One giant LEAP for ...

Happy Leap Day! This is the first Leap Year Carter is old enough to grasp that we have an extra day and why. I mean, if his teachers give him a good explanation today, that is.

Daddy and Mommy gave him the simplified version this morning: It takes 365 1/4 days to rotate around the sun each year. So every 4th year, we throw in an extra day to even it out and keep Daylight Savings Time on track, etc.

Then Carter responds with something like: "Did you know the Earth's rotation slows down 10 seconds every decade?" Clearly, the future scientist is more entrenched in Solar System facts than Mom and Dad.

I suspect in general Leap Day is far more interesting to scientists (and wanna-bes like Carter) and those who actually have a birthday or anniversary of sorts on that day. On the way to work, hubby says, "Twenty years ago today I started working at the newspaper." So technically, he only had 3 work anniversaries while employed there 15 years. That would explain why he got so few raises.

Although it seems like just another day, wouldn't it be great if we could stop time, have no requirements to work or go to school, and say: "Here's an extra day for you. Do what you want!"

Wouldn't that be cool? 24 extra hours to scrapbook or golf or play Madden '08 with Carter (just kidding on that one -- I wouldn't know the first thing about operating PS2). If we could pick (and I don't mean to be selfish), I would rather have that extra day in the summer naturally, since I'd rather curse over a missed putt than trudge through the woods on snowshoes.

What would you do with a Leap Day like that?

Space case

Maybe it's a boy thing, but Carter has this keen interest in science and outer space. In his room (on a good day), you will find a microscope, lab kit, telescope and a model of the solar system -- which he'll be the first to point out is inaccurate because Pluto is no longer a planet!

This week's theme at Kidz Camp is Outer Space. This is a conversation between our friend Tamara and Carter:

Tamara: How's Kidz Camp going?
Carter: Great!
Tamara: So what's the theme this week?
Carter: Outer Space.
Tamara: That's cool! So is it more fun than American Idol was last week?
Carter: Yes because I know a lot more about space than I do about singing.

Who's kid is this?