Above we have Brendan illustrating his new invention -- the ballerina hug. Note the gracefully raised leg and the large happy smile on his face. Yesterday, the boy wrapped his little arms around my neck, balanced that leg up in the air and told me, "This is a ballerina hug, Mom. Its a happy hug."

A certain brother of mine will appreciate the the fact that that my boy shares his childhood appreciation of ballerinas... and I appreciate the fact that that said brother grew up to be a normal guy.