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My Son Josh

 My son was mildly ill yesterday, so he and I stayed in to watch "The Simpsons."


This was my ideal Sunday. As an adult, I feel that "The Simpsons" is essentially a documentary about my parenting experiences. Josh and I watched not one but two spoofs of elementary-school birthday parties. In "Grade School Confidential," Martin's mom hires a "math magician," who bores the children with (incorrect) demonstrations of long division. Many seasons later, Nelson hires a professional Spider-Man, who is distressed by the party's low turnout. ("Listen, kids. I've got just ten minutes of material....Maybe I should come back later?")

Josh tends to vote with his feet. If he doesn't like a show, he leaves the room. But he did stay for the entirety of "The Simpsons." Because of a communication delay, I'm not always sure what Josh is processing (and I suspect it's quite a bit). For now, he likes to quiz me on the main characters. "Who's that?" he says, pointing to Bart. He is curious to observe if I'll stumble.

I haven't explained to Josh that what he is watching is the greatest TV writing in American history. (But I think he has made the inference.) The day ended with strawberry ice cream--which my son studied but did not eat. He just likes to hold the bowl. A strange and enjoyable day of rest.
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