Wednesday

Today started out with a little fellow giggling and poking my eyes and grabbing my nose at 5:41am. No, it wasn't Hans. Leif has been so good about sleeping in until 7-7:30 am the past few weeks, especially if he is in our bed. I know, this isn't ideal. But you know, when Hans is working nights, I am at home by myself and have a busy day the next day, that's just the way it's going to be.

Hans got home about 3:30am from work. Leif was up at 5:41am. I tried to get him to go back to sleep, but he just thought I was the silliest thing ever, a riot, a barrel of monkeys. So I dragged myself out of bed to shower while Hans woke up a mere two hours after going to bed to watch him while I showered. Once out I changed Leif and brought him into the bathroom with me while I got ready. He emptied my cupboard under the sink. (I really should get a picture of him reaching into the tampon box to use as bribery for when he is 14...) Then he cruised into the shower/toilet area and washed his hands (in the toilet), pulled the garbage can over and sat in a big pool of water leading me to believe that he had a leaky diaper (which I soon found out he did not). Doh, the water. He cruised into the closet and hefted my shoes around, it takes a lot of work to heft Hans' shoes around, but he does it, all the while grunting, lol.

I stand there laughing at him while getting ready. He really is a funny little guy. He is very busy, moving from one thing to another with lightning speed.

We headed out early today. My thought was that if I get in early and work some before teleconference then I can earn back some of my flexed time. Slowly, very slowly. Used to be when I needed to flex time I could make it up easy. Not so easy now that Leif has a schedule at daycare and working late just isn't a possibility.

I got in before 8am. Shocker! I went over my "good project managers" changes to my teleconference presentation. He only yanked one thing, so no major changes. I printed up mine and everyone elses so I could follow along. About an hour later I drove to the main site.

I am the first there as usual. It used to be if I wasn't 15 minutes early, I was late. Decrease that to 5 minutes early thanks to completing graduate school and learning that an appearance of disorganization must be fostered to make people really believe you are a mad scientist on the verge of something spectacular. Alas I cannot actually BE late... I am a Capricorn and type A.

The conference room is taken and I wait for the project manager to show up before inserting my head into the room to tell them to hurry. He does it and the meeting organizer comes out to argue about who has the room. She swears she did, her admin set it up (well of course then!!). My project manager swears that he does, why else would we be standing there. Well *they* aren't budging because they have visitors they are hosting. Well missy, we have multimillion dollar industry clients calling in any minute, oh wait, there's the phone, they are calling in NOW, to talk to us. My poor project manager, this sets his mood to start.

We get in and I lead off as usual. I was stoked to only have 15 slides to go through. An hour later we are still discussing those 15 slides. The same guy, cranky client employee (CCE) who always jumps on me made his leap again today. Project managers eyes are rolling. I tried to jump back but project manager was having none of it today. He does his best to nip it in the butt. Ha... he tries AGAIN to nip it in the butt... oh hell, he just gives up and we all sit and chat while CCE yaps for 15 minutes to someone. We aren't sure who.

Hands down, things are stellar on this project. We manage to deliver every.single.week. Ok, I can take credit here... *I* manage to deliver every.single.week. During the telecon Barb, one of my team jumps on me. Ok, she didn't jump like CCE. She more made a leap and fell flat on her face. She showed up today with a copy of everyone else's presentations. OMG she decided to follow along. She usually just stares off into space. She asks me how I know something... ummm... well have you been here for the last 6 months, any idea WHAT we are doing? If you did, you would realize what a dumbass you just made yourself look like to the client by asking such a lame question. Her project is getting cut, I have the inside scoop on that. She obviously doesn't know it yet, but it is just a matter of time. Plus, I need the funds set aside for her project to continue my work... (I am not a vulture, really...)

After the telecon project manager leans over and whispers to me "CCE is going to be here for the July review". WHAT? I exclaim, much to project manager's delight. Everyone turns around to look at me and project manager repeats it to the rest of the class. The room is alive with rumblings. There are suggestions of "let's just lock CCE and April in a room and see who walks out?" (They KNOW it would be me, I have fingernails and I can fight dirty, I am a girl.) Others start saying that we will *never* get through my presentation if he is there. I suggest we have my presentation right before lunch. That evidently would not stop him and would only serve to piss off my coworkers if lunch was late, that's a no go. Then there is talk of slipping him a little something in his coffee... After rumblings around the room the project manager tells me that he really hates to do that to me, but he knows I can handle him and the entire team is there to support me and to buy me drinks after it is over.

Wow. That's all I can think. A team that supports each other, that backs you up, that treats you like a part of something. This is why I love this project. I can handle CCE, but I can really handle him with this team behind me. (Tears!)

Since I am rambling to the fullest degree. Project manager asked me to organize a meeting to assess the transition from bench scale of my process to full scale. I am to head this effort up. Wow. Very cool.

I went and saw Leif shortly after the meeting. I usually go at noon, but they want me there earlier while they are letting him transition naturally to the noontime nap that the rest of the toddlers participate in. "rest of the toddlers" Waaah. Just tear my heart out won't you?

While he nursed and fell asleep I talked to his teacher about the Montessori school. After this discussion and tales of "teachers spend their time cleaning up after the kids here not actually watching them" and "this place encourages anger, frustration and animosity in children" I am really hoping Leif gets into the Montessori school. She talked about the Montessori school provides significant direction to the child, yet lets them learn on their own. Leif NEEDS to get in there.

Now it is late afternoon and I am contemplating my path forward here at work. I am working on my list of things to do. I just can't seem to get off the notion that my vacation should start right now and not on Friday. Oh well. 4 days off sounds like heaven right now.