Making It Work

In order to make the whole part timer thing work, I have had to take some phone calls from work in some very interesting places and times. They all usually involve some form of my children screaming, in unison, in the background. My favorite, up until today, was the conference call I took with a CEO and CFO of a client. I huddled in the basement, hiding behind shelves of boxes hoping to muffle the sound of my children banging on the basement door and screaming for me. I felt very professional.

I have to note that last year I managed to get one of my generous colleagues to stand in for me on a call a client wanted me on with some of our counterparts in Hong Kong. That call totally would have won the trifecta award for best time/place/circumstance. Me, cruising in a minivan with six kiddies on the interstate headed for the Strong Museum of Play in Rochester trying to tackle serious legal issues with people thousands and thousands of miles away that I must impress with Hi5 singing in the background of the call. I (and my career and professional reputation) dodged a bullet on that one.

So today! A little work crisis emerged as I had my own children and a friend of Aidan's battling with light sabres. I took the call, hidden in the laundry room trying to talk legalese as I hunkered down in piles of dirty towels. Brennan discovered my whereabouts and banged on the door repeatedly while he screamed, "MOMMY! MOMMY? I WANT A NEW SWORD TO BATTLE! MOMMY? A NEW SWORD MOMMY! I MUST HAVE A NEW SWORD. MOMMY WHERE ARE OUR SWORDS? CAN YOU FIND ME A SWORD MOMMY? MOMMY? MOMMY? SWORD? I WANT A NEW SWORD." His screaming gave way to hysterics until I could barely make out one word two of the higher ups from my Firm were trying to convey over the phone. I think they finally gave up.

Let me tell you, people, I am SO going places. (Let's just hope those places do not involve me with a pink slip.)