As complicated as joint custody is, it allows the delicious contradiction of having children and maintaining the intimacy of life-before-kid s.

Children are a house's enemy. They don't mean to be - they just can't help it. It's their enthusiasm, their energy, their naturally destructive tendencies.

One quarter of what you buy will turn out to be mistakes.

in the family I grew up in, being called boring was like being called an ax murderer.

if you are a stepparent, rush right out and get yourself a dog. Because it's very nice to have someone in the house that loves you.

Your basic extended family today includes your ex-husband or -wife, your ex's new mate, your new mate, possibly your new mate's ex and any new mate that your new mate's ex has acquired.

In Los Angeles, by the time you're 35, you're older than most of the buildings.