A week in the life of a working mom

One of my most frequently hit post is entitled A Day in the Life of an Attorney. Unfortunately, that post isn't particularly instructive of what a day in the life of an attorney is actually like. I've been thinking I should update it with a post that is more reflective of what I actually do in a typical day--but there are no typical days, so I'm not sure how to go about that. So you're getting this post instead.

Wed: Get to work at 9ish. Answer email, return telephone calls, research a memo, ignore email from asshat opposing counsel. Leave office at 12:45 to make 1:30 teacher conference in the 'burbs 30 miles away. Despite my pleas that a morning conference was preferred, 1:30 was the only time slot offered by the teacher. Teacher conference over by 2:00. Decide to work the rest of the day from home instead of losing another 1.5 hours of my day to traffic. Accomplish little, but get some quality time with the girls.

Thurs: Attend conference for women in the industry in which I practice (not lawyers). It starts at 7:30 and is 40 miles away. Leave the house at 6:30, terrible traffic, arrive at 8:15. Still hear opening remarks from the Secretary of State. Attend workshops, network. Pick a table for luncheon. It is already set with plates, flatware, dessert, and a tomato-bisque soup topped with a puff pastry. Giant cockroach* crawls across table, women start screaming and flipping out. I flick the roach onto the floor with my program and a man runs up and stomps us. We are moved to a new table.

Conference over at 1:45, I head straight to the Girl Scout store to purchase vests, insignia and handbooks for the twins before their meeting on Friday.

Back in office by 3:00. Read email, return calls, work on response letter to opposing counsel. Stay until 8:30 to make up for my absence the last two days. Head straight to craft store 5 minutes before closing to buy glue for Girl Scout badges. Home by 9:30. Glue badges until 10:15. Collapse into bed.

Friday: Arrive in office by 9ish. Easy day. Work on designation of experts, review documents. Attorney meeting over lunch. Out of meeting, at 2:30, text from nanny that she is sick, can we please come home early. Grab two Redweld's full of documents, Leave office at 2:45, home by 3:30. Wait for PS to get home at 4:15 to go to Target. Out of necessities. Head to Girl Scout meeting at 6:30. Stick around for 30 minutes to help with bracelet making., then leave the girls and go to Costco. Fridge is empty. Pick up girls at 8:30. Go home, watch baseball.

Sat: 9-1 Girls and I volunteer at pumpkin patch benefiting our local library. They don't usually let kids volunteer, but the girls were awesome helpers. Treat them to pizza afterward. Home by 2:30. Take allergy pill. Collapse into 3 hour nap. Force myself awake. Mother-daughter bingo at 6:30 for Girl Scouts. Home by 9:30.

Sun: Errand day. Twins need jeans, must buy supplies to build bats for their bat research project, need groceries beyond what I bought at Costco, need frames for my federal admission certificates because bosses are complaining about the bareness of my office walls. Home by 4:00. Start pre-cooking meals for this week. Make dinner. Help kids with bats. Order reef-friendly sunscreen and snorkel gear for cruise. 7:00 watch the Amazing Race and Desperate Housewives. 9:00 start preparing for depo on Monday. 12:00 give up and go to bed.

Monday: Up at 5:45 to finish prepping for depo set for 10:00. Arrive at office at 8:15 Deponent is a no-show. Chat with court reporter--learn he is my long-lost twin. We are from same Hometown, went to same high school and same college with same major. Review email, return phone calls. Analyze procedural rule. Start drafting discovery. Review documents. 1:00 deponent suddenly shows up. He was sent three notices for the same day because he is the representative of three different entities, and only read one of them. Get court reporter back to the office and proceed with depo. Done by 5:00. Depos exhaust me. Leave office by 6:00.

Tues: Arrive at office by 9ish. Analyze motion from opposing counsel. Legal research regarding response. Prepare scheduling order. Conference call with client. Conference call with another client. Leave office at 3:30 to work at Legal Aid clinic. All family law clients. I do not practice family law, but don't think I screwed anything up too badly. Done by 5:30. Head home for dinner with girls. Review folders, read spelling words. DH has bowling. PS cheering at football game at 7:00. Home by 9:30. Watch baseball. Collapse into bed at the bottom of the ninth.

Wed: Take PS to ortho appt at 8:00, arrive at office by 9:30. Draft discovery. Respond to email. File third-party petition. Clean office and hang frames before event at office tomorrow. One of the frames mysteriously broke overnight. Leave office at 5:15 to attend teacher conference at 6:15. Home by 6:45. Air conditioner making terrible noise. DH investigates while I start dinner. Done by 8:00. Air conditioner still making terrible noise. Must go to store to replace broken frame before firm event tomorrow. Home by 8:30. Blog while watching Survivor.

This week is not entirely typical. I had a lot of appointments that pulled me out of the office early. I usually work until 6ish and have maybe one late night a week. But otherwise, this is pretty close to a typical week.

*You have not seen a cockroach until you have been to the south. Also known as water bugs or palmetto bugs, these suckers are 2 inches long, the fly and they make creepy clicking noises.