Sophia Romero, author of the novel, Always Hiding and the blog, The Shiksa from Manila, has a new blog at New York Metro Parents called  Mom After-Hours. Welcome to the neighborhood.

I want to
set the record straight: for a mother, I don’t think and behave like
one.  I don’t think of my children constantly (out of sight, out of
mind) and they are not the center of my universe though I love them
dearly.  No, that center is reserved for me and me alone and that’s the
way it’s always been from the get-go.  My children know this and my
husband of 20 years knows this even better. The running theme in our
household is: When Mommy is Not Happy, the World Sucks.  I am not the
Queen of my domain.  I am the Empress.

But before you accuse me
of being a cold-hearted witch whose children and spouse deserve way
better, and question the wisdom of having someone like me participating
in a wholesome website such as this, you should also know that I nursed
each of my kids for at least two years (their lips were unsullied by
formula); we had a family bed (king-size) until the dog came along and
took over; I’ve never laid a hand on either of my kids, not even when
my then 9-year old son called me something unspeakable (and
unprintable) and even then I made him spell out the words (he couldn’t)
rather than administer corporal punishment which is what my mother
would have done.