Niranjana, Melissa and Andy Perdue

We're getting a lot of mileage out of a 99-cent beach ball.

Well, we're on the second beach ball, as the first one predictably bit the dust after a couple weeks of activity. Surprisingly, it imploded on something inside the house instead of on a rose bush outside.

Yes, we let Niranjana play ball inside the house. But only with specific balls and with clear rules. She's quick to point the rules out if you happen to hit a light fixture, picture, or the TV. Amazingly, nothing has broken.

Now that we're venturing outside with occasionally nice weather, Niranjana is working on her "roof ball" skills with the Little Tikes baseball. This is where you throw the ball onto the roof and try to catch it when it falls off.

So the next rule is "no playing roof ball while we're eating dinner on the patio, especially when Daddy has the Riedel wine glasses out and we're sharing a Leonetti Merlot with the neighbors."

Yeah, we're easy parents.