Momaholic Book Review

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson (May 1, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0849947367
• ISBN-13: 978-0849947360

::From the back of the book::

Every mom has felt the need to be perfect.

MOMAHOLIC is one woman's private, dramatic, and often comical invitation to peek inside a time in her life where everything fell apart and she had to take an honest look at what she was doing right and what she'd been doing terribly wrong. With this simple discovery, her whacky family's season of becoming unraveled found a new glue (other than her blood, sweat and tears) that would re-bond her family and unite them in a deeper and more functional way than ever before.  

 The real life characters:

• A MOM who is literally the head writer of a network soap opera… at work and at home
• A HUSBAND who expects perfection from his kids and his wife, but who has the wisdom to know he's being unrealistic and yet, can't help but scratch his head in frustration as his family's troubles seem to spiral out of his control
• An autistic SON
• A popular DAUGHTER who is suddenly pregnant
• An ADOPTED DAUGHTER pulled from the jungles of Vietnam with no leg below the right knee and fingers fused together
• An ADOPTED SON from Ethiopia, rescued from the streets at the age of 9.

 This is a story showing the speed with which a "normal" family can fall apart.  No one dies.  No one gets kidnapped.  They just have to deal with each of their own issues….and then one unwanted and unplanned pregnancy.   This was a church-going family whose kids were taught abstinence until marriage. With the family running around as the tornado sirens roared warnings to take cover, mother, Miss Drama, becomes the biggest mess of all and ends up finding a whole new freedom for her soul.

::My thoughts::

I was drawn to this book because it said: "Crazy Confessions of a Helicopter Mom" on the front cover. As a mom myself I always like to learn about other moms, and there's just that connection as well that plays a huge factor. What I really enjoyed about this book is it isn't an ordinary self-help book. I wouldn't even really categorize it as a self-help book at all really, but the author does give some meaningful advice in tidbits throughout the novel. Mainly this is just the author telling her story about how her life spiraled out of control, and how she took back control. It's not a lecture, it's not a self-help, it's just confessions of a mom that got a bit overwhelmed. 

Head writer of Days of Our Lives Dina soon finds out that her daughter is pregnant and engaged! Did I mention the daughter just barely started her college journey? She also has an adopted daughter that has to be carried everywhere due to a surgery, an adopted son who is very active, and a biological son with autism. Of course it would be easy for her to get overwhelmed! I can't believe she held it together as long as she did to be honest! But of course things began to unravel eventually. I will let you read the story yourself to see how things unfold, and how she copes. I would recommend it to all moms out there who feel that we have to constantly be perfect. I learned a lot from this book, but mainly I learned that by trying to be a "perfect" mom and a "perfect" wife is highly impractical. We can only do our very best. And sometimes we just have to relinquish control for our health and our families.

This book is told from a Christian perspective, but in no way preaches. As a matter of fact the author points out that many of their close friends come from all types of backgrounds and beliefs.

The only thing I did not like about this book is the fact that it seemed as if the author was a bit harsh when mentioning her son Conner, with autism, at times. Of course maybe it's just my perspective of things. But of course her love for all of her children shows throughout the novel so I don't want it to sound as if I'm bashing in any way.

I still think this book is a fantastic read for all mother's, it is easy to relate to and you can snatch some snippets of wisdom here and there. After all who doesn't get stressed out a bit from juggling the world of being a wife, mommy, homemaker, employee, whatever your occupation? There's even a neat quiz at the end of the book that helps you discover if your a helicopter mom (one who hovers over her children and feels the need to do everything) or not.

(Incase your wondering I took the quiz, and I guess I'm a bit of a helicopter mom)

This book is available in~    ::Paperback::    and     ::Kindle::

Check out my review on Goodreads...I rated this book:

DISCLAIMER: I was provided this book for free through Thomas Nelson Publishers in exchange for my unbiased review. Opinions expressed are mine alone.

Mother's Day

        Well, it’s Mommy’s Day tomorrow! I can’t believe I’m a mommy myself! Life goes by so quickly! It is truly a day to be celebrated. Not many people realize all that mother’s go through for their children physically, mentally, and emotionally. We carry our children, have them, work for them in any way we can throughout our lives. We love them, we worry about them. It truly is a never-ending job, but it’s one that no matter what we wouldn’t change it for the world.
I salute all the mother’s in the world that do their best by their children and love them with all their heart. Without us, where would the world be?
I read on a friend’s blog where she posted about stay at home mom’s. This is what she posted on the subject:

A stay-at-home mom works many jobs throughout the day. She's a nurse, chauffeur, chef, teacher, playmate, housekeeper, laundry attendant, accountant, babysitter, and MORE all rolled into one. She doesn't receive a paycheck for the 24 hours a day, 7 days a week she's on duty. She doesn't get a pay raise, sick days or 401K plans. She is a mother, the most important job in the world. The glue that holds things together.
Now I am a stay at home mom myself, but I would just like to apply this to all moms because we are all special in our own ways, so to all you stay at home moms, work at home moms, or work out of the home moms Happy Mother’s Day!!! We are all mother’s 7 days a week. There isn’t a moment where our children aren’t on our minds, when we aren’t worrying about them, or thinking of them.

So to all the unselfish moms out there who traded sleep for dark circles, salon haircuts for a ponytail, long showers for quick ones, late nights for early mornings, and designer bags for diaper bags, and wouldn't change a thing. To the moms who don't care what they gave up and instead LOVE what they got in return...............Happy Mother’s Day!!!
　
　
For today’s quote in honor of Mother’s Day I am adding 3.

“A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie.” ~Tenneva Jordan

“Being a full-time mother is one of the highest salaried jobs in my field, since the payment is pure love.” ~Mildred B. Vermont
"May she who gave you birth be happy."
-Proverbs 23:25


As my oldest son likes to say when he wakes up in the morning and looks out the window: "It's gonna be another great day."