Owen (three and a half, in case you have lost track) has an important question that I am unable to answer, so I offered to ask you.

"If The Hulk was frozen in carbonite, would he be able to use his strong muscles to break out?"

(There's more, but it gets even more complicated after this one, so I've decided to stick to the basics, such as they are.)

She can read, write, add, subtract and do some basic fractions. She can swim, ride a two-wheeler, make her own lunch, carry a tune, hit a baseball, and tell a joke that is actually funny.

She's six. She's awesome. She's a first grader.

I was at Trader Joe's today, without my children, chatting with the ever-friendly cashier, and I made a comment about school starting next week. He asked me what grade I was going into. Blink. Blink. Now, my 20th high school reunion is next year and I only get carded for booze anymore out of pity or hope for a better tip, so all I can think is that they didn't have drugs that good when I was, you know, more than vaguely aware what the current illegal drug choices were.

Unrelatedly, good things to eat that are fast and cheap if not necessarily low-fat.

Leaving Home Penne Rigate, with thanks to Amanda L. for the recommendation, is yummy and easy and acceptable even to those people like my husband who think au gratin vegetables are Satan-sprung. We did it once with pecorino and I liked it but the aforementioned husband was not so into the sheepiness and once with parmesan which said husband preferred and I found a bit bland. Most any mildish-cheese would likely work, even cheddar if you are not married to a man who hates cheddar on pasta.

Tuna Pasta with Peas is what to do with the can of tuna that has been in the back of the pantry for too long. You don't actually need a recipe for this - can of tuna, box of pasta, some frozen peas (canned peas gross me out) and alfredo sauce to taste. But if you, like me, cannot prepare buttered toast without a recipe, this recipe is for you.

So, how is everybody anyway? Good summer?