Cramping my style.

My name is Susie and I am a goer. For years I felt zero fulfillment if I failed to step out of the house for at least a handful of errands or activities. It's in my blood; I need to be moving. And not in a I-must-train-for-a-marathon way, but in an effort to meet some intrinsic need to accomplish.
As a mother, particularly a mother of four young girls, living in a spot of the country that does not boast perpetual warmth and sunshine, my antsy nature has become somewhat subdued. We find ways to keep busy within the walls of our home - crafting, coloring, playing games, reading, imagining, building, cooking and creating. Still, when summer brings with it endless days of sunshine, and countless options for outdoor activities, the giddyness spills over uncontained as my restlessness gives way to relief, dreaming of hours spent at the pool, weekly visits to the park with friends, trips to the zoo, bike rides around the neighborhood and constant play in the backyard while Tim and I toil over the lawn, flowers and vegetables.
Then reality hits and the logistics of dragging four kids around town suppresses my anticipation of summer. We went to the park this afternoon. Just the four kids and I attempting the impossible. I consider myself a pretty tough cookie, but I may have underestimated the ability of my children to drive me stark raving mad during the infamous pre-dinner hour (which is why I usually plug them into a movie or send them out to our fenced backyard to keep them out of my hair). Sure we all had great fun but I was stupid enough to agree to Anna's pleas to hike up a 25 degree incline to view the canal (which is not, by the way, fenced in at this particular park - yikes!).
Long story short, all three of my walking children came home with at least one cut or scrape, all the while complaining that they wanted to stay longer.
I will not let the daunting task of carting four little kids around keep me from gallivanting around town this summer, partaking of all sorts of fun. I will, however, need a few more weeks of practice.