This kid is going to have the most amazing memories

I don't remember what it was like to be 19 months old. I don't know anyone who has memories that go that far back.

But if I did, I would certainly hope I had as good a time as my grandson Lexington Kastner seems to be having. He won't be 2 until November, but every time I see him, he seems to be having a blast.

Two things he seems to enjoy a lot are pushing a broom around and using a toilet plunger, so he might be planning for a future as the world's greatest janitor.

Of course, when I was just a little older than he was, I dreamed of a career as Tuesday Weld's towel boy.

Before he was a year old, Lex had circumnavigated the globe. I was 17 before I flew anywhere and 26 before I made it out of North America.

I was in 11th grade before I tried to learn a language other than English that was spoken somewhere in the world. Lex is being raised bilingually, learning French and English.

He's lucky that he has such a good big sister. Madison, formerly the Amazing Baby, will be 5 in September and she seems really to enjoy hanging out with Lex and teaching him things.

The two of them are going to lead lives far more interesting than the average American kid. Madison was born in Beijing and has already lived in Indonesia and Jamaica. Lex was born in Seattle and has already lived in Indonesia and Jamaica.

More Americans than not never travel outside the United States. Neither of my two closest friends have ever been outside North America, and there are very few people who ever travel as widely as my parents did when my dad was still alive.

My grandchildren will have a much better perspective on the world than most Americans. When people make ridiculous statements like even the poor in America living better than the middle class in Europe or anywhere else, they won't fall for it.

I don't know what the world will be like when Madison and Lexington grow to adulthood. Unless I lead a very long life, I probably won't be around to see it. I'll probably never meet their spouses or their children.

So I'll just enjoy them while I can.

***

Republicans may be outraged about Benghazi, but an awful lot of them -- including the governor of Texas -- don't even know where it is.

Money seems to be disappearing. Some companies now are only paying their employees with debit cards.

It's hard for me to believe that Americans would elect yet another Bush president, but the sad part is that Jeb might actually be the best one in the family.

America isn't the only place with exceptionalism. Check out what The Onion has to say about another one.

And once again, arrivederci till tomorrow.