OUR OWN LIL' TOM RIDGE

Over the past few days, my one-year-old daughter Sara has started playing this cute little game we call Homeland Security. She opens our kitchen pantry and, over the course of a half hour or so, takes out every canned item -- and only the canned items -- and stockpiles them on a toddler-sized chair in our den.

Preparedness can be so darned cute! I just don't have the heart to tell her the threat indicator's moved back to Mellow Yellow.