A – Adult: A person who has stopped growing at both ends and is now growing in the middle.

B – BATHROOM: A room used by the entire family, believed by all except Mom to be self-cleaning.

C – COMMITTEE: A body that keeps minutes and wastes hours.

D – DATE: Infrequent outings with Dad where Mom can enjoy worrying about the kids in a different setting.

E – EMPTY NEST: See WISHFUL THINKING.

F – FABLE: A story told by a teenager arriving home after curfew.

G – GUM: Adhesive for the hair.

H – HINDSIGHT: What Mom experiences from changing too many diapers.

I – INFLATION: Cutting money in half without damaging the paper.

J – JUNK: Dads stuff.

K – KISS: Moms medicine.

L – LEMONADE STAND: Complicated business venture where Mom buys powdered mix, sugar, lemons, and paper cups, and sets up a table, chairs, pitchers and ice for kids who sit there for three to six minutes and next a profit of 15 cents.

M – MAYBE: No.

N – Nail Polish: part of an assortment of make-up items such as lipstick, eyeliner, blush etc. which ironically make Mom look better while making her young daughter look like a tramp.

O – OVERSTUFFED RECLINER: Moms nickname for Dad.

P – PANIC: What a mother goes through when the darn wind-up swing stops.

Q – QUIET: A state of household serenity which occurs before the birth of the first child and occurs again after the last child has left for college.

R – REFRIGERATOR: Combination art gallery and air-conditioner for the kitchen.

S – SPOILED ROTTEN: What the kids become after as little as 15 minutes with Grandma.

T – TOWELS: See FLOOR COVERINGS.

U – UNDERWEAR: An article of clothing, the cleanliness of which ensures the wearer will never have an accident.

V – VACATION: Where you take the family to get away from it all, only to find it there, too.

W – WALLS: Complete set of drawing paper for kids that comes with every room.

X – XOXOXOXOXO: Mom salutation guaranteed to make the already embarrassing note in a kids lunch box even more mortifying.

Y – YIPPEE!: What mothers shout the first day of school.

Z – ZUCCHINI: Vegetable which can be baked, boiled, fried or steamed before kids refuse to eat it.