When I tell people that I write, work a day job, plus take care of a family, they always ask, “How do you do it?” I’ll admit, it’s not easy. Sometimes I don’t even want to get out of bed in the morning, but being the glutton for punishment I do. So I thought I would share a day in my life. Just so everyone can know how this author does it:

7:00 AM-Wake up and find my face plastered to the keyboard since I had fallen asleep while writing the previous night. I think I dropped somewhere around 3:30 AM, but can’t be for sure. Have to use heavy foundation to cover the, QWERTY that is embedded in my check.

8:00 AM-Wake up Daughter and assure her that you can’t get deathly ill just because you go to school tired. Drag her out of bed, tame her mass of Captain Caveman hair and get breakfast ready for her.

8:30 AM-While leaving to take Daughter to school I turn around at the door and find her gone. It had suddenly become imperative to find the perfect Webkinz to take to show off to her friends. After five minutes of yelling, we finally get into the car and are on our way.

9:00 AM-3:00 PM- I work at my day job. Truthfully I enjoy it because it is the one time I have peace during my day.

3:30 PM-Pick Daughter up at school to find out she now has FIVE boyfriends. We are driving straight to after-school actives, so I throw food at her, grab the Teen boy for support, pack up my laptop and we are on our way to the dance studio.

4:30 PM- Arrive at the dance studio. Teen disappears with a group of girls from the older dance line. No, he doesn’t dance, he just likes to hang out with girls in skimpy leotards. I am so on to his game. I will be lucky to see him again before it’s time to leave. While waiting for daughter to finish classes, I plug in my laptop and write.

7:00 PM-Dance is over. It takes five minutes for Dughter to change out of her dance shoes because she won’t stop talking, another five minutes to find Teen and peel him away from his posse and then ten minutes to get a snack from the deli. We are finally on our way out of the studio.

7:45 PM- We finally make it home. Bless his heart, the hubby has some real food waiting for us. After I eat it’s time to do spelling words, algebra, lunches and get clothes ready for tomorrow.

8:30 PM-Teen comes up to remind me I have to drive him to a friend’s house tomorrow for a school project. Then he asks if I can drive them all to McDonald’s, the mall and then Starbucks. Of course I can! I’m Super Mom! Inside I silently weep as I wonder how hard it would be to clone myself. Hubby says he can take Teen since he doesn’t have to work overtime. Happy! Joy!

9:00 PM-I finally sit down to get some more writing done.

9:05 PM-Daughter comes up to ask me if I could be any dinosaur what would I be?

9:10 PM-Back to writing.
9:15 PM- Hubby comes in to ask if I’ve seen the car keys. No I haven’t so a great hunt begins. They are eventually found in the Barbie Dream House.

9:20 PM-Back to writing.

9:25-Teen comes in asking if I signed his permission slip. What permission slip? Another hunt takes place as we look for the damn thing.

9:30-Back to writing.

9:35-Dog wants out because there is a raccoon outside. Dog must get to raccoons because he has declared war on them. Author must separate dog from raccoons because they will kick his little doggy ass.

9:40-Back to writing. Finally this time everyone has settled in for the night and I get to work uninterrupted. That is until I fall asleep at the keyboard again. Maybe this time I will wake up to TYUIOP on my cheek. Just to mix things up a bit.

-Stephani