertainment, you can add a child to the mix. Once the three of you (mommy, fabric, child) are all tangled up together in just the right way, you can go for a walk without holding on to Baby. It's a wonderful thing. And Baby really likes being all tangled up with Mommy. In fact, it's a problem when Mommy wants to disentagle (after all 30+ lbs. is no fun to carry around no matter how you carry it).
It holds twins, too. I wish I'd known. Life would have been so much easier.
I now understand a little better about the wierd women who do everything the natural way. You know, the kind who don't buy any baby stuff when they're pregnant except maybe a few basic clothing items and a car seat. (I think they'd do without the car seat too if they could get away with it.) Breastfeeding is mandatory, not optional. So is co-sleeping. And instead of having baby entertainers (swings, bouncers, Exersaucers, etc.) or toys, they just carry baby around with them all day like an extra apendage to their bodies. And they do this for 4 years. At the end of which time, their spine is hopelessly out of alignment. Anyway, after consorting with Moby Dick, I think I understand these people a little better. I might (might) be able to comprehend raising a baby with no swing, bouncer, or Exersaucer. And a stroller is definitely optional. However, I'm not quite ready for this.
Anyway, thanks, S, for the extra-wonderful gift of a happy baby combined with free hands.