Winter Conference 2010

Last week I went the PACGA (prosecuting attorney's council of georgia) Winter Conference 2010. It was at Callaway Gardens. I drove down Wednesday with my boss and a co-worker (Boss drove - explains why we were late). Hubby and the kids joined me Wednesday night and stayed the rest of the conference. Hubby took Thursday and Friday off and took the kids to Callaway while I learned how to be a prosecutor. ***** Callaway is offering free admission to anyone through the end of February************ So it was a nice, inexpensive little trip for all of us. This conference is a perfect example of the struggle to be a lawyer and a mom, especially a nursing mom. I didn't initially have a fridge in my room so being that I have to store valuable milk I had to call and get one delivered. Had to put up the privacy sign at 6 pm while making milk so the fridge delivery guy wouldn't walk in. Co-workers had to wait on me for dinner Wednesday so I could pump since there were no available breaks that afternoon for me to do so. Thursday I pumped at the two 15 minute breaks in the restroom 'cause my room was too far away to walk to and pump there. This meant I was using a manual pump in a stall since no stalls I have found ever have outlets in them! Since my daughter really doesn't like the bottle and thus only drinks the minimum amount (and sometimes refuses a third bottle during the day), I was able to pump more than she drank that day! I used a little bit more than 15 minutes at each break but when you are a lawyer (or any job) by day and mommy by night, you gotta do what you gotta do! The guy that delivered the fridge probably had no idea I was storing milk in it - since so many lawyers were there he probably thought I was buying beer or wine and keeping it in there. After all, when a co-worker went to the local package store, they told her that they had really stocked up when they learned all these attorneys were coming to town! And on Thursday night when everyone else went back to their rooms to take a nap or change into workout clothes and hit the gym, I was calling my husband on his cell to let him know that I was on my way right then since I just got a text asking me when I was coming back or did he need to heat a bottle?! And these are just the stories about me being a Mom to my youngest at the conference. Then there is the oldest one. He is into Thomas the Train A LOT!!!!!!!!!!!! AS IN ALL THE TIME!!!!!!!!!!!! We get it on the ON Demand channel at home. No such channel exist at Callaway. First words out of his mouth when he arrived at the hotel room - I want to watch Thomas on Mommy's TV! So I kept repeating for 2 1/2 days, we will watch Thomas as soon as we get home! Of course, he was asleep when he got home at 9 pm Friday! But we sure did watch it first thing Saturday morning - first words out of his mouth saturday morning as he came to my side of the bed - I need to watch Thomas! Gotta love that little boy!!!!!! I am sure that no one else at the conference (at least from my office) spent their last break on Friday running back to the hotel room to change 2 diapers so hubby could finish loading the car. During the entire conference, I learned about being a prosecutor - how its great, what we should try to accomplish, how to do it, war stories, etc. - but not a single thing about balancing work and family life or work and non-work life. No stories about circuits that have created in house daycare centers. No stories about take your child to work day. No stories about Judges making inappropriate comments about your water breaking on their carpet while you are pregnant. Yes, I enjoy being a prosecutor, I find traffic court very interesting (after all my senior thesis in college was The Evolution of Traffic Management Systems and the Development of Traffic Engineering), I love my profession and I never would want to stop being a lawyer, BUT there is nothing, nothing more enjoyable than seeing your kids face light up with excitement! Sometimes it is because you came home, sometimes it is because they get to watch Thomas, sometimes it is the Christmas tree you decorated for their room, or seeing a picture of their baby sister, whatever it is, there is nothing more enjoyable than seeing your child full of excitement. One day I may retire and stop being a lawyer but I will never, ever stop being a Mommy. It's late and I better get to sleep while I can. Until then...
-Lawyer by Day and Mommy by Night