My four-year-old and I are sitting across from each other at the kitchen table. I’m on the Mac, writing as usual. She’s coloring. At least, until she puts down the crayons and pushes away her Dora the Explorer coloring book. She has a question for me.

 Mom? Can I have a pen and a piece of paper? I want to write a story.

“Once upon a time there was an elephant who every else thought was crazy, like that mean old kangaroo who really needs a time out, but he was really nice and trying to save those little Who-people on that clover flower. His name was Horton and that mean old kangaroo who needs a time out just didn’t want to listen to Horton about the little Who-people on the clover which isn’t a good thing to do because mean old kangaroos should always listen to crazy elephants named Horton about little Who-people who live on a speck on a clover. [Read more...]

Work-at-home moms.

I know there are a lot of us. And I’m always reaching out to others asking for A Clue as to how to make time for the Trying to Make a Career Out of This Writing Thing while still making time for Buttercup. I’ll admit I’ve sat her down in front of the TV for day-long PBS Kids and Nick Jr. marathons more often than I’d like to think, and yeah sure it’s educational, but still….

There’s gotta be an easier way, right? A way that doesn’t involve hiring a baby sitter with money I’m not yet making to come over and play with my daughter while I stare at my laptop for hours and allows for the best of both worlds where I get to be The Involved Mommy and she gets to Exercise Her Creativity?

But how the hell…? [Read more...]