Why everyone needs kids - have two, even

Boy heads over to the kitchen sink to wash his hands for his after-school snack.

"Wow!" he says, looking around. "You did all the dishes!"

"Yeah? So? Don't I always do the dishes?" I ask, somewhat confused and more than somewhat irritated. I mean, to borrow a phrase or two from him, "Hel-loooo?" and "Duh-h-h-h."

"Noooo," he answers, very sincerely. "I've never seen this sink empty."

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Girl has a Target gift card burning a whole in her pocket. We head on over.

I'm standing with her in the book aisle, staring at book jackets while she finds one she wants badly enough to spend her own (free!) money on.

One book catches my eye.

"Eh. I used to work with that woman," I said, pointing at it, while trying really, really hard to fend off the raging jealousy and brace myself against the waves of plummeting self-esteem it will take weeks to recover from.

"Mom!" she says. "Did you notice it said 'New York Times Bestseller'?"

No, actually, I hadn't. But thanks for pointing it out, hon.