Back In the Groove

Seems like I blinked and lost the last 6 months. At times life gets so crazy that taking the time to reflect is lost. Below is a recap of the highpoints--

• 3-year-old has thrown away the diapers. He has even mastered the night-time wets. His greatest weakness is making the time to go, which still leads to the occasional accident. I'm now checking into preschool, and soon he'll be attending 3 mornings a week. I am still amazed we made it this far so quickly. At one point I could only dream of the day he would be up and running.

• 8-year-old has grown again! He's almost as tall as mom, and will surpass my height long before he reaches adolescence. After a tough transition to grade 3 he is slowly gaining confidence and taking pride in his work. I am introducing him to the concept of 'responsibility', and he's taking to it in fits and starts. We had a breakthrough a few days ago. I offered him $10 to watch his brother while I worked in the basement. He did a fabulous job, catering to 3-year-old's every need and keeping him out of most trouble.

• My work has morphed in a new direction. My initial goals were to establish myself as a freelance writer, offering writing services to businesses in areas of promotions, training and procedural documents. Some opportunities have arisen for me to gain process planning and information system design skills. The last few months have been an incredible learning experience and extremely confidence-building. I've now realized that the isolating individualistic work of a writer doesn't mesh with my personality as well as I thought, and I am working to establish opportunities to work as a consultant with business owners and managers. Some of my marketable skills that I've rediscovered include: Facilitation of the Strategic Planning Process, Development of Marketing and Business Plans, Financial Analysis, Change Management, Process Development, to name a few. I'm excited about this, and very hopeful that I can establish some opportunities that help me continue to stretch in new directions.

• I have taken further steps to formalize the pursuit of a Masters Degree. I now know that I need to do it -- for me! I now know that my degree has to keep me focused on concepts of motivating people within organizations. I am excited about helping businesses build systems that allow people to maximize their potential. It is challenging to find a program that spans the inherent fields of study, encompassing business, education, psychology and sociology. I am leaning towards a couple programs that will help me make this happen.

• Hubby is also digging into work in a big way. He is a primary player in helping his company meet their growth plans in the international market. Along with this comes a demanding schedule, a need for additional training and less and less time to dedicate to home life.

If that doesn't sound like it keeps us busy, I'm sure I could take a few more minutes and add another few items to that list!

While I don't think I will enjoy writing for a living, I know I need to continue to put my thoughts in writing, this is something I miss, and that I enjoy greatly.

All for now...