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Au naturel, baby. Swing low, sweet chariots.

This is not shallow. This is … emotionally magnificent.

I am a great interviewee. Why? Because I have something no one else has: my brain. Which I use to my advantage. So advantageous.

What a blessed time of life this is.

I read Whit Goodnight Moon tonight, blinking back tears (yes, Ally, I am officially a cryer) as I wondered how many more times I will sit with him at bedtime, rocking and reading the familiar words I could easily recite by heart. He was tired tonight, and as he snuggled against my chest his eyes were fluttering closed. I ache thinking about how fast this flies.

Had the same experience with Gracie today. I came out of my teacher conference, and she was on the swings, facing away from me. She was all by herself, pumping hard and swinging high. My heart leapt into my throat as I considered how grown up and self-sufficient she is already. How smoothly she can make herself swing, how high she can fly.

A set of cliches, to be sure, but profoundly emotional ones. As Lacy says, life is a series of losses. Somehow parenting makes this reality so salient, so tangible. And as Daddy points out, we WANT them to grow up, to walk further without seeking our reassurance, to grow into their own selves (as Grace used to say: “I want to do it my own self!“) But oh, how bittersweet is this passage!

We had the New Family cookout at Grace’s new school tonight. It’s going to be an adjustment! I miss her old school so keenly. Grace, however, was unfazed. She ran around with Lucien Wood as though she’d been playing with him for years (sadly he is not going to be in her class next year, and has another year at the old school). I will definitely need to get to know these new parents and families; I feel a bit daunted right now by that task.

There was a fabulous squall after swimming today. We emerged from the pool and were instantly drenched, cold, and laughing. I love spring and summer thunderstorms, the ones that come on out of the blue and blow through fast, with tremendous sturm and drang. I love this kind of rain, while I loathe gloomy, endless drizzle. I love thunder and lightning, which somehow seem to be the universe’s way of letting off steam – how remarkable that the very air around us can suddenly be animate with roars and light. The sound and the fury, indeed! It occurs to me that I like my weather with a point of view (much like I like my people).

Today’s storm reminded me of one summer at Cape Cod Sea Camps, when a friend and I ran around on the big open fields in front of the camp in a wild thunderstorm squall. We were soaked to the skin, and literally dancing with the lightning as it touched down around us. The camp director came out and yelled, in the pouring rain, that he would have to fire us if we didn’t come inside because the liability was too great. It is still one of my favorite memories.

My day today: evidence of an existence that is either totally schizophrenic or remarkably rich.

• Woke up with children, did breakfast and books, took Gracie to school. Spent some time with our director, Jenifer, checking in on capital campaign and other items.
• Home for 9:30 conference call with headhunter. Negotiated contract and carve-out list.
• IMed briefly with Lacy to catch up.
• Ran 11 miles. Felt good. Officially looking for 1/2 marathon to do.
• Home to respond to 28 new work emails that had come in while I was running.
• Baked chocolate oatmeal bar cookies for kids while on phone with Gloria in London.
• Conference call with Bis, who is opening our India office, to make decisions on the legion of candidates Alex, Chris and I have met for him. Decided on Gaurav, with Manish a close second.
• Drafted offer letter for senior associate offeree in New York. Made travel plans for next few weeks of work travel.
• Spent 30 minutes on phone with my tennis club membership co-chair, discussing wait list and plans for summer events
• Wrapped birthday present for Emay

And so it goes. Looking forward to a mellow night at home tonight. Tomorrow is the BB&N new family cookout which should be interesting. Weather continues to be gorgeous. Matt is in San Francisco until Friday or Saturday morning.