Don’t hate me, but I’m a morning person. The minute my alarm goes off (if not several minutes before), I’m up and immediately getting ready for my day. Within the first 15 minutes, I’m dressed, my teeth are brushed and I’m beginning to feed my cats and get my kids’ lunches together.

This is not something I have control over either. My dad was a morning person, usually up way too early watching the weather and the news while it was still dark outside. I do sleep later than he often did, but...

I wish we could bottle the anticipation and excitement that oozes through kids as the end of school approaches. It’s summer, and suddenly the possibilities are endless, the freedom is palpable and the routine is on hiatus. It’s a wonderful time that adults who work full time truly miss and freelancers with children dread.

That’s right, I’m being fully transparent that I, a full-time freelancer and part-time stay-at-home mom do NOT love summers.

I lose that amazing predicability of school,...