Beautiful Mommy

Remember "The Three Little Bears"? Well, these days Goldilocks would be rejecting noses, not porridge. Check out this new children's book, My Beautiful Mommy, which explains mom's plastic surgery to kids.

It reminds me of a story my mom told me years ago. When older sister Carole was little, there was a family on our block, the "Smythes." Well, Mrs. Smythe was always very made up and had chic little outfits and done-up blonde hair. And she drank cocktails with her husband and friends in their second-floor bar, which was so cool. But she was harsh to her kids and yelled and whacked them. My mom was pretty, but more in a 1970s way. Long straight hair, big sunglasses, tanned with little make up. So, one day after playing with the put upon Smythe kids, Carole said to our mom, "Mean mommies are pretty. You are a nice mommy."

There's a compliment in there somewhere.