Spring Break...day 1

Sorry, not that kind of Spring Break. There will be no binge drinking or flashing here, and the only beads you'll find are the ones my daughter spilled out of her million piece craft kit and then pushed under her dresser. You guessed it, it's the kids Spring Break from school. This means my house will be jam packed with kids and loud noises. Then to top it all off I went and made a pact with myself that I would find time to write, at least a little, everyday this week. What was I thinking?

I made this pact because I have been working on promoting my first book; attending book signings, compiling mailing lists and planning an extensive Virtual Book Tour. With all of this and my crazy busy family life, my writing has been put on the back burner. Here is how it is going so far today...

My oldest son leaves for work, then my husband. Other 3 kids are still sleeping. I tip toe upstairs to write and my youngest son wakes up. Before his eyes are open he has the upstairs television on a video game controller in his hand. Click...click...click... Why do they make those controller so noisy anyway? Before I can bribe him to come back up in 1 hour my daughter is calling me. She has a stomach ache :(

So I get her settled on the couch with a blanket and some juice and my middle son wakes up. He wants a ride to his buddy's house. I explain that his sister doesn't feel well and can not take a car ride yet. He starts calling around to all of his friends that already have their licenses, and now I have stomach ache. It is now pouring outside and, just when I am gearing up for argument that is sure to follow when I tell him he can't go, my oldest son comes home. He works outside and the rain gave him a half day. Whew...crisis averted. He takes his brother to his friends.

My daughter progressively feels worse and worse, so I call the pediatrician to ask what else I can try to calm her stomach. As I am on hold my youngest son begins to wither away in front of my eyes (because he is reeeaaalllyy starving). The nurse says she will call back, so I help him whip together a quick lunch. With the soup on the stove, and my daughter content for the moment I turn on the radio and start cleaning up the kitchen. Hearing the radio tricks my mind that cleaning isn't as bad and monotonous as it is.

As I am filling the dishwasher I hear the soup bubbling over and then the phone starts ringing. Thinking it is the doctor I answer and before I can turn down the stove the smoke alarm starts screaming above me. Now I am rushing to find something I can wave under it to make it stop. It is not the doctor on the phone, it's my husband. He deadpans me with, "What are you cooking?" It doesn't help my case when I argue that I do not use the smoke alarm as a cooking timer and then do just that.

So, now the day is almost over and I have yet to sit down and write, unless this counts :) There is still time though. My daughter's feeling better, my middle son is safely dropped off, my youngest son is fed and happy, until the next scheduled starving (around 5:00), my oldest is well he is old enough to take care of himself, and I am shutting off all distractions (mainly the Internet) and writing.

Wish me luck!