Wowza, it's official: 21-year-old Phillip Phillips won a record-breaking 132 million viewer votes to take home the win on American Idol. I'm a little sore that the prize didn't go to Jessica Sanchez (a tear) but I love Phil's humble, aw-shucks attitude. 

Turns out Phil never expected to win. "I never thought I would win or anything," he admitted in an interview right after the show. "I don't know. I was just doing my thing each week." Just doing your thing? What, like this huge, nationally-televised contest that could set you up for a major recording career was just a lark? Like you were just strummin' for your kin in the back yard?

That's ... brilliant, actually. That's probably why he won.

Who doesn't love a military homecoming video? Seeing a mom or dad surprise their kids after months far away from home serving our country is enough to bring a pinprick or two to the eyes of even the biggest cynic. So how do you possibly make a video more heart wrenching?

You double it. Two parents who are serving our nation in the United States Army finagling joint leaves so they can come home together to surprise their two kids made me lose it this week. Soldiers Travis and Isela Ulman are an inspiration to all us parents who are trying to do the best we can for our kids. Just take a look:

Admit it -- you're jealous of your kids sometimes, right? They might think they have it tough when they can't fall asleep at naptime or the dipping sauce from their snack pack spills all over their backpack, but man, do they have it easy! The fact is, none of us really know how good we have it when our greatest responsibility in the world is heading to a play date or finishing our grilled cheese for dinner. Although, after seeing one little boy's "to-do" list, I might have to eat my words.

Posted on Reddit and BoingBoing.net by a guy who says his son wrote it, the kid's list of "Things to do today" is super adorable ... 

I bet you think you know where this is going. Big tabby cat with big tabby cat claws, baby chick with ... fluffy feathers ... uh-oh. This can't end well.

But it does!

I don't know if this cat is incredibly sweet, incredibly tired, or incredibly lazy, but he not only allows this tiny chirping nuisance to invade his personal space, he snuggles with it! Well, sorta.

Talk about crazy timing. A year and a half after Jillian Michaels announced she was calling it quits as a trainer on The Biggest Loser to pursue motherhood, she finally is a mom. Of twins!

Well, OK, not exactly twins in the two babies born at once who came out of the same tummy sense. I'm talking twins in the "arrived at the same time to meet our two new mommies" sense. There are two, count 'em, two adorable kiddos at chez Michaels now. The fates were certainly smiling on her this month! So how did it go down?

Be honest: Whenever you think of Queen Elizabeth, you don't think of a warm and fuzzy ol' granny. That woman is a monarch. She means business. But, you know, to Prince William, she is HRH Grandma. And having a grandmother with that much power has its perks! Especially when it comes to a wedding, which -- even when it's not a royal one -- can get so out of hand super fast.

In a new ITV1 documentary about Queen Elizabeth that airs next month, Wills opens up about how when he first started planning his wedding to Kate Middleton, he was handed the original royal wedding guest list (by whom is not clear) with 777 names on it ... and apparently, "not one person I knew or Catherine knew." How horrific! And we thought the royal wedding was all fun and games. Ha!

So how did Wills cope?

You know those stories about people doing something out of the kindness of their hearts simply because they want to try and brighten a person's day? Yeah -- this is definitely one of them. Tara Dragon Hernandez is an elementary school vice principal who had to take a leave of absence this year when her baby boy was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a devastating form of brain cancer.

Tara came back to the school yesterday with her 10-month-old son, Grayson, for what she thought was an end-of-the-year assembly. But she was completely taken by surprise and broke down in tears when the group of 800 students and teachers at the school started a flash mob in her honor to the tune of Bruno Mars' "Count on Me."

As someone whose teeth start to chatter when the temperature dips below 55 degrees, there is absolutely nothing appealing to me about the Antarctic. Or I should say, there WAS absolutely nothing appealing to me about the Antarctic. Before I saw this video and saw this adorable fuzzy penguin guy meeting a human being for the first time ever! Clearly making a wee penguin buddy in the Antarctic is super easy: Just get down on the ground and avoid making any loud noises or sudden movements and before you know it ... ta-da! Teeny penguin love!