As the mother of three grown children, I can tell you that both this 2-year-old and his older siblings have lots more surprises in store for you and your wife.

The worst ages are 2, 12 and 21.

They go through the "terrible twos" which you've correctly described -- some to a worse degree than others -- as they're exercising their will against yours, testing the waters, and barely surviving being thrown out of a 10-story window! And if they don't undergo potty training by that time, some desperate parents secretly start checking out 20-story buildings!!

Then comes the 12-year-old stage, which can extend from 11 to 13, depending upon when the hormone rush makes its appearance. Who could have thought that 12 would be worse than two? But it can be! Prepare yourself for breasts (or not--then there will be tears), shaving (or not--haven't heard yet of chin transplants, but who knows!), acne, boyfriends/girlfriends, sulking, tears, from playing with dolls to checking out the action at the mall food court, wearing pants halfway down their derriers and pink-sprayed mohawks to the great-grandparents' 60th wedding anniversary bash, and worse....

Ah, finally you've gotten them through school and they're about to set out on their own---except that's when they really test your patience and your pocketbook. Either they won't move out but want all the freedoms of an adult, or they do---and get into your pockets repeated with promises to paying back those loans as soon as they get on their feet in their chosen career...and, of course, after they pay off their own student loans. Oh, and then that career choice changes--and with it the salary, vacation time and, most important, health insurance. So they there are the loans as they wait for benefits to kick in again....and again...and again. They don't seem to understand the concept of "security deposit" no matter how much you explain it, so they make haphazard decision with regard to living arrangements, changing abruptly if the mood hits them. Oh, yes, they need furniture, cookware, bedding. Who would have thought? That's actually a good thing because those castoffs in your basement (don't throw anything out from this day forward!) will be put to good use again---maybe--if they're the right style, properly retro, and/or after you've repaired them.

Eventually, a smart parent will rip up the "loan" list and simply wait for them to get married, and have a bouncing baby who too-quickly turns into a 2-year-old, at which time the new grandparent can smile inwardly because they know the score has been settled!

I suppose you could call it the circle of young life.........

....but she's getting "ink" via the biography that has just appeared for sale on both Barnes & Noble and Amazon's websites. Sarah: How a Hockey Mom Turned Alaska's Political Establishment Upside Down by someone named Kaylene Johnson, is already getting published reader reviews. One "reviewer" said that even though the book was written prior to Palin's selection as GOP vice presidential nominee, it's a good source for learning about her background.

Interestingly, both sites show publication dates of September, 2008--one specifies September 1st. The small, regional publisher named Epicenter (which deals with all things Alaskan) appears to have a magnificently efficient marketing department, don't you think? Not only is the book being sold so fast that it's reached "best seller" status, but it's been reviewed by 10 people the last I checked (4 on one site and 6 on the other--only one negative--and one "reviewer" gushed on about the wonderful chapter describing "partial birth" abortion and how Barack Obama supports killing babies)

Wasn't it only 3 days ago that Sarah Barracuda was mocking Barack Obama for publishing two memoirs? Isn't it interesting that someone had this book featuring her biography all ready to roll out, complete with reviews and a book tour already scheduled for its author?

Karl Rove and his minions in the McCain campaign have plans for Sarah's introduction to the masses, as do the religious right nuts who have been filling the blogs with anti-choice rhetoric these past few days, but it doesn't include any face-to-face interviews, that's for sure.