Wednesday, November 3, 2010

If I could straighten out my balls...

Some of you work. Some of you work in an office. Some of you work in a mine. Some of you go to clown college. Some of you work at home. For those of you who work in a mine, this is not for you. For those of you who go to clown college, go scare someone who is not me. Yaaathanksss..

Recently I was blessed with not one, but TWO work-from-home jobs. To say I'm grateful is an understatement. However, it's come to my attention that, much like being a writer, the mere idea of having a career from home sounds like such a luxurious experience. Sleeping in all hours, attending meetings in your pajamas, and using all your free time to work on that masterpiece ms. Sounds like a dream.

Because it is.

My day starts at 6:30 with a cup of coffee and a pep-talk. When 7am rolls around, the offspring is wide-eyed and ready to rumble but I've only just begun working my first hour of job number 1. Throw in job #2, my clown college courses, plus yaaaknoww, being a stay-at-home mother plus LIFE and it's everything but luxurious. Sure, I don't really go to clown college, I get to work in my jammy-jams, and yeah I get to be home with my baby, but when I'm working, I'm WORKING. No play time. No Yo Gabba Gabba.

If there were twelve of me, there still would not be enough hands (or clown noses). There would be for hokey pokey, though. *Note to self: play hokey pokey* Essentially, Candyland is having a schedule shifting conflict and may or may not be lucid during these posts. Like right now. I'm really thinking about what kind of candy we have in the cupboard instead of  the words I'm typing. Or the fact that my hand is so dry, it squeaks when I move my fingers. Gross.

Tell me friends, do you work in (being a SAHM counts!)or outside the home (this is for you, miners...) and how do you manage your time so you don't fail clown college?
Candyland+Balls. OUT.

27 comments:

Jessica Bell said...

Boy do I know how you feel ...

Susan Fields said...

I'm a stay-at-home mom, and I'm busier than I've ever been in my life. That's why I became an insomniac - to get some writing time in.

Shannon said...

You know my story. =) I work/slave from home. I, too, used to glamorize working from home...before I actually did it. I worker harder/longer hours now than I ever did going to an office. Oh well, I still love being in my jammies.

And for the record - my sister went to clown college and worked as a professional clown for years. :p

Unknown said...

My stay at home momness as been overwhelming lately. It was so easy when Kylie was 3-4. Now with her in school and an extra 3yo, my brain feels stretched to fine lines of gray matter. I also took on a babysitting job for the neighbor baby. Yay for small bursts of spending money, boo to lack of creativity in the writing realm.

Sharon K. Mayhew said...

I'm right there with you...I don't know how we managed when I worked??? I Think it helped that I had a house keeper then and we ate out or had take out. Do you keep a planner? It helps...

Linda G. said...

The trouble with working from home (which I do, if you count my writing and all the laundry) is that you live in your workspace. You're always on the job. Makes it kind of hard to mentally relax.

Vicki Rocho said...

Good luck handling all those balls! Working from home is not as easy as it looks...especially not when you still have to wear the Mom hat.

Shain Brown said...

I live for the day that I get to work from home. Working from home does have its drawbacks, but it does have its benefits like no one steeling the last cup of coffee, your lunch never comes up missing, and it is difficult to be late. I don't know sounds like a choice gig to me.

Jaydee Morgan said...

I work a full-time day job and then come home and try to write at night. It's not always easy finding time/energy to do so. However, I used to work from home and when I did, I actually think I put in more hours than I do working outside the home. No matter what, you have to find some kind of balance that gives you time to do the things you like to do.

Matthew MacNish said...

I work in a bat cave. It looks like NASA mission control.

I'm not joking.

I don't really write anymore. I just pretend.

I'm only sort of joking.

Lenny Lee said...

hi miss candace! wow im pretty lucky cause i dont work. im getting my school at home so doing that is my job. i could hear from what you say it pretty hard doing that jugglin stuff every day. i think begin a mom is the most hard part. i hope you get those balls all lined up in a row. :)
...hugs from lenny

Creepy Query Girl said...

Yeah, I'm not looking forward to going back to work tomorrow. I don't work from home but I do get quite a bit of time off (school hours & vacations) but between my schedule and the kids schedules, and hubby's schedule I feel like I have to fold myself in three to get everything done. Which is why my post frequency shits the bed.

