For us to get out the door early would be short of a miracle. Lately we had been rushing like wild banshees in the morning, trying to get everything done in 45 minutes, and always managing to forget something in the process. So it seemed impossible that we could actually get everything done in a shorter amount of time than we already were failing at. But still, the least we could do was try....

I watched him as he took off with his friends, my little boy who likes to hold my hand occasionally when we go places was suddenly too independent to hang with me. Instead he was off, rough and tumbling with the other boys. And it's funny watching him with his friends. The whine that he saves for me is totally gone. In its place is a voice that's a little bit deeper and stronger. It's obvious that he's in charge out on the playing field, instead of letting me be the alpha dog when it's just the two of us.

You have a job, or you need a job and are having trouble finding one. Meanwhile, the PG & E is due, you are about to lose your home, food is scarce, and you have pulled every single trick out of your hat. What kind of help is available for a struggling single mother???

What of the single mother? Life happens, and it doesn’t always fit in a neat little box. Sometimes it’s just the mom. Sometimes the dad is gone before the baby is even born. And that baby is coming, no matter what the situation is. And those kids need. There is no real choice, there’s just the fight of survival. There has to be an income, and so a single mother must work. But the way daycare costs, well, it can wipe out a lot of low income salaries.

“So, are you coming back to work?” someone asked me for the umpteenth time. I was 7 months pregnant and counting down the days until maternity leave started. My back ached, my feet were swollen, I felt like one huge marshmallow. Working retail and standing for 7 hours out of the day was taking its toll on my whole body. And I was determined to work all the way to the end so I could have that much longer to stay home with the baby. I was most definitely coming back to work. Hey, the bills needed to be paid! But the closer I got to her due date, the more I was weakening in my stance.

This hit my inbox today, and it made me laugh so hard that I had to pass it on. These are answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions about moms.

I hate driving my dad’s BMW X5. I can press the key, and the seats and mirrors adjust exactly where I need them to be. Another flick of the button rolls the windows down on a hot day. It has plush heated leather seats, keeping my tushy warm on the coldest mornings. It takes turns so tight and gathers speed so fast that I can merge into traffic on a dime. I have 15 preset radio stations for FM alone, though I mostly take advantage of the CD player. The sunroof has two options: keep the sunroof window open and let the sunlight and breeze in, or leave the window closed and just let the light shine through.

Yesterday I was able to take my daughter to work with me. As a service to her, I took her through the whole routine.....

My favorite time of day is between 6 and 7 in the morning, that moment of time between waking up and getting the kids ready for school......