Today is our nephew Charlie's birthday...He's finally hitting the big "2" and has already been labeled "Genius" by his mother. He's graduating to the big boy bed, and is already engaging in the very male habit of reading books while on the toilet. Mom and Dad are VERY proud.

When I was a kid growing up, my Mom's little brother was a zookeeper, and in the Army, and would regularly give me cool stuff. I remember getting uniform items, and various and sundry animal parts (teeth, claws, quills...). Also, my dad had a box of coins from around the globe that was fun to let run through my fingers, pretending it was pirate loot. Those times really made an impact in my memory, and since that time I've always wanted to be that uncle who travels the world and brings back neat junk. So, I'm collecting all sorts of things from the travels for later on. Unfortunately, a lot of what I've collected tends to be pointy, and not real safe for 2 year olds...I'll stick with stuffed camels for now, I guess.

Anyhow, Happy Birthday, Charlie!