Bridging the Gap Between Academia and the Insights Industry

So Brooke… where the hell did you go??

Saying we were busy is an understatement. December was mostly a blur with traveling and visitors; and it appears that 2018 is moving in the same quick direction. We’re finishing up our sixth month in Bucharest. I can’t believe we’ve been here that long.

It feels like it’s been an eon since we were last in the States. Isaac is a little person now and is no longer the baby with which we arrived. Each day he says a new word and is starting to show his personality a little more each day. Just yesterday, he gave us a preview for what’s to come in the next few years.

After an early dinner, we decided to take a walk to the mall for some ice cream and so that I could stop by Sephora. As I was getting ready to put my shoes on, he stole my last clean pair of socks (!!) and ran into our bedroom, hid behind the bed and laughed manically. I chased him into the bedroom and said, “Bud.. please give Mommy her sock.”

He responded, “Noooooooo!” as he jumped up on the bed, giggling. Then started bouncing on his knees, clutching the sock, and flashing his dimpled smile at me.

Not one to give in too easily, I said, “Come ooooonnnnnnn…. I want my sock back!”

With a huge smile on his face, he started bouncing up and down yelling, “Sock back!” “Sock back!” “Sock back!” and ran out of the room looking over his shoulder to see if I was up for the game of chase he casually initiated.

After a sigh of defeat, I tried to enlist help from Carl. So I yelled, “Honey, will you grab Isaac? I need my sock back.”

Next thing I know, there’s a little voice repeating what he just heard, “Sock back!” then again even louder “SOCK BACK!” and louder again “S O C K  B A C K!!!” All the while he ran from room to room with both of us chasing him.

It took about 10 minutes to get my sock back. I had to play “chase the toddler”. I had to tickle him. And I eventually had to find something of greater value to trade for my sock. It was my phone. One sock for one iphone; not a very fair trade, but it at least it allowed us to get out of the house and gave me a small level of satisfaction that my kid is no dummy.

I also wound up with a serious case of déjà vu, remembering a similar scenario with Jethro when he was a puppy. Maybe Jethro’s barks were his way of yelling, “Sock back!” just to initiate the exact same game of chase?

Even though my trade wasn’t exactly *fair* it was a fun start to the evening. And something I wouldn’t trade for the world.

I will post many of our travel pictures as well as some updates on the Romania business situation. Lots going on in Romania these days!