Scene: Harriet�s driveway. Harriet is sitting on the front porch while AJ drives his toy car (under Flinstonian foot power) around in circles.

AJ: Red light!

Harriet: What do you do at a red light?

AJ: Stop! And when there�s a green light, you go.

Harriet: That�s right.

AJ: And when there�s a yellow light you say, �JESUS!� (Keeps one hand on his steering wheel and hits himself in the forehead with the other)

[I�ll spare you the lecture on swearing delivered while attempting to squelch screams of laughter that instead squeezed out my eyes in the form of painful tears.]

Harriet: So I don�t want to hear you say that anymore, okay?

AJ: Okay. . . . But Daddy says it!

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Children can be useful for calling your bad habits to your attention. Or other people�s bad habits, as with AJ�s current fondness for asking people, �Do my thighs look fat?�, a query surely picked up from his babysitter K. It�s a very odd thing to see your behavior appear before you in miniature. AJ is an actor attempting to make his entrance onto the stage of the world at large, a feat he accomplishes by scarily accurate scene studies and rote memorization of lines.

AJ�s attempts at mimicry are focused on the examples of adult behavior that he understands the least. I think he hopes that by repeating, he will understand. Clearly it doesn�t make sense to him that his father becomes agitated when the light changes and he is forced to stop. What possible difference does it make in our lives? Moreover, the yellow light offers the promise of the chance to see a light turn green, a moment so exciting that AJ generally starts to yell, �GO! GO!! GO!!!� Actually, that may not be excitement as much as his imitation of my own bad habit. My husband is perturbed by being forced to stop. I get aggravated when I can�t go as quickly as I would like. And AJ? He definitely likes speed, but he enjoys the journey even more. He loves to ride in the car, even without the promise of an ultimate destination. He likes watching the lights change colors.

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I spent the morning outside enjoying the cool and sunny weather and feeling supremely guilty about it. My mom and dad were asked to evacuate their home yesterday, and spent the eve of their anniversary on the interstate instead of celebrating somewhere more romantic and relaxing. Fortunately, however, all is well and they returned home this morning to find little storm damage. I can�t believe we�ll be there in a week. I�ll be doing my best to think anti-hurricane thoughts. And for those of you in Florida, we�re thinking about you too. I hope you were as lucky.

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