So although I did my best with Luke, he just informed me that he intends to be a video game designer/tv show writer when he grows up. In the above video, taken when Luke was maybe two, I see now that instead of inspiring him, I was torturing the child with the profession I'd prefer he choose.
Some mothers might think twice. But not I. No, instead I got pregnant twice. Sylvie is the perfect opportunity to try again.
See how I'm already making better progress. She doesn't mind the hat at all. (Please ignore the hideous wallpaper in the background. I haven't torn it down yet as I'm holding out for a full kitchen reno. The ugly wallpaper in the video is now gone, gone, gone.)
Plus, although this might sound sexist, nowadays it seems as if doctoring (as the old folks around here call it) is a profession often better suited to women anyway, especially if bedside manner matters to you. All of our doctors (our family doctor, Luke's pediatrician, his gastroenterologist, all the fertility specialists we saw, and the ob-gyns who delivered both children) are women. Our family doctor is a plump, white-haired woman in her sixties. When Luke was just starting to talk, every time he saw a grandmotherly-looking woman he said, "Look, a doct-ah!" Which I just loved. (Do you remember that old riddle about the boy who was injured in a car accident with his father, who was also severely injured? The surgeon enters the operating room and exclaims, "I can't operate on this boy! He's my son!" and you're supposed to figure out how that's possible. We were told that one in grade three -- and I remember being stumped.)
(Note: In a later post I shall discuss my strange penchant for photographing my children with hats, wigs, and a variety of household objects on their heads. For now I will say only this: I blame my mother.)
Happily, Sylvie is still too little to tell me what she wants for Christmas. Therefore this year I have free rein to purchase mainly medical-themed toys for my potential neurosurgeon:
A giant plush neuron is actually something she could cuddle up with now. The red blood cell also looks kind of cuddly. I'll probably get Luke the giant dust mite --he's put stuffed animals on his list against the recommendation of his allergist. (Two others that interest me personally are the bookworm and the swine flu.) Sylvie will also be able to wear these tiny scrubs right away. And this plastic doctor set
Perhaps I should use this brain gelatin mold
I like these 3-D anatomical puzzles so much I'd happily display them in my living room: this human muscle and skeleton model
I already have the art version of this book and it is full of fun, age-appropriate activities: Science Play!: Beginning Discoveries for 2-To 6-Year-Olds.
And last but not least, Operation
Update! Sara O'Leary has pointed me to this treasure: the Playmobil operating room
So what if it's not intended for children under three. The way Sylvie wears that shower cap -- clearly, she's very advanced.
. If you have a small child, this is a book you should either run right out and buy -- or avoid at all costs. It depends. Steig based the book on a game he used to play with his daughter. 
