I've never considered myself as an overachiever. Most times I am content to do the things I need to do, and do them well, be never try to push myself to take on more responsibilities. Home life is busy enough.
Yet, I still can help but yearn to do more. I am almost 36 and I feel like leaving a larger mark on the world. Lately this has been manifesting as getting more involved in my homebrew club, but also trying a little harder to express my creative side, primarily through photography. (and this blog :/)
However, after my experience last year with helping to organize the National Homebrewers Conference in San Diego, where I recruited and manged the guest speakers for the event, I am concerned about balancing all of these activities with family time. A part of me is quite guilty not spending 100% of my non-work time with family activities, and I love spending time with all of my kids and my wife, but I also need the selfish time. Don't we all!
So effectively balancing my responsibilities will be one of the largest challenges for me in 2012. Wish me luck.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Saturday, January 14, 2012
A-M-A-Z-I-N-G
So, it's been a while since the last blog. I can't do stream-of-consciousness too often I guess.
But something today amazed me so much, I feel compelled to write about it.
I've been gone at the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) for most of the past week, my 10th annual visit, and the night before I left was a typical night. Put the kids down to bed around 7:30PM on Sunday, then immediately went to bed. However, our daughter (Chloe) was up and down numerous times for various reasons, known only to her. Since she was very little, I had developed the habit of either allowing her to sleep on my chest or staying in the room with her until she fell asleep. It (almost) ensured she got a good nights sleep. However, I almost never did, and the result was a very dysfunctional sleep pattern that left nearly all members of the household starting the day on the wrong side of the proverbial bed.
It is so bad, in fact, that I often find myself waking hourly even when all are asleep. It
s especially annoying when it happens on the road while I am sleeping in silent hotel rooms. I can't get a good night sleep anywhere!
I knew that when I left on my trip to CES that Nicole was going to try a new sleeping tactic, essentially letting them cry it out (Chloe and Lily) and keeping a sleep diary to note the wakeups. According to her blogging on the subject, it was very tough the first night, but slowly got better. By the third night, they were nearly sleeping through the night and crying for only a few minutes when going to bed.
The day after I got back, a Friday, bedtime was uneventful and Chloe slept through the night.
Let me repeat that: SHE SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT!
Tonight, when I put her to sleep, a simple kiss goodnight after the bedtime routine was all that was neccessary.
Amazing.
Of course, I didn't sleep well since I woke every hour or so. Guess I need to adjust as well too.
I love my wife for the adjustment. She is amazing.
But something today amazed me so much, I feel compelled to write about it.
I've been gone at the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) for most of the past week, my 10th annual visit, and the night before I left was a typical night. Put the kids down to bed around 7:30PM on Sunday, then immediately went to bed. However, our daughter (Chloe) was up and down numerous times for various reasons, known only to her. Since she was very little, I had developed the habit of either allowing her to sleep on my chest or staying in the room with her until she fell asleep. It (almost) ensured she got a good nights sleep. However, I almost never did, and the result was a very dysfunctional sleep pattern that left nearly all members of the household starting the day on the wrong side of the proverbial bed.
It is so bad, in fact, that I often find myself waking hourly even when all are asleep. It
s especially annoying when it happens on the road while I am sleeping in silent hotel rooms. I can't get a good night sleep anywhere!
I knew that when I left on my trip to CES that Nicole was going to try a new sleeping tactic, essentially letting them cry it out (Chloe and Lily) and keeping a sleep diary to note the wakeups. According to her blogging on the subject, it was very tough the first night, but slowly got better. By the third night, they were nearly sleeping through the night and crying for only a few minutes when going to bed.
The day after I got back, a Friday, bedtime was uneventful and Chloe slept through the night.
Let me repeat that: SHE SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT!
Tonight, when I put her to sleep, a simple kiss goodnight after the bedtime routine was all that was neccessary.
Amazing.
Of course, I didn't sleep well since I woke every hour or so. Guess I need to adjust as well too.
I love my wife for the adjustment. She is amazing.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
A Bit Nutty
Sometimes it seems like time slips away like the bar of soap in the shower on a groggy morning. You think you've got a firm grasp on it, then next thing you know ... ZZZINNNNGGG! It's gone.
The last few days have been like that.
There are just not enough hours in the day to get everything done and with kid sleep problems (therefore parent sleep problems too), I am constantly exhausted. I find myself prioritizing the necessities, which is never a good thing. Had to haul ass today to get to off-site meetings and back for media interviews and still only have about 5 minutes to spare for this blog update.
Hoping for improvement soon.
The last few days have been like that.
There are just not enough hours in the day to get everything done and with kid sleep problems (therefore parent sleep problems too), I am constantly exhausted. I find myself prioritizing the necessities, which is never a good thing. Had to haul ass today to get to off-site meetings and back for media interviews and still only have about 5 minutes to spare for this blog update.
Hoping for improvement soon.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Get well Brandon
Just a quick note to ask all of you following my blog to keep my friend Brandon in your thoughts. He was badly injured this weekend in a motorcycle accident while riding in the desert. Ironically, it wasn't far from where we had been camping during the weekend. I'll give him a hard time for riding in the desert alone when he gets better, but for now, let's hope for a speedy recovery.
