Through snow and carpooling and book finishing and bad parenting karma we struggled to bring you this group chat. Here's our road-map of what we discussed, for your fast-forwarding convenience:

0:44 Intros and What's New With You — Nicole is chewing her toast during our podcast, not chewing her toes. An important distinction.

2:19 Keeping Caregivers Informed — When we heard about Little Peanut on the Go, an app that facilitates sharing of information with babysitters and other caregivers (including grandparents, if they're app-friendly), it got us thinking about how we communicated with our kids' sitters back in the dark ages when you had to rely on whiteboards and didn't have to worry about wifi.

14:44 Keeping Schools Informed — Speaking of the free flow of information, how come schools still send you home 100 pieces of paper at the start of the school year? Shouldn't we be able to fill out forms online? And get texts and e-mails instead of handouts? And act like our kids are going to school in the 21st century? Is there an app for that?

26:55 Interview of the Week — From caregivers and schools, we move on to communicating with doctors in a chat with author and blogger Robert Rummel-Hudson about the relationships parents of kids with special needs form with our kids' doctors and specialists. (Warning: that all goes away when they become adults, alas.)

39:15 Shameless Self-Promotion — Terri mentioned a blog post about Parenting Karma; Amanda shared a colleague's infographic on the Anatomy of an Effective Email to Your Child’s Teacher; Catherine introduced the transition of her About.com site to Verywell; and ... have you heard Nicole is writing a book? It's got her kind of preoccupied. We also thanked those who've been shamelessly promoting us with iTunes stars and reviews, especially Maos and SusieMein. Keep those kudos coming, please!

Thanks as always to Jon Morin for producing our podcast and for our fun in-and-out music. If you're reading this somewhere without hyperlinks, come to http://parentingroundabout.com for the full recap experience.

The work being done on one of Catherine's bathrooms has made a cameo appearance on a few of our podcasts, between the noise and the reflecting on Bluetooth ceiling fans. Will the rest of us be providing similar accompaniment? Listen to our home project plans and add your own in the comments here or on our Facebook page.

Middle names: we've all got 'em, but unless you're filling out a form or your mother is mad at you, they don't get used that much. We thought we'd have a chat about what our particular middle names are and whether they mean anything more than something our parents came up with just to, well, fill out a form. If your middle name has a story, share it in the comments here or on our Facebook page.

On this week's entertainment-themed podcast, Catherine and Terri wonder why people can't just dance on a dancing show, who should be cast in Catherine's latest book-club book, when Leslie Knope's council campaign will ever be over, and why we can't all age like Rob Lowe. Want to fast-forward through some of that? Here's your guide:

0:26: Dancing With the Stars — It's Iconic Dances Night, and it's pretty clear that they're using "iconic dances" with the same air quotes as "stars." 

14:52 Catherine's Book Club Report — Catherine read The Art of Crash Landing by Melissa DeCarlo and gives us a quick review.

19:56 Parks and Recreation Marathon — This week, we discussed the Season 4 episodes "Lucky," "Live Ammo," "The Debate," and "Bus Trip." Up next week: "Win, Lose, or Draw," "Ms. Knope Goes to Washington," "Soda Tax," and "How a Bill Becomes a Law." Watch along with us!

27:37 The West Wing — We're watching along with The West Wing Weekly podcast and discuss "The Crackpots and These Women" right along with them. Up next: "Mr. Willis of Ohio."

Sure, it's fashionable to diss fast food as fatty and non-nutritious, but that doesn't stop us from wanting a really gross cheeseburger from time to time. Where do you go when you've just gotta have some fries, some tacos, some 1,000-calorie salad? Find out our fast-food faves and share your own in the comments here or on our Facebook page.

Hey, look alive! This podcast is too short to be boring. But we do talk about boring things in it — specifically, the things that make us bored. Like uni-tasking. Listening to people talk. Watching other people's video games. Sitting still. If you're still awake when we're done, tell us what bores you in the comments here or on our Facebook page..

Since carpooling schedules so often interfere with our efforts to schedule podcast recording times, we thought we'd take some time today to talk about carpooling instead of doing it, and throw in some thoughts about other things we remember from our long-ago childhoods. Here's a road-map of our conversation:

01:12 Intros and What's New With You — Does the five-second rule apply to licking up delicious things you've accidentally dripped onto your electronic devices? Discuss.

02:57 Carpooling (or Unpaid Uber) — While Catherine does more carpooling than the rest of us combined, we all have traumatic stories to share about driving carpool now or riding in carpool then.

