Today is a big day for me at work. I have a huge project that is nearing completion and we have a grant round that just started, so I have a lot of research to do on the grant applicants. So what am I doing on this busy Monday morning? I am sitting at home watching the Bratz movie. Is it because pre-teen movies based on sexist dolls is my idea of a good time? No, it is because my daughter is home with a painful case of strep throat and I am not willing to make feminist arguments while she is crying because drinking water hurts her throat. When my daughter was younger, I hated these sick days because I felt like everything I was working on at the office was collapsing while I was sitting at home doing nothing. As I have grown older and wiser, I have figured out that parenting my kids, especially while they are sick is not doing nothing.
Sick time isn't something that can be figured out in Outlook, when it happens, my priority has to be getting myself or the kids healthy so that when I get back to work my head can be completely in the game. I've learned to always make sure that I have work at home that I can do, that my computer is configured to check my office email, and that I have a great team of people that keep the ball rolling when I'm out. I'd love to post more but I am missing a movie about friendship and the dangers of school cliques.
Here's to your health and the joys of parenthood!