Click on over to the latest Carnival of Education. Remember, if you don’t keep up, you won’t know, and if you don’t know, you can’t whine. Don’t let this stuff take you by surprise, when it’s too late to do anything about it. Keep current.

And while you’re clicking, today is my daughter’s birthday. Those of you who know which blog is hers, go wish her a Happy Birthday, would you please?

Five hours of labor and a hemorrhoid that still hasn’t quit, and what have I got to show for it?

A beautiful, talented, creative, funky, out-of-the-box daughter who likes to dye her golden hair red. A kind and compassionate and hard-working daughter who writes fanfiction and fantasy novels and goes to Renaissance Fairs in full costume. A brilliant and dependable and fun daughter who has a car with a back seat that looks like a dumpster. A fantastic, hilarious, “who cares what other people think” daughter who once went on an archaeological dig in Italy. A talented, musical, singing daughter who can give you a perfect Christine, a perfect a cappella soprano, a perfect Eponine, a perfect “any character in any musical,” a perfect Comedian Harmonist, a perfect “any anime character in any song or any show,” a perfect “any Animaniacs song ever written,” and perfect pitch.

Am I somewhat biased here? Not at all. Everybody thinks so. You would, too.

Except when she’s pissy, of course.

Happy Birthday, my little daughter. You grew up awfully fast, and you did a good job of it, too.

You’ll get a cake when I get around to it, okay?