Moving along

Life has been relatively boring lately since returning from DC and surviving fiscal year end. Let's see, I reported to the PM1 about the trip to DC. Thanked him for the opportunity and have found myself shuffled back to the realm of "we don't have to be nice to you anymore now that we don't need anything from you". No worries, I am busy with other things. I left it with the PM that "when money comes in, if you need anything, you know where to find me". I found that a better way to phrase things instead of "ne ner ne ner, it's FY06 my time on your projects is done and don't you dare ever come ask me for anything else".

My industry client work is going very well and we will start our CY06 proposal soon. I received an offer from PM2 this morning to work with him on heading up and writing the proposal. That scares me a little, but intrigues me as well. Writing a $1 million a year proposal with pretty much guaranteed funding (with guidance) would be awesome experience. I am thinking about it... The biggest problem is that I don't "need" the time. I had intended devoting the next few months to working solely on my LDRD project and achieving my FY06 milestones and deliverables by the end of the year, before I get swamped with everything else.

I have been working on inviting speakers for a section of an ACS conference I am chairing. I have invited 3 people I know and have 2 acceptances and one tentative (will confirm by the end of the week). Now I have to invite the three people that I don't know. That is on my list of things to do today. I "lucked" out I guess... my topic was put under the symposia topic. I have ALL invited talks, 30 minutes each, and no contributed talks.

Stress, all around, is at a minimum here. I am loving it.

Leif has been a little on the fussy side. He still has molars coming in, but I think it is more than that. I think he is being a little high maintenance. His teacher confirmed this thought this morning. She said that he gets in his head what he wants to do (play in the water, go to the commons area, go outside) and even though they encourage kids doing things that they "want to do" and not necessarily what the group is doing. These aren't things that he can just go do by himself. And so this has resulted in many melt downs recently. AB and I are working at not letting him have his way all the time, and well, if he is going to lay on the floor and scream for 15 minutes because he didn't get to empty the refrigerator, then that is what he will do.

At the same time he is constantly doing the funniest things. I am pleased to say that he has figured out how to "blow" into a Kleenex. Unfortunatly the blowing doesn't come from the nose. He takes a Kleenex and blows with his mouth making "ppfbbbttt" noises. Ok, so at least we are on the right track... he knows Kleenex's have a purpose other than to eat!!

The second baby wave has hit among friends here. A post-doc who I work with on occasion, his wife gave birth on Tuesday. One of the admins gave birth a few weeks ago. One of my coworkers just announced she is 16 weeks pregnant. One of our good friends, who have a daughter a few months older than Leif, the mom is pregnant. I knew they planned to start trying for #2 after E was 18 months and I am glad to hear that she is expecting. Leif's former daycare teacher is due in November.

I am now resorting to bottled water only... a baby right now, while it would be a wonderful thing, wouldn't be ideal. I am hoping for a promotion and would like to actually be able to afford daycare for #2. Then there is the conference next June that I am chairing a section at and would rather not be 8-9 months pregnant for. Then there is my industry client project... my PM would freak. He freaked when I had Leif and for the 3 months after I returned from leave he told me how happy he was I was back. Now a few months down the line ask me again...