The Write Time

As the school year draws to a close today, it presents an interesting problem for me.  With all three of my children home and the daily schedule in flux, when will I find the time to write?  I spent fifteen years teaching in the trenches and I was still able to find time to crank out two novels and a few short stories.  I was even able to take an online creative writing class as well.  Of course, I didn't have my oldest until I was near the end of my tenure as an educator.  Putting children into the equation changes everything.

Being a mom is a twenty/four seven job.  I've been a working mom and a stay-at-home mom and while both are incredibly difficult and rewarding, I have to say that the later is more challenging, especially when you are trying to incorporate work.  Perhaps it is because when you are at home, the general consensus is that you do not work.  That observation could not be farther from the truth.  I work more now than I ever did when I was in the classroom and there really isn't any down time.  I am literally always on the go.

My middle one made a comment a couple of months ago that when he was older, he wanted my job.  I said, "Oh, that's great!  You want to be a writer?"  He responded, "No, I want to stay home like you."  I bit my tongue and reminded myself several times that he was only a kindergartener.  It was only recently that I began to think of myself as a writer.  Before I always thought of myself as a teacher.  The school district where I taught forced my hand in a sense, giving me the ultimatum of returning to the classroom or resigning after I gave birth to my second child during a leave of absence.

My last principal asked me the question, "Where do I want to be school or at home?"  The answer was simple, at home which is why my husband and I decided to bite the bullet financially.  In my heart, I always knew writing was my true passion.  It just took a while for me to take the plunge.  I have done more writing in the past two months than I have in the past two years and I want to keep it going.

The predictable nature of the daily school schedule and the baby's nap time gave me a nice block of time to devote to my creative pursuits.  Summertime changes everything, but I am determined to keep my goal in sight even if it means becoming an owl because the write time is going to be the nighttime.