Mischief and Merryment

This past week, as I wrapped up my 6th quarter at school, I had occasion to reflect on the past year and half. I looked up in my closest at my pile of cases: double-sided 8x11's in 10 to 12-point font reaching almost 3-feet high, and I've read every page in it. I thought the picture nearly perfectly encapsulated the tremendous challenge that business school has been, and the amount of work I've had to put into it.

But, since this past week was also exam week, it meant that I actually had time to spend with the kids. Rather than prepare 2 or 3 cases per day, I had a week to complete only 2 exams and 1 paper at my leisure. As a result, we really had a great time together as a family this week. On Monday night we had pizza with the Vance's (since it was exam week for the first year MBA students as well). On Thursday night we all went and saw the movie "Enchanted." On Friday night, I left Megan to host a Stampin' Up calendar party and took the kids to Ali's school for to hear the 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classes perform songs that they wrote--like "Maybe My Phone is Broken, Not My Heart." Saturday afternoon, I took the kids out to lunch at the playland.

Being home also meant that I had more time to help around the house. I got to work on the house, and Ali really wanted to help. So, I told her that she could vacuum. To my surprise, she enthusiastically agreed and volunteered to do the computer room. I wanted to be sure to document it, since I don't expect her enthusiasm to continue as she gets older.

This wasn't just an isolated episode. This week Ali has been as polite and kind, saying "please" and "thank you," as she has ever been in her whole life. The motivation that Santa inspires by only taking presents to the good kids is really remarkable.

Unfortunately, I did have to go to school to work on things a couple of times during the week. During one such time, I received a phone call from Megan to inform me that our "sweet Kaitlyn" had taken advantage of Megan's showering time to open EVERY present under the Christmas tree. Megan came downstairs expecting to find Kaitlyn watching Disney Channel, but found this instead:

Fortunately, Megan was to collect everything and pack it away quickly, although we now have significantly more wrapping to do in the next few days. Kaitlyn had also taken as many of the Santa keepsake ornaments off of the tree that she could reach and lined them up on the ground to make a train (despite repeated prior warnings from us to leave the ornaments alone, and that the Christmas tree was just something to look out to decorate our house and to remind us of the season).

This morning, just as we were getting ready to leave for church, Kaitlyn came running in to me with my iPod which she had found and proclaimed, "Dad! I'm going jogging." (She's seen Megan take the iPod with her whenever Megan goes jogging. In fact, Megan doesn't really like to even go jogging without it.)

Finally. I thought I ought to pass along that we have formally accepted the offer to join Accenture Strategy. I think the fact that I had a job in the bag, may also have contributed to my comparatively peaceful exam season. We are really excited about the opportunity.

Now, we haven't received the signing bonus check in the mail just yet, but since it's coming, I figured it was in everyone's best interest to go ahead and pick the up natural mahogany finish Gibson Les Paul Studio.

So I did.