A couple of weeks ago, A. noticed that there were a couple of interesting books on our bookshelf. These books were ones that Thomas bought when he was in high school, a series of four, entitled ''How to Draw Manga.'' A. took them off the shelf and started flipping through them. ''Is this how to draw anime?'' she asked. ''Well, it's related,'' I ...

Occasionally, I am absolutely floored by A.'s developing sense of self-awareness.A. has had a really good day today. Actually, she's had a really good week. As we climb higher and higher on this leg of the roller-coaster, I keep bracing for the inevitable dip, that point where we crest the mountain and quickly careen down the other side into the ...