Working Outside The Home - Writer's Workshop

I have been Working Outside The Home this week, all day long for three days at the 17th Annual Writer's Workshop at our middle school. It has been a wonderful experience, teaching classes, talking to the kids about writing as a career; showing off my most-favorite all-time writing tool (my trusty-not-so-dusty Thesaurus); and demonstrating the massive difference between VIVID LANGUAGE -- using words that are imaginative, informative, engaging, and sparkle with pizzazz -- and ho-hum writing or communication (Gee, it's a nice day. (Yawn)). We do Mad-Libs as our writerly-activity, at the end, and the kids get SO involved and excited! They can really see the difference in ho-hum vs. creative language -- and the power of negotiation, compromise and editing as a group activity (which is a lot like publishing a book or writing for the magazines or newspapers).

I look forward to the Writer's Workshop every November.

However. I don't know how women who work outside of the home do it -- especially teachers! I honestly don't (and I know that's a cliche, because I hear it all the time, in reference to working from home with three children). I don't know how any of us modern women survive the day-to-day turmoil and chaos with some measure of sanity and grace (more or less, in my case), but I can tell you, in the three days I haven't been home all day (and I'm so tired by the time I get home):

• The 3 kids are all out-of-whack, especially the older two, with the homework.
• The dog is getting fat because I haven't been here to walk.
• The condo is a disaster.
• I haven't done any writing or work of my own.
• And we have been eating Workshop leftovers (fantastic catering, by the way!) and/or Domino's Pizza for dinner every night.

If I do go back to school in the Fall, I think we need (at least): a housekeeper/nanny, a dog walker/doggie daycare, a personal shopper and a personal chef! No, that's not going to happen -- but wouldn't it be nice???