Life was so much better when I woke up at 5 a.m.

In the past, I have raved about the benefits of waking up really early in the morning -- specifically, at 5 a.m. -- because it really did help me to get things done. Things that I normally can't find the time for during my day, such as prayer, reading and writing. Even getting my daily "news fix" and catching up on emails! But after summer vacation started, I changed that. I started to sleep in. That turned out to be a problem.

The one important thing I want to get done every day is work on my books. A least one book, anyway. (I find time for prayer every day at some point, even if it is a quick 3-minute prayer in my bedroom!) During the school year, I was able to wok on two or three books every day during the week. Maybe one or two on the weekends. With summer vacation, and with the kids around 24-7, that number was drastically cut to one or two during the week. Sometimes, a day or two went by when I couldn't work on one of the books at all.

It's not like it'll be the end of the world for me if a day goes by without me working on a book or two. But writing books brings me joy. It makes me happy. (You know what they say: "If Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.") And I get SO MANY ideas for the books or stuff to write down and I get edgy if I can't get that stuff OUT of my head and onto paper. (Plus, I tend to be forgetful, so I might forget it if I don't get it down!) It is just something that I NEED to be a part of my day. For me, writing is like breathing. A daily necessity!

And I have a feeling that if I had been waking up at 5 during those days, I might've gotten more writing done. I managed some writing, but not as much as I would've liked.

The way I have worked on my books has changed, as well. I grab bits and pieces of writing time here and there. I print stuff out to revise/edit while I'm eating or cooking a meal. I jot down notes during the day.

I have also fallen behind on book reviews, but I am trying my hardest to keep up with that, as well.

I know that if I got up earlier, I could get more done on top of the housework, taking care of the kids and running errands. (The cooking gets done every day no matter what -- thank goodness for "throw this into the oven for an hour and add a can of veggies to serve with it" meals!!)

Starting next week, I have a bunch of activities planned with the kids. These last days of June were meant to be "lazy days'" before all the craziness of activities and trips begin. So, next week, I'll be back to my old schedule. And hopefully, that means there will be some extra time to get more writing and reading done.