The Raft

If a book doesn't catch my attention immediately I tend to put it down and then forget why I picked it up in the first place. That's why I always have several going at the same time.
For example, I picked up The Senator's Wife in Target before we left for Fla.
I knew I had wanted to to read it because I read about it in Entertainment Weekly. But I can't remember more than that, so I trusted my instinct and picked it up.
In Florida, I read the first chapter. I just didn't get back to reading. I napped a lot, though. It was vacation, after all.
It has been a few weeks now and I have found myself thinking about it so I plan to pick i tup again soon.

When we got home, my Amazon order had arrived and I started reading the Dr. Laura book I had been waiting for. I am not a Dr. Laura listener or fan. I have never read a book by her but I don't live under a rock, I knew who she was. And the title was worth taking a look at. So, I began to read. I felt connected right away. I love this book so much and highly, HIGHLY recommend it for all stay-at-home mothers.

I have to caveat here, if you are a working mother - regardless of why - do not pick this book up.
It is very, VERY hard to stomach the VERY one-sided-ness of Dr. Laura.
She firmly and without give, believes that a mother should be home, caring for her children, home and husband. And I have yet to see her yield for any reason other than death of the husband. She does say, though, that daycare is better for children of drug-addicts or whores. Nice of her, eh?

So - I have to say that while I find it hard to see around her sometimes, I also find myself agreeing with her far more than I thought I ever would.

Frankly - I, too, believe that mothers belong at home. I really, really wish that every mommy in the world could stay home and love, nurture, protect and provide from the safe, cozy place of home. It is a dream of mine to always be here. I want to be here now, as my babies are new to the world and everything it offers. And I want to be here later, when they come off the bus with all the stress and fears, pride and excitement of the school ages.

So, that part of Dr. Laura's opinion is very difficult. She sees no reason why a woman, once becoming a mother, would do anything but be home.

There isn't any easy way to have that discussion.
It always ends up as "Working Mom vs Stay-at-Home Mom" and I hate that. It's not a good discussion because it doesn't go anywhere. It goes around and around and around, there is no one way, no answer, no solution, no finality.
Being the best mom you can be, the best way you can, the way that makes you happy and your family happy - that is the right way. Not the way that Dr. Laura says you should.

The last book I am reading right now is Columbine by Dave Cullen. I haven't read past what you can see on Amazon yet. I plan to pick it up after I put Dr. Laura down and finish the Senator. I remember that tragic day so well. I was young, it made a huge impact on me as a person. I seriously didn't read or watch the news for years after that. Years. I'm not kidding.

But, I am borrowing Twilight from Carly tonight, so if that is as quick a read as I hear it is, I will read that first. It is the book for June's Book Club (fun, light, summer read!) so I need to read it by June 15 if I'm gonna read it for that meeting.