Wednesday, September 1, 2010

The Start of the School Year

School is starting! YAY! Although this year, we are starting late – September 13, to be exact. Why so late? Because our district observes the Jewish Holidays, just like many districts around here, though there are several that do not. And since this year, those holidays are the week of Labor Day, our traditional school opening week, it made more sense to remain closed the extra week. Either way, I am so glad to have the kids going back to school.

This year, my little guy is starting kindergarten, and my daughter is entering 8th grade. Last year before high school. When the hell did that happen? But it’s going to be an interesting year, since now both kids will have a heavy schedule. Between sports, dance lessons, CCD, National Honor Society and Girl Scouts, community service hours, not to mention homework, I’m going to be spending a lot of time on the road. Add in my own personal commitments, full time job, writers’ meetings and critique groups, and hopefully other writing-related events to increase in the coming months, and I’m going to be ready for a rubber room by November. No wait, can’t do that, taking the family to Disney in November. December then. No, then it’s the holidays. January is daughter’s b-day. Okay then, reserve the rubber room for February.

But as crazy as that all sounds, having the school year start actually does make life a tiny bit easier. No worries about who has to go where, do I have a babysitter while I’m working, etc. Plus, the kids are so damn tired after their crazy days, that they are all tucked in and usually close to or already asleep by 10:00pm. Then my time kicks in.

It’s going to be nice not to have to chase anyone off my computer (or stand in the kitchen with my work laptop) so I can write. I’ve even outlined a schedule for myself. I have two almost completed WIPs that I want to get wrapped up in the next couple of months. I have another one that I started recently, that stands at about 5K words right now. Big goals with not a lot of time to fit them all in. But if I keep myself organized (ha!) and focused, I should be able to do it. Of course, it would be so much easier if I didn’t have two business trips looming – one at the end of September, one the end of October (and don’t forget Disney in November!). They’re going to be huge time sucks, both during the day while I’m working, and even at home while I prep the household for my absence.

I’ve resigned myself to learning to function on less than 5 hours of sleep a night – for the next stretch, it looks like that’s all I’ll be able to fit in. And then that rubber room is going to look very welcoming.

8 comments:

  1. Oh how I remember those days when there were children to send off to school and what a relief. Sorry your school is starting so late but you will survive and continue writing. Those of us who have survived those days will lift a glass of diet cola or something stronger for you.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Definitely something stronger! LOL! If only I had those 6 hours a day for me - someday! It's definitely easier for me to get away with being "Mean Mom" when they're in school. More "Mean Mom" means more ME time! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  3. As much as I love watching my toddler all day, I've been fantasizing about when he gets to start preschool (maybe next year?) so I can have a couple of free mornings a week. Good luck with your WIPs! It's fun writing knowing you have an editor eager to look at your stuff, huh ;)

    ReplyDelete
  4. My children go back to school Tuesday. Have class Wed. then are off Thurs. and back to school on Friday. Crazy! When my children are back in school I enjoy the time to write during the day since afternoons and evenings become busier and I'm often too tired to write at night.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Shoshanna! It is wonderful when they're in school, the routine is just so much easier. Sadly, since I work, I don't get to enjoy those quiet mornings. I envy you! :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi Wendy! That crazy schedule is exactly why they delayed the start. Plus, so many teachers are affected, even if they had the kids go, no staff!

    My only time to write is nights and weekends, and occasionally at work when it's slow and no one's around - which hasn't been the case lately. Someday, I keep hoping I'll get to be a stay at home mom to take advantage of those daylight hours, I could probably write a book every month. Of course, I would have to give up the cleaning crew - without my salary, can't afford them. Pros and cons on both sides!

    ReplyDelete
  7. This is why I love post-its. I try to jot notes, etc. while at work if I can't actually write. Try to take lunch and maybe if you can carpool you it will help with the taxi.

    Good luck with the scheudle! Biz trips = writing on flight/editing printed pages, mapping out, etc. You can do it!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I would lose all the post-its! LOL! I do keep a little notebook on me at all times. Carpooling is out of the question though - first cause I live 10 minutes from the office, so I actually go home for lunch (and use that time when I'm not running errands), and second because I really don't like driving with anyone else. Sometimes those ten minutes in my car are all the alone time I get until the kids are in bed! :)

    ReplyDelete