The Trinity of Me
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
It's deeply appropriate that I should be writing my first blog entry today. It's 4PM and I haven't made it to the shower yet...
A day like today pretty much sums up my life.
Mother first. So, I'm home with Tillie, my younger daughter. This is Day 4, for her, of what we call 'the lurgy'. The doctor -- who I visited just so I could tell the school nurse I had -- defined it as a non specific virus... A fever, a cough like a 40 a day smoker, no appetite, general aches that can only be soothed by lying on mom for 8 hours at a time having a head rub... I am allowed up to fetch drinks but not, under any circumstances, to return phone calls or emails -- any move towards the computer elicits big clubbed-seal eyes. This does not make for productive time for me.
We should be reading Little House on the Prairie and playing Monopoly, I know, but we are watching television (don't tell anyone). Our compromise channel (I want CNN election-arama, she wants Nickelodeon) is Bravo, which means back to back episodes of "Project Runway. "
Tillie's big sister, Lulu, was home with 'the lurgy' all last week. (Why, oh why, can this sickliness not be synchronized?) So for me, it's actually Day 10. Unopened emails have hit 3 pages (panic point, for me), the laundry is piling up like a barricade (a vaguely smelly one, at that) and I'm thinking I might actually buy a sewing machine and start running up dresses (this is delusional -- I can't sew buttons -- perhaps I'm hallucinating for lack of fresh air...)
Wife second. That means showering, putting on high heels, and going downtown for dinner. It's work, a charity event, so that means he's making a little speech, and then I'm making a little speech (just like Bill and Hillary), we won't see each other all evening, and the bit I'll be most looking forward to is falling into the cab together at the end of the night and talking about it... He needs name on this blog -- I'll think of one for next time...
Writer third. So I leave on Saturday evening for my UK book tour. And a rest, she guiltily admitted, since the patient(s) are staying behind with their father. I've taken all the clothes out of my closet to try and figure out which outfits make me look thin and sophisticated (neither of these is an entirely feasible aim, but you can't blame me for trying). When I sink into the seat on the plane on Saturday night (okay, after I've eaten the dinner and watched the movie), I'll start trying to figure out what I'm going to say to the radio interviewers and journalists and bookstore customers about Things I Want My Daughters to Know.
And did I mention that the publisher wants me to deliver the new novel by May...??!!
I'm not sure how to end these entries -- perhaps a TV style is appropriate given my last 10 days soooo -- "tune in next week for the next thrilling installment...!" might work.
Until then...
A day like today pretty much sums up my life.
Mother first. So, I'm home with Tillie, my younger daughter. This is Day 4, for her, of what we call 'the lurgy'. The doctor -- who I visited just so I could tell the school nurse I had -- defined it as a non specific virus... A fever, a cough like a 40 a day smoker, no appetite, general aches that can only be soothed by lying on mom for 8 hours at a time having a head rub... I am allowed up to fetch drinks but not, under any circumstances, to return phone calls or emails -- any move towards the computer elicits big clubbed-seal eyes. This does not make for productive time for me.
We should be reading Little House on the Prairie and playing Monopoly, I know, but we are watching television (don't tell anyone). Our compromise channel (I want CNN election-arama, she wants Nickelodeon) is Bravo, which means back to back episodes of "Project Runway. "
Tillie's big sister, Lulu, was home with 'the lurgy' all last week. (Why, oh why, can this sickliness not be synchronized?) So for me, it's actually Day 10. Unopened emails have hit 3 pages (panic point, for me), the laundry is piling up like a barricade (a vaguely smelly one, at that) and I'm thinking I might actually buy a sewing machine and start running up dresses (this is delusional -- I can't sew buttons -- perhaps I'm hallucinating for lack of fresh air...)
Wife second. That means showering, putting on high heels, and going downtown for dinner. It's work, a charity event, so that means he's making a little speech, and then I'm making a little speech (just like Bill and Hillary), we won't see each other all evening, and the bit I'll be most looking forward to is falling into the cab together at the end of the night and talking about it... He needs name on this blog -- I'll think of one for next time...
Writer third. So I leave on Saturday evening for my UK book tour. And a rest, she guiltily admitted, since the patient(s) are staying behind with their father. I've taken all the clothes out of my closet to try and figure out which outfits make me look thin and sophisticated (neither of these is an entirely feasible aim, but you can't blame me for trying). When I sink into the seat on the plane on Saturday night (okay, after I've eaten the dinner and watched the movie), I'll start trying to figure out what I'm going to say to the radio interviewers and journalists and bookstore customers about Things I Want My Daughters to Know.
And did I mention that the publisher wants me to deliver the new novel by May...??!!
I'm not sure how to end these entries -- perhaps a TV style is appropriate given my last 10 days soooo -- "tune in next week for the next thrilling installment...!" might work.
Until then...
4 Comments:
Nobody ever said motherhood was easy I guess but I always think that those moments spent with your unwell children are some of the most precious because it's the only time they just want to BE with you rather than DEMAND something of you. And somehow you can justify slobbing out on the sofa in a way you never can on other days. Hope the book tour goes OK-love the new novel.
I am really interested in the way you've structured your life! Mother 1st, wife 2nd and author 3rd. I'm really looking forward to chatting to you this afternoon on the radio, I hope the flight was inspiring!
Mike Wyer, BBC Hereford and Worcester
good to see someone else juggling writing and motherhood. here's how i do the juggle
http://joannerendell.blogspot.com/2008/02/secrets-of-writer-mama.html
Love your books, by the way. And great to see you're another brit writer mama living in NY...just like me!
I went to a Book Club meeting at Books and Books in the Cayman Islands tonight, where Carol Fitzgerald was one of the speakers and Lisa See was the main speaker talking about "Peony in Love".
I picked up your new book "Things I Want my daughters to Know" and I can't WAIT to read it (tomorrow!) and share with my daughter. We both enjoyed Reading Group and Friendship Test.
I hope we'll see you in the Cayman Islands one of these days.
I love the idea of blogging, funnily enough I started my own blog mid-February as well, called "The Joy of Weddings" which is about my work as a wedding planner and celebrant in the Cayman Islands.
Love your work Elizabeth!
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