14:53 Those Were the Days — Thoughts of being squished in the backseat with kids you don't like got us remembering more pleasant things about childhood, like eating disgusting food and spending money on silly things and reading all day and generally having no responsibilities at all.

24:46 Interview of the Week — An experience with an apparently unsavory book and a determination to get kids to read no matter what inspired Catherine and Terri to use this week's segment for a little chat on whatever works. Listen to more of their conversations on pop culture on Parenting Roundabout Round 2.

35:28 Shameless Self-Promotion — Catherine has an article for you carpool fanatics on dealing with dinnertime when you're never home for dinnertime; Terri has rescued her old "Love Notes for Special Parents" messages and given them a home on her Mothers With Attitude site; Amanda suggests grabbing her book On-the-Go Fun for Kids and bringing it on your next carpool adventure; and Nicole invites you to visit her Instagram account.

Thanks as always to Jon Morin for producing our podcast and for our fun in-and-out music. If you're reading this somewhere without hyperlinks, come to http://parentingroundabout.com for the full recap experience.

Given the convenience of online correspondence, we're getting less and less interested in dealing with paper and envelopes. Is snail mail still a major part of your friend-contacting and bill-paying? And if so, can you lend us a stamp?

When teens and young adults have setbacks in getting a job or keeping a job or tolerating a job, parents need some sage advice to help them stay the course and understand that this is what it's like to be a grown-up, kid. But maybe you need something a little more meaningful than that? We share some words of work wisdom, and welcome yours in the comments here or on our Facebook page.

We've got four shows to discuss on this week's entertainment episode of Parenting Roundabout. In case you want to fast-forward over stuff you don't watch or care about, here's a road map through the episode:

0:27 Dancing With the Stars — It was Switch-Up Night on DWTS, and also "Can't anybody do their dang job?" night, as pros failed to choreograph their assigned dances, judges forgot how to hold up the correct paddle, and producers forgot that if you don't even pretend that the scores aren't predetermined, people are going to catch on.

11:54 The People v. O. J. Simpson — So we're a little late in following up on Catherine's initial review of this with a final opinion on the whole thing, but we no longer live in a pop-culture environment where time has meaning, right?

16:19 Parks and Recreation marathon — Our viewing continues with the Season 4 episodes "Operation Ann," "Dave Returns," "Sweet Sixteen," and "Campaign Shake-Up," continuing the generally campaign-centric second half of the season that Terri feels decidedly meh about. The campaigning continues in our episodes for next week, "Lucky," "Live Ammo," "The Debate," and "Bus Tour."

22:35 The West Wing — We're also watching episodes of The West Wing to keep up with the new West Wing Weekly podcast, and so we took a moment here at the end of our ep to chat about "Five Votes Down" and look enthusiastically forward to next week's "The Crackpots and These Women."

We're all lucky enough to work at home, as freelancers or remote-based workers, and that's all kinds awesome when it comes to being able to wear comfortable clothes and tend to your kids and record podcasts. But do we ever miss anything about an actual defined workplace that we could go to and come home from? Listen to our list of things we still long for a little, and share what you miss or would miss in the comments here or on our Facebook page.

It's no secret that the four of us spend way too much time hanging out on the Internet, enjoying the excellent procrastination opportunities that social media affords us. But what about our spouses? Are they similarly Internet-friendly? Or are they resolutely unplugged? We give our answers and you can too, in the comments here or on our Facebook page..

Can parents ever stop worrying? Ever, ever, ever? And should we be worrying about not having friends to worry with? And why does Catherine's bathroom fan need bluetooth? These and other questions occupy us on this week's Parenting Roundabout group chat. Here's a road map of our conversation:

0:54 Introduction and What's New With You — As you may hear from the periodic pounding in the background while we were recording, Catherine's having some work done in her house. And it turns out the reason you need bluetooth in the bathroom fan is because it has speakers in it. We live in an age of wonders.

5:44: Is There a Parenting Finish Line? — A tragic story from Terri's old hometown got us thinking about the fact that you can never stop worrying about your kids, no matter how much you want to. Is there ever a moment where your child is successfully delivered to adulthood and you can retire from parenting? We'd like to think so, but we have our doubts we'll ever break that tape.

15:53 Friends IRL — As four friends who met online and mostly interact there, we wonder whether non-virtual friendship is something people still do ... and why, since you've probably already read everything your friend has to say on Facebook.

28:24 Interview of the Week — Amanda called in sick to the podcast last week, and this week she chats with her husband, Jon, about that particular parental hell of having the entire family sick at the same time. Of course, having kids with special needs only up the degree of difficulty.

