Today in Mommy-Land
Pretty low-key day, though we’re looking forward to Daddy coming home tonight. The Little Man took a few short naps (one in the Bjorn again (~30 minutes), and one in bed (~1 1/2 hrs), one currently in the carseat), so that wasn’t terrible. Played with tupperware towers (mostly knocking them down), and playing cards, and pulling books out of boxes (terribly exciting). Did much crawling and only almost got to the dog bowl once. The swing has *not* been useful these past two days.
Went to K’s to watch some of the second episode of Galavant, which is surprisingly funny. King Richard definitely steals the show. The Little Man enjoyed all the attention and the rolly-ball cat toy. He’s also obsessed with grabbing things off the coffee table. SO OBSESSED. But he finally crashed out in his carseat, and is still (temporarily, I’m sure!) sleeping now.
Also, my phone’s battery is drained, and I can’t find my charging cable anywhere, so *that’s* been fun. I had just enough time this morning to text the hubby & K to let them know to call the house phone. I’m surprised by how much not having my phone has made me a little crazy. I guess instituting a “no cell phones/no computer day” would be a useful thing for me! Maybe I can start on a weekend…
Today in Writer-Land
A somewhat productive day, actually. I got a chunk added to the handwritten story I’ve been toying with, which was nice, and got in a little of Swan Song by John Galsworthy. It’s the last of the whole Forsyte Saga, and I’m glad I still remember most of what happened in the last book! Already, I can see trouble brewing on the horizon, and that’s something Galsworthy does so well in this series!
Also got two rejections today (because, why not two on one day? 8:20pm EDIT: THREE in one day! Sheesh… I’ll get the third out tomorrow…). One came with a pleasant personal note from a pretty tough market to crack, so I’m rather pleased, even if it was a “No” in the end. Darn those personalized rejections! I keep getting them, which must mean something, but I sure can’t figure out how to snag a “Yes!”
Ah well. Both stories are right back out again, because why not? :) Now if only I could get a bit more focused time so I could actually get some new material out there!
I will say this: I understand why some writers throw in the towel after having kids. I am in no way going to do so, but I get it. Especially the writers who have to work full-time, too. There are only so many hours in the day, and when you’re around one as little and inquisitive and impulsive as the Little Man, there’s very little time to even think or brainstorm with any focus. If I weren’t currently stay-at-home, I don’t think I’d be doing much writing. I do little enough as it is, but if I had to give 8+ hours to a day job and come home to the Little Man–there’s very little that would make me feel justified in taking time away from him, even for a short ten or twenty minutes. I applaud the women who can balance work/kids/writing! That’s a mammoth challenge.
As it is, I do feel like I can take that time and not feel bad about it–when there’s an opportunity, which is still relatively rare to come by–but there’s still a lot of pressure on moms–working or otherwise–to not “deprive” their children of attention. At home, I think it comes more in the form of feeling like since you’ve got the opportunity to be with your child 24/7/365, there should be no reason they’re ever unhappy. I mean, they’ve got you all the time, so can’t you just keep them cheerful and entertained already? It’s not like they’re in daycare. Of course, this is a ridiculous expectation, even for daycare providers who are professionals and know a hell of a lot more than a new mom does about what might entertain a 4/6/8/10 month old. It’s a constant challenge, and one that isn’t even remotely realistic. But the pressure is still there, especially when they’re grumpy or upset–“Why am I no good at this?” I suspect with time, it will get easier, but I don’t think I ever realized how difficult it is caring for a pre-toddler full-time. I do feel like I’m getting better at it, but still–oomph. What I’m saying is, I suppose, bravo writers who have survived writing/editing with infants around! (Ladies, especially, because unless you had a surrogate, you’ve had the physical delights of pregnancy/birth/recovery to deal with as well, and that’s nothing to sneeze at as my joints and ligaments still aren’t back to totally normal yet and from what I hear, won’t be for a while yet.)
Maggie Slater 