Parents/Parenting*

I've been trying to write about my week and my experiences and conversations with the GirlChild, the Teacher, the Principal, the Sylvan Director which has engulfed my week and dominated my thoughts. I've not been able to organize it into coherent thought. I guess I'm blocked by it all. The DearHusband says it will come, I can write about it, understand it, and not cry about it soon.

All I can say is: Being a Parent is a Bitch.

Tonight the Baba made me cry in front of most of the partners at my firm. Luckily they were all so drunk or naturally unaware that I'm not sure they noticed.

The Baba is the president this year of the county bar association. The annual meeting was tonight and he was introduced to the group as their president.

The Baba bought a table as did my firm. I had to decide where to sit.

There are five named members in my firm. One has become in-house counsel for some new company that builds widgets or something. They moved his name from "members of the firm" to "of counsel" but his name is still included in the title of the firm. I suspect it hasn't been changed because (1) no one knows how to change the name of the corporate identity because that's one of the things the partner who left did, or (2) they can't agree on what to call the firm since he left, so they haven't done anything. I'd be hard pressed to pick between the two.

The Baba invited all the family. Since someone in the family usually takes care of my children when I desperately need time away from them, I was forced to gather a list of potential teenaged girls to babysit.

Before tonight I'd only left my children with a non-family member once if you don't count pre-school and the church nursery; which I don't. I went to the woman who runs the GirlChild's after school care program for recommendations. She also hires the kids for the nursery whenever the church, or school, has events which require child care so I thought she would be a good source.

My first choice had volleyball practice. They had a tournament coming up and she couldn't miss practice. She came the last time I couldn't talk a family member into keeping the kids and the GirlChild talked about her for days and wanted to know when she could come back.

My second choice could do it but she didn't know what she would charge and became tongue tied when I asked. I offered her $20 for the evening and she said that would be great. I'm sure it's more than she gets paid for watching the kids at KidzClub (what the GirlChild's school calls after school care) and I have no doubt it's more than she gets paid for watching them in the nursery at church. She seems like a sweet girl, or does whenever I drop off or pick up the BoyChild from the Nursery at church. I was pleased with my choice at the end of the evening when we came in she was watching Cartoon Network and reading a book. A teenaged girl who watches the Cartoon Network instead of the soft porn on Showtime can't be all bad.

I worried a little bit because at the last minute the GirlChild got an invitation to spend the night with a classmate. I wanted to say no because she knows the BoyChild and I think could have assisted the BabySitter with him but in the end I decided it would be unfair to keep her home because I was nervous. As it was the BabySitter and the BoyChild seemed to get on like a house of fire and when we left he was throwing himself at her and making this growling noise he makes sometimes when he plays.

But I digress.

My firm always buys a table. My favorite Partner decided not to attend; something about having pins stuck in his eyes. The remainder of them are. . .an interesting group. I learned at the last minute the PsychoSister and her BizarreBoyFriend were coming so I weighed my options and my firm won out. It was o.k. The Baba made sure our table was right next to his; he's the President of the organization now and rank does have its privileges. One of the other associates came and since he's not eating carbs he let me have his cheese potatoes. The Associate's GirlFriend is someone I don't know well but I like what I do know about her so I got an opportunity to visit with them.

When he was introduced, the Baba took his water glass to the podium and raised it for a toast. He said that we could all think what we wanted about the wars we were involved in but we needed to thank, and drink a toast to the soldiers involved, including Captain RangerDoc. It made me sad and a few tears slipped out. The Associate's GirlFriend reached out and patted me. I was touched by her kindness.

Other than that moment of sadness, it was fine. I made nice with the partners and their wives. I smoozed with judges, young lawyers and old lawyers who were there. I spoke to the U.S.Trustee about my new case and promised to send him information I'd learned about the case that he told me he was interested in.

Brownie points and brown nosing never hurt anyone. Gin and tonic make it bearable.