It's the month where romantic love is the star and people are basking in it, passionately seeking it or mourning that it seems to be everywhere but in their heart.

As this column appears on KPBS' web site I am just days home from my traditional family Christmas that literally takes place at Grandmother's House. If you were to come to my office today you might still be able to see the shell-shocked look that follows more than a week of round-the-clock family, sugar, food, sugar, presents, sugar, late nights, sugar, fun, sugar, hair-raising temper tantrums, sugar.

Sometimes, I have to take my three-year-old to church. I say sometimes because my husband is not a churchgoer and often stays with her. But, sometimes hes out of town. Or, sometimes hes sleeping. Or, sometimes she realizes where Im going and theres no stopping her. She is a diva and at her tender age she believes church is about dressing up and she really likes to dress up.

If you follow parenting trends you may have heard about a Gen X and Y phenomenon called the

My husband was out of town this past weekend and I was home alone with my three sidekicks. I generally try to face these single parent days with a positive attitude, because the alternative is pretty bleak.

It annoys me when people reference the Terrific 2s. Its not because I dont think 2-year-olds are terrific. They are. Its thrilling to watch the world unfold before their eyes. Everything is new to them and they want to experience it all by themselves, on their terms, independently, regardless of the fact that they still need a diaper change following their afternoon nap and make it snappy sister, because theyve got things to do.

During a recent family dinner the five of us were talking when the conversation veered from what happened on the playground to our familys potential as reality TV contestants.

My mother is an excellent cook. She cooks everything from scratch roast pork with gravy, mashed potatoes, lasagna, black beans with garlic and a hint of chil, apple pie and mile-high chocolate cakes. She also does not believe a meal is complete unless it includes a protein, starch, vegetable and bread, lots of it. When I visit her home I amuse myself by going to the freezer and counting how many varieties she has. I remember once finding a dozen different bags of bread and rolls.

I cannot read an article or watch a program about autism without feeling tense. If I think too much about it sneaky tears spring at the corners of my eyes and I feel a familiar tightness in my throat.