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I'll be the first one to tell you that I have the greatest job in the world: Not only do I love being a writer, but I absolutely love the flexibility afforded to me by working from home. There's precious little I miss from working in an office, and the things I do miss have nothing to do with cubicles and everything to do with paid vacations.
When I began my career as a freelancer, I didn't know many other people doing what I did; five years later, my time networking in the field and the downturn in the economy have seemingly yielded freelancers on every corner, and many of them are moms. And so, of course, we now have Work At Home Moms Week (who decided that, anyway?) to celebrate the wonder of ... being on-duty 24 hours a day. Heh.
If you're thinking of dipping your toes into the work-at-home waters, let me tell you about my day today. Today wasn't remarkable in any way; I think it was pretty representative of what my usual life is like as a work at home mom. You know, full of glamor and such.
5:30 a.m.: Alarm beeps. I turn it off and pull the covers over my head.
6:00 a.m.: I hear my son rattling around in his room above ours. I get up.
6:02 a.m.: Pour my first cup of coffee.
6:03 a.m.: E-mail.
6:30 a.m.: I push back from the computer, take the dog out and make sure both kids are up.
6:45 a.m.: Finish coffee while making breakfast smoothies for the kids. Try to nod and/or grunt in the right places as my son tells me about his latest made-up Pokemon creature.
6:55 a.m.: Make sure son's backpack is loaded and homework is not forgotten.
7:00 a.m.: Pack three lunches. Remind son of his allergy meds. Holler up the stairs for my daughter to get out of the shower.
7:15 a.m.: Say good-bye to son and husband.
7:16 a.m.: Back to email.
7:28 a.m.: Start dishes left over from night before.
7:30 a.m.: Assure daughter her outfit does not look dorky.
7:32 a.m.: Assure daughter her hair looks nice.
7:34 a.m.: Assure daughter her lunch is something she'll want to eat.
7:36 a.m.: Ask daughter to please stop talking and feed the dog.
7:45 a.m.: Send daughter off to meet the bus.
7:46 a.m.: More coffee and more e-mail.
8:00 a.m.: Notice the time, start doing actual work. You know, the assignments I'm paid to turn in?
9:00 a.m.: Grab a yogurt from the fridge. Call my doctor's office to ask for a prescription refill. Send an e-mail to the school about an unresolved problem. Eat the yogurt.
9:05 a.m.: Back to work.
9:06 - 11:20 a.m.: Write. Answer e-mails. Confirm dentist appointments for tomorrow. Write. Play a few moves in Scrabble on Facebook. Write. Delete some e-mails. Steal a piece of candy from an Easter basket that's still sitting on the kitchen counter for some reason. Write.
11:21 a.m.: Daughter calls from school to say that a wire on her braces broke. Awesome.
11:22 a.m.: Call orthodontist to schedule emergency appointment.
11:24 a.m.: More e-mails that lead to a phone call with a client.
11:38 a.m.: I'm hungry. I throw some leftovers in the microwave and take the dog out while they heat.
11:45 a.m.: I grab my empty plate (and water glass and coffee mug) and take them back to the kitchen.
11:46 a.m.: Shower. Hey, early today.
12:05 - 2:45 p.m.: E-mail. Another phone call. More writing. Check in with husband via IM. Another couple of Scrabble moves. Read blogs. Write. E-mail. Maybe just one more cup of coffee! And possibly a snack.
2:46 p.m.: Son gets home from school.
2:48 p.m.: Suggest the same list of possible snacks I have suggested every single day for the last five years until he decides on one.
3:10 p.m.: Take the dog out again, check son's assignment book, remind him to grab a book, get into the car to go pick up daughter.
3:12 p.m.: Stop for gas. Dammit.
3:17 p.m.: Sign daughter out from school early.
3:35 p.m.: Stop at optical place to pick up daughter's glasses.
3:55 p.m.: Arrive at orthodontist.
4:00 - 4:15 p.m.: Frantically return e-mails from my iPhone, typing with one finger.
4:40 p.m.: Back home again. Dispatch children to do their homework. Sit down at the computer to write.
5:00 p.m.: Husband arrives home and informs me he'll be making dinner. I congratulate him on his utter awesomeness.
5:01 - 6:05 p.m.: Work. Am
