Treading Water

Sometimes I feel like I can never catch up. There's always something. The kids have suddenly outgrown all their clothes. There's a bill from the hospital that for some inexplicable reason insurance hasn't paid. And you have to sit on hold for an hour. There's a birthday party for which we need to buy a gift. Or Miles has pnemonia or an ear infection and we have to go to the pediatrician and then wait for our perscription at Walgreens. And there's work for our co-op and a mountain of laundry that needs to be folded. And we're out of milk again, or bread or all the bananas are mushy. Not to mention that every day I need to cook for the kids, do the dishes, take out the trash and pick up enough toys that it doesn't look like a bomb went off in our living room.

I know other mothers who always look fabulous. Who have great nails. And trendy clothes. Jeans that fit and white t-shirts that don't have stains under the armpits. I know some who actually have regular workouts. I know other well-read mothers who read A Million Little Pieces back when it was still non-fiction. I know mothers who actually go out to dinner with friends. And say "I love you" on the phone whenever they talk to their husbands. And ones who have time for hobbies and actually knit hats for all their friends new babies. And actually made by hand 29 valentines with their kid to take to school. Oh yeah, and some have jobs too and still manage to take their kids to Music Together and the pediatrician. So I'm just wondering how they do it?

Last Friday night I went to a party (which caused a big fight with Mike that is a whole other story) and two of my friends asked me if I was still writing fiction. And I had to laugh. Because, me, I'm just trying to keep my head above water.