Eric counsels a troubled couple on the brink of divorce, Ted and Emily. Matt decides to join the Army without consulting his parents about it. Also, Mary and Lucy are desperate to get out of the house and later get into a car accident with Ted, who was driving drunk when going out to get some more beer for his new apartment. Matt cannot join the Army because he is not fully measured for the job. Also, Simon tries to find his red-lightning ring to get out of his bad luck as being the new middle child of the family now, even trying chain letters in an effort to do so. Lastly, Ruthie tries her best to get people's attention when their focuses are on the new babies.

Eric defends a custodian named Rudy from Simon's school, who claims to be hearing messages from God and is forced into early retirement through the school board. Annie wants to cut loose for the evening, and does so with other fellow mothers. Ruthie encounters a chimp living in the Camdens' tree in the backyard, but nobody in her family believes her when she tells them about it. Mary volunteers herself and Lucy to babysit the twins, but expects her sister to do the bulk of the work.