when people ask me (as they often do for some reason),

"so what do you do in new orleans?"

I have no smooth and ready answer. what I end up saying is something like this:

"uh... do? I mean, uh... mostly I'm with the kids, you know. that's work. especially because we're unschoolers. but I also work half time at the uu church. directing the sunday school. you know?"

(and then I generally am asked to elaborate, often with questions about what exactly uuism is, indicating to me that the asker is not actually interested in me and how I spend my time at all.)

I never say anything that resembles my day to day, which would sound more like,

"I try to keep my kids healthy as well as happy and/or engaged with the world by taking them places, reading to them, providing them with interesting stuff to work with, hear about, see, do; I try to find time to write each day; I read a lot and sometimes see movies; I put in twenty hours a week working with uu kids for pay; I try to make friends and/or find time to spend with my friends with and without the company of our children; I wish for things (a lover, a home of my own) and wonder how/if those wishes will come true; I neglect my old dog; I futz around online and talk to my friends; I grudgingly do the dishes only when the kitchen is piled high and hosting a family of fruitflies; I lay plans for future travels and projects; I live with daily trade-offs."

I find it interesting but sad that I still am not in a place where the factual statement, "I spend a lot of time working on my writing," comes easily out of my mouth.