If we'd only known.

Apparently, Tobin would be just fine with us dropping him off at the local Petco during the work week instead of us spending all this money and effort on finding the perfect daycare. Saturday evening, we went out to eat and then Matt suggested that we take Tobin by the Petco in the same shopping center because it was really funny to watch Tobin's reaction to the rats at the store.

Not that I'm one to quibble about precision in language (What, do you think ALL lawyers are like that?), but Matt's statement was a bit inaccurate. First, it was the rabbits, not the rats, that really excited T. Second, um, I think that when Matt said "funny" he meant "HILARIOUS." I almost cried.

So we walk into the pet store and Matt walks Tobin up to this huge hexagonal glass cage with about six rabbits. He points them out to Tobin, who then begins squealing with laughter and pointing and RUNNING AROUND the cage while still giggling. We all stand there laughing for a while and then Matt picks him up and shows him the nearby rats, mice, and gerbils, who were also very amusing. But then T starts squirming to get out of Matt's arms and runs back over to the rabbits. And there was more of the same: running and laughing and squealing and pointing. So we stay for a while, all very entertained, and then Matt and I suggest we go see the fish and birds. Tobin is polite and sweet and giggles a little and makes his fishy face, but then again runs AWAY FROM US back to the rabbits.

And seriously, when Matt and I decided that we probably should go because we weren't planning to buy anything in the store and maybe not everyone was amused by our very adorable and entertaining son, I think that the two of us could have walked out without T even batting an eye. He wanted to stay with the rabbits. Forever. And this is the same little boy who cries sometimes when Mama has to, you know, close the bathroom door. Or who clings to my legs when we walk into any new surrounding. But the pet store . . . apparently that's where he'd be just fine hanging out without us.