The Moms' Book: For the Mom Who's Best at Everything

"The Mom's Book for the Mom Who's Best at Everything" is actually a fun little book filled with a variety of information. Or as author Allison Maloney describes it: "a humorous handbook full of wisdom and wit guaranteed to help you." Maddalena Granata married at twenty-eight and gave birth to fifteen sets of triplets. In total, she had fifty-two children, forty-nine of whom were boys. No, she did not take fertility drugs. You see, Maddalena was born in 1839 in Italy. In case the '40's style illustration (read "old-fashioned") on the cover of a lavender book makes you think all inside is charming and good, Maddalena should let you know that all kinds of things are actually included in this delightful blend of fun and beneficial tips to making motherhood easier. The funniest line in the book is this: "And she NEVER loses her temper" (emphasis is the author's). OK, I confess. I'm making fun of a line out of context. In context the author is describing the perfect mom (but she never says this person does not exist). It is a pleasant idea to think of our mothers as "the mom who's best at everything." What this book purports to do is provide helpful tips at making it so. My favorite tip in the book is Toasted Teddies. Buy a cookie cutter in the shape of a teddy bear (any shape will do). Lay out slices of bread, cut out a bunch of teddies, and toast them. Have ready containers of toppings--peanut butter, cheese, tomato, and anything else healthy that your kids like. There are suggestions for themed parties with instructions, games to play, tips to doing housework (my favorite: No one will appreciate it. Go shopping instead), how to wake up sound sleepers (here' a good one: Play Barry Manilow on their CD player/iPod/whatever at full blast), and stories about good animal mothers and bad animal mothers. When you are feeling particularly stressed about motherhood, just consider the rabbit. The rabbit sometimes gets so nervous about having those things in her nest, she eats some. Or on days you feel like a mean mother, just remember Ma Barker, considered by J. Edgar Hoover as "a veritable beast of prey," and you won't feel so mean any more (unless you really are masterminding killing sprees). Want to know how to keep your kids occupied on a road trip (if you don't have a DVD player)? Seven mental road games are described. I would copy these three pages to keep in the glove pocket as a reminder of games and descriptions. One is Geography (good only for ages 7 and up). The first child says a country: Canada, for example. The next must name a country that starts with the last letter, so Andalusia, for example, or Australia. "The Mom's Book" is a delightful little book. Yes, it celebrates Motherhood and no, it doesn't make Motherhood perfect, but it certainly tries to make it easier and a little fun.

This is a very cute book, my only complaint is that I wish it were longer!!