38:57 Shameless Self-Promotion — Terri shared a blog post on "Inclusion's Chris Traeger Problem"; Amanda has some parent-child behavior contracts for you; Catherine wrote about adventure parks; and Nicole is promoting an online course for people who want to say yes to inclusion and mean it.

Thanks as always to Jon Morin for producing our podcast and for our fun in-and-out music. If you're reading this somewhere without hyperlinks, come to http://parentingroundabout.com for the full recap experience.

When things aren't going well, sometimes all you need is a little chocolate to make things right. Or a pedicure. Or maybe a latte? We share our go-to feel-better strategies on today's Speed Round. (And if you didn't get the Tom Haverford reference, this YouTube clip will explain. Seems like maybe you need to join our Round 2 Parks and Recreation marathon, too.) Share what cheers you up in the comments here or on our Facebook page.

The Internet is all about the should, and goodness knows we try to be trendy, so when Catherine saw a Tweet from About.com Health that asked, "Name one healthy food you know you should eat, but you just don't like the way it tastes,” she thought that would be a fine Speed Round question too. Is there something healthy you abhor? Comment here or on our Facebook page.

On this week's entertainment episode of Parenting Roundabout, we've got four things to talk about. In case you want to fast-forward over stuff you don't watch or care about, here's a road map through the episode:

0:30: Dancing With the Stars — It was Disney week, which meant lots of princesses, cool costumes and props, 8s and 9s all over the place, and Nyle in a loincloth shaking his butt at the camera. So a satisfying night all around, then.

11:20: Zootopia — Catherine went to a movie! Specifically, Disney's latest animated offering. She and the 11-year-olds she went with give it a thumbs up.

17:24: Our Parks and Recreation marathon — Up this week: the Season 4 episodes "Citizen Knope," "The Comeback Kid," "Campaign Ad," and "Bowling for Votes." For next week, join us in watching "Operation Ann," "Dave Returns," "Sweet Sixteen," and "Campaign Shakeup."

24:20: The West Wing Watch We've been watching Season 1 of The West Wing along with the West Wing Weekly Podcast, and the most recent episode was "A Proportional Response."

Apologies for the background noise partway through. Catherine has learned her lesson not to sit under an air vent.

Yesterday we talked about our clutter problems in our actual physical homes, but what about clutter on that desk that lives your computer screen? Is it buried under icons or emptier than any real surface in your house could ever be? Listen to our desktop confessions and then tell us about your desktop in the comments or on our Facebook page.

Mold? Mildew? Clutter? Dust? What aspect of housekeeping causes you the most trouble? Wipe off your computer screen, clean the lint out of your mouse, and press play. Then tell us what housekeeping you hate most in the comments here or on our Facebook page.

Appropriately for an episode on which we discuss illness, we have a podcaster down this week with laryngitis. We miss you, Amanda! And we've all done our best to talk more to fill your shoes. Here's a road map through our conversation.

0:49: Intros and What's New With You — Maybe you've heard, Nicole is writing a book? And writing and writing. And stressing. And blaming Terri and Amanda for not warning her. Which we totally did.

5:31: Parental Pride — A new survey from TIME For Kids and KidsHealth.org tells us that children who feel their parents are proud of them more often have positive relationships with their parents and exhibit more positive behavior traits. We took that survey as a jumping-off point for a chat on whether saying “I’m proud of you!” is the answer to all our parenting problems, whether it's okay to say "I'm proud of you!" to a grown-up, and whether we believe in surveys anyway. We're proud of you for making it through the podcast this far!

16:26: Sick Days — Something we're not so proud of is the way we have drastically misinterpreted our kids' actual significant health emergencies, from appendicitis to ulcers to a broken wrist. Sometimes, apparently, "Stop complaining and go to school!" is not, in fact, the right answer. We're proud of our kids for somehow still being alive.

27:52: Interview of the Week — In honor of spring finally being here (maybe ... is that snow in the forecast?), we're replaying an interview Catherine did last year with pediatric OT Meghan Corridan on the importance of outdoor play and some good ways to make it happen.

39:47: Shameless Self-Promotion— Nicole's too busy writing something that she will eventually shamelessly self-promote (have we mentioned that she's writing a book? She is!) to shamelessly self-promote now, but Terri mentioned her Special Needs News Twitter account @SNNewsTweets and Catherine shared a fun piece on how to get more out of playground visits.

