The kids question Cate's motives when they return from their summer getaways and discover that she has bought a new bed and changed her hairstyle. Meanwhile, after traveling through Europe over the summer, Kerry met and had a fling with a boy - which leaves Bridget jealous and Kerry wondering what to do about boyfriend Kyle; new high school Student Body President Bridget is convinced even further that life is a popularity contest after taking a trip to Washington, DC over the summer; and after a depressed Jim fails to win back the affections of his wife in Florida, Rory attempts to help him quit smoking -- which is complicated by Jim's discovery that C.J. was responsible for their irreconciliation.

8 Simple Rules Season 3 Episodes...

• s03e01 - First Day of School
• s03e02 - Changes
• s03e03 - School Nurse
• s03e04 - Out of the Box
• s03e05 - Car Trouble
• s03e06 - Halloween
• s03e07 - Coach (a.k.a. Tennis Coach)
• s03e08 - Secrets
• s03e09 - Thanksgiving Guest (a.k.a. Thanksgiving)
• s03e10 - Vanity Unfair
• s03e11 - Princetown Girl
• s03e12 - A Very C.J. Christmas (a.k.a. A Very Cool Christmas)
• s03e13 - The Sub
• s03e14 - C.J.'s Temptation
• s03e15 - Old Flame
• s03e16 - Closure
• s03e17 - Volleybrawl
• s03e18 - Freaky Friday
• s03e19 - Torn Between Two Lovers
• s03e20 - C.J.'s Real Dad
• s03e21 - The After Party
• s03e22 - The Teachers Lounge
• s03e23 - The Sleepover
• s03e24 - Ditch Day

8 Simple Rules Show Summary

Paul Hennessy has grown accustomed to his stay-at-home wife Cate taking care of their son and two daughters. His job as a sports writer kept him on the road a lot during the kids' formative years. But when Cate decides to return to work as a hospital nurse, Paul takes a job as a columnist and agrees to make the duties of raising the kids a shared experience.

Paul fondly remembers the days when his daughters would sit on his lap singing silly songs, and he was their hero for scaring away monsters from under the bed. But those days are long gone.