Author Erica Jong said “show me a women who doesn’t feel guilty and I’ll show you a man”.  I would bet that every mom who reads this quote nods in affirmation of this sentiment.  Whether you’re a mom working full time, part time, or a stay-at-home-mom, one common thing you likely feel is guilt&n

That’s what I said out loud after dinner last night as I was washing the dishes. And I did so because my husband threw a wadded up napkin at me. My first inclination was to turn to my five year old, and say, “Your daddy threw a napkin at me!” I fully expected my daughter to stand up for me. She sees the world in such black and white views that I thought she would communicate to her father that throwing things is never appropriate.

Without looking up, she says, “Mommy, it’s not nice to tattle. You need to work it out with daddy yourself.”

Well, I definitely intended for my first blog to be something profound and completely light-hearted, but plans change. I've been sick for over 24 hours with a nasty bug that's totally laid me out. It was bad enough to have to call in to work, but the hubs and I had planned to keep the little buddy out of daycare yesterday, which meant the hubs had total baby duty. So, as hard as it was, I was quarantined to the bedroom while listening to my little boy and his daddy play and have fun just one room away.

As we enter a new year, I am bringing up an argument that’s decades old.  Can women have it all?

Nelly. Halfpint. Walnut Grove. Laura. Ingalls. Wilder.

All clues that I’ve been watching re-runs of Little House on the Prairie. My daughter discovered it two days ago, and I’ve been reveling in the memories and joy of reading Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books and obsessing over every episode and wondering if why that “mean old Nellie” had to be so mean and whether Almonzo would ever see Laura as anything less than a little girl.

Eight weeks ago, just in time for the holidays, my husband of forty years informed me he was filing for divorce. He said we've grown apart and he wants to "pursue his own interests without guilt." I was stunned, as were our three grown children, extended family and friends. None have ever witnessed a cross word between us.

My husband is done with school for the year, which means he has the whole month of December to spend time with us OR work. He has submitted applications to hundreds of stores for seasonal jobs but of course, no one wants to hire a master's student in Chemical and Biomedical engineering as a cashier job, that would be so uncreative and booooring! So, we met one of our very good friends at the mall tonight and we started talking.

Has anyone had the chance to catch the new NBC Fall show Up All Night? It stars Christina Applegate and Will Arnet as Raegan and Chris Brinkley, first-time parents who are hilariously navigating the world of parenthood. Maya Rudolph also stars in this comedy, playing an Oprah-like TV talk show host/Applegate's boss.

Culturally speaking, the mom has usually been the caregiver in the family, staying—or working—at home to raise the kids while the dad goes out to do his job. But there’s a growing shift in this child care model and it looks like more men are opting in to do diaper duty.

Yesterday, I was on the metro going home.  In the aisle next to me sat a couple with a baby boy in a stroller.  The mom seemed quiet and withdrawn from the baby boy.  The dad seemed much occupied in the boy’s interests: reading to him, and comforting him all the way to their destination.  I couldn’t help but wonder if the mom was withdrawn, because the dad paid so much attention to the baby.  He hardly talked to the mom, or paid her any attention.  They sat next to each other like any other two people on the metro, and not like a married couple.