Wish I'd Thought of That!

The other day I caught an interview on NPR with Romi Lassally, author of the new book, True Mom Confessions--- Real Moms Get Real. I was immediately struck with a wicked pang of envy because it’s a no-brainer idea for a great book that will probably make loads of cash and I wish I’d come up with the idea.

Lassally gathered the material included in the book from essays/comments left on her website TrueMomConfessions.com. The site encourages mothers to talk about the highs and lows of raising kids. Lassally shared a hysterical antidote about being awakened one night by one of her kids who was suffering from an upset stomach and had vomited all over the carpet. Lassally tended to the sick child, and then made her way back to bed hoping the dog would eat the vomit before they family got up in the morning. I’m not proud to admit it, but I too can relate to hoping the family dog would slurp up a little intestinal issue by the time I got back downstairs after getting the feverish kid back to sleep.

The interview with Lassally also got me to thinking which of my stories I would have wanted included in her book. It probably would have been the one about the time I accidentally overmedicated Yannick with Benadryl because I was too tired to go find my glasses before filling the dosage cup. I mistakenly gave the boy two tablespoons instead of two teaspoons. I was too scared (and embarassed) to call Poison Control, so I put the boy in the bed with me and stayed up all night watching over him. When he awoke the next morning he was fine, and I was no longer just tired, I was exhausted, yet thankful the boy was ok.

I'm happy to report I have no other stories about almost killing my kids, but I have dozens of others that I’m sure other mommies or caregivers of young children can relate to--- we all do. I’ll probably pick up the book and even check out the website because there’s comfort in learning about other mothers’ foibles, but also in sharing those vulnerabilities and insights cloaked in anonymity of being online and not during a PTA meeting among folks you know and who know your children.

What story would you share?