I have so much to tell you! Where to begin?

I came to a crossroads this summer—it was right around my 33rd birthday, come to think of it—where I realized that something had to give.

Running a full-time daycare out of my home has been fun and rewarding, but thoroughly exhausting. If you are a parent, you already know what I’m talking about. Even a relatively easy day where there are no big conflicts—where I am more of a companion and human jungle gym than a mediator or teacher—wipes me out.

this photo is not staged

I just didn’t have energy to do anything at the end of the day other than crawl in bed. I wasn’t exercising enough; I wasn’t seeing my friends during the week; some days, I didn’t even leave the house other than to take the kiddos outside. I knew that I needed to either hire an assistant or cut my hours back.

Milo comforting Felix when his leg hurt

After debating the two options for a few days, I decided to cut my hours back. In a few months, I will be switching from a full-time childcare to mornings-only. Most of my kids are already on this schedule, but making it official will allow me to transition to the next stage of my career. I have been wanting to return to labor doula work, but didn’t have the freedom and time to do so. When I switch to mornings only, I will be able to join a doula collective and attend 2-4 births a month. At least, that is the goal.

I am excited! If you’re in the Portland area and know a mama-to-be who could use a doula, send her my way!

Another big change in my personal life is that I have joined the Rose City Rollers recreational league, the Wreckers.

In July, I wrote this tweet:

…and the rest is history. Never let it be said that I don’t know myself!

Despite my interest, I’ve been holding roller derby at arm’s length for 8 years, because I thought that the last thing I needed was another demand on my time. Little did I know, it was exactly what I needed: regular exercise, a strong community of powerful women, and—let’s be honest—the catharsis that comes with knocking someone to the ground on a regular basis.

Pretty soon, I’m sure that there will be pictures of me growling in stripey socks and giant bruises to accompany these posts, but I just started, so right now I am just building endurance and getting my skate legs back.

I have so much more to tell you, but I’ve already gone on long enough for one post, so it will need to wait for later this week, I guess.

What has this summer brought you?