A George Lucas Miracle

Some people see the Virgin Mary in a tree stump. Some people see Richard Nixon's face in a sweet potato. And this morning my kindergartner saw the Jawas' vehicle in a piece of Mrs. Wahoo's toast.

George Lucas would be proud. I guess I am too.

Words of the Week

A reminder to myself of what really matters.

"His favorite game for a long, long time will be playing with you. Be available. Even when you're tired. Even when the presentation went south. Be available."

- Harry H. Harrison Jr., "Father to Son: Life Lessons on Raising a Boy"

Silent But Dangerous

Whoever thinks silence is golden never had a 2-year-old who quietly emptied a tube of toothpaste into a plastic cup.

Words of the Week

The darling mispronunciations of childhood! -- dear me, there's no music that can touch it; and how one grieves when it wastes away and dissolves into correctness, knowing it will never visit his bereaved ear again.

- Mark Twain, "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court"

Happy Birthday Mrs. Wahoo

Thanks to my partner in this adventure/torture of parenting. You are the best.

The Rocket Shirt

Sometimes little things show how quickly the kids are growing. Today, the Moose wore the rocket shirt, which used to be his oldest brother's favorite shirt. Rob thought it was cool because it had rockets, of course, and he wanted to wear it all the time. I still think the rocket shirt belongs to him, even though he had long since passed it down to Alex. Now, the rocket shirt belongs to Matt, and it reminded me of how much both the Moose and the second-grader have grown.

Mrs. Wahoo, though, took a more practical and less sentimental perspective. "I can't believe it's made it through three kids," she said.

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss

March 2 is Dr. Seuss' birthday, and like this guy, I wanted to know everyone's favorite Dr. Seuss book. Mine is "Green Eggs and Ham," especially the part when Sam-I-Am goes underwater and the whole family reads it as if we're blowing bubbles. ("I do not like them, Sam-I-Am.")

Not everyone thinks Dr. Seuss is infallible, though. One writer pointed out his books never include girls. Does that bother anyone else?

And here's an irreverent rap celebration of the good Doctor. (NOTE: Language, NSFW.) Hat tip to Film School Rejects.

Words of the Week

A reminder of why we watch the Olympics, of what the Games are supposed to mean.

It happened again Sunday. There the athletes were, smaller and more real suddenly, snapping pictures like tourists, waving to cameras -- "Hi, Mom!" -- milling aimlessly, mashed together in the most accomplished mosh pit in history. Canadians, Americans, Russians, Finns: all the stiffness, posing, pre-competition jitters was gone, dissolved in a moment of pure fun. There's nothing else like it in sports.

- S.L. Price on SI.com