So much has been going on in the last couple of weeks that I just haven't felt up to staying on top of the blog! So this week, we'll have a double-feature!
Last week, Kiana and I flew to Seattle, WA, so that I could attend the annual American Political Science Association (APSA) conference and receive APSA's Human Rights Section Best Dissertation Award. (!!!!) It was a last minute trip, but it went great! Kiana was a fantastic traveler on the plane, and then managed to survive being in KiddieCorp while I was in meetings, at panels, and visiting with colleagues. We stayed with Aunt Frances, who was AMAZING: she saved Kiana from being in KiddieCorp too long with walks through the city and the parks and a visit to the zoo (though KiddieCorp was - again - really well done), cooked us meals and cleaned up after us, and drove us back and forth between her house and the conference. I had a fantastic time being an adult at the conference and have come back with more confidence in job prospects. I also just LOVE hanging out with Frances, and was sooooooooooooooooooooo happy for that as well!
After the conference was over, Frances and I spent most of a day painting artistically (I don't remember the last time I did that!), and I even got to visit with a childhood friend - Nicole Wong, who I was best friends with when I was 12 but haven't really seen since then. That was amazing, too!
Kiana and I were gone for a full week (Tuesday through Tuesday), and the kids were thrilled to be reunited when we got back. Aidan shyly told me that he missed me SO MUCH that he would do WHATEVER I asked him (I asked him for a hug, and he demurred: "maybe AFTER I eat my cereal!"); and he missed Kiana SO MUCH that he would let her play with WHATEVER she wanted. It was very sweet!
It was great to be reunited as well, but I have come back determined to switch tracks and really start my career. Being a stay-at-home mom puts me in the doldrums, and I think I - and therefore everyone - will be happier when I can work outside the home. It's nice to miss each other and be happy to see each other afterwards. And it's important for me to not give up the old me entirely by being a mom - and working on intellectually interesting projects with other adults is a big part of that for me. I've put a big investment in being at home so far with the kids, and that's probably a good thing. But I want more balance in my life. & I'm looking forward to making that happen!
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