Jeff's been causing problems lately, so Alex has a talk with him about behaving. Jeff's attitude changes, and everyone thinks it is because of the talk. However, Jeff causes a problem with a neighbor and is actually just feeling guilty.
Mary's friend Carol is engaged to Matthew, but does not want her family to know. Carol asks Mary to hide the ring and have her boyfriend's letters sent to the Stone residence. Donna and Alex start to wonder about Mary's secret and the mail.
David Barker has run away from his boarding school and returns again to the Stone family. David's father is getting remarried, and David is afraid he will have to stay in the boarding school instead of being with his father and new mother.
Stopped for an interview by a gimmicky showman at a grocery store, Donna makes a stand for women who often say they are just a housewife. Stay at home mothers are more than just stay at home people.
Dan, a friend of Alex's father visits the Stones and tells the family of his exciting travels. Jeff gets caught up in the excitement and wants to travel the world with Dan.
Friends of Alex and Donna's, who have only been married a few years, have their first quarrel. Donna helps Alice understand how to handle a quarrel. Alex tells Donna she should try to keep out of the situation, but then he helps Jim.
Donna's woman club is looking for a project. When they find the neighborhood children are playing in an abandoned building, the women decide to build a proper gathering place for the children.
Mary discovers poetry, and then worries that her mother and father lost their passion for life and things are boring for them. For a change of pace, Donna and Alex decide to go on a trip during a school night. It does not go as planned.
Jeff is promoted to editor of his school newspaper. His first editorial is to speak out against too much homework. It is a good piece, but the teachers do not think it should be published.
When it seems Mary and Jeff are not always doing their homework or chores, Alex decides to lay down the rules and make sure everyone sticks to them. Donna thinks the rules are a bit harsh.
Alex is invited to a wedding of his former college roommate who had some wild nights and lots of dates. Alex is also invited to the bachelor party. Donna is worried about what might happen.
Jeff is excited to try out for the track team and even plans to practice to get in shape for the tryouts. But then Donna finds out he has perfect pitch in music and thinks he should take music lessons and learn the trumpet.
The Woman's Medical Auxiliary host a dance event. While the dance was a success, raising funds was not. The Auxiliary decides to hold another event to raise money to pay for the dance. Donna decides to sell homemade pickles.
Mary's ski trip with friends gets canceled and she is disappointed. However, when an intern from the hospital visits Alex at his home, her mood lightens up immediately.
Jeff visits his uncle and aunt on their farm by himself. Donna is worried and misses Jeff so much, she goes to the farm as well. Alex and Mary have to take care of the house and meals while she is gone.
An old friend of Donna's comes to visit. She is now a well-known fashion designer, and about to marry a doctor. She wants to know what it is like to be married to a doctor. Donna thinks the life of a career woman is exciting.
Jeff wants an advance on his allowance to buy items for his latest project. When that fails, he tries borrowing from everyone. Alex finds out he owes a lot of people money, and puts Jeff on a strict budget until he pays everyone back.
Mary's friend Ellen is very smart at school, but plain looking. No one asks her out. Mary decides to give Ellen a makeover to show the boys in school that Ellen is just as pretty as she is smart.
Donna's friend Kay tells her that she is pregnant, but to keep it a secret. Donna only tells one other friend, who tells another, who tells another, etc. Kay is upset because she might lose her job if her boss finds out she is pregnant.
A neighbor's child returns home for a visit while on break from military school. Since Petie was a favorite friend of Mary and Jeff, he visits the Stones. Petie is smitten by Mary's grown-up looks.
Donna purchases an expensive art object and is to tell Alex about it, so it gets hidden. When Alex's Aunt Lettie calls to say she is visiting, Alex says they have to put out her wedding gift. Alex finds the statue and puts it out.
A seemingly stray cat follows Jeff home, and the family votes to allow him to stay. Turns out the cat is female, and slowly brings her family of kittens into the house. Jeff & Mary give the kittens away just as Alex finds they are pedigree.
The Stones decide to go away to somewhere different for an extended weekend, but the actual accommodation are nothing like what they saw in the brochure.
While eating lunch with Mary at a restaurant, a woman approaches Donna as a long-lost friend and invites Donna and Alex to dinner the next day at her home. Donna cannot remember who the woman is.
Donna has her kitchen remodeled and new appliances installed. Then she needs to refinish an arm chair which leads to the other furniture look drab. Also, Alex's birthday is the next day, and no one can think of a gift to get him.
The Stones hire a handyman to do repairs around the house. The handyman asks Jeff to help him write a love letter to his girlfriend. Donna finds Jeff's practice letter laying around, and thinks Jeff is in love with a classmate.
Mary returns home from a weekend visit with a friend and just raves about how wonderful her friend's home is. Donna begins to feel their own home is a shack compared to the other home.
Mary meets a boy at school that reminds her of her father. She thinks Elroy looks like what her father might have looked like at that age. Donna and Alex cannot wait to see Elroy and how much he must look like Alex.
Mary is going out with Scotty in a car he built himself. When Donna and Alex find the parts of the car are from cars that have been in wrecks, they are worried.
The school issues an intelligence test to the students, and Jeff gets a score that ranks him as a genius. Alex and Donna have to decide to send him to a special school. Jeff fails the entrance exam for the school.
When Les has trouble paying his baby's doctor bill Donna let's him do some work on the house in exchange. When $20.00 suddenly disappears everyone wonders if Les could have taken it.
Alex proves the old adage that doctors make the worst patients when he goes into the hospital for an appendectomy. Donna helps another patient who doesn't want to leave the hospital.
Donna is looking forward to attending her college reunion. When Alex hears about a former boyfriend, he decides to go with her. The women decide to reenact their cheer-leading cheer and Donna gets a black eye the day of the dance.
While Jeff's friend Gordie is showing off his new scooter he accidentally hits a tree and pretends his leg is hurt much worse than it is so that he can stay at the Stones' house. Donna finds out why he does not really want to go home.
Mary wants Jeff to pay her back from a loan so she can buy a new sweater. Since there was no due date given, he decides to drag it out. Donna goes on a diet to lose a few pounds.
