Smith Family Weblog

It seems like it’s been weeks since I’ve posted anything of substance, and I feel like a I owe a bit of an update, at least for the sake of posterity.

I started back to work on the 10th, and while I’m technically working half days, I’m finding those four hours are filled with back-to-back meetings, meaning most days require another four hours of actual work. Happily, this can be accomplished from home, while Owen snoozes on my shoulder. If I do this again, though, I’ll return to work more than a few days prior to our major fall gala and semi-annual board meeting. That proved to be a pretty stressful week with not much sleep. Thanks to a truly capable and talented team, everything went well, even if it could have benefited from slightly more preparation on my part.

Owen’s first weeks at Diane’s daycare have gone very well, too. He’s being spoiled by three two-year-olds and a four-year-old (who is soon expecting a little sibling of her own). Diane reports that Owen is a “perfect” baby, all smiles and never fussy. (By the way, I took Owen in with me when Olivia was seen for a mild ear infection last Friday—the nurses were impressed by his size—15 pounds, 4 ounces!)

Our new schedule was helped by the fact that when Bryan flew the coop for a business trip for a few days, Katie and Tom were here visiting. They were incredibly helpful, and I was very, very sad to see them leave. The girls adore their aunts and uncles, and we’ve really enjoyed the time we’ve been able to spend with our families the last few months.

In other news, the last few weeks have brought a handful of other happenings. Bryan presented at Nerd Nite, a local iteration of a national program that brings experts together with the hippest crowds around. Bryan presented on the chemistry and  biology behind methamphetamines and meth addiction as part of a special event surrounding Winter’s Bone, this year’s community reading program selection. He was, in a word, amazing. Some said it was the best Nerd Nite presentation they’d ever, seen, and I can honestly say I found myself completely in awe of him. I’ve known Bryan for almost two decades, but seeing him in this light made me appreciate him in an entirely new way. His talk will be posted online soon, and I’ll share a link then.

We also took a quick trip Wichita recently. I had an alumni event on Saturday morning, and I decided I wasn’t quite ready to be apart from Owen for the nine hours the trip would require. So, we loaded everyone into the Man Van, booked a hotel with a pool and made a weekend of it. We had a great time checking out the zoo and a few other attractions.

Tonight, our community reading program continues—I am having a late dinner with the author of Winter’s Bone, which has to be about the best work assignment I can imagine. Related events continue throughout the week, then we have a relatively quiet weekend, aside from the mountains of laundry currently spilling into the hallway upstairs, and a visit from “the Tom we’ve known for a hundred years.”

I think, overall, things are pretty good. I find myself in one of two states at any given moment: The first is quite self-congratulatory as I think I’m managing this expanding household and it’s responsibilities reasonably well. The second is more like, “Holy shit, I can’t remember the last time I fed the cat.” Things certainly aren’t as calm or organized as they were a year ago this time, but the benefits far outweigh the costs. And, thankfully, the cat is rather vocal.