a MeMoRy

The first time I went to breakfast with my then-boyfriend, now-husband, the waitress asked him if he wanted coffee. I didn't know he drank coffee--I barely knew his name.

She asked him how he took it. He said, "I like it black, like my women."

I hit him over the head with the menu and then was mortified that I did that.

We barely knew one another.

We went back to his place and had sex for the first time.

God, I adore that man.

* * *

I'll announce two winners for Kim's book at the end of the weekend so you can still pop over and enter to win All I Can Handle in the post below. Seems like I married all I can handle hmmm?

aLL i CaN HaNDLe

Two winners chosen:
Heather, heatherahaley@gmail.com
and Jodi, keeper236@charter.net

Ladies, please email me your addresses so I can send you your books!

Thanks to all who entered, and we have another great giveaway coming up! My dear friend, Dawn Meehan and her hilarious book, You'll Lose the Baby Weight (and OTHER LIES) about pregnancy and childbirth). Ajers just turned 13 and I'm still holding on to the babyweight!

Thanks everyone for entering and reading MaNiC MoMMy! And thanks to Kim Stagliano for writing an incredible book, for having 3 gorgeous daughters, and for your tireless efforts on behalf of the autism community! xo

PeaCe uP!


BooK GiVeaWay! * BooK GiVeaWay!

The past half a year I’ve spent a lot of time on this blog, if not complaining about my life, well then, at least griping about what’s been going on. My husband lost his job. We had to move across the country. I’ve had to adjust to a new environment, get my kids acclimated to their new surroundings, get myself adjusted to the heat, the new city, the new everything. I’ve had to deal with a whole new way of living. I had to leave all my good friends; my children had to leave all the friends they had, they had to get used to going to a new school, we had to leave a neighborhood we loved. It had been hard.

I’ve complained about my husband traveling, about my crappy van (which, we welcomed a 2011 Odyssey into the family last week!), and I’ve complained about snakes and the heat, and many, many things lately here on MaNiC MoMMy.

But really, I don’t know what hard is.

Here I am thinking I had all I can handle. What the hell do I know?

I have a great friend whom I met online about five years ago named Kim Stagliano. Somehow we just clicked. I don’t know how two people click through the internet, but I liked her, and maybe she liked me? We had missed opportunities to meet each other in real life twice in Chicago (my fault – kid stuff came up) and I totally regret it. She has been a sounding board to me in my writing, someone I can email with questions, or send a joke to, or check in with to see how things are going. Kim even sent me a birthday gift one year, what a thoughtful thing to do for a friend online! She is an amazing woman.

And maybe you’ve heard of her already? If not, you will, because she is the type of woman who gets things done and makes herself known.

I need a swift kick in the ass for all the complaining and griping I’ve done here on this blog. Kim has three beautiful daughters with autism. She’s also raising awareness for autism! She’s so freakin’ funny that you’ll never feel sorry for her; in fact, she’ll make you jealous! But like in the very possible good way, like you'll think, "I really like this girl, I wanna be friends with her type of jealousy" not like you hate her jealousy, let me just clear that up for ya! You’ll laugh with hysteria over her “kiminolgies” (That’s a word *I* made up for all the cool words SHE made up, like:

CRAPISODES: a big shit episode

STAGTRASTROPHE: a big disaster in the Stagliano’s life

KIMOIR: Kim’s memoir, which is what I’m going to tell you about now …

Kim’s very first book, All I Can Handle is coming out November 1, published by Skyhorse Publishing, and yes, it discusses autism, but this is NOT a book JUST for the autism community. This is a book for everyone. Anyone who has ever thought, man, my life kinda sucks, or man, my life is not exactly what I thought it was all cracked up to be.

It’s for all moms out there who are doing their damndest to raise their kids the best they can. It’s for all parents who fight to get their kids the best no matter what types of obstacles their kids might face.

All I Can Handle is a book is for anyone who just wants to take a break and read a story from a hilarious and heartfelt writer who will not make you feel sad or sorry, but will make you breathe in deep and say, “Thank you God, for making people like this, and for giving the world children as sweet as this, and for creating loving families like this in our world who will not give up and who will take a stand to do what they believe in.”

