The Preschool Way

I feel like I'm back in preschool.

No, not because someone in my house has questionable potty skills, although one CERTAINLY DOES, but because I'm seeing life again in small windows of time.

After I quit my job at the bookstore to focus on writing and then promoting Rare Bird, I was home all day. This suited my pokey disposition. A little laundry here, a lot of Facebook there. Household chores that would have taken me no time at all when I was busier, stretched to fill the time, especially when procrastination and writer's block set in. Before I knew it, Margaret would be home from school and I may or may not have accomplished what I'd planned for the day. Certainly no exercise occurred.

Now, with King Charlie of Tiny Bladder-Ville, I am thinking more like a preschool mom.

Instead of a wide-open day, I have small chunks of time. You know, when the clock of freedom starts ticking as soon as you drop your beloved at the preschool door? Any leg clinging, while endearing, cuts into your time, so you peel those fingers from around your doughy thighs as lovingly as possible and hightail it to the car. At best you have a 3 hour window several times a week, and if anyone has been sick or there have been weather incidents of late, you may have seen the window slam shut more often than not and desperation has set in.

Three hours is an errands and coffee date OR gym kind of window, but not all three. Then there's the waiting in the Costco parking lot because for some crazy reason it doesn't open until 10, which is rather cruel when pickup is at twelve and you've been up since 6 am. Not that a bunch of bra 2-packs, jumbo boxes of wipes, or bags of potstickers can't soothe your irritation. Besides, if you have a younger child in tow, the Costco parking lot is a great place to nurse a baby. Just don't hit Margaret's the baby's head on the steering wheel while doing it.

With a new puppy at home, I haven't quite worked up to a 3 hour window of freedom yet. We are home all day together and Charlie LOVES hanging with Shadow and going in and out and in and out. Yesterday I put him his crate for 2 hours and he did fine. Whew! On today's list: lunch with a friend, swapping cars with Tim, and a drug-store run for Margaret. She has given me a detailed list of items, which I am sure to mess up. I'd also like to take more donations to the thrift store. We'll see how much I get done.

Maybe having smaller windows of time again will get me moving faster and "up" my productivity in life and in writing. I just wish it could be done with a bit less pee on the floor.