One of my greatest discoveries is that writing leads to more and better writing. Also, reading leads to more and better writing. This is why I am very excited that the jobs I’m doing from home involve lots of reading and writing.

Also, I’ve been reading more lately just for myself – there is a correlation here to the fact that we have a wonderful, large bathtub in the new house.

The only problem is that it’s hard to keep all my thoughts together. I’m trying to keep my to do lists, the same as I did before. I keep those and notes I take in my Moleskine. I have a big calendar in the kitchen that I write all our appointments and important dates on. Plus my Google calendar. And then I email Joe with notes about the week ahead.

And I send him emails with to-do lists.

And I send him emails with our meal plan to go along with the Google doc we share.

I may be overly thorough for fear of forgetting something or dropping a ball.

When I’m getting my work done and I’ve got a good flow going I feel as though I’m dropping the ball on being a parent. When I’m playing with my daughter I’m constantly thinking about my email and what I might be missing.

The front page story in Atlantic Monthly is being called a manifesto: Why Women Still Can’t Have It All.

The fact is, no one ever told me I could. I knew that having work and a life and a family was going to be a struggle. I’ve known that my whole life.

What no one told me was that I would have no real choice. I have a family, which means I have to work because we have bills to pay. I have to have an income and that means I have to make time to work. I have a daughter and that means that I have to take care of her and her needs. We have a home and that means that I have to clean it. We have to eat, so I cook our meals. I try to have a little bit of fun so I’m not a miserable person.

No one ever told me that I could have it all, no one told me that if I chose to have a child I would have to.