As I start to see more of my work rhythms, I’ve been pondering what I want to accomplish during my morning “intense” work spot, and what I can accomplish during my afternoon stint (slightly shorter and less intense, but still a spot for focused work). I’m trying to get better about returning my emails in batches.
As for my personal life, it’s going to be pretty kid-centric today. We’re doing well with playing in the mornings. I’m pondering what I’d like to do tonight with them. It will probably involve some outside time since it’s a beautiful day. Summer is a good time for using the evenings, especially with night owls like mine. The problem is that a lot of “kid” stuff isn’t open at, say, 7:30PM. Maybe this is because other people’s children actually sleep. I welcome suggestions on more evening kid activities.
6:15 – Jasper up, comes into bedroom, I convince him to go play quietly for a bit.
6:15-6:40 – lie in bed and think through day and next week. I may have slept for a few minutes in there, or we may count it as “strategic thinking time.” Not sure. But it was nice to sit quietly for a bit.
6:40-8 – Jasper is done with quiet time. Get Sam out of crib, get them breakfast, build a zoo with Legos. Working on refereeing the inevitable fights between them. Why, given that we have 1000 Legos, do they always want the exact same one?
8-8:40 – work. Mostly putting together the June newsletter (are you a subscriber yet? Use the form to the right, or email [email protected])
8:40-8:45 – brush hair, put on dress.
8:45-9:05 – walk J to school. Meet teacher in elevator, so a quick drop-off today.
9:05-9:15 – prep for parks interview; email from subject asking to push later.
9:15-9:35 – back to June newsletter
9:35-9:50 – parks interview
9:50-10:00 – finish newsletter
10:00-12 – Concentrated work for the day! I crank out draft of Fortune piece on diminishing returns. More quotes still coming in, but I have a rough draft now.
12-12:10 – email
12:10-1:20 – eat lunch, order M’s birthday gift, read notes from beta-testers on All The Money In The World.
1:20- try to call friend who’s on bedrest.
1:25-1:35 – read about Oprah’s empire building strategy on BNET.
1:35-2 – email, puttering. Hmm. I decided to go for run, but kind of waiting for lunch to settle.
2-2:45 – run outside. Very hot out (80 degrees plus) and I have to walk some, but keep going 3.5 miles. Not sure I would have if I wasn’t recording my time here!
2:45-2:50 – hang out with Sam for a bit
2:50-3 – start on parks piece revisions for City Journal
3-3:40 – friend calls back, chat re life, work, etc. Feeling very grateful my pregnancies have never involved bed rest.
3:40-3:50 – read Google comic on launch of Google Correlate which features my brother as the bearded guy on page 5.
3:50-4:15 – finish parks edits and turn in.
4:15-4:35 – rewrite op-ed draft of mentee for Op-Ed Project
4:35-5 – respond to time tracker emails, etc.
5 – start blogging!
5:30-5:50 – read poetry. I am trying to do more of this, and want to start doing some novel reading in anticipation of revising a novel of mine this summer.
5:50-6 – Michael calls, our romantic conversation consists of him instructing me how to fill out the pool maintenance service contract. Fun times.
6-6:20 Get kids dressed to go swimming in apartment complex pool. If we’re moving to house with a pool, they need to learn.
6:20-7:15 – pool. They blow bubbles, work on pulling themselves up on side of pool, kick, plus general playing. We only leave because I am freezing.
7:15-7:45 – baths while I shower (same bathroom)
7:45-8:20 – put on Dora while I cook myself supper and start to eat it. Sam decides he wants my dinner and comes and sits on my lap and eats it.
8:20-8:30 – snuggles on couch
8:30-8:50 – successfully move to boys’ bedroom. Read stories.
8:50-9:10 – the nightly, soul-sucking battle over bedtime (yes, I have read the forthcoming book, Go The F*%$ To Sleep, and definitely sympathize)
9:10-10:40 – work re paperback, plus blogging. Hoping to go to bed in next half hour.
Love the marriage comments — I’m a big proponent of marriage but think there’s little info out there about the day-to-day. Bedtime is a big deal and if they would go to bed at the same time every night you do get a little time — I find I’m pretty tired by then, but that hour or two at night can be great b/c few folks are going to interrupt you after 9 p.m. — even kids! Similar idea about working on a work project on a weekend to avoid day-to-day interruptions!