Hello Everyone! I hope all is well with you! I’ve got Jessie Andersen as a guest today and she’s sharing her thoughts on the juggle all of us mother’s do–whether it’s juggling writing or a full time job with motherhood. Take it away Jessie!
I had to laugh when I emailed Lisa recently to ask her to remind me the topic of the post. You see, my little 14 month old is sick. She’s been crying, whining, wriggling, screaming, snotting and coughing for two days. I’m working on little sleep and little patience. So, Lisa graciously emailed me back and said, “We discussed the topic of juggling motherhood with writing.” HA! If that’s not irony, I don’t know what is.
So, here it is in a nutshell: my family comes first. I try to set aside time to write at least an hour a day, but the Little Bug won’t let me sit at the computer until she’s sleeping. Well, unless I want a bunch of “kskdfhio” put into the middle of my WIP. She likes the space bar and the ‘page down’ button too, so I find myself typing in the middle of a previous paragraph if I try to do anything with her awake. In the morning, I get the older two kids off to school with the help of my awesome hubby and then The Bug and I hang out. We play in the living room, and every once in a while I try to clean something, but it’s futile when I have a 14 month old going behind me messing up whatever I clean. Folding laundry… that’d be nice if The Bug didn’t climb on my piles and pull the neatly folded clothes into a big heaping mess again.
So waiting for bed time is the perfect solution except that nap time is limited. So I have to be fast and efficient. I’m neither, which is why it takes me so long to pump out a manuscript. Oh well. In the long run, The Bug is more important than my writing career any day.
Now, I know what you’re thinking. I could write in the evenings, but when the older kiddos get home from school, it’s homework, cub scouts, gymnastics, and guitar lessons. Not to mention, we do need to eat, and eating together as a family is an important tradition in the Andersen household. I cook nearly every night, and we sit down together, asking our kids how their day went. This means that all writing oriented stuff must stop by 3:30.
There are weekends. But with my kids in school, we keep weekends open. I won’t do work on Sunday. That’s our day of worship and family, and Saturdays are usually filled with baking, crafts or whatever else we can’t fit in during the week. So, if you really look at it, I have only 5-10 hours a week to do anything writing related.
But I’m not complaining. God has blessed my writing, and I’m privileged to be able to raise my little one from home and still have something that I can call ‘mine’. In the end, I may not be remembered for being a famous author or even a good author, but I will be remembered for being a good mom. That’s the most important job there is.
You’re so right Jessie! If you get a chance, check out Jessie’s book! It’s on my TBR pile that’s for sure!
During her junior year, sixteen-year-old Maggie Reynolds expected to shop for prom dresses not maternity clothes. Now, instead of studying for the SATs, she’s reading, What to Expect When You’re Expecting. Maggie’s ‘Mother Dearest’ lives in fear that Maggie will somehow taint the family name, so Maggie can’t turn to her for help. Meanwhile, her father is oblivious to anything but his 9-9 job. And her boyfriend, Justin? She’s pretty sure he’ll stay by her side.
While Maggie wrestles with her options, Justin offers a solution: abortion. It would solve all her problems quickly, easily, and effectively. And her parents would never know, which means they won’t throw her out and cut her off like they’d always threatened if she got herself knocked up. But an easy decision becomes difficult when Maggie’s aunt discovers her secret and sets out on a mission to stop the abortion, putting a kink in Maggie’s plan. Now Maggie must decide which choice she can live with: abortion or teenage motherhood. Either way, it’ll be a tough road to travel.
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/at-what-cost-j-andersen/1111557851?ean=2940014771320
http://astraeapress.com/#ecwid:mode=product&product=12328251
www.Jandersenbooks.com
www.Therabidwriter.blogspot.com
www.readbetweenthelinesbookclub.blogspot.com
www.facebook.com/jandersenbooks
www.twitter.com/jvdlandersen
http://www.goodreads.com/jvdlandersen
