But alas, if you’re not LDS, why would you be reading this one? But if you are, this is a quick fast read that serves us up some great reminders. So let me pass on some of my thoughts about this book in my meager attempt to share some of the things I learned.

Jane Clayson Johnson is former co-host of The Early Show on CBS and a network correspondent for The CBS Evening News and 48 Hours. In addition, she covered national and international stories for World News Tonight with Peter Jennings and Good Morning America. In other words, Jane Clayson Johnson was very a high profile journalist when she decided to leave it all behind. Why? For what? For a better paying job? For a more high profile job? For wealth? For prestige? No. Jane Clayson Johnson decided to embark on another career path. That of a mother. Now, it’s spit up, diaper changes, messes, temper tantrums, food on the floor, and more. And if you’re a mom, you can add another thousand things to that “more.”

In this review, I’m mostly going to share with you some great quotes from I Am a Mother.

Jane describes a dinner that she attended where women stood up and introduced themselves as “Oh, I’m just a mom,” and “I don’t have any credentials; I’m just raising our six children,” or “My life’s not very exciting right now; I’m just a stay -at-home mom,” and “I don’t have much to offer here. I’m just a mother.”

She goes on to say,

We hears some variation of the phrase ‘I’m just a mother’ repeated, almost apologetically, over and over again.

Their words surprised me. I had recently given birth to my first child, and I was on top of the world . . . I wanted to shout from the rooftops, ‘I am a mother! I am a mother!’

She says that when she left her television career many of her colleagues said that she would be finished, she could never back her way back, and that without her job there is no meaning to life, and “why don’t you just get a nanny?”

Jane Clayson Johnson then goes to say,

What I have since learned is that God’s definition of motherhood and the world’s definition are vastly different. And sometimes – probably all too often – the challenges, daily physical and emotional exhaustion, and occasional self-doubt that come along with being a mother cause many of us to buy into an inaccurate and destructive understanding of our role. There just doesn’t seem to be a lot of joy – or fulfillment – associated with the world’s interpretation of motherhood.

Maria Shriver, the wife of California Governor Arnold Schwarzennegger also said,

How do we get women to stop saying, ‘I’m just a mother.’ Or, ‘I used to be such and such, but now I’m just a mother?’

Even Oprah Winfrey (I know, I know, don’t leave me comments saying Oprah’s not a mom, I know) has said,

In our society, we give motherhood plenty of lip service. We pat moms on the head, bring them flowers on Mother’s Day, and honor them before crowds. But at the end of the day, we don’t extend them the same respect we would a professor, a dentist, an accountant, or a judge . . . to play down mothering as small is to crack the very foundation on which greatness stands. . . We should no longer allow a mother to be defined as ‘just a mom.’ It is on her back that great nations are built.

Jane Clayson Johnson says about the menial tasks of motherhood:

The sanctity of motherhood can be hard to appreciate when you spend endless hours making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, singing along with Elmo, helping crate elaborate science projects, or enforcing late-night curfews. Many in the world will shout that motherhood is full of small, mundane tasks. And certainly, if you look only on the surface, this is true. But underneath all of the secondary things mothers do – cook, clean, read, chauffeur, nurse and so on – is a mothers real occupation and I believe, the defintion of true success.

Webster defines occupation as ‘the principal business of one’s life.’ The principle business of a mother’s life is loving and nurturing her children; it is teaching them, by example, how to pass on that love and thereby strengthening the world around them.

I appreciated all of the messages that were shared in this book. I loved my job, but when I discovered that I was expecting my first child, I decided that I wanted to stay at home and take care of my children. It was a hard transition. I literally worked up to the day that I delivered (I’m just glad my water broke while at home that evening and not at work earlier that day).

Not only did I leave my job (which I loved) but we also moved at the same time, leaving me with no friends and no support. It was hard. I missed the adult interaction, it was also winter and I hated being indoors all day long. It would have been easy to say to myself, “What in the world am I doing?” But would I trade it for anything else? No. I feel honored to be at home with my children.

Now, don’t take me wrong. I’m not “judging” anybody here and the choices that we all make. It’s the very last thing that I would want to do. Each of us has our own set of circumstances, wants, needs, and desires. We are all unique individuals, whether we are single, married, no children, ten children, stay at home mom, working mom, etc, we are all trying to make our way through life the best way we know how.

As women, we are all mothers in one way or another to all of those around us!

But it is my hope that for those of us who consider ourselves stay-at-home mom’s, we will stop saying “I’m just a mom” as if it’s something shameful. When did we get into the habit of saying, “just?” There is nothing “just” about this job.

Shortly after reading this book, I had a opportunity of my own to share my sentiments. While at the Stephenie Meyer book signing, I was chatting with one of Stephenie’s people. He asked me, “So what do you do?” I instantly thought about this book and it’s message. I looked him in the eye, and confidently said, “I’m a Mom!” And guess what? Did he say, “oh” and then leave me because I had nothing else interesting to say? Absolutely not. He could tell by my mannersims that I felt good about my choice.

And I am. I’m a Mom!

So this afternoon out of desperation, I opened up The Toddler’s Busy Book: 365 Creative Games and Activities to Keep Your 1 1/2 – to 3 -Year Old Busy by Trish Kuffner. I just spotted this book last week at our local thrift shop, where I often buy my second hand books. For 25 cents, I thought, hey, why not?

Maybe it was fate, but the book opened up right to page 144 entitled “Snow Painting.” This was exactly what we needed to do today to get out of the house. I filled up a spray bottle full of water, put in some food coloring, and presto, instantaneous fun for my little one. He didn’t want to come in, he had so much fun.

I have a feeling that on days where I’m not feeling very creative and I’m out of ideas, this book will come in handy. It certainly saved the day today.

I go to two different libraries for three storytimes a week! I know, crazy, but I’ve actually met moms who do more library hopping than I do. Twice a week we go to the South Jordan library for a great storytime with Miss Allison. She’s amazing! Hats off to her. She keeps the kids entertained with lots of fun songs, fingerplays and rhymes and always greets both of my children by name.

This library also has two little hamsters, but my little guy calls them “mouse.” Monday I said, let’s go to the library and he said “mouse?!” “Yep, we’re going to where the mouse is!” How he knew that we were going to that particular library I’m not sure, but I was proud of him all the same.

Once a week, we go the West Jordan library for storytime with Mindy. She calls my oldest “Mr. Front Row” because he runs up front for the beginning of every book. His favorite part of this storytime is Humpty Dumpty, because I bounce him on my knee and then he gets to take a great big fall!

And the toys! Let’s not forget the toys. My oldest knows exactly when the toys make their appearance and then he goes crazy underneath the parachute. I have had so many moms ask me where he gets his energy; I’d like to know myself. I let him go as crazy as he wants under the parachute because when he does and we get home, he’s tired himself out so much, that he takes better naps. And what mom doesn’t want an hour to herself (well, technically not to herself, because I, as of yet, have to master getting both kids to sleep at the same time)!

Regular storytime attendance exposes your child to rhymes, fingerplays, songs and books, all of which support your child’s language development. And they learn that the library is a really fun place to visit. And oh yeah, don’t forget to check out the books

Through our attendance I have collected a fair amount of nursery rhymes. We like to repeat these rhymes at home to help them remember what they learned. All of the rhymes and books that we’ve read over the last year and a half can be found on my main website here. I find that going to storytime helps me be more creative and fun as a mom at home. When I run out of ideas or games to play, I almost always turn to the storytime basics.

What will I do when I have three kids?! Will it still be possible to go? I don’t have any more hands . . . sigh . . . I guess I’ll find out when that day comes.