Oh, what a rollercoaster ride these past few weeks have been in our household! We've been graced by the presence of the stomach flu, courtesy of my 6-year-old's school, although she seems to have skipped the whole "feeling sick" part. It was a grueling 15-day saga, with the rest of us taking turns in this delightful relay of misery. And let's not forget the sinus congestion and allergies, thanks to the weather having an identity crisis. The kids and I are now on a first-name

So, my friend is about to have a baby, and she was worried that her baby shower was going to be as empty as a deserted island. Why? Because her "village" is far away and she's a transplant in the current state she resides. As a fellow transplant, I completely understand her anxiety about not having a support group in the challenging world of motherhood. I come from a huge family. My mom had six brothers and sisters and with the exception of one, they all lived close enough to

Ah, the dawn of a new year! The end of the Christmas season hit me like a snowball to the face this time around. My mother would be appalled if she saw my tree still standing, but I tell myself those decorations are for the winter, not just Christmas. I'll get around to taking it down in a couple of weeks... definitely before Valentine's Day! The elves made a hasty exit on December 21—caught the flu and bailed on our cross-state journey to my hometown. They skipped their flu