Joanna St. James said...

SAHM here and to let you know how I am hanging on I have trained the kid to wake up at 10 am, he knows if he wakes up anytime b4 then life will not be fun for either of us. i blog when he is napping and write when he is sleeping at night all other things come between

Kelly Polark said...

Before kids, I was a grade school teacher. Then a stay at home mom. Then more recently a stay at home mom who also was a substitute teacher a few days a week.
But right now, I am a stay at home mom who has to keep her house super clean so it will sell. I have two older kids and a kindergartener so half the day I am doing puzzles and snuggles and half the day chores/errands. Plus I can finally get back to my writing. Do I say I'm a part part time writer if I only submitted and sold two things this year and it was for an online site?

Sarah Ahiers said...

i also work from home. My huge giant health insurance corporation understands that people who work from home are generally healthier and happier, so they sent me home with my computer and brand new office furniture.
It. Is. Awesome.
The only thing i worry about is if i ever need to find a new job, it will be hard to go back into the office

Stina said...

I used to be a drug rep, which meant I worked at home and out of home (when I called on physicians and pharmacists).

The problem with working at home is you can't stop working. Except for when I was sick, I never got to read a novel or anything that wasn't relate to my job. It was like blogging: "I'll just read one more depressing article about people dying from diabetes." But there was never just one more article (fortunately blogging is way more fun). ;)

Anonymous said...

I'm in clown college!! Whooten Whoot! Well... it seems everyone around me is a clown at least

Shannon O'Donnell said...

I go to work every day and spend it with 100+ high school students. I come home to my hubby and 3 kiddos, all clingy and wanting attention. After the kids are in bed, husband wants "quality time" watching sports or something before bed. Writing? What's that?! :-)

Colene Murphy said...

Good luck juggling your balls! Working from home actually sounds harder to me than going to work. So I kinda feel for you! Takes a lot more discipline to be productive at home so wow to you!

S.A. Larsenッ said...

I knew I'd regret reading this. LOL I totally can relate. Seriously, I just got back from four #$%^ hours at the surgeon's office with Kate. Granted, she unexpectedly got her foot cast off and now has to wear a boot for the next four weeks, but still. Yeah, and I screwed up on that blogfest from Monday. Dummy me didn't even realize it was a contest. I just posted my revised loglines. Crap...my first ones were gross. Hope these are better.

I use to make sticky note reminders. That is now considered a FAIL. Too much shit to do. I'd say, listen to music and drink a glass of wine whenever you can. Seems to clarify my priorities.

Lydia Kang said...

I'm half at home, half at work in an office, and 100% sleep deprived.

Nicole Zoltack said...

There's my writing and staying at home with a two year old and a 3 month old... and between all that and being a wife, I get like no sleep.

Dianne K. Salerni said...

I'm a teacher, so I have summers off! I did such lovely writing over the summer -- ah, it seems like a dream now!

It's really hard to juggle everything, but when your offspring gets bigger, you can make her do some of your work. Dread Daughter #1 cleans up the kitchen a lot of nights. Both daughters can make salad, soup, and a few items in the toaster oven.

(Guilty confession: When hubs is on a business trip, sometimes I get the girls to make dinner for the 3 of us AND clean it up, so that I can hunker down and blog/write/correct papers.)

Abby Minard said...

Funny you should talk about this because I just did a post on my crazy schedule. I feel ya- I work part time outside the home, and let me just say, I don't know how people do it all working full time and having kids, and having a house, and writing, and blogging, and reading, and having a husband. It's exhausting.

Rose Cooper said...

Yo Gabba Gabba is one scary show!

I work full time in an office. Prisoner inside a cubicle. My hubs is a SAHD. He does a terrific job. Once I get home, I get to work on writing deadlines or art for upcoming shows, etc. and that means hubs helps to watch the kids even more. He deserves an award.

Unknown said...

I work in an office, and though I adore my job (because it allows me more freedom than most) I'd much rather be at home pretending to work (I don't have children) and writing.

Maybe one day... but for now I sit jealous that you're currently living the dream one candy searching cupboard at a time.

Kelly Breakey said...

Here is some tough love...Stop whining and be grateful, yeah I know what a big word, be grateful that you are one of the lucky ones. You get to wear a clown nose...man I can only dream!