Week 11

We’re at halfway in my parental leave and I’m on a very busy run of weekends. Let’s have a quick blast through the things I’ve been up to…

Family Weekend

We’ve got a really busy run of weekends and it seems like every busy weekend ends up dominating the week. We got back from our Scottish wedding late on Sunday and so spent Monday recovering, washing and generally getting our life back together.

Then on Thursday, my parents came to visit. My wife went away to see her friends this weekend and I often get my parents to come and help out when she goes away. They have a great time looking after the kids, the kids have a great time being looked after, and I have a great time getting a little break. My mum does a whole bunch of a gardening jobs (usually taking at least one child with her) and my dad looks after whoever is left, and does odd-job DIY things. This time, sanding a table.

We had our first BBQ of the year (my happy place: I love a BBQ) and the weather was just delightful.

Cricket

Friday marked the return of the cricket season - my eldest is a member of the local cricket club and it’s sometimes just the best thing. We walk in the toasty early evening heat to the cricket club, where there’s sunshine and friends and a bar. The 4-year-old played with schoolfriends in the park while I stood in the setting sun watching the 6-year-old play cricket and chatted to the parents.

Bliss.

Gym

I’m back! One of the benefits of childcare (and sorting myself out) is getting back to the gym and getting back into the routine of it all. I’ve not injured myself so far and I’m glad to be improving myself. I’ve got a run of holidays coming up (Lake District, Tenerife, lads weekend) which might make my gymming a bit harder, but I’ll do what I can to keep up with things.

PhD

I’m working pretty hard on a paper and I’m really hopeful that I’ll be able to get it submitted before the end of April. It’s been a long old slog (papers always seem to be) but I think it’s in a much better place than the paper I already have published was when I started hawking that about. Let’s hope that I can tidy up loose ends (cover letter, title page) and get it sent and it flies through review and then huzzah…2 out of 3 papers done.

Halfway Reflections

Not to go too big on this (I’m reading a new book that I’m pretty into and it’s already late) but I am sort of halfway through my parental leave. It’s going fast, but I am enjoying the forcing function of having to write up what I’ve done each week. I don’t write about the day-to-day stuff generally, but that’s really what’s taking up the time and effort. The baby learning to crawl (he’s pretty close now!) or homework and spelling tests, or practicing skipping and getting dressed.

I really feel like I’m practicing a little what retirement would be like and honestly, it’s pretty good. I had a research idea that I’m seriously debating pursuing (even though it’s a bit of a ball-ache) and I can potter around the house and do jobs and learn things and…well, retirement doesn’t seem so bad after all.

My financial modelling says I’ll be lucky to retire at 43 or more practically able to do so at 45. That’s still 6 or 8 years away I’m afraid, so back to work will happen and it’ll happen soon.

Not to worry - I like work too, really!