Life in Pieces Show Summary, Upcoming Episodes and TV Guide

Jen and Greg learn a surprising piece of news. Also, Sophia wants a second piercing in her ear much to the dismay of Heather and Tim; Colleen and Matt send out a video thank you message for their weddinggifts, which irritates the family; and John takes a modeling job but is horrified when his image is used to endorse a product for the elderly.

The Short family's quirky history is revealed with stories of when Tim met Heather's family for the first time; when Jen and Greg bought their dream home; when Matt got sidetracked after he saw Colleen while waiting for a blind date; and John's last flight before retiring.

Jen and Greg go to great lengths to find the perfect babysitter for Lark. Also, John becomes testy when shopping for a mattress and Joan realizes the unusual source of his aggravation; Heather learns information about Samantha's boyfriend that she isn't sure she should reveal; and Matt believes he may have a history with Colleen's sister after he meets her for the first time.

When Sophia feels like she is no longer the cutest kid in the Short family, she tries frantically to regain her status. Also, Joan gives Jen a beautiful necklace, forgetting she already gave it to Heather for her Sweet 16, and now she has to get it back; Greg tries to fit in with his new young coworkers but takes things too far; and Colleen and Tim bond when he helps her administer the hormone injections for her IVF treatment.

When Matt drives Greg to a job interview, they encounter a few bizarre obstacles that jeopardize getting him there on time. Also, with John's help, Tyler listens in on a therapy session between Clementine and Joan to see if she still has feelings for him; Tim bribes Samantha to attend online traffic school in his place; and Jen tries to convince Colleen and Tim to join her boycott of family get-togethers.

When Jen sings in Tyler's band, she gets caught up in the excitement and creates an awkward situation for him. Also, John and Greg decide to brew beer together, Matt donates one of his paintings to a silent auction for Tim's medical charity, and Heather becomes jealous of Joan's friendship with a classmate.

When Sophia asks Matt and Colleen about having children, an animated sequence featuring the whole family as farm animals reveals that they have been struggling to have a baby. Also, Jen and Greg's new neighbors aren't as nice as they initially seem; Heather interferes with Tim's hiring process at the office; and the whole family surprises Joan at her book reading, to her chagrin.

When Jen and Greg hire Clementine as a part-time nanny for Lark and invite her to join them for dinner, the waitress mistakes Jen for Lark's grandmother. Also, Tyler's new girlfriend turns out to be Sophia's fourth grade teacher, John hires a questionable company to set up an escape room in his house, and Matt grows frustrated with Colleen when she blames a valet for stealing her lottery ticket.

When Tim and Heather go to an expensive dinner to celebrate their anniversary, they are determined to finish every bite of their pricey 20-course meal. Also, Jen and Greg try to quickly potty-train Lark before her first day of preschool; Tyler gets jealous of the attention Clementine is getting at work; and Matt and Samantha team up for a 'Middle Child Day' and go to a trapeze school.

When Heather finds a map to a time capsule she buried with her brothers as kids, they all set out to find it and dig it up. Also, Jen learns she has a low car service rating so she books rides across the city to charm drivers and increase her score; Joan joins her neighbor's poker game in an effort to win an unusual prize; and John finally gets hearing aids but they aren't having the effect he was hoping for, on.

When the entire Hughes family moves into John and Joan's home after their kitchen is destroyed, their presence creates chaos for Joan. Also, Matt and Colleen are set to receive a huge monetary settlement from Colleen's fall off the motel balcony on their wedding night; John tries to get Sophia back on track when she starts misbehaving; Tyler and Clementine make a surprise announcement to the family; and Jen and Greg attempt to persuade Lark to get rid of her pacifier.

When Greg and Jen take Lark on her first airplane trip, their parental skills are upstaged by another couple travelling with their baby. Also, Joan and John attempt to smuggle their dog, Tank, onto the plane; Matt and Colleen miss their flights when they accept travel vouchers for airline credits; and Heather and Tim run into countless obstacles when trying to get to the airport on time.

Matt and Colleen have a disastrous time babysitting Lark while Jen is at work. Also, Sophia is far from pleased when John buys her a butterfly kit for her birthday; Tim and Heather rehash an old fight from the early days of their relationship; and Greg gives Samantha questionable advice about being an entrepreneur for her school project.

When Matt and Colleen take a strong sleep aid, they start experiencing crazy sleepwalking adventures. Also, Greg gets upset when Jen reveals she had a sex dream about a member of the family; Tim regrets missing a slumber party when he was a kid so he insists on helping Sophia make it through a friend's sleepover; and John installs a motion-sensor light in the yard that flashes repeatedly, keeping them up at night.

Dinner gets awkward for Jen and Matt when they find themselves alone without Greg and Colleen; Heather and Tim try to sneak wine into an ice skating show to get out of paying at the venue; Lark accidentally locks out Greg and Jen from the house, prompting Greg to install a complicated home automation system; and John and Joan agree to an impromptu wedding after Colleen mentions that she's an ordained minister.

