Juggling!

So, I'm a part-time college professor, and I've hit the end-of-term madness that is grading, grading, grading and helping my students (themselves feeling the stress of end-of-term project mania) survive the time as best I can. That all equals late nights of grading, reading and replying to many, many emails, and general run-around-i-ness. Then to boot, I pack in a very busy weekend of activities for me, my partner, and my SD that involved visiting a dear friend a few hours away on Saturday and then having a (very, very relaxing tea-and-knitting filled) playdate with another friend on Sunday. I may have overscheduled. By Sunday night, my SD was clearly feeling the strain of TOO MUCH FUN (yes, there is such a thing, I've discovered, and yes, that did deserve the bolding, underlining, and italicizing all at once), was a bit hyperemotional at random, small things (as was I),  I'm coming down with a cold, and that big stack of marking is still there!

I mentioned in an earlier post that parenting (and life, I guess) is about balance. With the end of term (and summertime unemployment) looming, I'm wondering how other parents--step or otherwise--balance work and life commitments. How do you get through the big stacks of work (whether literal or figurative), and how do you relax when it's all staring you in the face? All the wonderful time with friends that I spent this weekend, I was always aware that the work was lurking, waiting for me...

This post, I realize, isn't about stepparenting at all! I'll get back to that tomorrow; for now, though, venting about my big stacks of work made me feel a little better, and now I'm ready to dig back in ;)

Cheers!