silver lining

I've been traveling a lot this month. A lot. I have two projects that require me to drive to Salem a few days each week (about an hour away). For two weeks in a row I was on overnight trips Wednesday through Saturday.

The kids (and Joel) suffer for it a little bit. Our family life is not a totally well-oiled machine. We really do require two parents for the many pick ups and drop offs, soccer games, sleepovers, and preschool snack responsibilities - not to mention all the filling of lunchboxes, washing of soccer uniforms, managing of homework, etc. that has to happen throughout each day.

So, yes, it's been a little crazy (and, yikes, the holidays are on the not-too-distant horizon...).

But a recent silver lining was a visit from our dear friend Kirsten. We work together at Public Knowledge, and last week my trip was to Portland for our company retreat at McMenamins Edgefield Lodge. She came home with me for the weekend. The kids love Kirsten. She has known the boys since they were one and three - we met in graduate school in Austin. It's fun to have a visitor that's here as much for the kids as for the adults - and out of town guests always inspire us to do things we normally avoid - like the Saturday Market. We ended the weekend with a walk to the park before she had to fly home to Bozeman. We miss her already.