Everyone that works in today's corporate world has too at one time or another travel for business, some more than others. When I was single it did not matter if I was traveling, it was not important. Even if you were married with no kids involved, it was rather simple to go away for a week, but when kids are in your life, no matter what the age, it seems like a lifetime

I sit, Sunday, April 22, 2007, here on American Airlines flight # 1009 from Dallas-Fort Worth to Colorado Springs. Flight time is only one hour and thirty minutes, wondering what is going through the minds of my kids. Today was an ordinary day, a normal wake up, a normal day, just with the addition of knowing that later in the afternoon I would be on a flight for work missing out on ordinary evening of events, bedtime. Both my boys are still young and in the prime learning stages of their young lives. When you're around them most times you are either thinking of something that will occupy their time until it is "your time", bedtime or some where that will accomplish the same thing. Sometimes that is the ultimate goal, bedtime.

Earlier I walked through security and saw their faces for the last time until I return; now my knowledge of them will only be phone calls until I return this Friday. I see them waving their hands, yelling "see you soon" even though I cannot hear a word with all the other conversation going on around me. What does it for me is the smiles on their faces, seeing the anticipation, the bright smiles. I am sure that in the mind of my nine year old, he is glad that I am going away for the week.

Bailey is my oldest, the child that made me do a 180 degree turn in my life style. I know that I am too harsh with him and I need to relax more. I guess I am just too uptight with him and I had better change my ways as soon, I can see my actions will have irreversible effects on the way that he acts and I was never like that as a child. My wife is always telling me to chill out and while I have done so in the last few months, I have to make a much better effort. Bailey will be testing again for his mid-brown belt this coming Thursday and I have never missed one testing yet, a year and a half and I hate that.

Grayson is one of kind, god broke the mold when he was born. This child can drive anyone with normal mind stir crazy. I have never met anyone in my life that gets into more things, from a gas can to bug poison, he is into it and my lord you have to keep your eye on him from wake up to bed time. He is a great kid, funny and wants to know everything. His laugh and smile are second to none, they could make a cadaver smile.

Well it is only 5 days, I return on Friday evening and it will go by so fast that they wont even notice that I am gone, unless they some how make mom angry. I am making every effort to get more involved with their lives. I need to get them more involved with sports, which is a must. When I think of this, I think of my own health, I need to make a 360 degree turn around when it comes to taking care of me.

Being a father is not easy and to anyone who reads this, you know exactly where I am coming from. Every one of us struggles to be better and improve on all aspects of parenting. I know that I want to do this for my kids, my wife, and most of all me!