Brisk Fashions

Finally, cool temperatures have arrived. Hat weather - swimsuit season for balding.

But this is my first hat season with a beard. The overall effect is imposing - I am telling people I have converted to Amish.

Crative Discipline

My wife was talking on the phone with her sister, who has a dog (but no children). During the phone call the dog mis-behaved and my sister-in-law ordered, "Bad dog. Get in your crate!"

My wife laughed at this and when she told me about it I mused about getting a crate for our children when they misbehave (which is frequent). Child abuse issues aside, my wife doesn't think it would work. We'd order one of our children into the crate and the other child would start screaming, "No, that's my crate. It's not fair she/he always gets to go in the crate and I never do."

Hard Bargaining

"Daddy," my son pleads, "Mommy says I don't need to change my underwear when I showered last night."

"You didn't shower last night."

"Yes I did!"

"No you didn't. You showered the night before. Change. Your. Underwear. Now."

"But Daddy, I don't..."

"If you don't change your underwear right now I won't tell you who won the World Series game last night."