Summary: Hilarious trials and heartwarming joys of big
family life by a mother who can still laugh about toddlers sharing ice cream
with the dog, first graders who curl their hair with bubble gum, sixteen year
olds with goggles for eyes and headphones for ears, the summer the chauffeur
(guess who) went on strike and the teenagers had to take walking lessons, and
all those priceless moments no mom will ever forget- no matter how hard she
tries!
My Review: You know how there are some books that are as
beloved and as treasured as an old friend?
Books that somehow have mood-changing magic contained within the first
few pages?
This
is my book buddy.
My
mom made me read it during my teenage years during a fit of teenage-induced
moodiness, and although I didn’t have kids yet (and wouldn’t for years), I was
in tears within the first few pages, and this book has had a treasured place on
my bookshelf ever since (yes, I stole it from my mom when the time came for me
to leave the nest).
Teresa
Bloomingdale is the Catholic mother of ten who writes about the adventures, and
sometimes misadventures, of raising her brood.
At her heyday, she was hailed as the local Erma Bombeck, although she
prefers to think of Mrs. Bombeck as the national Teresa Bloomingdale. She writes about breaking in doctors, the
dangers of naming children with similar-sounding names (a passage I clearly
forgot when naming my own brood!), and the joys as well as the tragedies that
strike families. Although the book is
certainly meant to brighten your day, there are moments of wisdom and faith
that are so inspiring, I find myself reaching for this book on days where I
feel like a maternal dunce, and can recite certain chapters from memory!
My Rating: Five stars, easily.
Sum it Up: A collection of short essays detailing the
ups, the downs, and the sideways turns motherhood offers.
For the Sensitive Reader: Squeaky, squeaky clean! The raciest part is a love letter to Captain
Kangaroo. And really, which mom wouldn’t
write a love letter to their child’s favorite TV show?
2 comments:
This sounds really sweet and I can guess why you enjoyed it so much. I would like to read it one day.
All of her books were excellent. I was saddened when she died at such a young age.
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