The Big Rumpus by Ayun Halliday, creator of the East Village Inky

(May we agree to do away with the term “momoir”?)

“The Big Rumpus is positively the best mothering memoir I’ve read by a straight-tawkin’, breast-feeding, xenophilic, world-traveling, Indiana-reared, New York City transplant. I stayed up past my bedtime reading it, no lie. The gal can write.” —Chris Dodge, Utne

“My childhood was rat-free. Lice-free. A ‘possum did get stuck in the fireplace once…

“Funny, surprisingly well-written chronicle of a young bohemian family living in New York City. Perfect for stay-at-home moms who believe in natural birth and granola.” — Belinda Liscombe, Time

“Sometimes when I’m jamming my children into their snowsuits or slathering them with sunscreen, I remind myself that I once trudged all the way to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro…”

“Her irreverent, sarcastic and occasionally scatological style (no accident, perhaps, that her husband, Greg Kotis co-wrote Urinetown) will remind you of a phone conversation with your best friend.” — Susan Avery, New York

“If I’d really wanted to eat a placenta, stir-fried with hot chiles, I should have married a different man…”

“Ayun ought to get Mother of the Year for this one.” — Jaime Hernandez, author of Love and Rockets

…and you ought to get my Big Rump autographed.

Reading this excerpt will allow you to ignore the kids for another 10 minutes.

Holy Growth Chart, Batman! When did Inky and Milo get so huge? They’re like Giant Supersize Mutant versions of their Big Rumpus selves.

Phooey. If it’s any consolation, you’re welcome to join me on the
MamaLamaDingDong Virtual Book Tour:

Back in August ’06, The Big Rumpus was published in the UK as Mama Lama Ding Dong. In celebration, I visited a different blog every day that month to pour some old wine into new bottles. Here’s your chance to discover some awesome parenting blogs, and maybe stir the embers of some of the spectacular brawls that went down in the comments sections! Thanks to all the participants, whose entries are permalinked below.

AUGUST 1: Mothers on the Verge

AUGUST 2: All About The Sass

AUGUST 3: Mommy Matters

AUGUST 4: So Close

AUGUST 5: Babymother

AUGUST 6: Mommy Chronicles

AUGUST 7: Julia (Here Be Hippogriffs)

AUGUST 8: Belgian Waffle

AUGUST 9: This Woman’s Work

AUGUST 10: Motherhood Uncensored

AUGUST 11: Mothershock

AUGUST 12: Baby and Mom Blog