Life, Love and Lit

I am such a slacker! Jeez Louise! What is wrong with me? Actually, nothing is really wrong with me, I just get busy with ... life. As a full time professional at the day job, and a full time mommy of a two and a half year old, there is little time for much else.

So how does one create balance in Life in order to fit Reading and Writing into it?

Ah yes, the question I would love to be able to answer. But, alas, I have no words of wisdom. I'm still trying to figure it out myself. The day job is important to me because, well, it pays my bills and feeds my family. Kind of important stuff, right? The love of my family is also important to me because my son is at an age where he needs interaction constantly. His little brain is going ludicrous speed and I am doing my best to keep up. (Yes, I totally threw in a Spaceballs reference) Boog's imagination is so full of awesomeness right now, I hate to lock myself away in a book or writing for fear I might miss something. Never mind the super cute, but sort of pathetically humbling, moments where he sticks his face between mine and the laptop screen and says, "look at ME, mom!"

But I need the moments to myself to do what I love in order to remain sane, or at the very least, likable. Trust me, you don't wanna be in the same zip code when this chickie here has the cranky pants on. Not pretty. Linda Blair ain't got nuthin on me. So what do I do? At the moment it's all about multi-tasking. It is not unusual to find me standing in the kitchen stirring pasta with one hand and have the other hand holding an open book away from the steam. The only problem with this is chicken tends to get a little too done at times. [Insert sheepish shrug]

The same comes with my writing. I am a horrible blogger, this I know. I see other 'professional' bloggers who post nonstop and I bow to their mastery. I just can't do it. If I manage to read, and finish, a book, I will write up my review and post my thoughts. If something comes to mind that I feel needs to be shared with the masses, I will post. Doing it every day, or multiple times a day, just doesn't happen.

Working on the WIPs falls into this as well. I do my best to find time on the weekends to dedicate even just an hour to writing a new chapter, or editing a chapter, with the WIPs. This usually happens while I have an ear on the washing machine as well. Write a paragraph, pull clothes out of dryer, clothes in washer go to dryer, fill washer, write a paragraph, rinse, repeat.

I have also been known to abuse down time at the day job. Shhhhh... Don't tell anyone, K? *grin* I keep my updated goodies on a memory stick that travels everywhere with me. OCD? Over protective? Slight problem with control? Um...yeeeaaahhhh. Wee bit. So when there is down time in my day, I will plug the memory stick in, crank up the iPod, and discretely disappear into my imaginary world for a paragraph, or page, or even a full chapter depending on how dull the day is.

So now I ask, is this normal? Do any of you out there suffer from the same time management issues? How do you fit in writing into a busy world of full time demands? Is it possible to be a full time professional, full time mom, AND a full time writer? Or even a part time writer? But then can you still fit in the ever important READING? What tricks have you learned? What is the weirdest place or time you have managed to fit in your passions?