Fascinating post! I’ve always wondered what it’s like on a set for a child. It seems like you handled it well and best of all, when your son is grown he can look back at that film and remember what a cool mom he had.

We're having a date night tonight and I'm so excited!! I feel like I haven't had an uninterrupted conversation with my husband in months. We try to make time for date nights, but it's so hard to arrange! And babysitters are so expensive. The whole time I'm counting up how much it's costing us in my head. I hope you have a date night soon!

I think we're going to have a tweet up at Homegirl Cafe. I'll keep you posted.

That's great, Elizabeth! Thank you!

Let's do it!!! Great idea!

This kills me!! Even tourist destinations don't have enough of a police presence in LA. It's so sad that your kids have to worry that they are going to get shot by simply going to the beach.

I'm not ready for this either. My 6yrold is already talking about the girl in class that he's going to marry. It's cute now, but I don't even want to think about dating or whatever it is they do these days (i sound so old!!) Digits...so funny.

I love it when my kids surprise me with an "excuse me" or a "may I please." It's so much better than "move" or "I want that." Keep up the good work. Like Sarah said, polite society depends on it!

I definitely get your relationship to your old life and Lost. I felt that way with the end of Sex and the City, the television show. I wish I could say the same for Lost, but I think I'm the only person with a television who has never seen it.

Hilarious!! I know exactly how you feel. I saw Bruce Springsteen the last time he was in LA and there were these young whipper snappers behind me talking (trying to hook up) and I shooshed them. After everyone I know made fun of me for being "that lady" who kills your buzz, I realized I am that lady and her name is old. I'm no longer the youngest person at the Bruce Springsteen concert, I'm just another middle aged woman hoping Bruce will pull her on stage (but he can't because he might break his hip).

Oh, no!

I'm hoping the same is true for us. The kids should be required to wear hats!

Thanks! That's good to know. I hope they don't charge by hair follicle.

Hilarious and true. It's interesting, there are moms who volunteer too much, I can name 10 off the top of my head, and those who don't volunteer at all. If everyone just did what they could it wouldn't fall on a small group of people to get everything done. Sadly, that will never happen.

Yes, it does suck. My once very well behaved child now says to me, "I don't have to do what you say" or "why do i have toooooooooo!!! (whine, whine, whine).

I don't know what statistic you're talking about, I couldn't find anything to support your statement about gang violence and illegal immigrants. I did find this, though, from CNN http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/04/29/arizona.immigration.crime/ This is a portion of the article: "According to FBI statistics, violent crimes reported in Arizona dropped by nearly 1,500 reported incidents between 2005 and 2008. Reported property crimes also fell, from about 287,000 reported incidents to 279,000 in the same period. These decreases are accentuated by the fact that Arizona's population grew by 600,000 between 2005 and 2008. According to the nonpartisan Immigration Policy Institute, proponents of the bill "overlook two salient points: Crime rates have already been falling in Arizona for years despite the presence of unauthorized immigrants, and a century's worth of research has demonstrated that immigrants are less likely to commit crimes or be behind bars than the native-born." " And I'm flabbergasted by your statement that marching on city hall isn't going to make change happen sooner. History shows us that demonstrating and speaking out is exactly how we make change happen! The public outcry against this law is incredible and it has resulted in lawsuits and boycotts against the state.

Thanks for mentioning the marches, Eunice. There are also rallies in Westwood and MacArthur Park.

Thanks, Florinda. Can you send me a link to your friend's post? I would love to read it.

Actually, the article you linked to isn't a NYT editorial, it's an op ed piece written by a former advisor to John Ashcroft. The New York Times calls the law "a mean spirited bill that would do little to stop illegal immigration." http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/18/opinion/18sun3.html?scp=6&sq=arizona%20and%20immigration&st=cse

Thank you for the comment! The title is probably a little over the top. But what struck me was that there was an entire primetime show dedicated to hyping the Ipad. We do our research,too, it took us nearly a year to buy our television. My husband did his research about the Ipad and concluded that he didn't really need it. But that Ipad Modern Family was so gushing I really think it made him, and many others, feel they had to have it.

I'm glad you had a good time on your weekend away. There's so much going on in our kids' lives these days it's amazing what a couple of days of taking it easy can do.

I love it! That's such an only-in-SoCal story.

Like you, I had a good experience with my catholic church growing up. It was a fun place to be and I liked our priest who was great to talk to. But a family friend was not so lucky and he, along with several other boys, was abused by a priest at his church. The priest was moved to another church and I don't know what happened to him. Something drastic has to happen in the Catholic Church to get the cover ups to stop. I know it can happen anywhere, but it happens too frequently with catholic priests.

I know what you mean. I complain about not having any time to myself, and now my inlaws have agreed to watch the kids while the husband and I go away for a weekend. But I don't want to go. It's too far (an airplane ride) and it seems too hard. I'd have to pack them, pack me, leave all kinds of instructions. Ugghh. Can't win.