book review

I have been reading up a storm this summer, with Tim down in Maryland I turn pages until my eyes won't stay open another minute. Novels, decorating picture books, political tomes, and anything to do with farm management or animal husbandry have been the favorites recently. I found a new library (it took a year to scout it out and 20 minutes of driving around downtown to find it) in Bangor. It is huge, likely due to the generosity of Steven and Tabitha King, and filled with more books than even I can read in my lifetime. The children's department takes up the whole bottom floor and is well stocked with current favorites Hardy Boys (Will) and Magic Treehouse (Maggie). Upstairs is non-fiction with an entire bookcase (8 shelves worth) of horse books for Mary. The only downside is that I have to race upstairs with the baby while Will and Mary watch everyone else so I can find something to read. This week while the kids were perusing the shelves, I got to chatting with another homeschooling mom, both of us gushing about raising kids in Maine.

Then I went home and read Momzillas by Jill Kargman and was doubly grateful that we will be escaping the competitive suburbs in a little less than 2 years. It "chronicles the lives of New York's ultra-rich and ultra-ambitious," in a funny and introspective way. While this homeschooling, thrift store shopping, rural advocate mama would sooner jump off the Tappan Zee Bridge than stick one toe in Manhattan's Mommy wars, it revealed some hysterical terminology that I had never heard before. The glossary helped me make sense of many terms, including MNJ (middle name junkie, mother who always calls her child by both their first and last names (and I thought it was just a Southern thing)) and Competitive Birther (racing to have more kids than anyone else (the example of this in the book had 6 kids under 6 and 3 nannies, man am I envying her the help)). I only wish that my Sperminator husband (guy with 4 or more kids) thinks that I am a Yummy Mummy (sexy, attractive mother). I recommend this one if you want reassurance that you are better off outside the competitive mommy circuit.