The Same Phrase Describes My Marriage and My Breasts: Before the Kids, They Used to Be Such a Cute Couple (Notes While They Nap) (Hardcover)

by Amy Krouse Rosenthal (Author) "This book is a collection of observations, reflections, moments, anecdotes, conversations, quotes, lists, charts, even a couple little poem things, culled from the first five..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Humorist Amy Krouse Rosenthal's hilarious and nail-on-the-head writing has struck again. Her latest book, The Same Phrase Describes My Marriage and My Breasts, spotlights the lighter side of parenting with a sharp wit reminiscent of the late Erma Bombeck, but with a modern twist. Rosenthal reassures parents that the insanity that comes with raising a child is perfectly normal. It is a delightful book for any parent who has realized that stain-free baby clothes and perfectly behaved children only exist on commercials for Kodak and Downy. Rosenthal's endearing collection of humorous anecdotes and reflections is drawn from her illuminating first years as a mother of three. Being a pregnant working mom means occasionally having a urine specimen hidden in your briefcase for your mid-day checkup. No matter how anal you get, no matter how methodically you put away the toys, the Candyland cards end up in the Lego bin, and Lion King puzzle pieces turn up in your shoes. Daylight savings means that on one Sunday, when it's 7:30 A.M., you still have something like 80 more hours until they go to bed. Forget the instructions of Dr. Spock and open your heart to a woman who proudly survives life with three kids-granted not a single glass from her bridal registry remains intact-and relishes being a mom. At times touching, at other times hysterical, The Same Phrase Describes My Marriage and My Breasts is a must for parents who long ago realized that parenting is just like The Brady Bunch if you eliminate the neatly-wrapped solutions and toss in complete unpredictability and random vomiting.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing (July 22, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0740700502
• ISBN-13: 978-0740700507
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #82,410 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thanks for the Memories!, August 25, 1999

By A Customer

My daughter and I have at least 10 years on Amy and her kids, but after reading her latest book I was reminded how things remain the same, with a few twists ...

- The devil I see is not a coffee table with sharp corners, but a 16 year old boy arriving to pick up my daughter with a newly minted drivers license in his hand.

- Nap time problems still exist, but I'm the one napping so I can stay awake until one second before curfew when she flies in the door.

- Although I no longer hunt down the perfect Halloween costume, I have been known to hunt down a certain sweater, vest, skirt, etc.; take out a major loan to pay for it only to have her say "I changed my mind, I don't like it anymore"!

Can't wait for Amy's next book - it's nice to know I'm not alone out here!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I Wish I Was in Amy's Play Group, August 23, 1999

By A Customer

Amy's observations of her young children and life as a parent are so simple and pure -- sophisticated and childlike at the same time. Her voice inspires vigilance in recording my own kids' experiences and parenting foibles. Yet, her natural wit makes for such enjoyable reading that I don't feel guilty that I've been such a failure in my notetaking. I can't wait for her kids to get to the ages of my own two boys (8 & 9) so I can read her take on: finding baseball mitts in the fridge; listening to a child who is snuggling in your lap tell you how they are now big enough to stay home alone; hearing your nine year old's reaction to a book that has the word breasts in its title, "Breasts (tee-hee)...it must be rated PG-13 for sexual innuendo."

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not just for moms..., December 27, 2001

By	Paul Gifford (Maryland) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I bought this book for my wife for Christmas. By the time I wrapped it, I had read the whole thing. I'd pick it up, read a little, laugh a lot, put it down and do other things. I kept coming back to it and eventually I found I had finished it.

Rosenthal's notes are dead on and she writes with a style that makes the most mundane things humorous. Sort of a Seinfeld for parents, except as parents you'll really understand what she's talking about. You may even get a little absolution from the book - for example, in a list of confessions she admits she has let sucking the toothpaste off a toothbrush pass as "brushing". Having kids myself, I can completely understand and picture that situation...

Great stuff...it was a perfect stocking stuffer. Guys, this would be a great book to surprise your wife with for no reason.