Columnist Lisa Ferguson: Sun Lite for Jan. 12, 2004

Lisa Ferguson

Monday, Jan. 12, 2004 | 8:12 a.m.

Family affairs

Did you have a good time visiting with extended family members during the holidays - or are self-torture and major guilt trips not exactly your cup of tea? If you chose the former over the latter, it's probably safe to assume that soaking up some of your family's history might actually prove to be an enjoyable process.

That said, the relative experts at www.Ancestry.com advise beginning a trek through your past by recording all of the pertinent info you can recall - births, deaths, marriages and the like - on an "ancestral chart" (available for downloading on the site), followed by interviews with additional family members to fill in any informational gaps.

Hit the library to research old newspapers, or call upon a genealogical society to track down published family histories. Don't forget the Internet, where sites (such as - surprise! - Ancestry.com) log names from census and immigration records, as well as draft cards.

It's all relatives

Once you've transformed yourself into a walking encyclopedia of trivia about your eighth cousins twice removed, and the nieces on your mother's brother's wife's side, it's time to invite the entire bunch over - and beat the pants off of 'em during a rousing round of FamilyLore.

So much for blood being thicker than water: It's every relative for him/herself with the board game, which has between three and 10 players of all ages - and, of course, all related - advance by answering questions about their family's traditions, births, pets and ancestors, among others. Game pieces can be customized to feature family photos and, as more insider knowledge is learned, so can questions on the game cards.

The object of the game: Circle the board collecting Round-the-Board chips by correctly answering questions. The player with the most chips wins. FamilyLore costs $29.95 (plus shipping and handling) and can be ordered by calling (800) 869-9769 or visiting www.familyloregame.com.

Want your 'Mommy'?

It's OK to love your relatives, but you probably wouldn't want to (and, in most states, aren't allowed to) marry them. So, what prompted authors Jeff Bakeman and Brian Krinbring to title their recent book "Married to Mommy"? (Kensington Books, October 2003, $9.95.)

Subtitled "A Survival Guide for Married Guys," the paperback takes a humorous peek (depends on who is doing the looking, we suppose) at what happens to men - but mostly, their formerly fun-girlfriends-turned-wives - once they wed. Childless or not, many women, the authors write, become "Mommies" a few years into the union: "Generally uptight, perpetually practical and constantly striving to be in control of everything - all the time." How flattering.

Hey, Caveman, wondering if your woman fits the bill? Take the quiz featured in Chapter 3. Among the 10 questions posed:

Answer yes to more than six of the book's queries and, the authors claim, "You're being swamped by a Tsunami Mommy." Bother answering any of them and we say, "Gee, your real Mommy must be so proud of you."