When a stay-at-home mom posted a baseball for sale on eBay along with a hilarious essay about its adventures in her home, she struck gold. The ball sold for more than $1,000, and Meehan had an instant audience. Readers flocked to the blog she started about her chaotic life, mainly because it made theirs seem less so. Because I Said So … and Other Tales From a Less-Than-Perfect Parent is Dawn Meehan’s book of humorous essays about parenting, which stresses that it’s OK not to have it all together. Laugh-out-loud antics are balanced with poignant insights on the joys of rearing children—and Meehan and her husband have six.
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Her faith is evident throughout, but is never preached. Meehan’s eBay essay about the baseball that “started it all” is also included, as is a section of frequently asked questions. Most of the time Meehan’s writing succeeds in providing an inspirational laugh and a pat on the back to today’s parents, though her extreme sarcasm is at times too biting-she repeatedly refers to her husband as her seventh child-and loses its appeal. But, like her parenting, Meehan doesn’t claim to be a parenting expert, so a few missteps may be overlooked.
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Abby Trivett 
James Lasher 
