Hugh Grant, in the movie Nine Months, finds out he's going to be a father and, suddenly, he's dragged into the world of being friends with Tom Arnold and Joan Cusack, two inveterate parents. Since having kids, I no longer go out to lunch with co-workers, opting instead to eat while I work so I can get home sooner. I've traded my backpacking budding and Land Rover compatriots for the fellow parents from the kids' schools. Instead of game nights where cutthroat rounds of Scrabble and Scattergories are fought and won, I stay home to play memory or -- heaven forbid -- Fancy Nancy.

But it's not just parents whose circle of friends shift and change when that bundle of joy comes screaming into the world. Stephanie Powell laments the loss of her last long-time non-parent friend when she finds out her friend is pregnant. "Jodi was my dependable, childless friend," she laments. "And I liked it that way."

In some small way, I wish we'd never started with the whole Santa Claus things. My kids are so deeply invested in it that I'm afraid finding out the truth is going to break their little hearts. My hope is that they'll learn gradually, like I did, and not all at once. Christmas is still magical to me, and I know that all those years experiencing the mystery and magic of Christmas is part of that feeling.

Cole Gamble, over at StrollerDerby, disagrees with me. He calls Santa Claus, along with the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny, one of the 14 lies we should stop telling our children. Others include:

• Just tell me the truth and you won't get in trouble.
• Do this or you won't get [something big you possibly can't take away anyway].
• Big kids eat their vegetables; aren't you a big kid?
• You'll make more friends if you play nice.
• Mommy and Daddy are "taking a nap."

Cole says it's also statistically impossible that your child is the prettiest/most handsome in the world, because in fact, his children already hold that title. Since we've been talking a lot about lying this week, I think Cole's timing with this hilarious list couldn't have been better.

When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade, or so the old saying goes. But what about when life gives you expensive lemons? Although that may seem like an oxymoron, kids are getting hit hard with the rising price of lemons just as their parents suffer the insanity of gas price gouging.

When I was a kid I used to both buy and sell lemonade for less than a quarter. And I made a little bit of money. These days though, kids are charging more for their lemonade, to the tune of anywhere from 50 cents to a dollar. A dollar for lemonade?? Yep. And these kids are making some money, too.

Just ask the kids interviewed for the New York Magazine article linked to above. Now, granted, they live in New York City, where things are more expensive in general. Some of them charge 25 cents and some of them charge a dollar. All of them are making a profit, one group up to $240! Why? Well, because people feel sorry for them in the current economy. Being cute doesn't hurt either. What about you? What is the most you would pay for a glass of lemonade? And, how much do you think it's appropriate for your kids to charge when they sell it? After all, most likely you're the one buying those lemons!

A road trip without tantrums or losing feeling in your arm from handing back treats and toys non-stop is nearly impossible for most moms to imagine, but life on the road sans small fry has been the reality all week for a select group of mommy bloggers.

Four members of the Silicon Valley Mom Groups living across the country from each otherr will be meeting up as they drive coast-to-coast to their final destination, the BlogHer conference in San Francisco. Corporate sponsors have donated the vehicle as well as cutting-edge technology (wireless internet IN THE CAR!) that enables the woman to keep readers of their blog updated on their adventures as well as to organize last minute meet ups with bloggers in the area they are stopping.

In addition to attracting lots of media attention, the women are also using their time in the spotlight to raise money for a worthwhile cause. Flashes of Hope is an organization that travels to hospitals to take lovely, professional portraits of children with cancer and other life threatening illnesses and their families, free of charge.

We're often inundated by stories of the dark side of the internet, but the good that can come from this medium should be noted as well. Safe travels and remember to stop and stretch, ladies!

I've never been much of a fan of reality TV. Putting ordinary people (who are always prettier or meaner or whinier than anyone person I've ever met) in weird circumstances to show what happens just isn't entertaining to me. I've got kids, I deal with weird circumstances ALL DAY LONG!

