OK. I'm back in the saddle. I'm still a bit overwhelmed. Thanks to everyone who have been pointing things out over the last couple of weeks -- I *will* get to them.

Let's start with the fun stuff. While most stay-at-home dads are struggling to regularly empty the Diaper Genie refills, an at-home dad named Ian Van Tuyl managed to create an entire astrological concept built around the No. 1 song at the time of your birth. (Full disclosure: Mine is apparently "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" by Elton John. I had no idea Elton John did such a version. But then again, I was busy at the time. Being born and all.)

And moving on to good news: the best part about this the Des Moines Register Op-Ed isn't the message (though I support it: please respect the at-home parents of the world), or the fact that the story makes sure to reference at-home dads. Instead, it was the byline that caught my eye: the author is a member of the "Young Adult Board" at the paper. This lends a small bit of credence to my growing thesis that Gen X families are far more conscious of the father's role in child-rearing than the Boomers. (Except you, Chip ...)