Good luck and good fortune

As I walked back to my office after my last meeting of the day late this past week, I looked around and thought to myself, "How did I get so lucky to work here, in this place, at this time in my life?"  The past six months have been intense; I haven't been this focused with little time to choose my projects in a long time.  But my quality of life has increased dramatically.  

As I think back on the early days of being a working mom, I wonder how I managed those 16 hour days when I didn't see my kids.  I know I was often on autopilot.  I know it was hard on my husband. I know I was exhausted.  

Ten years later these things are still true - but I'm fulfilled in a way I wasn't then.  After that long day at work this week, as I cuddled with my kiddos in my bed, listening to a podcast (about Michael Jordan!) together as our bedtime story,  I thought to myself, "How did I get so lucky to be here, in this place, at this time in my life?"

During lunch with one of my new colleagues, we talked about our professional paths.  She admitted that she had never planned to work her way to the position that she currently holds.  Moments happened on her path and she took them forward.

Our conversation reminded me of my mom's advice to me for as long as I can remember:  Plan ahead but keep your options open.  Ten years ago I would not have foreseen where I am today... of course, I could barely see to the end of the week in the beginning of TwinLife.  😀😀  But moments happened - and I took them forward.  And with a little good fortune - and planning - I'm enjoying my good luck as I enter the second decade of TwinLove.💕

Back to work

Date: 01/20/2008

Life continues to fly by for us as Ryan and Megan grow and change. Little milestones mean big smiles in our house. Megan has begun rolling from back to front (though she has forgotten how to go from front to back), and she delights in reaching her toys this way. Ryan still shows no interest in rolling; however, he is very interested in table food, and he has even successfully used a cup to drink both milk and water by himself. Water is a new flavor for both the babies - Megan doesn't like it (though she rarely likes anything that doesn't come straight from Mama's tap), and Ryan is adjusting. He enjoys spitting most of the water on his bib, but he loves being a big boy and drinking it from the cup!

Our travels to Vermont keep us on our toes as far as sleeping and scheduling, but Megan and Ryan do pretty well with the trips. We enjoyed a long weekend with friends - 6 kids and 7 adults proved to be a fun time for all. We are planning another trip in a few weeks.

We have started our second semester at music class. The mixed-ages class is a bit different from the babies class, but Megan and Ryan still love it. One of their favorite activities in class is using scarves, and we play peek-a-boo often at home when all else fails. They love it.

I returned to work this month, and life has been a whirlwind. I spent the first week preparing for my classes (ordering books, creating the syllabi, making copies, hiring a grad assistant), and this past week I held my first classes of the semester. This marks the first Wednesday that I wouldn't see the babies for the entire day because I don't return home until close to 11PM. I fought back tears as I left them in the morning, and several times throughout the day. But all is good.