Share Four Somethings Saturday – March

March is a crazy busy month in our family and this year has been no exception. We’ve begun outside activities for the kiddos again so now I’m a taxi service but fortunately, I get the time while they are at said activities to do my editing and writing work. I’ve done more writing in the front seat of my car in parking lots during the past month than my entire life previously. But it’s also been wonderful to have an hour or more of quiet to myself a couple of times a week.

Something Loved

For my birthday this year, hubby and I ate in an actual, real-life restaurant and my kids spent the night at their grandparents so I got to wake up at a time of my own choosing. While I seem to struggle with adult birthdays, it was exactly what I needed this year. It reminded me how much I miss the undivided attention that comes with dinner out. While at-home dates are nice, and certainly better than nothing, it’s easy to become distracted by the ever-present work that comes with keeping a home. When we go out just the two of us, I can more easily set aside my worries and checklists, talk about subjects that interest me. Plus it was lovely to come home to an empty house without any kiddos waiting up to say goodnight or coming into our room with insomnia. While I love them dearly the last year has been tough on our family and it’s very hard to prioritize self-care and my marriage when they are in my face all hours of the day and night.

There was a family dinner as well, which I enjoyed and thoughtful presents. But it’s hard to beat a date night and night off from mom duty. It felt wonderfully normal and it made me realize how much I need to do it again soon.

Something Read

I haven’t been doing as much reading as I usually like this month, since my focus has been on trying to get my Lenten devotional through its next round of edits. Hopefully, once I’m finished I’ll be able to tackle my TBR pile with greater energy and enthusiasm.

I finally finished up Everything Living Thing by James Herriot and to be honest I was kind of sad to finish. When I first started the series I was afraid I might be bored. But I ended up loving it. I’m not entirely sure what I’ll start next. I’m still working my way (slowly) through Taking Charge of ADHD and Are my Kids on Track? The 12 Emotional, Social, and Spiritual Milestones Your Child Needs to Reach. A friend recently loaned me Becoming Mrs. Lewis (in actual book form) and I have the most recent Julie Klassen book, A Castaway in Cornwall waiting on my Kindle for me.

So far Becoming Mrs. Lewis has been beautiful and also profoundly sad, but not necessarily in a bad way. I think I’ll probably have more to say about it when I finish. I’m shocked to find how often I see myself between these pages despite the differences in our background. There is something about the way the author presents Joy’s struggle between the domestic life and the writing life that feels like she’s been inside my head.

I also have my eye on My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell as a replacement for the James Herriot stories. I really enjoyed the show The Durrell’s of Corfu and was delighted when I realized that they were based on a true story. Gerald Durrell credits his free-range childhood spent on the tiny Greek island of Corfu with beginning his journey into the world-renowned naturalist he became as an adult. As a homeschooler who made our educational choice in part to give my children room to pursue their passions, this perspective from a successful adult is very encouraging.

Something Treasured

It has been a long and rather lonely school year for my kiddos and this month we tried a new extra-curricular activity: horses. It’s not just riding lessons either. My two older children spend three hours every Friday learning about horses and horse care. They work in the barn and then get a riding lesson as well. While I could tell they were both nervous, it has been a wonderful experience so far and one we’re trying to figure out how to continue next year. I was always nervous around horses, around most animals in general. But my mom and grandmother rode horses when my mom was young, so it’s sweet to see this interest carry over into another generation. I have no idea how long it will be feasible or affordable but I’m trying not to worry about that right now and just enjoy watching them blossom.

Something Ahead

Spring! While we’ve had patches of spring weather this month, we’ve also had a lot of cold. I’m ready for the warm sun and more time spent outside. As I plan my garden and see the beginnings of bulbs coming up in my yard, I’m reminded why I love this time of year. If everyone wants to quit in February then I would say that for me, April and May are the months where anything feels possible. They are my planning months, my busy months, my months of overplanning and looking ahead to fall with the eyes of idealism and totally unrealistic expectation. But that’s ok. Even though I know it’s coming and that things will never be as perfect, well balanced, or well organized as I like, I still look forward to it.