My friend Dave (living in Jersey City, formerly of Michigan, Los Angeles, and Boston...I think I've mentioned him) sent me an e-mail last week. The subject line: "Do this as a new thing"

A command - not even a request.

But it's cool...I didn't take offense.

I just clicked the link and made it a New Thing.

I don't know anything about the site - 'The Rumpus'. (Maybe New Thing #83.5 will be me further exploring 'The Rumpus'.)

But I do think this link is pretty great - where the guy completes his daughter's doodles and turns them into all of the presidents. I endorse that kind of fatherly creativity.

And it also hit close to home. I think I've mentioned before how my oldest daughter has recently been very interested in the presidents. She's good at listing many of them in order, and she loves reading about them. (Remember, too, it was due to this recent obsession that she picked James Madison University to win the NCAA Tournament.)

Around Presidents' Day, she also started to draw the presidents - kind of like baseball cards, except showing pictures of the presidents. I think she planned on making a complete set - but as it stands, she's only through three.

I think it's brilliant, and seeing this post on The Rumpus inspired me to post it here: