Business Travel

So, I have to travel all the way across the country next week for my job. I have been preparing for this trip for quite a while -- from the meetings I need to schedule, to the details of the trip itself, to keeping my emotions in check about being away from my babies. Or so I thought.

I have meetings scheduled, but, having never been to this location before, I have no idea where to go, what to do, and how to get access. Additionally, after much hemming and hawing, I am going to come back a day earlier than originally planned, but, I still need to make that change.

But, most importantly, it hit me tonight that I am going to be away from both boys and Brooke for FOUR nights! Ack! I almost started crying tonight when I thought about it. :-(

I have not been by myself for this long -- no Brooke, no children -- in, ummmmm, hmmm -- at least four years. (Oddly, that last trip was to the same general locale.)

Maybe (after the first night) I will just catch up on sleep and not miss my babies. I say after the first night because, try as I may, I never sleep well the first night I am away from Brooke. The second night I am so tired from not sleeping the first night that I just pass out. But, that first night is a doozy.

And, now I have officially crossed into overthinking . . .

Ode to My Husband, the Stay-At-Home Dad, on Father's Day

In honor of Father's Day, I just wanted to document in my blog the great things about Brooke being a stay-at-home dad:

1. By staying at home, Brooke allows me to really focus on my career without feeling like I am short-changing my children. I can shoot for the stars and know that he will be there to give our boys the love and care they deserve.

2. Brooke keeps me grounded and helps me remember that, as exciting as professional opportunities can be, the joy of children is fleeting in comparison.

3. He is willing to be a stay-at-home dad even in the South, of all places. Let me just say that it is NOT the norm down here.

4. He loves our boys with a passion. I think about how many children grow up without really knowing their fathers, and I am just so happy that our boys will know their Daddy very, very well. And, as mentioned above, Brooke will make sure that they know me very, very well.

5. He is happy for me doing -- well, at least not poorly (I could always be at a higher position!) -- in my career. There is no sense of competition, no sense of regret or envy. He is truly supportive and happy for me.

6. He drives a mini-van -- it's an Odyssey (which is the stay-at-home dad's vehicle of choice, btw) and is proud of it.

7. He is still just as much of a guy as anyone that I come into contact with at work -- he is still the guy's guy, up on sports, and ready to engage in the all of those manly sports and activities (i.e., golf, fishing, boating, etc.).

8. He loves me, for all of my faults and shortcomings, in spite of my neuroses and need for him to love me. He loves me.

9. My boys adore him and have incredibly wonderful self-confidence.

Okay, if I keep going I might get mushy or something, so I am going to stop.

Happy Father's Day.

Why I Have Never Liked Hillary Clinton

Read this. 'Nuff said.

Updates on cuteness

Okay, so, Baby Heath (yes, that's still what we call him, poor thing) is now 10 1/2 months old. He is a bruiser, just like his brother always was, and instead of a head of gorgeous, abundant curls, Mr. Heath Bar Crunch is still rather scanty in the hair department. He is crawling all over the place and has begun cruising too. He now cries when Drew plays outside and Heath is stuck in the stroller -- he wants to run and play too! And, just this morning, he wreaked his first bit of havoc on the house by literally ripping the electrical socket wall plate off the wall in his quest to chew on the electrical cord of my laptop. (Don't worry, I was right there.) If possible, he is proving to be more stubborn than Drew Caleb. But, when he not being stubborn, he has the sunniest personality. One of his adorable quirks is to grab a piece of paper or a raisin or other inappropriately too small piece of edible or inedible anything, stick it in his mouth and suck on it for HOURS. Brooke is much more adept at retrieving said items from his mouth than me -- I tend to just watch Heath think it is the greatest thing in the world to have something he is not supposed to in his mouth.

And, then, there is the Drew update. We had a major break-through last week -- he made it through an entire day at school in his underwear! So much for potty-training before age 3 (he turned 3 last month) and so much for it "just clicking" one day. The process has been gradually painful with all sorts of setbacks and complete regressions. Girls, I understand, are much better. (Duh.)

But, I am amused to report that Drew has quite the imagination. He tells us all sorts of stories about various animals that have chased him or bitten him or played with him. For a while, it was deer (we see them regularly in our backyard), then it was crocodiles, and now he alternates between alligators and bears.

Drew: Mommy! The alligator bit me!
Mommy: He did! That bad alligator -- show me where . . .
Drew: Right here -- Mommy kisses it.
Mommy: >>kiss<< Is that better?
Drew: Yeah. Alligator needs to go to time-out, he was a bad boy.
Mommy: That's right. Where's the alligator?
Drew: Over there.
Mommy: Alligator!? Go to time out, now!
Drew: >>giggling<<

Drew also comes up with silly non-word terms and thinks it is hysterical for Mommy and Daddy to use them. His favorite non-word is "gau gau" -- as in, "That's a gau gau banana -- I don't want to eat it!" How cute is that!

I have to say that I always wondered what it would be like to have a conversation with Drew, and now that I do have conversations with him and he shows me how rich his imagination is and how good a sense of humor he has, I am completely enthralled. Of course, I AM his Mommy, so, perhaps that has something to do with it.

Back to Blogging

So, I have taken quite the hiatus from blogging -- my last post was in November. The break was self-imposed, but, I have finally gotten over taking myself too seriously and decided to blog again. Most of you who spend any time at my blog (or will spend time at my blog -- since I have to re-introduce it now) know me well enough to know that taking myself too seriously is a life-long challenge for me.

You see, at my financial services company, I am the lawyer responsible for all things Web 2.0. I spend a lot of time trying to figure out the risks and mitigation plans associated with information being improperly disclosed about the company in company-sanctioned blogs and the like, but, also what to do about seemingly harmless comments in employee's personal blogs and postings that nevertheless disclose confidential info about the company.

Back in the fall, it wigged me out to no end that not only did a neighbor find my blog, but, someone at work found it too. Enter the "taking myself too seriously" part, and work on the blog ceased.

What has changed? Have I magically come to terms with the thought that my clients might be able to read through my rants, inane observations, and lovingly documented cute stories about the boys? No. Have I come up with a fire-proof way to insulate my company against unwitting disclosures in personal blogs? No. But, I figure that the specter of that will ensure that I keep the blog as work-free as possible. And, if my clients want to read this blog -- all the power to them!