Best of both worlds?

I recently booked a freelance writing job with a local university. I didn't even go after the work, I was referred by an old work acquaintance, so it was even more of a surprise that after nearly a year, something finally worked out. The job is only temporary, writing a series of articles for a publication. It should last about 5 weeks of 10-15 hours per week. I am very excited for this opportunity, and I think it would be awesome to do this kind of work for good. The pay is good, the hours are flexible, and its something I really enjoy.

Today I conducted my first interview and my day felt like the best possible mix of being a mom and being a writer. I dropped Big A off at preschool in the morning and met a friend for a playdate with Little A. We picked Big A up from school, came home and had lunch and the girls went up for a nap/quiet time. I prepared for my interview and my mother in law came over for kid duty so I could conduct the interview. Driving off dressed in real people clothes with a purpose, I felt great. It felt good to get a break from mommyhood and use my brain for a while. It was also a step outside my comfort zone since I interviewed a doctor -- and a chief of surgery at that. I was a bit intimidated, but he turned out to be so nice and smart and I felt like I got great information for my article.

I drove home and stopped at the grocery store for a few things, then home to make dinner and finish off my night. I'll use the next couple naptimes/nighttimes to write the article.

Of course, this works because I have wonderful grandparents who are retired and willing to help me with babysitting. But if this type of work took off, I could always pay a babysitter if I had to. I can see the downsides being that it takes away your free time and can get a little overwhelming at times if you took on too much. But at a steady pace, I think it would be the perfect job for a mom. I guess we'll see what happens after the 5 weeks are up. For now I'm enjoying wearing another hat and stepping gingerly over the fence again.