Thanks as always to Jon Morin for producing our podcast and for our fun in-and-out music. If you're reading this somewhere without hyperlinks, come to http://parentingroundabout.com for the full recap experience.

In our years of podcasting together, we've learned a lot about each other, but we've never talked about where we're from -- not California and Wisconsin and New Jersey and Maine, where we live now, but where our families came from before that, and our spouses' families. Listen to our family heritage and share yours in the comments here or on our Facebook page. Were our ancestors neighbors?

How do you start off your day? With bacon and eggs? Cereal with milk? Or just cooooffffeeee? On today's Speed Round, we share how we handle that opening meal, and how disturbing we find others' choices. Share your own morning menu in the comments here or on our Facebook page.

Dancing With the Stars Week 3 involved the "stars" recalling and dancing to something at least vaguely related to their most memorable year. Sometimes the connection was strong, as with Kim Fields's The Facts of Life dance, and sometimes not so much, as with Von Miller celebrating his recent Super Bowl win with a song that makes Terri think of Miami Vice, a show that was on so long ago there were phone booths. The removal of a phone booth was significant to one of Terri's most memorable Parks and Recreation scenes, as the vacant patch of concrete it left behind became the site of an adorable little park and the adorable reunion of Ben and Leslie in "Smallest Park," one of our P&R marathon episodes for this week along with "End of the World," "The Treaty," and "The Trial of Leslie Knope" (click links for more memorable scenes). Finally, we checked in with the West Wing episode "Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc" and the West Wing Weekly Podcast episode that discussed it. (If you're keeping up with our Parks marathon, next up are Season 4's "Citizen Knope," "The Comeback Kid," "Campaign Ad," and "Bowling for Votes.")

Apologies for some technical glitches and basically inferior sound. Our podcast editor is on vacation, and this is what you get with unskilled labor.

Travel with us back to the '70s, when Terri wore crushed velvet hot pants and Amanda blended in with her couch. Or to the days when ladies wore hats, or way back to when men wore high heels (although come to think of it, that could be the '70s too). Or look around right now, where short short short shorts are a thing but perfectly comfortable jeans shorts are dissed. We're all about the fashion or lack thereof this week. Share the trends you'd like to see again or never again in the comments or on our Facebook page.

Netflix is making it all too easy to watch our favorite grown-up fare from the comfort of our own sleep-inducing couches, so maybe that's why we have not exactly been keeping up on the latest flicks in the theaters unless they're children's movies, blockbusters, or the ... third Hunger Games? Fourth? It's hard to keep track, isn't it? Whether you are a regular theatergoer or a slacker like us, share your most recent viewing in the comments here or on our Facebook page.

Speaking of peer pressure, among the things we've pressured one or the other of us to do this week are get up super-early, tell lies, and figure out something we've done that's worth sharing. But parent-to-parent peer pressure is a topic for another week. Here's a roadmap to what we talked about this time around:

0:32: What's New With You? — As we recorded this, Nicole was a day removed from yet another act of violence in her California community, Catherine was dealing with cross-country-traveling kids, Terri was worried that maybe she accidentally hit the mute button on her mic, and Amanda was coping with non-snowy snow days.

3:46: Peer Pressure — And of course, every day is a good day to worry about other kids pressuring our kids to do stupid and dangerous things. And, come to think of it, our kids pressuring other kids to do stupid and dangerous things. Let's everybody just do what feels safe for you, okay?

17:23: Two Truths and a Lie — Since this podcast drops on April Fool's Day, it seemed like a good time to play some tricks of our own. Each of us took a turn telling two true things about ourselves and one false one, and letting our fellow podcasters guess the fib. Play along at home!

27:01: Interview of the Week — Terri chatted with Robert Rummel Hudson, author of Schuyler's Monster and blogger at Fighting Monsters With Rubber Swords and Support for Special Needs, about those teenage milestones that we both long for our kids with special needs to accomplish and fear deeply that they will. Driver's license, anyone?

39:36: Shameless Self-Promotion — So maybe we don't have anything specific to promote this time around. You should still seek out Amanda's work at understood.org, Catherine's at About.com Family Fitness, Nicole's at The Inclusive Class, and Terri's at Mothers With Attitude. Terri also wants you to check out the West Wing Weekly podcast, if that sounds like your thing, and a quote she loved from a Fortune profile of Amazon's Jeff Bezos. Whiteboards are trouble, y'all.

Thanks as always to Jon Morin for producing our podcast and for our fun in-and-out music. If you're reading this somewhere without hyperlinks, come to http://parentingroundabout.com for the full recap experience.