So, working freelance has always been a feast or famine kind of thing.

But I take it as it comes because I work at home and try valiantly to schedule my projects so I don’t get too swamped. Usually 1 or 2 big projects per month, and I try to make sure the launch times don’t overlap. This is in addition to a few small upgrade projects, and some maintenance jobs.

I took some time off during the break and tried to push everyone off until after the new year. Which was easy to do, because no one really wants to launch a site *during* the holidays. Of course, there were a couple of upgrade projects and maintenance work, but nothing too heavy.

Well, now I’m officially overbooked. I have FOUR projects right now. Two of them are launching within days of each other.

One project suddenly had a launch date made known to me just 9 days before the launch date. When I found out, all that existed was the framework, shopping cart set up, months old content and no graphic design. The launch date has been pushed out a few more days, but should happen by the end of next week.

Thankfully, I was working with Tiffany for the graphic design and Janalee for the copy, and they are both so awesome to work with. They also both own and are the creative team of MA! Motherhood with Attitude, a site I built for them. I also was able to set up the shipping API using some of the code that May wrote for me for a previous client.

The second project is a redesign of the Scitec, Inc., which will launch in at the end of the month. I’m working with a new graphic designer, Mike Daymon of Daymon Ad Design. He’s been fun to work with. And while I have met with our client in person, and we all live in the same town, I have never met Mike face to face. We’ve had one phone conversation and LOTS and LOTS of email between us. Exactly how I like to work on this kind of project. What really works is that he seems to work the same hours as I do – late evenings, after 10 PM and often past midnight.

The third project is for a Mike’s Trikes – a local guy, and west sider who makes cool chopper-like non-motorized trikes and bikes for riding. We’re still in the design and gather content phase of that one.

The fourth project is for comic book artist and writer Terry Moore. He was essentially my first “big” client, certainly my first internationally known client. He started with one title, Strangers In Paradise, that we centered the website around. Now that series is over and he is writing a new title, Echo, which has it’s own URL, and then we have another site for Terry’s blog. Now we are going to redesign things so that everything thing is under one website. I have set up the basic framework of the site. They are going to hire a graphic designer and his son, Trey, is gathering and managing the content. It’s a BIG job.

Coming up the pipe: CSG|PR is starting a digital division. I will be working with another graphic designer, Anne Nichols, on this project. Also, Scitec, Inc. owns Telematrix, who also would like a new site built.

I think that’s it – along with maintenance with the ASHRAE sites (Pikes Peak, Rocky Mountain, Utah and Idaho) and Cartoon Books, along with some upgrade projects for Collection Drawer.

I’m thankful for the work. We so need the money right now.

But for the last 2 weeks I’ve been heads down on the computer while the boys are at school whenever I’m not meeting with clients, and also after everyone else is in bed. I missed the last school board meeting and a community meeting about the D11 school closures.

The house is a wreck. It’s all I can do to get the boys to ArtSports and birthday parties. I took some time off and had 6 boys last week for a play date together at the park. Today, they don’t have school and I want to take them to the zoo.

I can see the light at the end of the tunnel – barely, but there it is. I’ll just keep cranking.

…the Eagles have struck out.

We had a big group of friends over to watch the game today. Not Eagles fans, but football fans.

What a heartache.

I don’t know why I have to love the teams that perpetually break my heart.

The Buffalo Bills (thanks, Keith), the Denver Broncos (thanks, Doug) and the Philadelphia Eagles.

Sigh.

I’ve leveled up in motherhood. I’ve graduated from half-days, and two pick-up times. I am now a mom of kids in school full day.

Whoa.

I had been hoping to put this off until next year. I was enjoying my time with Zevan on our days together for lunch. I would pick him up, and we’d be in the car, and he’d say, “It’s just you and me, mom.”

I just loved hearing that.

I had 18 months of just me and Zander time before Zevan was born, and I was stealing moments like these to have my me and Zevan time.

But Zevan had different plans. Since school started in August, when Zander started in full day kindergarten, Zevan wanted to be full day, too. He had lots of preschool friends who were also full day. And that’s what he wanted. He wanted to have lunch at school. He wanted to have recess in the “big playground.” And he wanted to see Zander.

At first, I thought it was a fluke. But throughout the school year, he kept asking when he could be full day. I told him that we could talk about him going full day in January, after the winter break. I secretly hoped he would lose interest, so we could have our time for the school year, and then transition to full day when he was in kindergarten, just like Zander did.

December came around, and Zevan was very sure he wanted to be full day. So Doug and I had to rearrange the budget (full day preschool is $500/month, while half day is $269) for next year. We talked with his teacher, Ms. Paula. We let the administration know. And it was done.

The whole break, I was feeling sad about it. My baby! Full day! I can’t even describe how squonky it made me feel.

Wednesday, the first day back after break, we asked Zevan if he was ready for full day school. He smiled and said “Yes!”

I felt so anxious when I took him to his class and we reminded his teachers that he was starting full day. They were very enthusiastic. After signing both boys in, I headed to the cafeteria to make sure they had his lunch card out and loaded with money.

It was all I could do at 11:00 AM to stay at home and not run to the school to check on him.

Finally it was time to pick him up. I got there early (VERY unusual for me) and picked him up first. Ms. Paula said, “I’ve never seen anyone so happy to come back to school.” They had Library class, and he got to check out a book to take home.

We walked around to pick up Zander, and he was chatting excitedly about his day. “I had cheese pizza for lunch!”

Then we ran into my dad, who said that he saw Zevan in the cafeteria and lunch time, and that Zevan was grinning and enjoying himself.

The first day was a success! He was loving it, and was totally ready for it.

The next day, when I picked him up, Ms. Paula said that he would announce to anyone he saw, “I am full day.” So cute!

And so today is the 3rd day, and the end of our first week of full day. I still miss him, but I can see how easy it will be to get used to having the day to myself.

When mentioning it to mom with younger children, they say enviously, “What are you going to do with all that time?” I remember that envy. It was only just last month that I envied May for that freedom during the day.

After our run this morning, May and I were making plans for next week, and that’s when I realized I had become a “mom with kids in school full day.” May gave me a congratulatory hug.

I can’t believe I’m here. Wow. It really does go by so quickly.