Jane Isfeld Still’s book The Crazy Daze of Motherhood was so anticipated that it created a flurry of willing bloggers who wanted to review it. There are like a half dozen of us just for today! And six dozens more during this tour. Seriously!

It’s because people who know Jane’s stories, wisdom, and humor, love her books! So with all these reviews spilling into cyberspace this month, what can I say that hasn’t been, isn’t being, or won’t be said? Probably nothing.

So instead of carrying on about how much I love–and laughed through–her book (which I do / did), I’m going to do something I hope nobody else is doing, at least not this particular example, and give you an excerpt from a chapter that had me (and my DH) laughing at every line. I guess because we related. (I won’t go into details except to say, it’s a good thing grandparents were not involved and that we recovered our son successfully after a minimum of heart failure, streaked mascara, and condemning looks from a store clerk.)

Here’s Jane describing the first time she lost a child:

“It’s not like we abandoned Jason. It’s more like he ran off. Besides, he was my first child, and I was a novice. But when you have one toddler between four adults, and two of those adults are the grandparents, you’re not the only one to blame.

“We were shopping at the mall one day when I suddenly discovered Jason was missing. He had just turned two and had finally grown out of the huge frog-eye stage he had when he was a baby and was starting to get cute. Someone must have grabbed him for sure.

“I panicked and started to thrash through the round clothing racks calling his name. Grandma was gazing around the store, a little too calm for my liking, so I pushed her and Grandpa out of my way and told them to stay in the store and look while Rick and I ran into the mall.

“We looked both ways and were about to split up when we noticed a sizeable crowd gathered in front of the wishing fountain. Great, Jason had drowned!

“We elbowed our way to the front. Jason was entertaining the crowed by splashing and kicking around in the fountain, stark naked. Turns out that my scorn for women who couldn’t keep their children from running outside naked had come back to slap me in the face.

“How was I going to get him out of there without people knowing he was my offspring?

“Rick was about to call out to him, but I stomped on his foot, glared at him, and headed for Jason.

“’Little boy,’ I called, ‘you should come out of there. Your parents must be worried about you. Let me help you get dressed and find your mommy.’”

This is where my husband started to laugh. I won’t give you the rest (it just keeps getting better); you can read it in the book. (I know, this is just cruel of me, but I promise you’ll appreciate all the stories.)

Get a couple of copies of this book. One for yourself and one for each of your friends for this Mother’s Day. Laugh together as you realize you are not the only one.

Book Description
A mother’s day is filled with all kinds of emergencies, from bumps and bruises to hospital stays. Find the perfect way to recover from your own family’s little emergencies with Jane Isfeld Still’s latest book on the hilarious daily challenges of a mother in the fray. You’re sure to laugh and cry as you celebrate the joys of motherhood.

From the Back Cover
Jane is married to Rick Still, who she believes has the distinction of being the only man in history brave enough to give her earwax candles for her birthday. They had six children in eight years, and while her children were growing up, she discovered she had a great sense of humor. At least that was her take. Rick once said to her, “Honey, you know all those real corny things you say all the time? Who ever thought you could make money at it?” Her son Adam once told her, “Mom could you please stop telling jokes to my friends? It’s really embarrassing.” One of Jane’s philosophies is, “You’re not doing your job unless your children are worried about being seen in public with you.”

To read more about Jane and her exploits visit her website or her blog.

You can win a fun prize from Jane to help celebrate the release of her book. Just go to her blog and become a follower, and then leave her a comment and tell her that you’re a new follower. You could win:

1. Mother’s Daze basket, soap, chocolate, lotion, decorative candles, and recipe cards
2. Box of blank cards with a smattering of Canadian chocolate
3. Chocolate