Figuring things out

School starts up again this week. Since I'm not taking classes or teaching I'm afraid that I'll just slip into my procrastination habit. I'm doing a couple of things to build some structure into my schedule since I know that works best for me. I have a dissertation group that is supposed to meet once a month and Chair also wants to meet once a month. I also have a dissertation partner. We check-in with each other every week to keep each other on track. I need the accountability.

I need to figure out a schedule and system that works for me, but I think I'll be working 4 days a week with the goal of 4 productive hours each workday devoted to the diss. We'll see how that goes. I'm debating what to do about childcare with HB. Obviously my delusional idea of working while she naps does not work for me. I can maybe force myself to do half an hour or so if I'm disciplined, but I can not focus enough to do the kind of work that needs to be done. The thing is I really want to put her in full-time daycare, but money is tight. MB just finished his training program and now he's studying for his exams (in November). He's also working part-time, so we are trying to devise a schedule in which we can both get work done and not have to use childcare. I'm not sure if this is the wisest decision to forgo childcare but I'll give it a trial run and see how it goes.

In the Spring she was in a family daycare part-time which was working out OK but it was a little bit too inflexible and a pain logistically for me to get to because I had to use public transport and thus more than double my commute time. So we decided to leave and find a better arrangement. In the Summer before my sisters were around we found someone who lives nearby (a retired grandmother) who was fairly flexible and could give HB more one-on-one attention. If the no childcare situation doesn't work out we will likely go back to her. I want HB to be in a stable childcare situation so I want to figure this out soon. I think between MB and I with some help from my mom we should be able to manage.