End of the year

Natalie and Chico

Some people track their year by the calendar.

Some people track their year by school sessions.

Some people track their year by the seasons.

I track mine by the horse show schedule. The year begins December 1 and ends November 30, with the height of the season from April through September when the HCHSA shows are running. Sunday ended the regular shows for us, with a weekend off this week before Medal Finals and the official end of HCHSA for the year.
I live, breathe, eat, and (don't) sleep horse shows for those 6 months. I love hanging out with my kids and their ponies. I love watching them learn something every single time we leave the farm. I love figuring out what we need to work harder on at home, and what we've finally mastered. I love watching them smile their faces off when they get a ribbon, and how well they handle themselves when they don't. I love that they always want to be perfect, but that they understand sometimes we have to settle for the best we can do that day. I love that they love their horses/ponies no matter how perfect or how naughty they were on a given day.

I also love that I have the most fantastic, supportive, and hilarious group of parents to work with, most of whom have no idea how they ended up involved, but who are game for whatever I want to do and can put together a mean lunch spread! (And that my own parents, who no longer have to get up at 4am on Sundays themselves, are willing to dogsit as often as I need them to.)

The next couple weeks will be spent prepping child and pony for their first medal finals, and then we have 3 or 4 weeks before the fall schooling shows start. I plan on doing an excessive amount of sleeping on the weekend, finally finishing Storm of Swords, and possibly even sitting around drinking wine and catching up with all my wonderful friends who understand that I all but disappear from reality during the regular season.

And then shortly it will be time to dig the North Face out of the closet, buy another carton of toe warmers, and dream of April and the start of another year.