After Ricky's Badger Patrol leader pulls out at late notice, he and Kate convince Edward to take the boys to the national convention in Chicago. While there, Derek and Ricky hatch a plan to get lucky with some high school cheerleaders.
Ricky has his friends Derek, J.T. and Freddy for a sleepover, but the boys play a cruel prank on Freddy - and Ricky makes it worse with a selfish remark. He feels guilty about his behavior, while Kate over-identifies with the taunting.
After getting in trouble in class, Ricky sets out to win the 8th-grade science fair - with a little help from Kate, who is trying to prove a point with Edward.
Edward, Kate and Ricky are all set for a picnic until Edward suffers from a sudden gallstone attack, which lands him in the hospital. When an infection sets in, Ricky and Kate become even more concerned.
After being elected student body president, Ricky has to deal with a rival school's vandalism, and daydreams that he is the President of the United States.
To impress a girl and get her to attend his party, Ricky promises her that the music group Menudo will be there - leaving only the small detail of getting them to show up.
It's Ricky's 13th birthday, and his first with his father. After first thinking his dad has forgotten his birthday, he wishes for the impossible - which is for Kate, his dad and his grandfather to all get along.
Ricky is frustrated by his lack of improvement as a musician in the school orchestra, and after a disastrous humiliation at their concert, he turns to Edward for advice on how to reach his goals.
Rick writes a computer program to predict football scores, making bets along with his friends. But when he ends up indebted to a bookie, he steals a rare coin from his father's collection.
When Ricky's mother comes to visit, he manipulates her into buying a dirt bike for him after Edward decides against it. Ricky's resentment over Kate's advice on the topic also confuses the matter of her relationship with Edward.
J.T.'s dad gets angry when his son agrees with Rick that Edward is the world's greatest father because of the time they spend together, so Edward gives Rick a lesson in appreciating the advantages he has.
Edward has arranged a mountain cabin for a relaxing family retreat with Ricky and Kate. Ricky invites Dexter as well when he learns he will be alone for the weekend, but Dexter ends up being anything but relaxed.
Rick tries to change to a more edgy image in order to impress some girls - but when they pressure him into things he doesn't want to do, life on the edge starts to make him uncomfortable.
Rick is eager to go on his first hunting trip with his grandfather, and Edward reluctantly allows it. But when Rick gets a deer in his sights, he finds himself conflicted over the experience.
When the tomboyish pitcher on Ricky's baseball team asks Kate for advice on how to be lady, she assumes that the girl has a crush on Ricky. Little does Kate know that she has set her sights on someone else.
Ricky's classmate Leslie has a crush on him, and visits him to help rehearse a play. She brings her mother Veronica, who turns out to be an old flame of Edward's. Veronica causes problems when she tries to rekindle the flame.
Edward finds himself in the awkward position of having to choose between Leslie's mother Veronica and Kate when the latter catches him in a passionate kiss. He must decide between the two - but has Kate already decided to leave?