Okay ladies, it’s time to take back Mother’s Day and celebrate it in the way you desire. We may or may not have some teeny weeny problems with the workload and hoopla that surrounds this supposed day of honor. While we all love the handmade gifts and cherish them to pieces, we want to empower you to get your own gift, a gift that celebrates the truth of what it really means to be a mother. What is that gift you ask?

I Just Want To Pee Alone!

This book is a compilation of essays on motherhood from some of our most favorite bloggers on the web. If only this had been around when we were new moms. Some of the things that happened during those early years just bordered on the ridiculous and we thought maybe we were “doing it wrong.” How great it would have been to have these stories not only for commiseration, but to lighten us up so that we could find the funny. This book is hilarious, tender, true and a reassurance that imperfection is normal.

We found ourselves wanting to leave each author a comment about what we thought about her piece. Blogging is about interaction. So since we do have access via the wonder that is social media (how cool is that?) we posed this question to several of the authors:

“How has it been having your words out there in book form without the immediate response and interaction you are use to having on your blogs?”

Anna Luther of My Life and Kids had this to say:

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“Hmmmm….. For me it’s been really weird. Mine is towards the back, and I’m really used to people commenting right away on my blog posts – usually before I even get out of bed in the morning. So I immediately know if what I wrote was good or not. And my mom always calls me to talk about my post too, so I’m really used to that feedback too. I didn’t realize how important that feedback was to me (or those comments) until this book. I haven’t heard from a single person that has read my essay (not fishing for compliments here, I swear!). My mom hasn’t even read it. I’ve heard nothing. And it feels weird. And vulnerable.”

Our comment to Anna: You nailed the feeling of disconnect we have with our bodies after giving birth, the feeling that they are no longer our own . . . and you made us laugh with your imagery. Sad elephant indeed!

Kerry of House TalkN shared:

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“It has been such a strange process! Instead of reading comments from the safety of the moffice, I get IRL (In Real Life) comments. I stand there like a deer in the headlights, praying that they liked it and hoping not to blurt out inappropriate comments about Susan’s 2 vagina’s. My mouth does not have a delete button, unfortunately.”

Our comment to Kerry: Why weren’t you there to tell our younger selves we were rocking it? We love ourselves now, but there was A LOT to love back then.

Kim of Let Me Start By Saying:

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“When I put something out there on my blog (or Facebook, etc) I can immediately see people’s “Likes” and comments, whether they shared my post, and – if they did share it – what they said to the people they shared it with. There is immediate gratification: It Was Good or It Was Actually Not All That Good. Not only do I get the pleasure of not knowing whether people liked my essay, I get to feel the pressure of being the opening essay. So if mine sucked, would it hurt those in the back of the book? Would people skim my chapter in the book store and say “Meh. Not this time…”? When I am on my own, I’m on my own. This time, if what I wrote wasn’t good, it affected the others after me. Which makes me mumble anxious curses under my breath and reach for the wine.”

Our comment to Kim: No need to worry because you started the book off with a bang. You painted such a vividly hilarious picture of your time as a spa starfish, we felt like we were there with you every step of the way. Is that awkward?

Nicole of Ninja Mom:

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“I’m still convinced mine is all wrong for the book. Not the right voice. So when I’ve had a positive comment or two trickle in, not at all like blog comments, I’m shocked, surprised, and more gratified then I would have imagined. But nothing compares to seeing friends I know outside the blogosphere buying the book and posting pictures of it to Facebook while I wait for them to let me know if they liked my piece or not. Most of my tangible, reach-out-and-touch-them friends don’t comment on my blog posts, so maybe silence is par for the course. Or maybe I crashed and burned. Maybe I don’t want to hear from them, after all.”

Our comment to Nicole: You did not crash and burn, my dear. You shone a  spotlight filtered with humor on the ridiculousness of the parenting pissing contest. This line has stuck with us in particular: “We can’t judged ourselves but procreation; it’s a measure of nothing more than the result of biology doing its thing.”

Rebecca of Frugalista Blog told us:

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“I’m glad to know I’m not the only one used to getting immediate gratification.<== that sounds weird! It’s been a thrill watching it climb the charts and seeing other bloggers review it. But I haven’t heard any feedback about MY essay and it’s odd. I don’t know what to think. My husband laughed at some of the others and didn’t say a word about mine. So I just don’t ask. But seeing the reviews on Amazon, the comments from people about the book in general getting them to laugh out loud after a crappy day- that is all worth it. Regardless of personal feedback- it’s still been awesome and I would do it again.”

