Had a really nice time with the family this last week as we spent a week in Orlando. I love spending time with my girls, and really enjoyed playing with them and spending good quality time together. Swimming, playing, shopping, laughing - really good time.
Some highlights:
Spending time with Mel. We both work a lot of hours, and it was nice to not think about work and to spend some nice time with Mel. She loves vacations, and plans them so nicely. And for me it was really really great to spend time with the love of my life.
Abby and Peter got to fight Darth Vader in the Jedi Academy - they both gave him a good fight, and didn't go to the dark side! Maddie said she wanted to fight him too, but called him Dark Gator.
We love swimming in the OKW pool, and Maddie is making real strides being comfortable in the water. She's still very scared, but is getting a little braver. We also had fun with a new game called "Don't wake the gator" - where I close my eyes and listen for Abby to splash and then try and tag her.
It was great seeing Jake and his family too. Although I only got to spend a few days with them, it was awesome to see how Cody, Ella, Sam, Peter, and Kipp were growing and developing. It makes me so happy to know that all of my siblings have really really great families who are just really great people. I really enjoyed trick or treating with Cody through the Magic Kingdom, going around and around at each stop to get as much candy as possible.
Sleeping. I got to work late every night, and slept in the morning. It's fun for me to stay up late, and wake up late and a vacation where I'm getting up too early or going to bed at a set time just doesn't feel right.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Musings
Today I met with my VP to share the plans around a marketing campaign I'm building. He's a super sharp, super direct fellow who likes to drill deeply on anything and who can take the conversation anywhere. So the advice that we were given was "be prepared and know your stuff". True to form, he spent the first hour talking business and marketing strategy - no slides, no charts - just pure understanding of the business from every angle. It all flowed easily - the man knows our business, and sitting there he pushed me and my partner in ways that were terribly uncomfortable, but insightful.
It reminds me that MS is a great place to work for a number of reasons, but as I approach my first year anniversary I think it's amazing how much I've grown and how being around really REALLY smart people helps to sharpen you. If and when I leave, I don't imagine there will be any challenges that I can't solve or work through. That doesn't mean that I know everything - far from it. But I do think that I have more confidence to attack problems, collaborate, and get things done. When you're pushed and pulled and asked continually to do new and different things enough, you realize that you're up to the challenge. That's one of the great things that will come from this experience. It's hard, and frustrating, and challenging. And so many times I wish I were in a simple job doing simple things. But if this is the right place for me, and I think it is, then at the end of this adventure I'm going to be wicked sharp. Looking forward to that!
It reminds me that MS is a great place to work for a number of reasons, but as I approach my first year anniversary I think it's amazing how much I've grown and how being around really REALLY smart people helps to sharpen you. If and when I leave, I don't imagine there will be any challenges that I can't solve or work through. That doesn't mean that I know everything - far from it. But I do think that I have more confidence to attack problems, collaborate, and get things done. When you're pushed and pulled and asked continually to do new and different things enough, you realize that you're up to the challenge. That's one of the great things that will come from this experience. It's hard, and frustrating, and challenging. And so many times I wish I were in a simple job doing simple things. But if this is the right place for me, and I think it is, then at the end of this adventure I'm going to be wicked sharp. Looking forward to that!
Monday, September 7, 2009
The creativity of a 7 year old
I wanted to post this fun video of a laptop that Abby built herself. When I came home from work one night she had this cool paper laptop that was really well thought out and creative. Here's the video. I was very proud of Abby for being so creative on this.
Born to dance
Tonight I was listening to some fun music on the computer (Pop Goes the World, by Men Without Hats to be exact). Maddie was standing there next to me, listening quite intently to the fun sounds and beats, when she said:
"This music is making my body dance".
The girl's a dancer, let me just say that. Her two favorite songs to dance to are 1) Taylor Swift's "Love Story" and 2) Spotlight from the Twilight soundtrack. We put those songs on (or any, really) and she just dances and dances and dances. She is quite the little dancer, with her moves totally in synch with the music. It's adorable, and funny to watch her so into it.
Maddie is an amazing girl who simply loves to sing and dance. She constantly makes up her own songs - I can't always understand the words, but I hear "Jesus", "Holy Spirit" and other words spread throughout. But she puts so much emotion and emphasis into her performances, it's impossible to not just sit there amazed. I wonder where she gets it...neither Melanie or I are terribly dramatic or musical. But she's just programmed that way.
Speaking of, I have an old Christmas CD in my car and she asks me to play "Where are you Christmas" from the Grinch movie. And the cool thing is that she knows the words, and sings the right notes. Maybe that's what we'll send out as video Christmas card.
Anyway, that's what this post is about - to celebrate a 3 year old who loves music and performance. I love to watch every little thing she does with pure joy and amazement. That's the joy of being a Dad.
"This music is making my body dance".
The girl's a dancer, let me just say that. Her two favorite songs to dance to are 1) Taylor Swift's "Love Story" and 2) Spotlight from the Twilight soundtrack. We put those songs on (or any, really) and she just dances and dances and dances. She is quite the little dancer, with her moves totally in synch with the music. It's adorable, and funny to watch her so into it.
Maddie is an amazing girl who simply loves to sing and dance. She constantly makes up her own songs - I can't always understand the words, but I hear "Jesus", "Holy Spirit" and other words spread throughout. But she puts so much emotion and emphasis into her performances, it's impossible to not just sit there amazed. I wonder where she gets it...neither Melanie or I are terribly dramatic or musical. But she's just programmed that way.
Speaking of, I have an old Christmas CD in my car and she asks me to play "Where are you Christmas" from the Grinch movie. And the cool thing is that she knows the words, and sings the right notes. Maybe that's what we'll send out as video Christmas card.
Anyway, that's what this post is about - to celebrate a 3 year old who loves music and performance. I love to watch every little thing she does with pure joy and amazement. That's the joy of being a Dad.
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