September 18, 2007
So the Dr.’s absence has brought all sort of new and interesting challenges to my life. Some you’d expect (like who do I turn to when I can’t get the lid off a jar of spaghetti sauce?), and others I hadn’t planned on. Like the business trip. This used to be an easy conversation. “Dr.? What’s your schedule like next Thursday? I need to be in San Fran overnight – you have kid duty until Friday evening.”
We have an au pair right now, but work rules keep her from working more than 10 hours per day; hence, no overnights. So when the important business meeting comes up? EVERYONE GOES. Yes folks, last weekend I packed up two kids, an au pair who’s been in country less than 30 days, and we all headed out for a long weekend with friends and family, followed by two days of business while she dragged DrChako’s offspring around.
As I am drafting this post, I look like the Working Mother poster child. I’m on a flight from Denver, still wearing my suit from a business meeting, one child sleeping on my lap while I work on my laptop, the other child in the row ahead of me chatting animatedly with Maureen, the pediatric nurse, while our au pair catches up on sleep. Everything under control, right?
Except I’m exhausted. Between translating English, begging my children to be good, trying to entertain our au pair and sight-see with her, and trying to get all my work done, book-ended by 7-8 hours in airports or airplanes, I’m beginning to think I was crazy to attempt this. In fact I’m pretty sure I’m crazy. I think I could have done this better with the Dr.’s help – or I could have just gone by myself and let him deal with the kid things.
On the bright side, the Dr. provided me an Excel spreadsheet that calculates his remaining tour of duty – he’s completed 10% of his expected time! Whoever created this thing must have been married to an accountant – he knew I’d appreciate something like that.
Now, I’m pretty sure there is something I need to account for.
Keep sending comments and good wishes – the Dr. is still in good spirits and we’d like to keep him that way.
Respectfully submitted,
The Wife
2 comments:
I wouldn't call you stupid mom at all. You are trying to do the best for your family without sacrificing who you are.
So they Au Pair lives with you?
I respect you for your hard work both for your career and your family!
Sean
The spreadsheet you are referring to, I assume is the "circle of Freedom". I have one here too! I am at 27% right now and my desert is turning into a sandy beach a little more each day. I love my circle of freedom. Although to be honest, I couldn't do it in the begining because it just seemed to take to long when you are only at 1 or 2 %. Now that I am over 25% I get all excited every time I plug in my new numbers. As for you traveling with your brood, even gaggle o' people, you have my sympathy. I traveled alone on an international trip just the other day and was exhausted by it. I can't imagine what it was like doing with with two kids and a caretaker who doesn't speak English very well.
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