I still haven’t learned my lesson. Two years ago, I became entranced by the dancing, singing, web-slinging preschool version of a Spiderman doll at Costco (“For only $9.99! I love/hate you, Costco.”). For awhile I was able to block the recorded kid’s laughter, the “Sing with me!” pleas, the Itsy-Bitsy-Spider and Spiderman theme songs. Then I found myself on the brink of “losing him” (Hello, Goodwill!) or removing the batteries (“Sorry, he’s broken!”).

But I didn’t, because she loved that doll, and because I have endured much worse than the sounds coming from a one-foot-tall toy.

And now, I’ve let it happen again. After returning two of the three puppy toys Vivienne received for Christmas, Jake and I decided to get one of the toys on Lily’s list instead: Jo-Jo the Hide & Seek Bunny (“On sale! And with cute little carrot!”). The girls both screeched with joy upon opening their after-Christmas-surprise and proceeded to play with Jo-Jo for the next hour.

I thought I had successfully blocked Jo-Jo’s little counting song when I found myself singing it at work. In the middle of a meeting with my supervisor, I kept drifting off to the song, “One two three, hide away, four five six, we’re going to play, seven eight nine, I’m coming soon, now I’ll find you in the room!” Luckily, she immediately sympathized, as she had “Grandma got run over by a reindeer” stuck in her head for an entire week during the holidays.

But that counting song is…too much. What happened to blocks and dolls and stuffed animals that don’t make noises and sing “teaching” songs? Where is the screwdriver?!? I have to get those batteries out!

And then my girls’ laughter and huge smiles make me pause. Is their happiness worth a little insanity? For now, I vote yes. Sometimes, a little insanity is what parenting is all about.