Must. Create. Synapses.

We've been cooped up in the house too long.

First of all, it's been a really, really cold winter, and we have had to deal with a lot of sickness, which kept us housebound even on rare days when the temperature wasn't on Arctic blast.

Secondly, it's really quite an ordeal to take two infants out of the house to do anything other than go visit family, and even that requires a lot of planning and packing.

So, while all my friends who just had babies have been running around at Mommy groups, taking their kids to parks and Zumba classes and restaurants (what are those again?) and storytime and all kinds of other fun places, honestly, we've really just been too exhausted and intimidated by the whole complicated process to go anywhere.

So, my boys stay here.

Which bums me out, because I really want them to get out and see things. I know from past journalism experience that a lot of what separates kids who do well in school from kids who don't is "exposure." From birth to age 3, the variety of things that kids are exposed to helps create little synapses in the brain that -- if they don't get those experiences -- will never, ever form.

Knowing this freaks. me. out. (This is why a little bit of knowledge is never a good thing).

So, being the anxiety-ridden first-time Mom that I am, I am overcompensating, now that I know the weather is about to start getting warm.

This Monday (President's Day), we're going to Port Discovery, a children's museum in Baltimore with a new exhibit for infants and toddlers. We purchased an annual zoo membership from Groupon or Living Social (can't remember which). I sent e-mail inquiries today to administrators at our local Y, to ask about swim classes for infants, and also to My Gym, to see about tumbling classes for them. (I thought hard about the aquarium membership, but I don't think we can afford that right now, especially since I think they'll appreciate it more when they're a tad older. Maybe 1 year old? 18months? I dunno. Do they need the "dolphin" synapse right now? Who's to say? This is way too stressful for me. Ugh!)

I realize they are only 9 months old. I realize they are perfectly happy right now to crawl around our playroom, chewing on toys, books, lint (a Cary favorite), stray thumb tacks (another Cary favorite), blankets and cable cords (Dean favorites). But I am worried about their synapses, people.

Must. Create. Synapses! Must. Create. Synapses!

I know this must sound crazy, and I will be the first to admit that I REALLY don't want to be one of those parents who over-schedules kids and makes them, her husband and herself stressed out. But, honestly, I don't know how to stop myself. Perhaps I never developed the "self-control" synapse as an infant.

I blame my parents for this. :-)