I just posted an article on Facebook about the possibility of leaving your baby in a hot car.

But there is a sad back story to it. 

First, I don’t like to name names on my blog as I don’t want anything publicly searched on the Internet. 
So, over the 4th of July, we went to Arkansas to visit Eric’s college roommate at the lake house where he grew up. We also hung out with E’s roommates childhood best friend along with his wife and 18 month old son, Thomas. That’s them 3 on the far left in this pic. Sweet Thomas at the time was 18 months old. Just a few months older than Holland.
 

This sweet family… You could tell they were first time parents. After dinner on Friday, they HAD to leave at 8:00 to get Thomas home to bed. The next day, we took a boat on the lake to their place, and the mommy didn’t want us to use the restroom downstairs in order to not wake Thomas (I used it anyways bc Kessler HAD to go, but felt bad after finding out why she didn’t want anyone down there).

So, last Friday, a nightmare happened. An absolute, living on earth nightmare.

The father of this sweet 18 month old, picked Thomas up from daycare. This was not routine for the father (never mind the fact that this father’s dad just passed away 3 weeks prior).

4 hours goes by, and this father realizes/discovers Thomas was still in his car. It was above 100 degrees outside that day, and at least 120 degrees in the car.

Thomas did not survive.

He was 18 months old.

I used to be one of those parents who would say they would NEVER do something like that. But two kids in. Going through sleep deprivation. Mistakes are made.

This could happen under many scenarios, but I believe that when a child is rear facing and fast asleep, they are silent and (God forbid) can be forgotten.

I also believe that when the aforementioned circumstances are at hand, and when a routine is switched up, such as dad picking up their child (when they normally don’t) from daycare, they could get distracted with a phone call, drive for 30 minutes, and forget the random day care pick up could even happen.

I have several moms in mind with new babies now, or babies that this will effect next summer (or even the summer or 2 after that because of all the car seat laws) so PAY ATTENTION. Make your husbands ESPECIALLY pay attention (you may never forget, the “always on mommy”) but do something like leave your left shoe or cell phone in the back seat. Just start practicing now.

My heart aches for this family. And as hot as DFW (or most places in the summer) gets, everyone should be aware of this.

I had a long, busy day at Indeed HQ in Stamford (which is a very beautiful little city about 30 miles outside of NYC).

Here is a pick I took last night flying into NYC.  
That is our SVP of Sales (bad lighting – can’t really see him) in the conference room we started our day in. I love that he was in jeans & a polo! I did not see one suit today and I was definitely overdressed. I can get used to this casual attire! 
The first half of the day we went over the results from a test I took online last week from a company called Insights. It helps you understand your personality, along with how best to get along with other personalities. Also incorporates Jung psych theories.

So I ranked myself with green and yellow at top (caring and sunshine :). And blue and red on bottom (detailed and direct). As this is my first day, no one really knows me, and other people gave me green cards (and as one person put it because I looked nice).
As we continued on throughout the exercise, my colors started shifting. Even when I got in a group project with the Sunshine Yellows, it just didn’t feel right. I was almost envious at how organized & focused the reds were in their group.
 
When I read the results of my actual test, I was shocked (yet pleasantly surprised) that I had my colors mixed up. But not too surprised as I can see how the people pleasing side of me WANTS to be yellow and green. And perhaps if I just owned my red and blue traits, I would be more content with who I truly am and quit some random insecurities I have. I was pleased to know I have the same color scheme as our SVP of Sales! 🙂

  
Copy of Day 1 Agenda

For dinner we had “BBQ” at Brother Jimmy’s. I wanted a brisket sandwich, but that was not an option amongst the fish, chicken and ribs 🙂

  
I finally opened up my “schwag bag” when I got back to my hotel room. On top of loving my new MacBook Air for work, I got a couple koozies, a cool water bottle, bottle opener, laptop case, and little backpack pouch thingy.

I also got a cool pullover and t shirt!

Random semi-celebrity sighting. The lady that played Ray’s brother’s wife, Amy, on Everybody Loves Raymond. I don’t even know her name in real life, so I certainly had no right to bother her – a bad habit I have when I see “famous” people. She was sitting at a restaurant next to the restaurant that I went to for dinner. Such a great story, huh? 🙂

I forgot to post this! My new company sent me flowers a week ago last Saturday, welcoming me to the company. What a nice, warming, classy touch!

My role will be a “National” Account Manager for Indeed, the largest job board in the country (a title I have been hoping to advance to for years now – I’ve always just been an Account Manager or Account Executive, which is more local with not as large accounts). I will be moving away from calling corporations headquartered in the DFW area, to exclusively calling on the largest Staffing firms over 6 states (and wherever city or state their branches are located in – so basically all over the country). I will have to be on a plane about once a week, but I am looking forward to more responsibility, growing in my career, and hey, more airline miles 🙂

I am in Stamford, CT right now and start my first day of training today. I’m excited! (but miss my sweet husband and girls)

Liz and her fam are moving back to Texas! To a lake just north of the Woodlands. It was great catching up with her, her sis-in-law, and everyone’s kiddos!

I had lunch with some of my Dallas team one last time before my next career venture. We went to Houstons and shared stories, and I will miss them!  

Kessler showed me this Minnie Mouse and I said, “Oh, I like your chef!” And she corrected me and said, “No mommy, SOUS chef.”

She gets this from when she cooks with daddy who is the “chef” and I call her the “sous chef.”