Mother Theresa had better watch her back

I recently admitted that I've become obsessed with bathroom tile. And I still am.

But I'm not obsessed with my obsession. And I know today's trip to Home Expo and Home Depot, while thrilling to the tile connoisseurs out there, might not do much for the rest of you. So I'm not going to talk about it.

So I'm going to talk about someone else's obsession for a change. Because I'm not the only one who is obsessed. My daughter is, too. With VW Beetles--known in these parts as "Slug Bugs." Or "Punch Buggies."

Now, my kids have always loved Beetles. Way back when they were a lot shorter and watched the Teletubbies, they decided that since we are a family of four, and the Teletubbies are a family of four, their father needed to buy each of us a Beetle, one in each of the four Teletubbies colors.

I objected to this on practical grounds. First of all, they don't make purple Beetles. Where would that leave Tinky Winky? Hasn't he been having a hard time with the religious right? Is it fair to slight him again? And where would we keep four Beetles? And anyway, there is no way my daughter was going to let me have the red Beetle. Even though red is my favorite color. Because it's her favorite color. So she'd get the Po Herbie. Leaving me driving the yellow one. And looking like a yellow-car-driving loser. GREAT.

(Stop me if this makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. And welcome to the world of being the parent of a three-year-old.)

Anyway, because in my limited amount of free time (take that! Anonymous) I do improving things like read the books of Jen Lancaster, I discovered the joys of playing Slug Bug! or Punch Buggy! (The name depending on how quickly my neurons are firing--for some reason Punch Buggy is easier for me to remember.)

And since we have a 45 minute drive to and from school every day, we play a LOT of Slug Bug! or Punch Buggy!

So today, after having spotted three Punch Buggies in a row, my daughter said:

"I wish everyone in the world could have a Herbie."

My goodness, what a philanthropist I spawned, I thought to myself smugly, glowing all over in the thought that I was rearing my daughter up to be so thoughtful and unselfish.

"Just think of all the people we could punch!" she added happily.