Thursday, May 14, 2009

Family Vacation in Europe?

This is more of a question than a post. We are considering a family vacation to London in the fall. It is our 10-year anniversary and we want to take a "big" trip (at least, something a bit more adult than Disney). We initially talked about going away without the kids but with a lack of family to help out with babysitting for a few days, coupled with the knowledge that I will miss them terribly after a day or two, we are now thinking about a family vacation to Europe.

London seems to stand out as a place that would likely be "kid friendly." My son will be 7 and my daughter is 4; I know that he will really enjoy it - Buckingham Palace, Wax Museum, Tower of London, etc. But I'm wondering how my daughter will do.

Does anyone have thoughts and/or have you taken a trip like this? We had talked about Ireland but I think it's too much driving for the kids. Jeff mentioned Rome - I cannot see that working out too well. We both feel that London would probably work. I welcome your comments and experiences.

Cheers,
Renay

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

One for the Dads

A colleague told me an awesome story about someone who he worked with at a previous company. I must share because it's a fun example of a high-powered man - a Dad with a baby at home who is also an executive at a large compay - having to set aside work priorities in order to take care of things at home. We will call him Joe.

A group of execs from this organization flew to New York for a big meeting. When they arrived for the meeting, Joe was nowhere to be found. They tried to call him but no answer. They delayed the meeting for an hour and Joe finally showed up an hour and a half late. When asked if everything was okay, Joe responded that his baby had thrown up on her bouncy seat so he had to wash the cover before he could leave.

Not only do I love the story but I love the honesty about why he was late. As a working Mom, it makes me shudder to think about giving an answer like that, although incidents like that happen all the time, don't they?

So I applaud Joe. Here's to all the Dads out there who understand that raising a family involves everyone in that family, whether you are a CEO, a consultant or a stay-at-home parent.

Cheers,
Renay