I knew my brain was drained at the end of a day of parenting two children for plenty of reasons, but I never considered just how much time and energy I put into answering their questions. Oh, I realized it was a lot, but I'd never considered the actual number of questions being fired at me.

A recent study did, however, and the findings are pretty astonishing. According to news.com.au, a study from online retailer Littlewoods surveyed 1,000 mothers with kids between 2-10. They found that moms get asked about 228 questions a day -- and that's just from one child. Four-year-old girls ask the most questions -- 390 per day, which amounts to more than one every minute they're awake!

Lucky me, I happen to have a 4-year-old girl, and while that number seemed high at first read, when I actually started thinking about, I started to wonder if it's really high enough.

Water fountains can be tricky things when you're 2 years old. Just ask Lyla, the little girl in this, the cutest video you've probably seen in a long time.

She's a persistent one. She pushes the button, and the water comes out, just like it's supposed to. Only when she leans forward to get a drink, that darn water just disappears. Over and over she tries with no luck.

Finally, she says in the sweetest little voice you've ever heard, "Will you help me daddy?" Watch after the jump for your daily dose of adorable.

This month is National Autism Awareness Month, and around the world there is an amazing array of parents who raise awareness through their blogs. Every day they share their stories of raising children on the spectrum from their struggles to their achievements, and the emotions along the way. 

The provide comfort for other parents in similar situations and insight to rest of the world. Over the years, I've come across some amazing ones, and following are ten of my favorites. This list is in no way comprehensive or a ranking of any sort, as I know there are plenty of others out there. These are just some of the best. Feel free to leave ones you love in the comments as well, because this is definitely a case where more is better.

Recent research suggests that women who have been abused as children were more likely to have a child diagnosed with autism. The women who endured the most stress from physical and emotional abuse were 60 percent more likely to have a child on the spectrum. Those who were abused physically, emotionally, and sexually had a 3.5 times higher rate of having a child with autism.

Everything that we do and everything that happens to us does have an effect not only on us but our children. And how we treat our own children, and what types of discipline we choose, may effect not only our kids but our grandchildren. Which is very frightening.

Ugh. When childless people Have Something to Say about parenting, I just feel like throwing my poo like an orangutan. I really cannot with that. Let's take New York Times columnist Frank Bruni, for example. I say "New York Times columnist" and you're probably already throwing up in your mouth a little. And I should know better to read something titled "A Childless Bystander's Baffled Hymn" all the way through without first making sure I have easy access to a glass of wine. (At the office now, not happening, must give in to troll bait and rip him a new one instead.)

I mean, I don't even believe Bruni wrote this for parents. I think he wrote it just to kvetch with his other childless friends. But let's go there, folks! Just because it's April Fools' Day, let's have ourselves a little dialogue with Mr. Baffled by Parents.

New York realtor Kevin Brown was recently taking a wealthy client around the city looking at fancy multimillion-dollar apartments. She said her daughter would be attending Columbia or NYU (or maybe Harvard), and she wanted her to have a nice place to live in the heart of the city.

So, according to CCTV, the woman settled on a swanky $6.5 million one in "One57," a building that's still under construction. Filled with luxuries, it includes a private fitness center and yoga studio, private concert hall, and a "pet wash room" among many other amenities. What a lucky girl, right? No dorm food or roommate from hell for her.

Well, except for the fact that the daughter hasn't been accepted at any of these prestigious schools, or even applied for that matter. In fact, she is 2.

My daughter turned 4 in January, and she's still sleeping in her crib. Before you ask (like everyone does when I mention this fact), no it's not one of those with a removable side, or one that converts into a toddler bed. It's a regular old, four-sided crib that she's slept in since the day she was born.

Why? Well, there's no real reason I suppose, just as there's been no real reason not to keep her in there. We have a "big girl" bed for her upstairs, and while it's taking me awhile to decorate her new room, she doesn't really have to wait for the curtains, artwork, and other decorative pieces to which I can't seem to commit. It's just been my most recent excuse as to why she's still in her crib.

I was prepared to make a lot of changes and sacrifices when I entered motherhood, but one thing I wasn't about to give up was eating in nice restaurants. I refused to be limited to those establishments with super-sized options on the menu, and since their earliest days, my children have dined alongside us in a plethora of restaurants that have actual table cloths. 

So I get all sorts of agitated when restaurants talk about banning kids, or people ask to be moved just because they see a sippy cup on the table. My kids are not always perfect, and yes, we've had to leave mid-meal more than once. For the most part, however, they know how to (and are made to/threatened to/bribed to) conduct themselves so that we and everyone else around us can have a nice meal. Some children, however, clearly can NOT, and I'm appalled by some of the things their parents let them do in restaurants, which really ruins it for the rest of us.