Just once I wish my mom would complain.

I know I should be careful what I wish for, but I'd really like my mother be a little more vocal... >>MORE

Politicians are talking about change. It is a concept that causes considerable anxiety for children with autism. The only change my kids enjoy is the kind they put in their piggy banks.... >>MORE

My youngest son, Chad, recently got married, and although he's been out of the house for a few years, his nuptials signaled my... >>MORE

What could we live without?

I had that conversation with my husband and son after watching an online news video titled, "Foreclosure Alley," on California Public Television's "SoCal Connected" program. The video featured Inland Empire in Riverside County, Calif., which... >>MORE

It's been 31 years since my freshman year of college. Long enough to dim the traumatic memory of flunking my first biology exam. My dad was a public school science teacher, so we're talkin' real abomination. But despite that ignoble feat, this September... >>MORE

I realize being 43 years older than my youngest child leaves me open to comments, but I was genuinely surprised when the emergency... >>MORE

Last in a series on learning disabilities.

Once you're armed with information, how you use it is up to you.... >>MORE

Third in a series on learning disabilities.

While browbeating myself won't cure my son's learning disorder, I... >>MORE

Second in a series on learning disabilities.

I was at wits' end. Yet another letter sat before me, warning that my... >>MORE

First in a series on learning disabilities.

If I'm a better mother, he'll be a better student.

I'd been... >>MORE

I was back to school shopping with my son recently, and it dawned on me that he would be starting the second grade. I can't believe how time has flown by.... >>MORE

"You've really put on some muscle, young man. We'll have to beat the girls off with a stick when you start high school this month."... >>MORE

On April 11, 2007, following a week of media uproar, CBS fired Don Imus from his radio program after the radio host called members of... >>MORE

Before I was a mother, I'd watch investigative news programs on TV that featured hidden cameras.  One episode that always stuck in my mind was the one in which they put children in sticky situations to see what they would do. For instance, a child about 5 years old was placed on a... >>MORE

I stood there, waiting for the door to open. I knew what I wanted, and I knew where to find them. A pair of shorts, Old Navy.

I was early. The store... >>MORE

I've been consumed by thoughts of 9-year-old Kevin Wills, the blond-haired, blue-eyed boy with autism who accidentally drowned last week in the Raccoon River. Families across Iowa were shaken by this tragedy, especially those who have a child with an... >>MORE

In my last column, I talked about being adopted as an infant and my search for my biological family.

A couple of weeks ago I finally met my biological... >>MORE

I fancy myself a creative gift giver. But today I'm finding myself stumped.

See, my husband's birthday is in two days, (he'll be 39 —... >>MORE

I was adopted as an infant, and my adoptive parents were always upfront about it.  Growing up, I never felt like the... >>MORE

A few years back when sharp-tongued comedian Chris Rock became a father, he joked that his chief responsibility as the father of a... >>MORE

I  will never be mother of the year. And what a load off because frankly, it sounds exhausting.

Yet today's moms run... >>MORE

When your household grows by two young adults, with all of their clothes, shoes, bathroom gear and books, there is a sudden upheaval in... >>MORE

I have to admit that I have always considered myself a bit of a "girly" girl. I like to wear pink, I like shopping and clean fingernails, and am not a big fan of bugs. I lived my life very 'girly' until my son came along. I'm learning to adapt to the boyish side of life... >>MORE

Listen up, kids. This is your mother, speaking.

That big day is tomorrow and I've got a hint or two as to what I'd like... >>MORE

I'm in love.

And it's about as rational as Tom Cruise's sofa-jumping love celebration on "Oprah."

But I... >>MORE

Roughly 10 years ago I discovered what it means when a sheriff's car pulls directly behind your moving van and follows at close range for a mile or two. They're radioing your license tag in at headquarters to search for prior convictions of driving under the influence. Let me... >>MORE

I asked my twin sons what they wanted for their upcoming birthdays. Isaac didn't respond. He's functionally non-verbal and wasn't interested in using his communication device to answer. Noah thought for a moment and said, "I don't need a new atlas. How about shirts? Then... >>MORE

"Would it be a problem for both of you to leave home for three months?"

That was the question posed to us by Rochester,... >>MORE

Life can unfold so differently from the original plan.

All through high school and part of college I'd planned to study music... >>MORE

I vowed when my son was born that I'd always be honest with him.

I've always tried to prepare him for different things.... >>MORE

I've always been frugal and technologically challenged. It's painful to spend money on equipment I can barely operate. In my world, a "server" is the person who brings an enchilada to my table and needs a tip, and "BlackBerry" is the jam I eat on my toast each... >>MORE

I don't like to brag, but I've changed approximately 52,750 diapers in my lifetime. And the first 38,325 were cloth, not disposable. (This does not include the five or six that my husband took care of, but since he fixes the computers, maintains the vehicles and continues... >>MORE

It was a morning I dreaded for months.

