I didn’t remember, when I posted my “twitter-view” with Kevin Lowry earlier today, that he was reviewing Catholic Family Fun as the final stop on the Book Tour today.

And what a review. He starts,

Yes, I’m a husband and father of eight kids. But family fun doesn’t always come naturally – even (or perhaps especially) in what is often thought of as a “large family.” I dispute that eight kids is a large family, but that’s not the point. My role is too often that of dispute mediator, grievance adjudicator, and apologist for reality (“No, it’s not worth $1,000 for you to clean the basement.”)

Even worse, I fear that perhaps… I’ve become too detached from fun. It’s my own fault, really. I refer to my wife in jest as my “social director” and far too often defer to her in matters that might be construed as “family fun.” Maybe it’s my professional upbringing. I’m a CPA, for crying out loud.

I mean, seriously. Catholic family fun? I really am clueless.

He continues later,

I have a deep and resounding love for my kids, but this won’t help if I don’t invest in them. My love takes the form of time, talent, and sure – treasure. But the ideas in this book don’t require much of the latter.

Kevin gave the book high marks, which I so appreciate. I can’t wait to hear about how his family likes his new Family Fun Mentality. Bet there’s going to be some fodder for interesting blogging there…

The first stop on the Book Tour train today:

Michelle at This Little Light is part of the Book Tour today, and she says my book is wicked awesome. She even made a graphic. Enjoy it with me, wouldja?

(go ahead, click to enlarge: it's worth it)

Aside from winning my heart with the cool graphic, Michelle also points out a challenge I think many of us face:

Years have passed since my introduction to parenting, and I’ve gained some knowledge—and my composure. I don’t sweat the small stuff anymore, but boy, I still need a good hand-holding from time to time. My biggest issue lately:

putting the chores aside

and just having fun with my 42-pound bundle of joy. I get too caught up in the to-do list and the housekeeping and the busyness of life. And that’s where the lovely Sarah Reinhard AND her “manual” come in.

I found myself nodding along and then I remembered that she was talking about MY BOOK.

It’s a book *I* need too, folks. One that I’ll be relying on heavily this summer. Don’t get the impression AT ALL that just because I’ve written the book I’m struggling any less than you, because I’m NOT. (Do the caps help emphasize that? HUH? DO THEY? CUZ IT’S TRUE!)

Go on over and read all of Michelle’s review, if only to see that graphic up close and to enjoy the beauty that is her blog design.

Also on the Book Tour today:

The lovely Ellen Gable Hrkach highlights my “unique humor” in her review at Plot Line and Sinker:

Sarah Reinhard is no stranger to fun. Anyone who reads her columns, blog posts, Tweets or Facebook messages, knows what a wonderful sense of humor she has and what a great writer she is. She has taken two of her strongest talents and made them into a book on how families can have more fun together, not only fun, but fun with a Catholic twist.

Thanks, Ellen. I’m cueing some maniacal laughter as I type…

So says Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur in her review at Catholic Lane:

Moments of joy and laughter can create lasting memories for both you and your children. Laughter can reduce tension and stress which can help make the challenge of parenting a little bit easier. But, in the midst of our busy lives, where should we begin? How can we incorporate more fun into our family lives without it being just one more thing to add to our lengthy to-do lists?

Sarah Reinhard comes to the rescue with her new book: Catholic Family Fun: A Guide for the Adventurous, Overwhelmed, Creative, or Clueless. Reinhard aims to “join [the] beauty of Catholic faith with the fun of family life, and create a set of activities that you will experience as both memorable and instructional.”