2:00 pm

2:00 pm. One hour until the bus returns my tired, sweaty, fidgety, hungry children back to me. In the hours since they have left, I’ve made the bed, done the dishes, walked three miles, showered, eaten two meals and attempted some semblance of work. With the one hour mark comes the pressure. Did I do

Do For You

I remember when my first was born and someone told me about the airplane model of parenting – attach your own oxygen mask first before assisting others. Seemed like a no brainer in that last month of pregnancy, but it wasn’t until I realized I was dashing out of the shower with barely rinsed out

At Peace with Priorities. This Week.

There hasn’t been any writing this week. There will probably not be any writing next week, either. Normally, I’d be twitchy. And part of me is. But part of me is okay with it. Because it’s spring. Or because there isn’t really an alternative. Or because I’m terrified of where I am in the work

Three Hours

Three hours. Every weekday I drop the little dude off at preschool, come home and have three hours before pick-up. Three hours to spend focused on those adult-only tasks that are done so much more productively without interruption or carousing  children running about the house. Three hours for writing. Three hours to take care of busy work.

Lessons from a Leprechaun

Author’s Note: Below is an essay I wrote this past fall as part of a contest I didn’t win. So it may not be award winning writing, but it seems pertinent to publish today. And so I share it with you. Happy St. Patrick’s Day. May you find your own pot of gold. My second grade teacher

There’s a Hole in the Bucket

Yesterday evening, I went to wash my hands to start preparing our dinner. Only a small trickle of water sputtered out of the faucet, slowly dribbling into nothing. Apparently, our neighborhood’s water had been shut off to repair a water main break on the street. Bulldozers and trucks converged on the problem, city workers stood around

Under Pressure

Weeks when my writing time is limited due to other commitments or a surprise kid with a fever or a last minute call to help with the class field trip can be extremely frustrating. As much as I know I should simply time shift and perhaps write at night after the kids go to bed,