Late last year my son's pediatrician recommended we visit an ear, nose and throat... >>MORE

Why has winter lasted six months this year? Being trapped inside with the kids while the snow is thigh high is not my idea of fun. ... >>MORE

I've always been a bit of a Nervous Nelly. It's why my feet stay firmly planted on the ground at amusement parks. You just never... >>MORE

I'm ready for Super Bowl Sunday. More ready than I've ever been before, and not because I'm a huge football fan or got a... >>MORE

We sent the fourth child off to college this past August. Only six left at home.

And while some might think "only six... >>MORE

On Christmas Eve, a new baby arrived at our house. He's a beautiful baby boy with golden hair and brown eyes.

Rudy, a scrappy... >>MORE

They say people can change. I did so, literally overnight. I was once a collected, stable-minded, laid back person. Then I became a... >>MORE

When my extended family gathers on Sunday to celebrate Christmas, we'll begin a new tradition.

Using an idea I swiped from... >>MORE

When my family and I moved six years ago, my son Daniel was 2 years old. I claimed the small extra bedroom next to his for my office. My... >>MORE

"Hey, where's that Christmas list you have going?" my husband says one recent morning.

I panic... >>MORE

My baby is a lover, not a biter.

He gives the best hugs, and will dole them out to just about anyone. Leaving daycare in the... >>MORE

The minivan was born when I was a kid. It was the hip solution to the dreaded station wagon "grocery getter" and gas-guzzling... >>MORE

I know he's out there. My little Rudy. I just haven't found him yet.

Rudy is the puppy we plan to get. We don't know... >>MORE

Although my son looks nothing like me, and is in fact, of a different race than my husband and I, I forget every single day that he did not grow in the area under my heart, but in it. I love that I forget. Since the day I laid eyes on his incredibly beautiful little 4-month-old face, I... >>MORE

Assigning more than two boys to one bedroom might sound like a recipe for disaster, but in our old farmhouse it has worked out fairly well. Certainly there were instances of, "Mommy, he got into my stuff  again!" But the situation proved valuable for bonding, conflict... >>MORE

Dear Diary,

I got braces on my teeth on Monday. I hope they don't look too dumb. The orthodontist says I have to wear them for... >>MORE

Does it count that you are an Empty Nester if the day before your youngest leaves for college you buy a new puppy?

It's a... >>MORE

Are people born good or bad?

It's something I've been thinking about since my cell phone was stolen last week and used by... >>MORE

I've never engaged in style wars with my children. As long as the two of them were presentable, clean and modestly attired, I... >>MORE

Can one be too organized? It's a question weighing on me since my brother recently diagnosed and labeled me a Type A... >>MORE

"Welcome home" banners and displays lined the highways and streets of eastern Iowa late last month as the 640 returning soldiers of the Iowa Army National Guard 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry were feted at an overflow crowd of 8,000-plus at our local minor league baseball... >>MORE

A new school year is right around the corner.

Usually, I don't pay much attention to the start of a new school year. I have... >>MORE

"Why were all my stuffed animals in the garbage?" my son asked accusingly.

"Some of them were torn, and I... >>MORE

Time. It's the one commodity I wish I had more of.

I'm tired of not having enough time to split between my family and my... >>MORE

I had no idea I would strike such a nerve. My own, I mean.

The last time we met, I told you about my experience as the only woman... >>MORE

In my last column, I talked about a recent vacation with our young children. I was so relieved everything had gone right, I couldn't... >>MORE

"May I see your ID, please?"

The two colleagues I had accompanied to happy hour graciously pulled out their driver's... >>MORE

Wow! I write a column about the shootings at Virginia Tech and hold my breath, waiting to hear from either gun control people or mental... >>MORE

My husband and I are fairly new at this whole parenting thing with only four years under our belt. When it comes to planning a vacation... >>MORE

Every summer when school lets out the calls begin. Without a school cafeteria to serve him up quick, nutritious lunches, my 13-year-old... >>MORE

How busy is too busy?

I have two school-aged kids this summer, if you count the "going-into" grade. One will be a second... >>MORE

On the way to daycare recently my sons and I drove past the Planned Parenthood. We drive by the location every morning, but that day was... >>MORE

On a recent sunny day, my son and I were cruising along Highway 2, when he shouted something along the order of "what's... >>MORE

This is a reminder to all those parents of toddlers out there. Your toddler can get into mischief in an instant. Make sure you... >>MORE

I cried because I had no shoes. Then I met a man who had no feet.

