The question is understandable, and the answer is always "yes."

Since the beginning of the year, Ryan has been Ch. 2's main sports anchor while also working for CBS Sports, which created a workload far beyond what she expected when she started in 2006.

That will end Aug. 27, when she gives up the Ch. 2 gig to focus on anchoring college sports Saturday on CBS College Sports and work for the cable net's "NFL Today."

"In order to balance being a mom, a working mom," she said, "something had to give."

So after some handwringing, negotiating and more, what gives is the work at Ch. 2, and what she gets is more time with her husband, Jensen, and 7-year-old son, Nicklaus.

"You can't get that time back," she said of her children. "At some point, you have to be home with them on Christmas."

She moved from ESPN to CBS three years ago with the goal of having more time at home, thanks to a hybrid position as a weekend sports anchor at Ch. 2 and broadcaster at CBS Sports.

But in the past year, the job changed. When Ch. 2 cut sports director Ducis Rodgers and sportscaster John Discepolo in January, Ryan began splitting the weekday job with Steve Bartelstein. When Bartelstein split, Ryan picked up all the work.

Aside from her kids' pleas for more time, Ryan said she was awakened to the need for more home time a couple of years ago when her husband battled bacterial meningitis.

"That really opened my eyes," she said yesterday. "I was Mom, Dad, everything."

So, with her contract expiration nearing, and that emotional health experience behind her, Ryan said she looked to cut back.

"We're going to miss her," WCBS/Ch. 2 general manager Peter Dunn told The News.

Before leaving Ch. 2, Ryan has also landed some freelance work at SNY, where she is scheduled to fill-in anchor tonight's edition of "SportsNite," set to air around 1 a.m. She's also signed up to host "Jets Nation," airing Sunday at 8 p.m., and is scheduled to anchor "Daily News Live" on Aug. 24.

Ryan said neither the recent changes at Ch. 2's sports department, nor the overall fear of sports on local TV shrinking, played a role in her move.

"It's a tough time for everybody. It's so unpredictable," she said. "But that wasn't part of my decision-making process.

"I never made any decisions based on visibility or exposure; that's just not me," she said. "I've always made my decisions based on quality of life and my family."

And the kids' feeling about the new move?

"They're excited," Ryan said. "They want to know when - and how soon."