Downsizing for Work-Life Balance

You've likely noticed that this JobMom has been quite silent for the past few weeks. For good reason. In the past two months I've:

-sent my oldest son off to kindergarten
-sent my youngest son to preschool
-seen Rick Springfield. Twice. Over two days.
-been involved in a major acquisition
-learned that my six-month-old puppy requires surgery for a random eye ailment
-had two serious bouts of bronchitis

...and then some. No really, the list does go on like a bad movie.

The end of summer has always been a time of transition. But this particular season has redefined "rolling with the punches" for my family and work life. This struggle with work-life balance came to a head for me. When I quit my corporate job a few years ago to become a freelance writer, the goal was to spend time enjoying my kids while revolving work around my personal life. But over the past year I let that dynamic change a little too much. And this summer I paid the price with a hectic pace that wore me out.

I determined that there was only one solution: to downsize my workload.

By letting go of several assignments, I'm opening the door to something I've missed: time and focus...for my kids and my work.

This is a long, roundabout way of saying that you are reading my last post as the editor of JobMom. You can continue to read my writing at my personal blog, crazedparent, and at the parent social networking site, Maya's Mom, where I will continue as the site editor. I'll still be writing on the fly for a few print publications. And if I'm really lucky, maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to get some personal writing projects back on track. That's the goal at least.

Many thanks to those of you who've been readers of JobMom and watched my journey since January. I appreciate all of your thoughts and comments, but most of all, your time. I know how hard it is find those rare moments to read online for pleasure, and I'm honored that you spent it here.

Cheers.

Thinking about Getting a Puppy? Here, Take Mine.

I'm kidding. Really, I am.

Now if you had told me two nights ago that you were thinking about getting a puppy -- when I was awake at 1 a.m. standing in my backyard while my new puppy, Luna, was going to the bathroom for the tenth time in two hours -- I would have gladly handed her over to you. In fact, I would have begged you to take her. Immediately.

Little Luna, at 13 weeks, has a bladder infection and some sort of weird gastrointestinal woes. I can't exactly be mad at her for needing to be let outside when the urge strikes her (Any woman who has dealt with a urinary tract infection can sympathize with the poor dog.) But I do get mad at myself from time to time for adding a new element of chaos and stress to my already hectic life.

I love my little pup and she is really, really cute, which does make up for the late nights and early mornings with her. And while I knew ahead of time that raising a puppy was going to be "hard work," I had no idea what this type of hard work would entail. Or the amount of stress it would place on our family.

The image of bringing a new puppy into your home is one of Hallmark moments. But the fact is that those Hallmark moments end after that first night at home, when puppy quickly grows from all cuteness to needing immediate discipline and hard training. Especially if the image you have of your puppy five years down the line is one of a grown dog curled up on the floor at your feet while you read a book to your little ones.

Summer Vacation: A Refresher in Efficiency and Organization

Summer vacation is in full force at the crazedparent house. My five-year-old son, Nol, started his summer camp today and like another mom in my hood, I'm already feeling the pain. It's not that I'm exhausted from driving Nol back and forth from school, or planning our post-school day activities. I actually look forward to all of that because it's quality time with my little guy. And he needs a little mama-spoiling right now.

The pain I'm feeling has more to do with the organizational extravaganza required to keep our entire family in check. When I feel like chaos is about to ensue, I go through a mass organizational fest from closets to calendars. And I start repeating the saying, "A place for everything and everything in its place."

As an independent contractor, organization, efficiency and routine are critical to survival. Just when you're getting a little too comfortable, a little kick in the arse from say, you're child's summer vacation, comes along to add a little discomfort to your flowing work days.

Okay, it wouldn't be honest of me to blame my summer working mama woes on my son's summer schedule. The truth is that on top of his reduced school hours, I'm also adjusting to my husband's new travel schedule and um, did I mention our new puppy? (An entirely separate story, of course). Tack all of that onto one busy work week and well, you've got one mom with a brain that's on overdrive.