it begins

In some small part of my brain, I always dreamed I'd run a marathon someday. Never mind that I HATE running. I just thought I'd work my way up to it, kilometer by kilometer, until I could do the whole thing. And people would look at me and think, "Isn't she amazing? Imagine the work it took to get across that finish line!"

Last night I crossed the finish line in dirty bare feet and a long cotton skirt. 

A new race is beginning but I think of it as a meandering cross-country run, where you're allowed to pause and admire a bird you've never seen or lie down in the grass for a rest.

July will be spent (by me) completing an online university course to get my Kindergarten Qualifications (this is step one in becoming a "specialist"). The house will be more neglected than usual but between my husband and my mother, I've been assured that this is doable. It's kind of like when you just have faith that there will be enough money next month, even though the previous months have been tight: I'm just having faith that, although I find it hard to sit down to rest, knit, pee, or bathe, the time to do this course will magically appear. 

I've created craft baskets for the three older kids, containing paints, brushes, canvases, peg dolls, googly eyes, feathers, glue, scissors, and so on. I'm covering a wall with mural paper. I'm planning on giving Jude daily writing and math tasks to keep his mind sharp. The leap from  Grade 2 to Grade 3 can be a wide one and I want to make sure the things he learned this year stay fresh.

Every day we'll trek out to swimming lessons, and today we'll create the list we do at the beginning of the summer: each child picks three things they'd like to do over the summer and we use it as our checklist. Jude would like to set up the tent and have a sleepover with friends. Violet would like to go to a local beach. Those will be easy to check off!

This space will be quieter in July as I concentrate all my energy on keeping everyone cool, fed, and happy, while completing my course. Phew. I'm breaking into a sweat just thinking about it.

Happily, we have an open invitation to use our neighbour's pool (hooray for generous neighbours with pools!) and no garden to worry about. Just kicking back and enjoying each other is the rule this summer. Toes in the grass, faces to the sun, watermelon in hand, and not a thought of the winter that will be back with us in six months!