I'm on a plane loading up for Paris, oui! It'd be cool if that were my final stop, but I am onward to Strassburg, where then I'll catch a 2hr train ride to Freiburg, Germany. It seems I have a yearly trip to Germany for one reason or another! This time it's to attend a plant biology workshop, specific to space plant growth. I'm going to be working with scientists on creating a plant biology in space user's guide for potential future investigators. The do's an don't's of growing plants in space. It'll be the first in a series of manuals like this for the space station program.
As many times as I visit Germany, I'm pretty sure I'll still never get the hang of that language!
On to Paris! I'm on a plane of happy people :)
Monday, July 30, 2012
Friday, July 27, 2012
The End of Gloria Dei
Gahhhh! Today is the last day after 5 years that I will drive Anna to Gloria Dei. This is her last day.
I remember the first day I dropped her off, happy to hand her over to such capable care givers, honestly. Anna was a screamer, plagued by painful acid reflux, and most of my maternity leave was about coming up with various ways to soothe her. Like standing under our loud vent hood over our stove to get her to sleep. She hated the swing and she hated being swaddled. Turns out she loved it when the teachers did it! I was quite honestly ready for some help, and ready to return to some form of my old routine. But 2101 NASA parkway was the only thing in my life that ever came back from my old routine. Even my career at that address changed to what I'm doing now. And this is the first major change since I dropped her off 5 years ago.
I've been debating on whether to tell her today's her last day. She may not care. But she might. I think when I drop her off I will tell her and show her around her old rooms a bit before bringing her to class.
Change is weird.
I remember the first day I dropped her off, happy to hand her over to such capable care givers, honestly. Anna was a screamer, plagued by painful acid reflux, and most of my maternity leave was about coming up with various ways to soothe her. Like standing under our loud vent hood over our stove to get her to sleep. She hated the swing and she hated being swaddled. Turns out she loved it when the teachers did it! I was quite honestly ready for some help, and ready to return to some form of my old routine. But 2101 NASA parkway was the only thing in my life that ever came back from my old routine. Even my career at that address changed to what I'm doing now. And this is the first major change since I dropped her off 5 years ago.
I've been debating on whether to tell her today's her last day. She may not care. But she might. I think when I drop her off I will tell her and show her around her old rooms a bit before bringing her to class.
Change is weird.
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Last day of 5:00 pick up
Today, as I was going through my outlook calendar, a realization: for the last 5 years I had a reminder at 5:00 in my Outlook calendar, "Pick Up Anna" with a 15 minute alert.
She's been right across the street from me for 5 years now. In the early days I'd leave right as the alert popped up at 4:45 because I didn't want her to be the last kid there waiting for mommy. But in the last few years I'd snooze it until 5:15 because she'd always want to stay and play and she was never the last one there. I'm certain that some parents showed up past the 5:30 pickup time.
As I looked out across the calendar at what's ahead for the rest of the summer, I noticed there were no more 5:00 pickups left for me. The structure of her camps requires Paul to pick up from her camps at 3:00 daily. She is only at her school, GD, some mornings. My last day of 5:00 pickup was actually June 28.
I'd have probably sulked all the way home. Or at least relished it. I'm trying to think of what that day's drive home was like...
A few years ago that drive home was car seat screamer Hell. Or fighting off her fussiness with making sure I always had a snack and water waiting for her in the car.
These past few later years it was more about talks of her day, and what we wanted for dinner.
Now what?
Before knowing I had to pickup Anna before 5:30, what made me leave work on time? Nothing. I was in Engineering and I was usually there until I got hungry for dinner.
Now that restriction is gone. She will be with Paul from here on out, including when school starts. What's going to require me to leave my desk at 5:00? Now I'm in Space Station Science, where if it's possible, there's even more work to do.
She will still get me to leave by 5:15 because in the 5 years, the restriction has forced me to respect a balance between work and family time.
Ok to be honest I am already planning to work late tomorrow night, but that's just because I have some major events I need to really prep for due on Tues!
So I suppose there will be exceptions.
I will really miss the drives home with her in the fall the most. Where it gets dark early and she asks WHY and we stop to look at the Halloween and Christmas decorations in the yards.
I won't be the first to see her at the end of her school day. And she will now wait for mommy to get home. Holy cow, JUST WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?
I guess this is where we start a new routine. And I thought I was ready for kindergarten because Anna had been "in school" so-to-speak since 3 months old.
Now I get it.
She's been right across the street from me for 5 years now. In the early days I'd leave right as the alert popped up at 4:45 because I didn't want her to be the last kid there waiting for mommy. But in the last few years I'd snooze it until 5:15 because she'd always want to stay and play and she was never the last one there. I'm certain that some parents showed up past the 5:30 pickup time.
As I looked out across the calendar at what's ahead for the rest of the summer, I noticed there were no more 5:00 pickups left for me. The structure of her camps requires Paul to pick up from her camps at 3:00 daily. She is only at her school, GD, some mornings. My last day of 5:00 pickup was actually June 28.
I'd have probably sulked all the way home. Or at least relished it. I'm trying to think of what that day's drive home was like...
A few years ago that drive home was car seat screamer Hell. Or fighting off her fussiness with making sure I always had a snack and water waiting for her in the car.
These past few later years it was more about talks of her day, and what we wanted for dinner.
Now what?
Before knowing I had to pickup Anna before 5:30, what made me leave work on time? Nothing. I was in Engineering and I was usually there until I got hungry for dinner.
Now that restriction is gone. She will be with Paul from here on out, including when school starts. What's going to require me to leave my desk at 5:00? Now I'm in Space Station Science, where if it's possible, there's even more work to do.
She will still get me to leave by 5:15 because in the 5 years, the restriction has forced me to respect a balance between work and family time.
Ok to be honest I am already planning to work late tomorrow night, but that's just because I have some major events I need to really prep for due on Tues!
So I suppose there will be exceptions.
I will really miss the drives home with her in the fall the most. Where it gets dark early and she asks WHY and we stop to look at the Halloween and Christmas decorations in the yards.
I won't be the first to see her at the end of her school day. And she will now wait for mommy to get home. Holy cow, JUST WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?
I guess this is where we start a new routine. And I thought I was ready for kindergarten because Anna had been "in school" so-to-speak since 3 months old.
Now I get it.
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