he can't quite pass the Turing Test yet

This is the PERFECT way of putting it.

It's a good thing they're so cute (and their crying so annoying), otherwise babies would never get fed.

Technically, the reason they get fed isn't that they're cute but rather that the parent's body is being flooded with hormones and hunger cries are a huge trigger.

My memories of Isaac's infancy are often structured in comparison to Frances. When he first crawled versus when she did, etc.

he can't quite pass the Turing Test yet

This is the PERFECT way of putting it.

It's very apt. I've always thought as "that tricky place between when they begin to talk and when they begin to reason. They are like crazy people, filled with the irrational exuberance of chimps on ice skates."

But Raq's insight is much more succinct. With Emmett as my standard, this period lasted from 2ish to mid 4ish.

I frequently advise JZ to quit reasoning with Matilda and pursue shiny object distraction strategies.

I can remember my dad trying to reason with my then-toddler nephew when my sister's family lived with them for a while. Not quite as fruitless as when dad tried to reason with my dog when we were living there, but close.

Poor dad. Always with the unreasonable houseguests.

I frequently advise JZ to quit reasoning with Matilda and pursue shiny object distraction strategies.

Matilda told me that the moon had no arms, but it had a mouth and a nose and a face. I just went along with it.

Yeah, that sounds right.

I just love the fact that whether or not the moon had arms was apparently under contention.

Discussions with Abby still have a great deal of that sensibility or lack thereof about them. Then again, this is a child who spends the vast majority of her time talking to Jigglypuff and drawing manga-style comics.

shiny object distraction works! DH continually tries to reason with helloKittyFan. And then smoke comes out his ears.

and I get lured into thinking that it's a conversation, really I just start getting headaches after a bit of trying to follow his (total lack of) logic.

snerk. If you were a droid you would totally have understood. And obeyed.

Granted, there was one particular hKF/Mal conversation on the beach that was one terrifying set of logic strings. It went like so:

One or the other of them: We're getting married.

The other other of them: yeah.

Mal: You have to get a dress.

HKF: You have to stop playing star wars so much.

One or the other of them: Yeah.

Sparky - sounds like a plan, though my DC schedule for next week is quasi-borked. I am coming down for a meeting on Thursday, so Tuesday f2f may or may not be a good idea. I'll know more when DH gets back from the conference on Friday.

happy second day of new job Raq.

I had a parking lot carbump at summer camp drop off today. it was cosmetic, but the guy was totally trying to get me to write a $500 check right there. His new (totally new. sigh) car had a mark just below the license plate. Mine, on the side, near the wheel because i'd backed out and was turning. I did not (for all my need to say so) say "oh wow I'm so sorry" and i'm glad because he kept saying 'well it's a bit of damage - look at it'... until another parent walked up and wiped the 'damage' on his car away with his hand. My car, not so lucky, but not terrible either. not a good morning to not make coffee.

I feel like every time Dylan makes a huge leap forward in communication skills I have to learn a new language in order to understand him. The latest milestone we've crossed has been sentences, but he talks so fast and stumbles over his words that it frequently takes a good two or three minutes to say something like "I want the blue cup."

He's also big into labeling things according to color and ownership. ("That's mommy's black shoes. And that's mommy's other black shoes. And that's mommy's other black shoes. And that's mommy's black shirt. And that's mommy's other black shirt.")