Apparently, I'm not the only one who isn't crazy about at least one reality TV show. The Washington D.C. based nonprofit group Zero to Three is upset with the new NBC television series "Baby Borrowers". The group's spokesperson told Page Six, "We're concerned about the fact that these babies are being separated from their parents and placed with strangers. On the first episode, the babies were separated for about 12 hours and were clearly in distress. Typically they will cry and cling and search for their parents, which they were doing. They should be with someone they've had the opportunity to get to know."

I'm all for educating teens on child care getting rid of the notion that parenting is one big ball of baby powdery fun, but there ARE better ways than dumping a baby off with complete strangers for a television show. Working at a childcare center, volunteering at a church nursery or preschool, or even babysitting are all good ways to get a small idea of what life as a parent is like.

There is no way I'd ever, ever, ever have agreed to let my babies be on a television show like this, even with a nanny stationed nearby in case she's needed. What exactly is going on with our society that makes babies fair game for a reality series, anyway?

One of the best things about Halloween is the assortment of candy bars the little goblins bring home. I consider it repayment for my costuming efforts as there is always WAY too many for tender tummies to handle, so I help reduce the inventory levels of chocolate covered goodness from the communal treat bowl. ( And, you know, to save the little scamps from cavities. I eat because I love!)

Because of this yearly crash course in chocolatery, I fancied myself somewhat of an expert on the various candy bar brands available until I took this quiz asking you to identify cross-sectioned chocolate bars. Even with multiple choice answers available, I scored a dismal 14 out of 20 which shocked me. Obviously, I need to do more research treat myself a little more often than just Halloween and build up a better understanding of chocolate and caramel and nougat!

Test your candy bar knowledge against your kids and see who is candy king in your house! It's trickier than you'd think!

Do you know what's for dinner? Mom and blogger Stephanie O'Dea does, and chances are she's cooking it in one of her five Crock-Pots. In January of this year, Stephanie made a New Year's resolution that she would cook at least one meal a day using a Crock-Pot. Not only has she stuck to her commitment, she's created a blog to share her experience and her recipes. A Year of CrockPotting (misspelled to catch the Google searches) details her menu hits (Original Crock-Pot Taco Soup) and misses (Overnight Quinoa and Brown Rice Pudding).

Stephanie's resolution recently caught the attention of famous kitchen diva Rachael Ray, where Stephanie got a chance to show her stuff. The show will air July 23rd, where she'll show Ray's viewers how to make Crock-Pot creme brulee. I had the opportunity to talk to Stephanie this week about her experience on the show, as well as her year of Crock-Potting and she had a lot of good stuff to share with ParentDish readers.

"Things are different today,"
I hear ev'ry mother say
Cooking fresh food for a husband's just a drag
So she buys an instant cake and she burns her frozen steak
And goes running for the shelter of a mother's little helper
And two help her on her way, get her through her busy day.

-The Rolling Stones "Mother's Little Helper"

Between the proliferation of kid activities, the increased expectation of parental involvement, and the demands of work AND home, today's mothers are being pulled in more directions than ever before. How are modern mommas getting more hours in their day? It's not a pill like the Rolling Stones sang about.

A study by The National Sleep Foundation found that 65% of mothers regularly drink caffeinated beverages to make it through their day. And we're not talking just a cup or two, Sarah Kripal, mother of two from Lincoln, Nebraska admitted, "I need about four energy drinks, three cups of coffee and a six-pack of soda every day." Lindy Smith, a mom of three says, "I usually drink two to three pots of coffee a day. I am sure this is not good for me, but how do you keep up?"

In spite of research that coffee can reduce inflammation and decrease blood sugar levels, caffeine can trigger migraines, heartburn, gastrointestinal problems and put women at an increased risk of miscarriage. And unlike the original Mother's Little Helper, liquid energy requires no prescription is readily available in various sweetened and foamy forms (vanilla lattes are my weakness!) in nearly every city in the nation, making it easy for busy moms to grab a delicious cup of jet-fuel whenever energy levels sag.

No doubt about it, caffeine is a hard habit to break and current lifestyles make it hard to imagine why we'd even try giving up the one thing that helps us squeeze more hours into a day.

If you could request one thing from your employer, what would it be? Permission to work from home? A flexible schedule? On-site childcare? All of the above?

