The Battle for the Computer Rages On...

Around here, we have, hmmm, let me count them: One, two, three, four computers with Internet access, and one computer from the dark ages which the kids use for games. You would THINK that we wouldn't still be fighting over this laptop on my desk. But we are.

My husband often works from home. He has his own desk (set up with THREE big monitors), along with his work laptop--which I didn't include in my count. It is his personal workspace, characterized by stacks and piles of strategically placed he knows exactly where it is software and documents. M-hm.

Naturally, he likes to sit here, at the lap top on my desk.

Then there is my personal computer. It is housed in a beautiful cabinet opposite my desk and connected to a server (the third computer) which, at present, is refusing to play nicely. It ate all my pictures, favorites, documents and addresses and refuses to spit them out. It effectively knocks out two more computers, which I don't want to talk about. Yet, I still have highly important things to do, like this blog.

So I need to sit here, at the laptop on my desk.

The computer in the play room has no connection to the server (not that the server wants to play nicely, anyway) or the all important Internet. And we all know that 11, 9, and 4 year-olds have to have access to the Internet.

So the boys all want to sit here.

THEREFORE, if I do not get the bulk of my work done before the mob descends, I find myself entrenched in battle over the keyboard.

Heaven forbid I should still be working at four o'clock. Not even an after school snack can buy me peace.

My boys can't work together to save their life, but they execute a flawless tag-team effort to wear me down and make me give up my place. "Are you almost done? WHEN are you going to be done? Hey, I get it first guys! Noooo, you had it forEVer yesterday! How much more do you have to do? Can I have it at four-thirty? O.K., how about at five? What are you typing? Come ON, Mom, you had it all day!"

Hrumph. Yeah, right, in between all the things they think little fairy's must come in and do all day.

Leave for even just a minute to make a potty stop, and someone else plants their butt in my chair. MY chair, at MY neatly organized desk! In spite of the two bottles of nail-polish that clearly mark it as "female" space.

It is an ugly war, and most certainly not befitting to a civilized Christian family. But I, of course, am going to handle this maturely and use my computer time wisely.

How, you ask?

I'm typing up a new and longer chore chart, and printing it out with all sorts of pretty colors--since after all, I have the computer all day.

While I'm at it, I think I'll type up a really pretty "Honey-Do" list.