I was sitting on the beach the other day when I saw a girl with her mom digging in the sand in front of me. They were giggling as they dug their purple shovels into the sand. The girl seemed to be about 5, and was full of life and joy. There was

Do you have a “healthy” resolution for 2009? For some of us, the resolve is weakening. The kid’s mac & cheese looks like Four Cheese Risotto from the best bistro in town after a few days on a diet. Stay on course with a few of our favorite online heath and fitness websites.

Is there something the matter with me? As a wife? Because here’s the thing: I don’t always like to do my “wifely duty.”

It's bedtime, and Emi's asking for a drink before she goes to sleep. But tonight her usual request is accompanied by a more ominous directive. "Mommy," she says, her face solemn, "when you come back, we have to talk."

My wife, Lael, and I had repeatedly been cautioned by our experienced friends to expect severe, relationship-altering sleep loss after the birth of our daughter. The truth was, though, that we looked forward to the challenge.

The other morning, I was digging around for something in the back of my closet when I found a framed photograph I’d stashed there in one of my fits of manic tidying.