The Nuclear Mom is on a sabbatical to tend to the increasingly busy schedule that summer brings.

You know the ones. Whereby you would really rather just a big hole in the floor open up and swallow you triggered by something your child says.

About when my son turned two years old, we took away his binky and his bottle.

Where oh where does the sticky stuff come from?

I am a shoe girl.

We spent the evening doing “pick up night”.

Nearly a decade ago, I lost something that I once loved.

Wouldn’t Dora’s mom be labeled a bad parent for allowing her to venture so far away from home? (Apply this to Diego, Little Einsteins, and many others as well.)

There has been a lot of talk recently in the blogosphere about how we as parents are over-cautious with our kids.

When my son was about 2 1/2, one of his friends landed-head first in a phase.

This past weekend my son and I headed to Target.

Growing up it seemed like we had a bunch of crazy rules.

There was a telephone...

This is the ongoing — and sometimes heated — question with parents.

On my recent post referencing when my friend was visiting the area, I commented that there was a lot to do in the area, but only mentioned a few things.

My daughter’s second birthday was in March.

I spent last weekend entertaining my best friend from high school on her first trip to the Tri-Cities.

For all you dads out there — time to haul your kids out and pick up something for mom.

Last week, my son came home from preschool with a new obsession.

As a little girl who growing up in the 70’s, like many others out there, I was told I could do anything. Be anything in the entire world I wanted.

At least according to my kids.

Ever run across an item that you never had before, but once you have it you may never be able to live without it again?

I think one of the important things children learn growing up as siblings (aside from torture tactics) is how to work out problems with each other.

Our 10-year old dog is the best dog ever.

One of the things I wanted most when I was a little girl was a big brother.

My daughter is a yeller.

The period between January to Easter is a very difficult time for my son.

Remember when you were a kid and something would scare you? I mean really, really scare you?

So I mentioned the other day my dislike of apartments.

About 10 days ago we signed our names 57,843 times.

My husband and I always proclaim ourselves to be foodies … then little things happen that make us question our self-imposed label. The other night in one of my foodie magazines, the question was posed, "What was the best meal you ate in 2008?"

Back around the first of the year, my husband and I found a house to buy. We started house hunting at the end of the year and after seeing nearly every single house in the areas we were interested in living in, within our price range and with the required number of bedrooms, we finally happened upon one that we decided would work for us. Not only would it work, but we also fell in love with it. And it is good that it was love.

Tonight on the way home from preschool, my son told me something.

So I probably knew that my recipe posting wouldn’t really be weekly, but maybe monthly would have been more appropriate? Or every other month?

My son was being his usual charming self when I felt the need — like I usually do every 15 minutes or so when my kids are behaving well — to tell him I love him.

The other day at the grocery store my son happened upon something new to him — Raspberry Zingers.

You can’t convince me there is a single person out there who hasn’t been irritated by obnoxious drivers.

I like to refer to all those little changes in my kids as they grow up as "blips."

Me: “So you are going to ask me questions, right?”

Me: “I am going to interview you, OK?”

I have a few friends and coworkers who are expecting right now.

We were having breakfast this morning when my son decided to divulge what he got everyone for Valentine's Day.

My husband can be a bit of a politics freak.

One of my favorite blogs to read is Confessions of a Pioneer Woman.

A friend of mine who lives ALL the way across the country from us recently lamented that she is bad about reciprocating playdates.

This year for the Super Bowl we did a house swap.

My son is a little obsessed with his uncle -- my husband’s youngest brother.

Before my daughter was born nearly two years ago, we knew that a new house was in our future.

One of the nice things about getting up and going to work everyday is co-workers.

My son is at that age when birthdays are really wonderful things.