Never judge a book by its cover... literally....

I hate Debbie Travis. I find her voice annoying to no end and I can't bear to watch her on TV. I am not into all those decorating shows to begin with. Another annoying one - Candice Olson. I mean it bugs me that anyone can be that enthusiastic about decorating. (side note - I feel the same way about some cooking shows, I mean are they really going to spend 30-60 mins cooking a dish then taste it at the end and screw their nose up in disgust???)

I mean sure, if I won the lottery (and had someone to do it for me), but how many times are you excited about painting a room, you get half way though it, loose steam and it is SUCH a chore to finish the rest - have you seen my front porch lately? half yellow, half ugly paneling. It also does not help that I am not creative in a kinda do it yourself way - cakes excepted. If I can't buy it, I don't want to MAKE it!...... My husband however, Mr Handy do it yourself-er PVRs all these shows and I have to on occasion sit through them before I am allowed to turn it to SYTYCD or 90210....

So when my friend Audrey show up with a Debbie Travis book (birthday present) called 'Not Guilty - My guide to working hard, raising kids and laughing through the chaos'.... I am thinking in my head 'great she paints and now she is also going to tell me how to raise my kids???' I am also thinking this will make its way into the box of books in the basement - sorry Audrey... but wait... keep reading this post....
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I love this book!! I started reading it yesterday and today I am almost done. It is so funny and is full of stuff you can relate to as a parent. Screaming toddlers, the days when you loose it on your kids then feel guilty for days to come... and even the teenage years. I already know what kind of parent I'll be... yes I will be the parent that stays up to midnight baking cakes for the bake sale or finishing the school project. I mean I am already up till midnight typing my husbands invoices and baking cakes for the church, same difference? Maybe. She covers so many species of mothers - The competitive Mums... I can think of a few and I am not on the side lines of the soccer fields having to deal with this yet. I just listen to other peoples nightmares!! Yummy Mummys.. have I really lost myself because I leave the house wearing sweats and usually with no make-up?? The domestic diva - I think I struggle so hard to be this one!! I am just lacking in the organization and time department. The volunteer vulture - hello?? I am struggling to be the domestic diva and vacuum my floors everyday do you really think I have time to volunteer too????

I think one of the things that has stood out most to me is that we sometimes struggle as women and mothers. I mean the guilt of not staying home or staying home. Not having enough time. I mean does anyone else hate the fact that the babysitter spends more time with our kids than we do?? Guilt. But then there are some mornings where I can't get them there quick enough to have a moments peace before work! Guilt... again. I books like this where there are experiences in someone else's life you can read and relate to and laugh at how they dealt with the same situation you have been in or think 'hmmm... I could have handled that a little better'. I read Brooke Shields book 'Down came the rain' about post partum depression and there was so much in that book that I related to about how I felt or how I was dealing with things and people around me with all those CRAZY BABY hormones!!!

Read it!!! Whether your kids are little screaming tantrum throwers or calling you collect for money after you just wrote a cheque for the college bill. There is something in this book for every parent and a lot that made me laugh and think that maybe I am not so bad at this whole mummy thing after all!!!