Evening walks and rides

I've been taking life day by day ever since the twins were born. I glance at the calendar at the beginning of the week but nothing really sinks in - I only really absorb what is on the plate for the next day. My iphone calendar has become a necessary crutch. Having 4 kids 4 and under has been a huge challenge. We embarked on this journey by setting expectations appropriately low, and therefore, for the most part Chris and I feel like we're doing quite well, and even succeeding in some areas. One of the things that has been fun to explore more recently are new definitions and concepts of "self-care." On nights when Chris is out of town, I set goals to get all the kids down by 7 pm so I can sit out on the front porch and eat dinner, read, or people watch (it's no massage, but it is relaxing!). I joined a new book club and my first meeting was last week! Perhaps my favorite new self-care activity though is walking or biking with neighbors. There are a bunch of women in my neighborhood within about 10 years of my age up or down. Some have kids, some don't, most are married, but we've all started getting together a night or two each week around 7:30 pm to take a walk around the neighborhood, through the trails at the back of the neighborhood, or bike on the bike trails. We've done it on hot nights, cool nights, and even in the rain. It's such a fun thing and has been such a great way to reset and wind down. 

I know I say it all the time, but I love where we live!