Our comment to Rebecca: You created the best, funniest analogy for middle aged sex we have ever had the pleasure of reading. Life is lived more in the quickie showers than the long bubble baths anyway.

Meredith of The Mom of the Year:

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Our comment to Meredith: Your essay masterfully captured what it is like to be a daughter losing her mother. You expressed the tenderness, humor, and solemnity that washes over death and loss in waves. We were left not only thinking your essay was a great addition to the book, but that we would love to have you on our emotional support team any day.

Robyn of Hollow Tree Ventures:

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“It’s strange and a little nerve-wracking not to have immediate commentary on something I’ve written, like I’m used to on the blog. But on top of that, my blog posts seem so much more fleeting – whether one tanks or takes off, it quickly gets buried under the rest of the week’s posts. This essay is like a post that keeps randomly popping up to the top of my blog every day, though! Luckily the book itself has gotten SO many amazing reviews, I just breathe a sigh of relief that, whatever people may or may not think about my essay in particular, at the very least it didn’t completely ruin their overall reading experience. Usually, with my writing, that’s the best praise I can hope for.”

Our comment to Robyn: As usual, you were hilarious. Birth plans usually scare us, but your step by step guide to having babies had us proclaiming, “Right on, Sister!” (and we may or may not have peed our pants.)

Susan of Divine Secrets of a Domestic Diva:

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“So far all the feedback I’ve received has been fun and positive, and it’s always hilarious to hear people bring up my essay….”Soooooooo. About your vagina(s)……”

Our comment to Susan: No one deserves to have a baby doctor who is a “baby.” The best thing she did that day was give us all a side-splitting story to laugh at  . . . and extreme gratitiude that we came out of our respective deliveries with the same number of vaginas we went in there with.

We also need to thank Susan for autographing our giveaway copy of I Just Want To Pee Alone! A copy that has NEVER seen the inside of either one of our bathrooms, we might (need) to add!

 Giveaway runs until Midnight Monday, April 22, 2013

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We are also excited that four other authors agreed to join in with us on this giveaway. So much access to so much writing talent!

We asked Momaical, Snarkfest, You’re My Favorite Today, and The Dose of Reality this question:

“What has been the funniest/weirdest “In Real Life” reaction to your book?”

Tracy said, “I have the hardest time telling people the name of the book because I was raised in a family that doesn’t discuss things that occur in a small room in the house that has a toilet and a sink. So, I blush every time I mention it. Which – is a tie in to my piece in the book about how I cannot teach my children anatomically correct terminology.”

Teri said, “So far, my daughter’s reaction to reading my submission has been my favorite. In my essay, I mention that my kid will eat food off the floor or a cheese stick that’s been sitting in her lunch bag for 2 weeks but I can’t get her to load the dishwasher without rubber gloves. Her response upon reading that part: I don’t eat food off the floor…………anymore.”

So are you getting the drift that you need to get this book and NOW!?! Enter the contest or order a copy to be expressed shipped to you, but just get it. We’ll leave you with the list of “Kick Ass Bloggers” who fill the pages of this perfect Mother’s Day gift.

-Ellen and Erin

People I Want to Punch in the Throat; Insane in the Mom Brain; The Divine Secrets of a Domestic Diva; Baby Sideburns; Rants From Mommyland; You Know it Happens at Your House Too; The Underachiever’s Guide to Being a Domestic Goddess; My Life and Kids; Bad Parenting Moments; Let Me Start By Saying; Frugalista Blog; Suburban Snapshots; Ninja Mom; Four Plus an Angel; Honest Mom; Binkies and Briefcases; Naps Happen; Kelley’s Break Room; Toulouse & Tonic; HouseTalkN; Hollow Tree Ventures; The Fordeville Diaries; Snarkfest; Mom’s New Stage; Nurse Mommy Laughs; The Dose of Reality; The Mom of the Year; Life on Peanut Layne; Momaical; Cloudy, With a Chance of Wine; Confessions of a Cornfed Girl; I Love Them Most When They’re Sleeping; Random Handprints; RachRiot; You’re My Favorite Today; Funny is Family; My Real Life