J. and I don't spend a lot of time together. Not really. Despite living in the same house and raising a family, our lives are fairly separate. He leaves for work early and gets home late. After we put the kids to bed, we often drift off to our own projects. We meet up at bedtime and chat for a few minutes before I immerse myself in a book and he passes out.
On weekends, I often check out mentally. Really, after all the time with Fruit Bat and Kitty Cat, I'm tired of interacting. J. tries to give me a break by doing things with the kids and we end up tag teaming Saturday and Sunday away.
Recently, we signed up for Netflix, thinking it would give us something fun to do with each other. We built our queue with very few skirmishes and waited eagerly for our first movie to come. We watched Juno last weekend and finally, this weekend, saw Once.
SPOILER ALERT:
The movie both infuriated me (the vague sexual tension, the failure to consummate) and inspired me (the MUSIC, the acting, the creativity of the whole endeavor). Ultimately, I have to say that I liked it and J. and I chatted about it off and on all yesterday. So, Netflix is doing its job, right?
I don't know what movie is up next. But surely it's something quirky with a one-word title that everyone else saw a year-and-a-half ago.
In other (totally unrelated and unsolicited) news: I'm going through something. Some might call it a midlife crisis. Others might dub it: coming-off-a-miraculous-but-also-excrutiatingly-mundane-six-years-of-stay-at-home-momhood.
I'm not sure what will fix me. A hard slap to the side of my head? A weekend away with J.? A part-time job? Probably no one thing will convince me that I'm not entitled to 24-hours a day of fun and romance. But it will be a small series of realizations: watching Kitty Cat learn to skip, playing who-can-spank-the-other-person-first with Fruit Bat (my current favorite game), gazing out at the Puget Sound with a cup of hot tea and knowing that this is alive as I'm ever going to get. And being okay with that.
I do know that I've been writing fiction like a possessed woman lately. And I'm so grateful to have that outlet. SO grateful.
Current tally for The Mating Habits of Fireflies: Rejections 12ish? Agents reading the full manuscript: Two. Agents reading partials: Two.
You get the award for best title post today, hands down!
And fun names you've picked for playing with the kiddos.
I'm not in the same place you are - only one baby, five months old, and I'm just getting used to not working, but I am so glad I've discovered writing vis a vis blogs, and blogging -- I love reading others' writings (like yours) and am enjoying my own photo-obsessed blog too. I don't know if I've ever commented here before, but I'm following along here (and love your food blog) and enjoying your story and think it's great you've got 4 agents reading it! Congrats on that!
Posted by: christy | February 02, 2009 at 10:54 AM
Okay! Omigod!
WE signed up for Netflix a few months ago in an attempt to have something "social" to do together.
WE rented Juno and THEN we rented Once.
I am not kidding you.
And then we didn't watch movies for two months (it was the holidays, you know...).
And I am having a mid-child crisis, too.
Totally.
Your are my BBF (blog best friend), no wait, BBFF. Blog best friend FOREVER.
Posted by: Stacy (mama-om) | February 02, 2009 at 01:59 PM
Fiction is good. Often beats fact, which is sad. You write our escape, 'kay?
(Sorry Bossy isn't there with you so we can midlife or exhausting-cumulative-years-spent-parenting together!)
Posted by: BOSSY | February 02, 2009 at 02:34 PM
Okay, I know NOTHING about publishing, but a 33% positive return is really good, right? Because it sounds phenomenol! Go you!
Posted by: Katie in MA | February 02, 2009 at 02:53 PM
Ahhh. Security. Stability. Sounds so unglamorous until your life has been one big cluster for a long period of time. Enjoy it :)
Posted by: The Introvert | February 02, 2009 at 08:05 PM
I LOVE the fiction outlet - however, i recommend vodka for release.
Posted by: vodkamom | February 03, 2009 at 03:32 AM
So far, Netflix has been "my" outlet, my wife doesn't really want to watch movies very much.
Except? Mamma Mia.
She's seen it 20 times and is too cheap to actually buy it, so we netflix it and just keep it for a while.
Speaking of what to do, you could always run off to a greek island with Pierce Brosnan. There are worse things, I guess.
Posted by: ben | February 05, 2009 at 01:47 PM
You looked so together on Tuesday, so whatever you are doing, keep it up. Wow, 4 manuscript hits is awesome!!!
Posted by: Leslie | February 05, 2009 at 02:36 PM
I clicked on this from your Feedjit thingy--I'm late to the party here but I totally GET where you are.
Posted by: Nora | March 21, 2009 at 08:43 PM