writingwahm

It’s not often that you get a holiday as a work at home mom. In fact, you usually have too much to do and cram things in left, right and center. Occasionally, though, the planets align in the right way. This Monday will be a holiday in two of the major markets I work for - the US and the UK. That means I won’t get emails, phone calls or IM chats. In fact, since most people packed up for the holiday weekend some time on Friday, it means the whole weekend is unusually light in communications from others.

What does that mean for me? It means that I can spend more time doing art and playing imaginative games with my daughter, without worrying about the work I should be doing. It means that I can work on a couple of my own projects, without falling behind on clients’ work. My stuff is usually last on the priority list, which most WAHMs experience. I don’t know when this will happen again, so I plan to make the most of it. I’ve had an ebook in the incubator for about eight months. This weekend, I plan to get it close to the birth.

As a WAHM, I’m always trying to balance my work life with my parenting responsibilities. Today was one of those days where I tried to do it all. I spent the morning chained to my desk trying to meet a couple of urgent deadlines. At the end of it, I wasn’t ahead, but I wasn’t behind either. I’d arranged to meet a girlfriend to check out a venue for her forthcoming birthday celebrations - it’s a big one, but she’s not saying which. Then it was off to the school to pick up my daughter and her play date du jour. It’s amazing how much noise five year olds can make, especially when they are entertaining themselves. I still had to find time to check and respond to emails, as I had a couple of urgent matters on the go. Now the playmate has gone home, my daughter’s in bed, and I’m trying to decide whether I feel social enough to watch a movie with my DH. Ever had a day like that?