Once Upon a Time...

...I was a good writer.  Really, I was.  Then I got pregnant, had a baby, etc., etc.  "Baby brain" during pregnancy was bad.  Exhibit A:  My thesis.  You might recall that I do trauma research, and my thesis was a nice foray into the literature since it has to do the positive effects (yes, there are some!) that accompany trauma exposure in adolescents.  Its got a great introduction, most of which was completed pre-preg and in the first trimester.  Personally, I think everything past the methods section is adequate, at best.  Thank God I passed my defense (ten days before H came along).


I'm currently flipping this baby into a manuscript.  Turning the 30-something pages into 5-8ish.  And it's not as simple as cutting it up and moving things around.  Seriously, I've looked at it for so long I don't know which way is up.  I worry about the flow, the content, everything.  Hoping I get my act together before the end of spring break.  The goal is to submit to the American Journal of Orthopsychiatry.  Fingers crossed.

Routines

There are a few things I do regularly that make my mommy grad life easier.

I do laundry every day.
I don't go through the whole wash, dry, fold, and put clothes away cycle every day.  But I definitely do one or two of those steps daily.  Laundry for three people in the winter is killer.  I always begin or finish whites, linens, Henry's clothes, Barry's work clothes, lulu, whatever (I swear I have at least ten separate categories).  Laundry is truly never done.  But I also never get buried by it.

I make sure at least one room is pristine before I go to bed.
It's usually the kitchen.  It is never my bedroom.

I bake on Sundays.
And although I'm really bad about posting my treats, I do this pretty regularly.  Today I made Irish Potatoes for St. Patty's day.  Not baking...but close enough.  Last week is was strawberry muffins.  Week before that, cornbread.

I loosely plan breakfast for Henry way in advance.
If you look in my fridge, you'll see fresh pineapple and cantaloupe cut up and in tupperware, pancake mix in a squeezy bottle, and the omelette pan on the burner, ready for a 2-egg spinach ham scramble.  Breakfast in the morning can be a battle, so I come prepared.

I shop for fresh fruits and vegetables every weekend.
I wish I could get my act together to go to the farmer's markets on Tuesdays and Thursdays in NOLA but I. Just. Can't.  Too busy.  So I head to Whole Foods or Rouses or Winn Dixie on the weekends for the goods.  Not Breax Mart (overpriced and not fresh) and not Wal-Mart (scary).

I try to make progress on one craft project.  Every week.
I have so many works in progress.  Right now, I'm making a Animal Crackers-esque storage thing for all of Henry's toys.  So excited for how it turns out.  I've assembled 2 of 4 of the crates and none of the paint.  But today I bought the elastic "bars".  Progress.

I only read 3 hours before classtime.
If I don't, all the information just leaks out.  Fresh is best.

I do school work from 9-5.  And then I stop.
I have the occasional client that requires me to work past that time, and right now, I have two classes that don't end until 6.  But I seldom do work on weekends, and when I do, it's after Henry goes to bed. Weekends are for him and B.  That's it, that's all.  Unless I have midterms or finals.  Or a paper deadline.  Grrrr.

I have a research day.
On Thursdays, I work on my personal research.  Besides a Pure Barre class in the morning, I don't do anything else but sit on my couch (or in a coffee shop) and work on my prelim paper.  Some semesters, I've only been able to designate a morning or afternoon to my research.  Regardless, it's important for me to protect my research time.  There's no way I would have finished my thesis on time without adhering to this rule.

and last,

I live and die by my iCal.
I schedule everything - said reading, exercise, girl's nights.  All of it.  One day, I'll screen shot the neurosis for you.