Time for Mom...er...Honey

Our Worldwide Classroom has a new blog hop called "Time for Mum".  She wanted to know what you as a mom ( be that stay at home, work from home, work not at home, and all those other labels that all me Mamma!) do to relax with kids. 

Well, to be honest I use sex to relax.  It's cheap, quick or slow it's nice either way, doesn't require any planning, don't have to go anywhere, and when I'm done I'm relaxed, have a rosy glow, nice smile and Ben always gets me a drink.  How awesome is that!

But, when he's working 12's like he has been for the past 3 weeks straight, you're terrified of tornadoes and EVERY night there have been severe storm warnings, and a UTI that you couldn't get into the doc until a week AFTER symptoms started....you turn to books.  Most importantly...I turn to one of two authors.  Either Laurell K. Hamilton (I actually think I have a crush on her.  I told Ben I think we could be great friends and not that scary, creapy stalker type friendship.  He responded "yeah...that's not creepy or anything"...so...I KNOW it's creepy but she's AWESOME!!!!!!!!) or Kim Harrison. 

Now, Laurell (yeah, we're on first name basis.  Ever since she got me through 8 months of bedrest with Sunshine ..yep...8 months....I had miscarried 9 times before her and we didn't take any chances even though my water leaked at 5 months but luckily it sealed back up.  In the end despite a few transfers for preterm labor...she was amazing at helping me stop worrying about losing Sunshine. ) is simply great.  She has 2 REALLY great series...'Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter' & 'Meredith Grey' who is a mortal sidhe princess privated investigator.  In both books the characters are strong women that make their own way, both are short ( just like me! :) ), are pale enough to make you wonder about their iron levels (just like me!) and live in a world not too different from the real world...they just have Vampires, Werewolves, Brownie's, Fairies, and LOTS a magic although I do think we have those same fantastical creatures here I just unfortunently could call many of them family. :)

Kim...we're just becoming friends as she only has a handfull of books.  Laurells been writing since I was a highschooler & has like a total of 30ish books.  But, Kim has that local flavor 'cause her lead character, Rachael, is a witch living in the Cincy area.  Apparently in Rachael's world witches, wereanimals, vampires, etc. lived among mortals until a genetically alterted tomato created a plague of sorts that wiped out nearly all of the humans.  Humans found out, freaked out but are coming around although they avoid Halloween, tomatoes, & avoid all the yummy food that comes from tomatoes.  It's REALLY a great book...there's a smaller story line since her books are pretty new but I'm sure as she grows older she'll be giving Laurell a run of her money.

Now...You HAVE to start Laurell's series with "Guilty Pleasures" if you wanna read about Anita (I also think Anita & I could be friends....although I'm anti-gun but I'm sure that'd change when in Anita's world.)  If you're more into mortal Fairy Princess'...check out Merry and start with "A Kiss of Shadows".  And, if your still anti-gun check out Rachael & her splat gun with her sleeping charms.  You'll meet Ivy & Jenks & you'll enjoy them all so start with "Dead Witch Walking". 

These books are NOTHING mommy or homeschooling or bills or cubicule.  So....to relax I enjoy reading a book that's as far away from reality it's starting to come back around.  What makes these books so enjoyable is the fact that both authors have the ability to draw you in to where you could feel yourself thinking of the characters as real....then you can forget that you're an insomniac, you've got to pull another presentation together for the kids or a boardroom or you have to go to the gyno tomorrow & you wonder...how long HAS it been since you shaved your legs & has your midwife seen worse?....

How do you relax?