Back at the Blog Again. I Missed You!

Wow, what a break from blogging.  I admit it.  I've become lazy about blogging, but I keep getting an itchy feeling in my brain to write something.  I'm just that way.  My husband remarked that I hadn't written in a long time and he missed it, and I had to admit that I missed it too. 

I've discovered that video games are one of my nemeses.  I love playing video games of all kinds, but they end up sucking up a lot of my time that could be used better in other ways.  I know that this is true with the girls (that's the reason we have a no TV/video game policy during the day), and I didn't play during the day, but during free time I wasted so much time just playing.  Play is important and even relaxing, but I know that I crossed that invisible line and fell into the land of obsession. 

I've also had a horrible time concentrating on anything these last couple of months.  My mind is full of mush and fog (seriously) and even reading a book has become difficult.  That's sad because I love reading books.  I've gone from reading two or three books a week to just muddling through a couple of pages a day that I can't even remember. 

Writing has become challenging as well.  Right now, as I am writing this, it is like looking through a fog while my brain is buzzing like one of those fluorescent lights that needs a new ballast.  Why is that?  I wish I knew.  I think that I'm lacking in iron right now (I'm chewing ice again and that's a symptom), plus allergies have given me a near constant head pressure despite taking allergy medication.  It's made it so that even posting on simple forums is difficult because I can't even concentrate on one or two sentences.  It's also made it near impossible to proofread my own grammar.  That's not good for a homeschool mother.   

The cats also enjoy distracting me from my computer time.  They will choose from a whole menu of distractions while I'm attempting to write.  They will meow to go out.  They will meow to come in.  They will stand in front of the monitor.  They will just meow.  They will throw up.  Or they will hide their puke until one of the children step in it while I am writing and I am forced to get up and deal with it. 

Spew Cat will wait until I am in the middle of writing on the computer and poop in his litter (which is 8 feet from the desk).  That wouldn't be so bad, except he doesn't bury his waste.  And it stinks.  A lot.  That leaves me with the choice of  A)  bury it for him  B)  scoop it up and dispose of it.  C)  don't breath.  Since C isn't usually an option, I have to touch the scooper which means that I have to get up and then wash my hands, I then I lose  my chain of thought. 

Rose Cat is creative at distractions as well.  The other day wanted out (and she is loudly insistent), so I got up from the computer and let her out.  Two minutes later she wanted out again.  Huh?  I figure the girls let her in through the back door.  Two minutes later she wanted out yet again.  After the fourth time, I discovered that she was letting herself in through the cat flap in the garage (which was open) but would not go back out through the same flap.  I think she was enjoying making me crazy.  I retaliated by getting the dust remover can next to me to "hiss" at her the next time.  It worked. 

Now lets add in the fact that the girls LOVE to play the piano (which is right next to the computer) as loudly as possible.  All.  The.  Time.  I like that they enjoy the piano, but they make it a point to sit and play loudly while I'm on the computer.  I think they like torturing me.

And then there is Megan who reads over my shoulder.  I don't know about you, but this makes me completely insane.  I don't mind anyone reading what I write, but not while I am writing it.  It destroys my creative thinking because it makes me completely self-conscious of everything I am writing.  She was doing it just now and walked off a little mad because she just read what I wrote, but I guarantee that she'll do it again the next time I'm on the computer. 

When I do get frustrated and take a break, I'll sit in my recliner and knit.  In five seconds, my pug will clickity-clack with his short, fat legs to my side and insist that he needs to sit on my lap while I knit.  He will make a pest of himself (did you know that pugs can nag?) until he gets his way, and he will want to lay on my yarn or put himself in such a position that knitting becomes uncomfortable.  He will scratch and wiggle.  I will sigh and move him and again lose my creative streak.  

I know people work and write from home all the time, even with little kids and pets.  What I want to know is HOW DO THEY DO IT?  All I can figure is that they must already be insane so the distractions don't bother them.