I'll share one great anecdote related to Brandon to give you a sense of what a great guy he is.
My dad has been in a nursing home for almost 2 months trying to rehab after a partial hip replacement following a fall. It has been a struggle for him to get better. But on several occasions, I've arrived to visit him to find Brandon already visiting. Brandon even brought some memento's back from a recent desert trip, including pictures, for my dad. Brandon has been such a good friend to our family, helping out often.
Get well soon buddy.
I'll share one great anecdote related to Brandon to give you a sense of what a great guy he is.
My dad has been in a nursing home for almost 2 months trying to rehab after a partial hip replacement following a fall. It has been a struggle for him to get better. But on several occasions, I've arrived to visit him to find Brandon already visiting. Brandon even brought some memento's back from a recent desert trip, including pictures, for my dad. Brandon has been such a good friend to our family, helping out often.
Get well soon buddy.
Halloween Sadness
Sitting here in Arizona (Scottsdale) at the moment, waking up with a cup of Starbucks VIA in my hotel room. Since my last post, a lot has happened, including a great camping trip this weekend with Nicole and the kids. I'll post on that later with some pictures.
This morning though, I am sad. I like my job, and though travel is annoying at times, it can be fun. However, missing precious moments at home is truly heartbreaking for me. Nicole did such an amazing job making the kids costumes for Halloween, and spent weeks of late nights that I enjoyed observing as she toiled. So to have to miss the kids Trick or Treating in those costumes is a real killer. Worse, the corporate kickoff meeting I had to attend that caused me to miss it was totally worthless. I like the company I work for, but sometimes I have to question the decision making.
On a brighter note, I really appreciate seeing pictures of the kids as the night progressed. Thanks for being a wonderful mom and wife Nicole.
Not looking forward to a couple of Northeast trips in December though, although I do like the snow occasionally being a native Californian.
This morning though, I am sad. I like my job, and though travel is annoying at times, it can be fun. However, missing precious moments at home is truly heartbreaking for me. Nicole did such an amazing job making the kids costumes for Halloween, and spent weeks of late nights that I enjoyed observing as she toiled. So to have to miss the kids Trick or Treating in those costumes is a real killer. Worse, the corporate kickoff meeting I had to attend that caused me to miss it was totally worthless. I like the company I work for, but sometimes I have to question the decision making.
On a brighter note, I really appreciate seeing pictures of the kids as the night progressed. Thanks for being a wonderful mom and wife Nicole.
Not looking forward to a couple of Northeast trips in December though, although I do like the snow occasionally being a native Californian.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Welcome
Hello and Welcome.
I'm not a blogger. A blog troll, but not a blogger. That is about to change. I think.
I'm 35 and have never kept a blog. However, I feel like so much is happening in my life right now that I need an outlet. I'm not having a mid-life crisis per-se, but more of a surge in complexity that is leading to a need to express myself a little more. For those of you that know me, I think you can appreciate that I am stepping out of character a bit. It's OK, don't be frightened.
As for the title of my blog, Fathubroson, it's a contraction/abbreviation of my role as a male in this world. I am a FATHer, HUBbie, BROther and SON. These 4 roles really define my life right now, in a major way, and I am finding it difficult to juggle the responsibilities. What better way to reconcile them than to talk about how they are impacting me? I think that facing my fears, or challenges, head on in an open way will be beneficial. I hope so. If not, I'll let you know about that too.
Maybe you know a lot about me. Maybe not. But I hope this blog helps you to learn more about me in either case. I'll try to be sensitive about what I share, but I can't guarantee that all of my comments will be positive or my rub some wrong. I apologize, but I won't pull too many punches. On the bright side, I'm a pretty easy going and agreeable person, so that might not happen very often.
I hope you look forward to hearing about me as much as I look forward to sharing about my daily struggles and successes, along with some random bits.
I'm not a blogger. A blog troll, but not a blogger. That is about to change. I think.
I'm 35 and have never kept a blog. However, I feel like so much is happening in my life right now that I need an outlet. I'm not having a mid-life crisis per-se, but more of a surge in complexity that is leading to a need to express myself a little more. For those of you that know me, I think you can appreciate that I am stepping out of character a bit. It's OK, don't be frightened.
As for the title of my blog, Fathubroson, it's a contraction/abbreviation of my role as a male in this world. I am a FATHer, HUBbie, BROther and SON. These 4 roles really define my life right now, in a major way, and I am finding it difficult to juggle the responsibilities. What better way to reconcile them than to talk about how they are impacting me? I think that facing my fears, or challenges, head on in an open way will be beneficial. I hope so. If not, I'll let you know about that too.
Maybe you know a lot about me. Maybe not. But I hope this blog helps you to learn more about me in either case. I'll try to be sensitive about what I share, but I can't guarantee that all of my comments will be positive or my rub some wrong. I apologize, but I won't pull too many punches. On the bright side, I'm a pretty easy going and agreeable person, so that might not happen very often.
I hope you look forward to hearing about me as much as I look forward to sharing about my daily struggles and successes, along with some random bits.
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