Working mom Karen Walrond (of Chookooloonks) recently created her own list of five things she wishes companies would do to be more parent-friendly. Her requests, in general, are not only great ideas, they are also perfectly reasonable.

Much of it boils down to what Karen calls "form over function." When employers require that employees sit at their desks from 8 AM to 5 PM every day, are they really cultivating productivity? Karen says no, and I have to agree.

.

Names can be a tricky thing; expecting parents agonize over choosing just the right name for their new bundle of joy. But the name dilemma isn't over once you bring the baby home -- sure, you've named the BABY, but now the renaming of the parents begins. I don't mean the choice between being Mommy or Mama or Mamacita -- I mean the much more sensitive issue of what your children's friends, and your friends' children, will call call you.

The basic name dilemma is first name versus last -- are you Jane or Mrs. Smith to the tots in your playgroup? And then there's the more complicated last name issue -- what if your last name and your child's last name aren't the same? Are you Mrs. Child's Last Name or Mrs. Your Last Name?

And why does it matter?

New York Times etiquette expert Philip Galanes thinks it shouldn't; in response to a query about a friend who insists that children call adults Mrs. Child's Last Name, rather than using the mother's actual last name, because that's the "proper" thing to do, he says, "Next time you meet one of your friend's children - preferably with his Stepford mother in tow - insist he call you Jules, J-Bird or another nickname that's as inappropriate for a 9-year-old to use as you can bear to suggest. It may take a village to raise a child, but it takes just one sensible adult to bring down a regime that calls people by the wrong names for the sake of 'proper manners.'"

I disagree with Galanes. I think any parent who is encouraging her child to address adults in a respectful manner is doing them a favor. We constantly hear about parents who are NOT teaching good manners -- why attack the parent who is? And why encourage inappropriate behavior as a response?

What do your kids call the other grown ups? Do you ask other parents how they want to be addressed, or just go with the Mr. and Mrs. Child's Last Name shorthand?

The name "Chanel" is synonymous with elegance, simplicity, and wealth. After all, it was Coco Chanel who introduced the world to the little black dress, a wardrobe staple no woman's closet should be without. And her Chanel No. 5 has stood the test of time (aided no doubt by Marilyn Monroe's statement that it was the only thing she wore to bed) remains one of best known perfumes in the world even today, eighty-seven years after its creation.

And because anything adorned with those intertwined C's can take many years to afford (as even on Ebay, Chanel suits are out of the price range of most people) Chanel shoppers tend to be women, not teenage girls.

However, that didn't stop Chanel from choosing 18-year-old Emma Watson, the actress who plays Hermione in the Harry Potter series, to be the next face of Chanel. The dewy-faced teenager has signed a two year contract with the fashion house said to be worth $6 million, which is almost criminal considering she'll also be given Chanel clothing to wear at functions.

I'm still several decades away from being able to afford Chanel and while I understand they may be trying to appeal to a younger generation, it seems strange to have someone not even old enough to vote or drink represent the brand.

In a time when American schools seem to be failing students in so many ways, celebrating the students who finish and graduate would appear to be a good thing. After all, as parents we all know that positive reinforcement is the key to raising successful kids. So what's wrong with congratulating kids who graduate with parties and proms and awards?

Nothing really, if we're talking about college graduation, or high school. But do kids finishing eighth grade really need to graduate?

Educators are saying no.

An article in today's New York Times looks at how eighth grade graduation has gone berserk, with students partying it up in fancy dresses and limousines. Andre Cowling, principal of Harvard Elementary, one of Chicago's worst performing schools, say that eighth grade graduation is "a big business event: everyone has on a new outfit, manicures, pedicures, the hair. And then," he said, "kids go to 5, 10 parties in the neighborhood, in hotels."

But it's not just the pampering and party hopping that causes concern; it's the sense that graduating from eighth grade is somehow the end of your education. Presidential hopeful Barack Obama puts it this way: "Now hold on a second - this is just eighth grade. So, let's not go over the top. Let's not have a huge party. Let's just give them a handshake.

