Some NYTimes articles

One on the modern Students for a Democratic Society

( My father, despite not being a student, was an SDS-er at one time. )

One on the rise of haggling

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A new study confirming what was already known

Young children don't learn new words from TV.

(And yes, that includes TV as "background noise" - what that seems to do is prevent children from fully focusing on the world around them, again, keeping them from learning to their full potential. Just because your kid is playing while the TV is on all day, as some people claim, does not mean it's harmless.)

Angelique fits into the older child role so easily.

The other day, the two youngest (Evangeline and The Boy) were squabbling over this little toy threading snake. She wanted the bead he was holding, and he wouldn't give it up unless he got the snake.

As I'm taking a deep breath and contemplating simply removing the snake from both of them (seriously, those beads get everywhere, especially as we have added the beads from another toy to the set!), Angelique comes up from nowhere, takes their hands, and goes "You can take turns! See, Evangeline, let him put this bead on, and then you can put a bead on, and then it's his turn again! And I'll stay here to help you!"

And it worked. Like a charm. I'm standing there totally flabbergasted, going "This worked? Seriously? Dude, I could have done that! I should have done that, and I would have if I'd had any idea that that sort of crazy scheme might actually work! WTF? How could it work?"

Then I snuggled with Ana and told her that her idea had made everybody happy. "I know." I love that girl, I really do. (Of course, she did learn that technique from me. It's just... when I do it? It doesn't always work like that. SO unfair.)

More articles

Split Is Forming Over Regulation of Wall Street

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Gap in Life Expectancy Widens for the Nation
It comes with a nifty graphic

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Depression, You Say? Check Those Safety Nets

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And one NOT on the economy, but on languages in Suriname
It comes with a song
And a slideshow

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Oh, and Easter is over

We had an egg dying party on Friday. Evangeline took her nap (that wasn't the original plan, but it was best), and Ana and a friend dyed well more than five dozen eggs. See, I started with five dozen (60), and then added a few from downstairs (so now we're at about 64), and then they brought over eggs (a whole dozen - I had asked them not to), so... yeah.

I pawned off several eggs on our guests as they left, leaving us with only 4 dozen. (Only!) They, in turn, passed us a box of cookies (I insisted they take the second box home - those cookies were in scary colors) and stickers. Curse them!

While the kids napped today, I ran around hiding eggs and Jenn made a list. Every one of the 47 eggs (Xiggy, who is visiting, ate one) got hidden and then found. For 20 minutes, it was *runrunrun* A EGG! A EGG! IN THE FREEZER/SHOE/SINK/TOILET PAPER ROLL! *runrunrun* up and down the house. At times, I resorted to dropping hints. (Why don't you PUT daddy's HAT in the FREEZER now? Why don't you COLOR with the CRAYONS for a second? Do you need to put your SHOES on???)

It was great fun for all. Apparently, people give their kids gifts on Easter, in big elaborate baskets? I never did that growing up, and it seems really weird to me. All we ever got were eggs, some jellybeans, a few chocolates, and, occasionally, a basket. Not a basket of toys. Just a basket. Y'know, to put our eggs in. I wonder if Easter baskets are what happened when people stopped celebrating May Day...? Anyway, I don't see the point when the kids are just as thrilled to run around and get eggs, and one of them doesn't even *like* eggs.

Now I just have to find a way to use up 46 eggs. (I ate one too.) Hardboiled. Egads. Ideas?