Kim is this kind of writer. She’s funny and true, she writes things that you won’t believe a mom of three autistic girls would ever say, but they are things that have you cracking up out loud!

And when you’re done reading ALL I CAN HANDLE, I’M NO MOTHER TERESA, you will say to yourself, “Man, I really want to meet Kim and Mark, and I definitely want to meet Mia, Gianna and Bella and hug the Bejeezus out of them. At least that’s what I want to do. And I know someday, I will!

But for now, until I do get to meet Kim and crew, thanks to Kim and Skyhorse Publishing, I’m able to give away a signed copy of ALL I CAN HANDLE.

But WAIT! That’s NOT ALL! I am going to throw in another copy because I want to support Kim and also cuz I love all you guys who are STILL HERE reading MaNiC! So, there’s two copies (one signed, and the other will have a signed bookplate attached).

Leave a comment and please include your email so I can easily reach you, and I’ll draw winners in a week or so!

Thanks Kim, and congrats on this great success! And thanks to Miss Snark for connecting the two of us! Long live Snark (who has been gone for far too long)! ... I know she is soooo proud of you Kim!

More book reviews and giveaways coming soon, including The Life You’ve Imagined by Kristina Riggle, Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood by Eileen Cook, What’s Up Down There by Lissa Rankin (A great book on the wonders of the vagina!), Skipping a Beat by Sarah Pekkanen (yup, scored an Advanced Reader’s Copy!), and so much more! I’m behind on reviews, and trying to catch up!

Xoxox

PeaCe uP

~MaNiC MoMMy

PS--I dare you to go back and count how many times I used the word "like" in this blog post. Lots.

MaNiC's MoBiLe (aS iN CaR, NoT PHoNe)

Bloggy Bloggerson here. I have been a horrible blogger lately and not because there’s not anything to blog about. I should be blogging daily, but I guess my excuse is when there used to be time to blog, there is no time any longer.

You see, I don’t carpool anymore.

Way back when, I had a posse of people who I could count on to either take, pick up, drive here or drive there. AND, these drives were quick and easy, right down the street. Across the way, up and down the avenue. AND, I knew where I was going to get to places. Things were simple.

Not so much anymore.

Not only do I not have a posse of people to help me get kids to one of these following events each week:

Two basketball teams
Art class
Another basketball program
Piano
Guitar

… But I also have to figure out where all of these basketball games are being held in this place they call “The Valley.” Apparently, I live in a valley now. And I drive around in this valley in my “GT” aka The Green Turd minivan that the kids so lovingly christened it and I have no clue where I am going because when we got the GT like nine years ago, GPS wasn’t even invented! In fact, when we got the GT, DVDs were NOT even invented yet! Seriously! We have a VHS player in this minivan! And it’s so old, the back windows don’t even open and it’s dripping some fluid now that looks like snake blood (because you know now that I know what snake blood looks like), and well, it is about to DIE!

So, having said that, the good news is I’m getting another TURD! Oops, I mean, I’m getting another MINIVAN.

Shall we all jump for joy here?

One of the very first articles I ever wrote that got published (and if I can find it, I will repost it here) was about how I swore I would never do three things as a parent: Let my kids watch Barney (did that), let them dictate my life (did that), and drive a minivan (have done that for nine years)… and now apparently, I’m going to be doing that for ANOTHER NINE years.

Yep, my life rocks.

And like the last time I got a brand new car, I don’t have many requests. I told Mr. Manic that I only wanted the kind of doors that slid open. I got that. And that was about it. That was my only request for that car.

My request for this new and improved minivan?

No leather seats.

Because living in this “Valley” it’s too freaking HOT!

Actually, I do have one more teeny request for this next minivan I receive, and I won’t even go to the car dealer with him. I won’t even test drive it with him. I have that much faith that he will provide me with a winning automobile. And I really don’t even care what color it is, as long as it’s not black cuz that will suck in all the heat possible and continue to burn me (see above request for no leather).

My other request for this new car?

Please get me one with a GPS – I keep getting lost with all this driving around in this God-forsaken desert I live in!

Thanks! And MaNiC is out!

PeaCe uP

~MaNiC MoMMy