When Greg and Jen hire Allie, a private chef, to cook for them on Valentine's Day, the evening isn't as romantic as they had hoped. Also, Matt and Colleen try to adopt a dog from Ruth, a judgmental animal advocate; John and Joan attempt to buy a classic car from dealership owner Gavin; and Sophia gets a necklace from a boy for Valentine's Day, to the chagrin of Heather and Tim.

When Colleen and Matt host the family tailgate party at the L.A. Rams game, they invite former NFL quarterback Kurt Warner to spice up their so far dismal event. Also, Tim's in danger of missing the game when Sophia makes him take her to the restroom and they get sidetracked returning to their seats; Joan and Jen try to sneak into seats closer to the field; and Greg wins a chance to participate in a halftime contest involving a football toss.

The Shorts take a trip down memory lane with a #TBT to Y2K, when John and Joan throw a party to celebrate the turn of the century and John convinces everyone there will be chaos when the clock strikes midnight. Also, #TBT to Heather and Tim's parenting styles before they had Sophia, #TBT to Jen and Greg's honeymoon when Jen realizes the extent to which Joan is involved in Greg's life, and #TBT to the moment Greg and Colleen met.

When John decides to try out for 'Survivor,' Tim gets jealous and attempts to undermine his audition tape. Also, Colleen confesses she can't swim when she and Matt discuss Hawaii as a honeymoon destination; Jen pretends to get hooked on meditation so she can use the time to play cell phone games; and Heather gives Sophia the 'sex' talk.

John assumes that Joan's creative writing teacher has a crush on her; Tyler and Clementine have Matt and Colleen over for dinner; Lark takes her first steps while Greg is away on business; and Colleen, Heather, Jen and Dougie have a ladies night out.

When Tim accidentally shaves off a huge chunk of eyebrow before an important photoshoot, he hopes Jen and Colleen's grooming expertise can fix it. Also, when Gigi passes away, Greg makes an anonymous donation with the money she left him, but later realizes he wants to be recognized for it; John learns firsthand what Gigi's life was like at the nursing home; and Joan honors her mother's memory with unusual jewelry.

Heather and Tim enlist Clementine's unusual parents, Mary-Lynn and Spencer, to help convince Clementine and Tyler to annul their unexpected marriage. Also, Tommy moves in with Colleen, to the chagrin of her roommate, Dougie; John and Joan run into 'complications' after John takes the wrong dose of his daily pill; and Jen and Greg keep a secret from the family.

John and Joan reveal a shocking secret they've kept from their kids for 35 years. Also, Greg quits his job after creating a public funding campaign for his own invention, Heather and Tim try to make up for missing Samantha's Student of the Month Ceremony at school, and Matt's plan to make a big announcement at his and Colleen's book party keeps getting delayed.

ėAbout who gets to use the hot tub when new property lines are drawn. Also, Greg and Jen invite their exterminator and his wife over for dinner, Matt and Colleen make an effort to be friends, and Tim is terrified to perform minor surgery on John.

When John starts feeling old, he attempts to make himself look younger, much to the dismay of his family. Also, Heather worries that Sophia's piano recital will be a disaster; Jen, Greg and Lark go to an over-the-top birthday party full of overachieving parents who make them panic about getting Lark into a good preschool; and Matt meets Colleen's mother, Mia (Mercedes Ruehl), for the first time.

To visit his great-grandmother, Greg and Jen find a solution to their sleeping woes, and Matt takes over for Tim as Sophia's soccer coach.

Greg joins Colleen's gym and goes overboard gearing up to work out. Also, Heather and Jen host a secret garage sale that directly competes with one Joan is having, Tyler and Samantha throw a party while Heather and Tim are away for the weekend, and the family has second thoughts about eating lobster for dinner.

Colleen goes Christmas caroling with John and his Air Force buddies; Joan tries to take control of Lark's first Christmas; a mall Santa gives Samantha lice; and Tyler announces his college plans.

When Jen cuts her finger and Greg takes her to the hospital, they finally have the first quality alone time they've had in months. Also, John takes Samantha and Sophia to a restaurant where everything is named after feelings, Heather gives Tim a sexy anniversary gift, and Sophia is punished after Heather hears her swearing.

When Jen and Greg interview potential nannies for Lark, they find it difficult to find one they trust. Also, Tim, Matt and Greg go camping, Heather suspects Matt bought Colleen earrings with money she loaned him, and John makes a wooden puppet for Lark that the family has more fun playing with than she does.

Jen and Greg vow not to become germaphobes, and John buys Sophia a cell phone behind her parents' backs.

When Matt invites Colleen to brunch with the family, he coaches her through the difficult task of connecting with them. Also, John, Matt and Greg try to prove their masculinity by cutting down a tree in Greg's backyard, Tim has an adverse reaction to espresso, and a sleep-deprived Greg has a run-in with the cops.

As the Short family's lives unfold in four brief stories each week, they try to savor the moments that add up to what life's all about.