Cheers for "Cheerios"

Birthday cakes, parental blame and guilt and preschoolers who use bad words were the hot topics at last Sunday's special performance of Cheerios In My Underwear (and Other True Tales of Motherhood). The event brought together the winners of the Moms Who Write essay contest (sponsored by L.A. Parent) – Irene Lyle, Heidi Fischer Clarke and Beth Deitchman – with several celebrity and author moms to get into the Mother's Day spirit with Amy Simon, star of Cheerios, her original one-woman play.

Read the winning essays here.

Pictured are (from left):

Erika Schickel: Author of You're Not the Boss of Me: Adventures of the Modern Mom and book critic and contributor to the L.A. Times

Ronna Mandel: L.A. Parent's associate editor and author of the Good Reads With Ronna blog

Stephanie Blum: Comic and star of acclaimed solo show, When I Cough I Wet Myself

Carol Schlanger: Award-winning playwright, author and actress

Jennie Fahn: Writer/performer of You Mutha!, a one-mother show, and actress in numerous TV and theatrical productions

Heidi Fischer Clarke: Contest winner for "Moms Who Have To Pee"

Amy Simon: Author/playwright/radio talk show personality

Irene Lyle: Contest winner for "I Blame My Children"

Beth Deitchman: Contest winner for "Ubermom"

Cheyenne L. Garwood: Honorary winner

Im Jung Kwuon: Honorary winner

Maddie Calabrese-Nassaney: Publisher of L.A. Parent