The unknown author of this wise proverb is speaking directly to me. And... >>MORE

Do you know if you're having a boy or a girl?

With each of my three pregnancies, this has been one of the first questions people ask,... >>MORE

I wrote a letter today unlike anything I had ever written before.

I was using a very specific template. The letter had to contain... >>MORE

Spring is here, and it's that time of year when everything is new and fresh: green grass, budding flowers, rain instead of snow, the... >>MORE

Over the last three weeks, I've received press releases from companies all over the globe hoping to get a little free press for their "perfect" Mother's Day gifts.

As I sifted through the descriptions of trinkets, baubles, bouquets and gadgets, I wondered what moms really... >>MORE

My oldest son now has a license to drive --- a bicycle.

My husband and I gave him his first bicycle for his birthday last month. It has all the basic parts for a 4-year-old beginner: training wheels, pedal brakes and Spider-Man decals. For safety's sake, we also gave him a bike helmet,... >>MORE

So much to do, so many choices, so little time.

My firstborn will graduate from high school next month, and I've got to nail down... >>MORE

In the last few weeks, I've heard from a few parents who are struggling to keep their sanity and maintain order in their household. It seems the kids have taken the reins of control, and the parents are playing catch-up. One of the toughest areas to conquer, it seems, is bedtime with a... >>MORE

Two months until summer vacation.Time to figure out what to do with the kids while we work and the kids vacate for a few months.A friend gave me some motherly advice: This is going to be one of your hardest summers.Thanks, I needed to hear that.Last summer was hard enough -- the "I'm... >>MORE

Any public relations professional worth his salt ought to have a few continuing education credits in the art of apology under his belt. They'll be needed in ample amounts to advise the big-mouth blowhards who keep crawling out of the woodwork seeking the public's forgiveness for acting... >>MORE

I like to try new recipes. I am always on the look out for something nutritious (preferably in a sneaky way), flavorful enough for the... >>MORE

I am a big believer in the idea of lists.  Forgetfulness runs in my family so I have become quite proficient at creating lists.  As a result, I have so many lists that I need a list to... >>MORE

Baby tigers and silly chimps. What kid wouldn't love them?

A kid whose life and thumbs revolve around a video game... >>MORE

We never made a huge deal out of falls so our children wouldn't come running, sobbing with every small scratch and invisible... >>MORE

My youngest son is going through a daddy phase. If his daddy is in the room, he wants to be near him. As soon as his dad leaves the room, he starts to cry.

And, boy, does my 1-year-old know how to turn on the waterworks. His face gets all red, tears rain down his cheeks, his lips tremble,... >>MORE

Editor's note: Second of two parts on setting limits and saying "no"

"It was $6 for a tiny bowl of... >>MORE

It wasn't Barry Manilow.

Or John Denver.

At the risk of sounding totally nerdy, those were the "rock" concerts I went... >>MORE

It is chilly to say the least.

So why are our children ditching their coats? No, I am not talking about the teenagers who think they know... >>MORE

Editor's note: First of two parts on setting limits... >>MORE

In the midst of all this snow and other wintery weather, I have decided to take some time and "smell the roses." Too many... >>MORE

I love Calvin & Hobbes. Recently I ran across a cartoon where Calvin wakes up, climbs out his window and goes to a pay-phone down the street. "Hello Dad! It's now three in the morning. Do you know where I am?" A parent's worst fear.

I remember a shopping trip to Lincoln... >>MORE

Brrr! This morning while my daughter lies in a warm, snuggly bed, I'm thawing out my hands.

I've just come in from pruning my... >>MORE

"Mommy, I'm scared."

"Why are you scared?"

"I don't want them to take my bones."

This... >>MORE

It was a passing fancy, but my reaction to it made all the difference.

In seventh grade my daughter went through an Avril Lavigne... >>MORE

I am always surprised when breastfeeding moms make the news.

I am forced to assume it is a very slow news day.

Back in... >>MORE

Last time, I wrote about a bad day my oldest son had at the sitter's house. I thought it only fair that I should counter that story with a good one.

My almost 4-year-old can be as much of a joy as an exasperation. He makes me smile and laugh when his blue eyes twinkle with mischief and... >>MORE

My son was around 4, and was "having a moment." He'd had numerous behavioral "moments" that day, and I had just placed him in his room for the umpteenth time.

Once again, he wandered out into the living room where I had sought sanctuary from his stubborn resistance.... >>MORE

We had an accident at our house this week.

My husband and I had just been talking about having the boys pick up some toys in the... >>MORE