Writing while mothering

It is not easy to be a writer when a kid or two still only come up to your knees. And if those aren't the only ones you have, then you're really in trouble, because not only are your days freaking nuts, but your after school is probably nearly catostrophic.

I started my second novel in November. It's almost done. Well, the first draft that most likely has eight million typos and plenty of conflicting scenes and most likely some really underdeveloped characters. It took me three months to get that far. Lord knows how long it will take me to revise the thing. How Stephenie Meyer did this with her kids all at home, I'll never know. I remember reading about how she would be writing with her toddler crawling in her lap and watching cartoons over her shoulder. Seriously, that is patience I definitely come up real short on.

I often look around and think, what are some things I could 'let go' in order to have more time writing. The dust is three feet thick on the mantle, the floor covered in all kinds of really unnamed stuff, and the dishes are piled high. So obviously, that's already gone. Today we went to the dentist and my kids have mouthfuls of cavities. I guess the bedtime routine wouldn't be a good one to sluff off. If I ignored our animals, they'd all die. Not good. If I ignore my husband...oh wait, he'd say I already do. And yes, our kids are still playing musical beds, so forget getting up early. So, it's a real predicament.

Right now as I try to write this, my second daughter is pouring over little stuffed animals on some internet site, asking me which ones she should get. For the sake of buying myself a few more minutes, I don't have the heart to tell her that we ain't buying anymore damn stuffed dogs.

But I still want to be mothering and I still want to be writing. So I suppose until one of those things change, it will just be a juggle. And a struggle. But so far that's all I've ever heard trying to write a book (or even more so, sell a book) is anyway. Just grin and bear it, right? Might make my jaw sore.