"You're supposed to graduate from eighth grade."

Educators blame parents for the hoopla, saying that every year the bar is raised higher, with moms and dad hiring party planners and sending out elaborate invitations for dinner cruises and other over-the-top festivities.

What say you: is finishing the eighth grade an excuse for a big blow-out or is a handshake enough?

Education has become decidedly less stuffy since schools and administrators have realized there are others ways for students to demonstrate mastery of a topic besides just writing a report on it. Kids now do things like writing a play about Benjamin Franklin, making a diorama of marsh creatures, and recreating a famous landmark out of Popsicle sticks. (ASK ME HOW I KNOW!)

So it makes sense that it might be time to give physical education class an overhaul as well. A new curriculum adopted by hundreds of elementary schools in more than a dozen states recognizes that not all kids are natural athletes or will be interested in playing team sports. (Did YOU ever play dodge ball outside gym class?)

Instead, individual, no traditional physical activities like rock climbing, skateboarding, unicycle riding, yoga, and even Dance Dance Revolution get kids up and moving without demoralizing by making them the last one picked for a team sport. My sons gym teacher introduced the kids to cup stacking, which required quick reflexes and incredible eye-hand co-ordination and the kids were crazy about it and it allowed kids who weren't the fastest or strongest a chance to shine.

"Most of my class doesn't want PE to end," said Ashleigh Parish a fifth grader who is learning to skateboard at school. I can't think of a more ringing endorsement than having kids actually ENJOYING gym class and wanting to do the activities in their free time.

There are people who run marathons (26.2 miles without even the incentive of a rabid wolf behind you!) who are pretty crazy/amazing. And then there are parents of multiples who are pretty crazy/amazing themselves. One baby was enough to bring me to my knees begging for sleep, how the world do mothers of more than one keep their sanity?!

And sometimes, those two groups collide. Jenny Masche is the mother of SIX babies: Savannah, Cole, Grant, Molli, Bailey, and Blake. After surviving months of bed-rest and cardiac arrest after the birth of the babies, Masche vowed to run a marathon by the time the babies turned one.

On May 31, less than two weeks before the sextuplets' first birthday, Jenny entered the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon in San Diego and finished the race with her husband at her side.

"There was no way I was getting out of that," Bryan Masche told Meredith Vieira on the TODAY show. "I couldn't let Jenny run the race after heart failure and sextuplets and a year later be on the sidelines cheering her on."

And the question every mother of even ONE squalling little baby wants to know: When in the world did she find the time to train for a marathon?

"They're good sleepers," the humble mom told Vieira. "As soon as I put them down at 7 o'clock at night, I'd literally throw my running shoes on and my friend and I would go and run for like two hours."

I think there's a lot more to it than having good sleepers! I had my good sleeping babies one at a time and still found it a challenge to find the time to take a shower some days!

There are some celebrity parents who seem to trot out their children for the cameras whenever their career needs a boost (Denise Richards, I'm looking at you!) and others whose babies are as familiar as our own because of the relentless stalking of the paparazzi with long lenses (like Britney Spears and the Jolie-Pitts.) And then there the are celebrity parents who are so refreshingly normal it's easy to forget they are parents at all.

Tiger Woods and his wife Elin are part of the elite category of celebrities who have managed to avoid the spotlight and to keep their adorable baby girl far from it.

Baby Sam was sighted in a rare public appearance to support her daddy at this year's U. S. Open, which he managed to win after a stressful sudden-death playoff against Rocco Mediate.

Even the controversy Tiger garnered during the tournament was brought on by showing a good work ethic. Playing in spite of a knee injury, he modeled that sometimes you have to go to work even though you don't want to or don't feel the best. And just today the golf great announced that he would have to take off the rest of the 2008 season due to another knee surgery and the recuperation it will require, making the Open win even more amazing.

Woods had credited his current golf win to his tiny daughter saying, "There's no way I could have gotten through this without Sam being there ... just watching her grow, walking, running now, it's been just the greatest thing in the world." Here's hoping that sweet little face will prove healing for him again in this next round of treatments.

%Gallery-25475%