Top Five Hardest Parenting Moments...So Far

5. Realizing Parker was not typical.

I guess we've always sort of known it, but figuring out what to do about it, if anything, has been challenging at times.

4. Not really getting Miranda.

Miranda is an odd kid. She always has been. If she were my only daughter, I'd probably think the same thing. But in comparison to Elizabeth, (and it's hard not to compare, let's be honest), who is very similar to me, it's difficult to really understand Miranda and how she works. It's still a struggle for me, but I'm glad we've bonded over movies.

3. Letting Elizabeth stop gymnastics.

I kept saying I didn't care if Elizabeth did gymnastics or not, but the decision to let her stop has been so emotional, I suppose I did actually care. I don't think of myself as a stage mom or gym mom or whatever it is called, pushing their kid into things or even perhaps trying to relive my youth through her. I just find it so sad that she is so good at it and doesn't want to do it. I know she'll be good at a million things, but this is the first thing she has been good at and not wanted to do. Wonder how my mom felt when I, who wasn't even very good, quit ballet...

2. A tie! Living without sleep when girls were born and breast feeding for first few weeks.

Sleep deprivation sucks. You think you are ok, but you are not and you don't even know it at the time. Only later can you look back and realize, wow, I was a crazy person back then. Breast feeding was painful and tedious and it sucked the life out of me. I'm glad I did it, but man, did I hate it.

1. Giving birth to Parker.

That was the scariest, most painful experience of my life. As Lori and Louise know, I was not a happy camper. The joy of natural labor with the recovery of a c-section. I figure I can do anything if I did that.