Heading Back to the Office

Two week left.

I have two weeks (minus 1 day) left of my maternity leave.  I've already started getting the ducks in a row to take care of the wiggly wee, the goober, my hubhub, and myself while I head back to work.  I'd be lying if I didn't say I was nervous.  I am nervous and excited and hopeful.  I am also lucky.  I found a partner who does more with the kids and around the house than a lot of the dads I know.  I found a day care that the goober definitely likes and where I feel comfortable taking the wiggly wee.  I also have a job that is flexible on some levels, juggling the wees with fieldwork has always been a challenge but it's worked out ok so far.  It will continue being a work in progress.

In all of this rowing of ducks on of my Hermanas suggested a book she read in her book club, Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg.  Considering how long the wait list at the library was for this book, I had a feeling that it was going to be an interesting read.  I'm typically a sci-fi/fantasy fiction kind of gal and so, as generally happens with two kiddos and a non-fiction book, the book sat on my dresser with the other books that I checked out that day at the library for three weeks.  I received my email from the library reminding me to return or extend the lends I still had.  All of the books were renewed with no problem, except Lean In.  On no! Because of the massive wait list for this book, I couldn't renew it.  I could either return it, put myself on the long waitlist, and hope to have a chance to read it once I was back at work (yeah right).  OR! I could make time to read it and simply deal with the 30-cent-a-day fine.  So, $2.10 later, I am so happy that I read it.  I apologize to the readers who were just behind me on the wait list.  Fear not, I will be turning it in today!

The book really resonated with me.  The book touched on prejudices we program into ourselves at a young age.  It discussed negativing corporate structure not only as a woman but as a mother.  There is incredible power in the knowledge that you are not alone in your struggles.  I was able to relate to so many of the experiences describes in the book that I was able to learn from how different people dealt with those situations.  I don't really recommend too many books to people.  Unless you are a sci-fi fan, you're not really going to want to read what I would recommend.  This book, I recommend to everyone who can read.  It was worth the wait and it made those 2am feedings go by a bit quicker.

I am dreading the return a little less now.  I am definitely exited to get back to some the projects I had to hand off to when I left almost four months ago. [There are others I would be more than happy to see permanently stay with their new "owners".  I just have a feeling that those will be the first to be kicked back to me.  Oh well.] I'm just not going to stress so much about the logistics, the boring stuff, the stuff that always takes care of itself since those ducks are already in a row.

So in two weeks (minus 1 day), I'll be back at the office figuring out the momma with 2 kiddos thing, the field geologist thing, the office geologist thing, the fabulous wife thing, and all of the other things that go with being me.  I'll be ok.  I'll figure it out.  I always do.