"Go Pony"

Dan is working like mad - it is Freaking crazy what academic doctors have to do to stay successful. Obama's new incentive package included NIH grants and some in the area of ethics and Dan has been encouraged to apply for one - which he's never done before. It's a huge effort that most people do in 6 months to a year and he's got basically 6 weeks to do it. He has a policy paper on neuro enhancements (physicians prescribing drugs like ritalin to patients who want to improve their memory, concentration or test taking abilities) that he's turning it into grant research but he's got his patients to see, fellows to teach, lectures to write, presentations to create, class to teach on Wednesday night, he's on call and on the wards for the next 10 days plus he has a wife and two 4 month old babies who don't sleep through the night. In order to help him to try and focus his effort on this grant I've offered to take the babies full time during the weekends so, we're both working during the day - coming home to the children at night and then on the weekends I entertain the babies for most of the day. We're both exhausted. I stayed home today with a sore throat. I was able to sleep most of the AM and then vacuum the house which I hadn't done in 2,3,4 weeks...? I don't remember. There was Cooper hair everywhere (except in the nursery because Maryu takes care of that room). If Aidan and Ella weren't so darn cute and fun when they smile and laugh it would be really difficult and sometimes it's difficult despite this. They are pretty easy going " good" babies. All babies are good - some are just fussier than others. Anyway, sometimes Aidan and Ella want to play "Go pony." "Go pony" means - one or both of them will cry to be picked up and then once their up they want you to walk around. If you stand in one spot and don't move they will cry so you have to keep moving to keep them happy. For example, I can put Aidan in the bjorn carrier and try to write an email but if I sit down or stand in front of the computer for the duration of the email he will start to cry or make frustrated grunting noises to tell me - get movin' pony! As soon as I start walking he'll stop fussing. And it's the same with Ella. Dan dubbed this - "Go Pony." Pretty funny! Soo, I know Dan can do all this but I worry about him and it definitely puts more demands on our time. I'm looking forward to when the grant is turned in and we can get away for a weekend or two. Until then it's definitely Go pony!