Baby Play: Doggie Intelligence Test

Every day, before I tuck Carl into bed, we play a little game. It's a kind of peek-a-boo inspired by a dog intelligence test. Scott told me you can tell how smart a dog is by how quickly they can get out from under a blanket. He also told me that Buffy (his parents' old dog) couldn't pass this test.

In our version of the game, Carl lies down in his crib and I wave a blanket over his head. Then I drop it, covering his whole body. He kicks and squirms and pulls until he uncovers his eyes, at which point he always laughs hysterically. Sometimes I make it very easy, so the blanket is barely covering his face and he can easily kick it off with his legs. Other times it's harder, like when it isn't covering his legs at all and he starts by pulling it the wrong way.

We both get a big kick out of this game and we play it three times before every nap. Then the dinosaurs kiss him goodnight and I leave.

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