AstroTurf (TM)

I read somewhere that the grass on the other side of the fence is probably AstroTurf. It sounds cool, but then something is lost from the analogy - once you get to the other side, the grass there is still greener than the natural stuff on the side you were just on. Right?

This past spring I was counting the days until Rain Dog could be home with us all day, every day. I just wanted someone to help with the kids so I could work. And that dream came true. About a week after school ended, I was able to get some short stories completed that have gone on to be accepted here, here, and here. (Two won't be available till next year, but it's the acceptances that count.) It's been great. And yet I find myself once again looking forward to the start of school.

It's not that I hate having Rain Dog home. It's just that when he is, it completely blows our routine out of the water. To wit: with Daddy home and the days so hot, we have to find Fun Things to do. Whether these are trips to South Carolina or the lake or the mall, Fun Things are ever so much better than being trapped in the house with a bored 4-year-old and his teething brother. However, there's a caveat: invariably, said 4-year-old will sleep on the way home. This means no couple time at night... and no writing time, either.

Other mothers say that you conveniently forget the pain of childbirth, enough to continue to have children. Thank you, that has not been my experience. However, I'd argue that a writerly version of that old wives' tale is that you conveniently forget how little time there is, whether someone is available to watch the children or not. I guess it just goes to show the ever-present necessity of maximizing that time... and not feeling guilty when it doesn't come easy.