“He who has ears, let him hear.”
—Matthew 11:15

“Them’s got ears let them hear
Them’s got eyes let them see”
—Woody Guthrie

Here is the six-year-old, filming the waves of Lake Erie, like some pint-sized nature documentarian.

It was the sound of the waves that truly impressed, and he kept cursing us for talking, ruining his video. (What good were the images with our Peanuts honking adult voices over them?)

Much has been made over seeing Roma on the big screen — the filmmakers have even posted a guide to TV settings for getting the best picture. I’ve yet to hear anyone argue that you should go to the theater for the sound. I don’t see a guide to sound settings. That—the perfect ambient sound in a large theater like the Capitol in Gordon Square here in Cleveland—is what I doubt you could get at home from your TV, without expensive speakers.

Even though the lake looked majestic yesterday, giving certain Californian coasts a run for their real estate values, it was the sound we remembered and compared notes over in bed.

Found this logo on the back of an old stereo in the basement of the house I’m staying in.

I chuckled. (Seen in west Cleveland.)

On Twitter, @_lisli asked:

Any tips for handling working, small baby/child care, and still doing/making things you enjoy?

Here’s what I tweeted back, lightly edited, short and sweet:

1) Nobody does it alone. (Anyone who says they do is lying.) Get help. Scheduled time away from kids OUT OF THE HOUSE to write. Look for fellowships for young parents who are artists.

2) Train yourself to get up before the kids and work. (I’ve never understood Night Owls, but I imagine they could stay up after they’re in bed.)

3) Put this post-it somewhere:

4) Consider putting off bigger projects until you’re out of tiny ones age (keep a diary or a sketchbook)

5) Ask other parents you admire. (I’m still learning!!) Read these books for inspiration.

That’s all I know, really.

Oh, one other thing: DON’T KILL THEM.

Parenting advice from my father-in-law, never bested or improved: “You’re gonna want to throw them out the window. The important thing is that you don’t.”

I do not consider myself a “great” parent (or a writer, for that matter). I’m just an amateur who shows up. A student, learning. I stick with it. It’s all you can do.

As Michael Chabon put it in Manhood For Amateurs: “The handy thing about being a father is that the historic standard is so pitifully low.”

I’ve had this magnet on my refrigerator for years, but I love the way the sticker looks in a car window with the (West Cleveland) sky reflected…