On non-teaching days, I can go slower. This morning, I still got up at 6, but I watched the latest episode of Smash while straightening up the kitchen, doing dishes, editing photos, planning seed-planting. Soon I'll stop puttering and get the kids dressed and fed and off to school, then come back and dive into more serious work (administrative, academic, writerly). But it's just so lovely, having a slower start to the day. And I might take half an hour to take the dog for a walk; she'd appreciate that.
Kevin and I may have opportunities in the next several years to move onto a more administrative track in academia. That's typically an option that comes with less teaching and higher pay, but would likely entail switching to a five day a week schedule. Which, I know, most of you already work, so you're not weeping tears of pity for us at the thought. But the truth is, a five day a week schedule is intense, and when it's filled with meetings and e-mail, it doesn't allow a lot of space for research and writing. If either of us decides to make that move, it's not saying goodbye to research/writing exactly, but it's perhaps an acknowledgement that they're no longer the priority in our careers.
Anyway. No decisions on any of this are imminent. I'm just thinking about how much I appreciate the slower days now, while I have them. Kev may be going in to meet with some students today, but if not, we'll both be working at home all day. Now that the kids are not quite so tiny and needy, we're trying to find a little more couple time in our lives. Usually we do work pretty much straight through on the days we're working from home, but I'm thinking maybe we'll play a board game over lunch today. We've lucked into really wonderful jobs; we ought to take advantage of the perks. :-)