See Mom Run: How a Mom Keeps Her Sanity

Hint: It has to a lot to do with primetime TV, Bravo chefs and books. Plus: Robin dishes about a (possibly) drunk woman in her Zumba class.

What is your favorite time of day? Are you a(n):

1. Morning person: Up before the sun. You enjoy the silence in the house, a cup of coffee, and being able to get things done before the madness of your typical day begins.

2. Afternoon person: Not one to excel during either the morning or evening, the hours between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. are when you are your best self.

3. Evening Person: The hustle and bustle of the day is almost over. You like a glass of wine while cooking dinner and some down time with the family before it’s time to turn in.

I, of course, am none of these. Instead, I am:

4. A night person. The bedtime routine (read: clusterfuck) is over. The kids are finally asleep, after each has gotten out of bed at least three times for water (not too much or your diaper will overflow and I’ll be changing the sheets at 3 a.m … again), because his/her room is too dark/light/hot/cold, or to give you another kiss and hug, which, while adorable at any other time of day, is just annoying at this point. And it’s finally mommy time!

I love my kids. Most of the time it’s all I can do not to love them up to the point of public humiliation and questionable glances from strangers. That being said, the post-8 p.m. hours are my most treasured of the day. It’s finally time to kick my feet up, sit quietly with my thoughts, and catch up on whatever happens to be piquing my interest at the moment. This is, of course, after I have cleaned the kitchen, packed lunches, rescued any number of small figurines from under the couch, folded the laundry, emptied the dishwasher, and taken the dog for a walk. It’s a very small, but wonderful, window of time.

An unapologetic pop-culture whore, avid TV watcher, and voracious reader (not to mention music snob, movie buff, and magazine plunderer), I am always looking for new things with which to fill my brain after 8 p.m. The following are some of the things that I have been enjoying during mommy time recently:

Television: While I obviously watch so much more than just these three shows, I’m just giving you a small sampling of my faves in the comedy, drama and reality genres.

1. Comedy – New Girl. Are you watching this show? You should be. If not for Zooey Deschanel’s nerdy adorable-ness and questionably offbeat fashion choices, then for Schmidt. Schmidt is the most loveable douchebag in all of TV-dom and has made it onto my “list” (you know … the list of people who, if you met them in real life, your significant other would have no choice but to be totally cool about you having “relations” with? Others on my list: John Krasinski, young Paul Newman, Alexander Skaarsgard and Zac Efron. I do not discriminate on the basis of age or alive-ness.)

2. Drama – Homeland. Two words: Mandy Patinkin. Yes, Claire Danes is amazing, the plot is twisty and interesting, and the action is fast-paced, but COME ON!!! He was Inigo Montoya!! You killed his father. Prepare to die!

3. Reality – I pretty much detest all reality programming that is not food- or home-improvement-centric. I could watch the Cooking Channel/Food Network/HGTV all day long. I am a die-hard Top Chef fan and have started watching Life After Top Chef in order to keep up with my “friends.” Poor Jen Carroll. I want to see the hometown girl make good! Jen, hit me up. Let’s work something out. You’re a celebrity chef. I’m … me. We can totally get something going together!

Books: Like I said, I am a voracious reader. I’m up until 3 a.m. plowing through “just one more chapter” before bed. I am all about fiction with a penchant for the historical as well as the fantasy varieties, but I will read just about anything.

1. Gone Girl: Wow. Part humor, part suspense thriller, part psycho mind-fuck, an amazing read that I couldn’t put down.

2. The Lost Wife: Love/Holocaust story. Not your usual (gory, disturbing, intense) Holocaust fare, but enough detail to remind you of the horrific events of the past. And a beautiful love story to remind us that nothing is ever, truly, lost.

3. A Discovery of Witches and Shadow of Night: Two in a three-part series. For the lovers of vamps, witches, and the like who are looking to move beyond Twilight.

And now it is your turn. Comment below with shows, movies, books, music that I should be checking out during mommy time. Don’t forget to comment on my picks above. Love ’em? Hate ’em? And who is on YOUR list??

Mommy’s Corner

While this week’s column seems to be one big Mommy’s Corner, I will end with this: I’m fairly certain that there was a drunk chick in my 9:30 a.m. Zumba class today. Admittedly, it is sometimes hard to differentiate between a drunk and one of those people who are so into Zumba that they APPEAR to be drunk throughout the class. There was hooting. Fist pumping. Calling out something bizarre and then asking, no one in particular, “Am I right?” So, to you, drunk Zumba girl, I say go on with your bad self if all of that was coming from a place of Zumba love and enthusiasm. Otherwise I say, lay off the sauce. At least until a suitable hour. Like 10:30.

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Robin Raskin lives with her family in Bucks County. She blogs Thursdays on Be Well Philly. Catch up with the series here.