Spring has come quite early this year. Sure, we had flowers poking their heads out in the first week of February last year, but this year, there was no cold snap with ice storms after.
This year, we had a mild February lure out the early flowers, and then a downright warm-to-hot beginning to March. In the last four days (as I write this), the trees have gone from barren winter skeletons to vibrantly decorated specimens covered in blooms, buds, and the bright green of early leaves. Flowering bulbs have popped up so quickly, I overheard a debate about whether a large patch of flowers had been planted during the day or grew in. The one side argued that even a landscaping team couldn’t get those in so quickly. The other side argued that plants simply don’t grow that fast.
This magical spring is wonderful – and it sucks.
The reasons it is wonderful are obvious. The kids can play outside, I can stop running the heat, we can ditch the winter coats, etc.
It sucks because I’ve now got another writing nemesis I didn’t factor in – nice weather.
I love my blogging. I love working on my novel. Somehow, the allure of fresh air got me doing far more garden work (manual labor? ick!) than I’m generally prone to doing. Not that my lawn wasn’t in serious need of reseeding and my garden in need of edging, weeding, and general fixing. But somehow, there aren’t quite enough hours in the day to do that and blog, write, raise kids, take the animals to the vet (again), and all the other miscellany that my days include.
This got me thinking. How the heck am I going to blog over the summer? It’s one thing to do it while the kids are at school, but how am I going to manage with them at home? For that matter, what about spring break? Will my wonderful, loyal readers be annoyed when I (gasp!) go on vacation? Should I try to “pre-write” blog posts so things keep posting while I’m out, even if I’m not available to respond to comments?
I’d love to hear from fellow bloggers about these issues and how you handle them. Blogging parents, how do you deal with school/schedule changes? Am I the only person who finds it harder to write with spring cleaning calling? Do you keep up your blog while on vacation (if no, do you warn your readers)?
I’m too stressed to think about it, Shannon!
I know exactly what you’re talking about. I don’t yet know what I will do about the change in schedule. I love the routine I’ve got now because I found an extra (shh! don’t tell anyone) 1 1/2 hours in my schedule that I have devoted to blogging and/or writing. But that will disappear when the kids are on summer vacation.
I will continue to wake up at 4 and use that time to get some writing in. Beyond that, I will have to be savvy. I have found in the past that if I play hard with my kids (not just shooing them outside, but actively playing with them, actively giving them my undivided attention) for a good 2-3 straight hours, then they are more likely to give me MY space/time when I tell them, ‘okay, Mom’s got to go into her study and do some work now. Can you play by yourselves for a while?’
They are at a good age where they can self-entertain. However, they are at the age where they no longer nap. So, my strategy is to tire them out or at least satisfy their creative energy. Then I will have a better chance at having my time.
Hmmm. That’s a thought. My summer will be broken into a variety of chunks. My older one is going to do two weeks of all-day camp, so I can work during the younger one’s nap those days, but I’m not sure about the other days.
Take your computer outside! Work a little, write a little.
When I know I have a super busy time coming up, I bang out a few blog posts and just let them sit as drafts. When I’m ready, I schedule them to go out.
I wish I could take my computer outside, but outside (with kids) requires lots of walking and holding (my youngest is 2). I don’t think I can push a swing holding a computer (yet)!
I may have to do the draft thing.