Recently, my 5-year old daughter Cupcake and I were in conversation as I was putting away groceries. She looked up from her coloring book and answered me with a curt, “Umm….yeahhh!”

I realized I was falling in love with The Husband (The Boyfriend at the time!) about six months after we started dating. I had gotten ill with a nasty head cold. Romantic, right?

The Husband and I recently celebrated ten years of wedded bliss. We could not take a big long vacation, but a one night getaway was definitely in order.

In an effort to avoid potentially embarrassing moments when out in public, I have been attempting to create mouth filters for my kids. Teaching the kids to watch their words is proving more difficult than I imagined

an honestly say now that I enjoyed my time as an unmarried professional woman--my life was mine, as was my money, my time, my sleep, my food...However, I spent many of those seven years wondering if I would ever meet the right guy and live happily ever after.

The introvert in me is zapped by the constant People Time that defines my day as Mommy.

Mostly, though, I just wanted reassurance that my Bito would not be harmed from this childhood injustice of being called dumb.

Life took us in different directions and I don’t regret our path but I wonder how much a part of our lives they would have been had we remained in the same geographical area. I have no doubt that we would have continued to be close, and they would have been an integral part of my family’s life.

Like all moms I meet, I make a herculean effort to ensure my children have good manners. I am forever saying things like, "How do you ask that politely?" or asking, "Did you remember to say 'thank you'?"

It was difficult for me to recognize normal male behavior once The Husband and I got married and began living together. Nevertheless, I still refer to The Husband whenever I am flummoxed by something one of our sons has done!