If you’ll just teach them to. (Suddenly I’m reminded of Steve Martin’s admonition to “talk wrong” around kids.)

Yesterday I came into the living room while the kids sat on the couch watching Looney Tunes, my hair mussed severely after a drenching in the sink. It’s too long again, which greatly amplified its dramatic appearance. Not Einstein, but a worthy effort. I asked the kids if they liked my hair. Alexander looked and smiled and said, “It’s ug-ly!” Angelina, though, in her thoughtful way, smiled at its comic appearance, then grinned–a small grin, more to herself for remembering–and said, “It’s a train wreck.”

Funny what makes one most proud. My influence grows stronger.