Just as soon as…

As soon as…

As soon as…

As soon as…

I feel like this phrase has become my response to everything lately.  I’ll get to that as soon as I finish my dissertation.  I’ll work on that as soon as I finish collecting data.  I’ll finally have time for that as soon as I graduate.  Oy!

I just don’t feel like my brain or schedule can handle anything else until I’m done with school.  Keeping up with 3 kid schedules, after school activities, running the house, and finishing my dissertation does not allow for much else to make it on the list.  And that’s frustrating to me.  See, I’ve have this overwhelming urge lately to get lost in the domesticity of my life.  This PhD journey is coming to an end (hopefully!) and I’m finally realizing all the things I miss about being just a stay-at-home mom.  I’m also realizing all the things I want to do with my time when school if finally done.  Many people are eager to jump directly into a job when they finish school.  Not me.  I’m aching to embrace the domestic aspect of my life for a little bit and enjoy simple things.

Like, getting lost in the folding of the laundry.  Or, tackling an organization project right when I feel it and not putting it off until I have more time.

So I’ve decided to make a list of all the things I plan to do this Spring when I finally graduate and no longer have my albatross/dissertation hanging around my neck.

• Work on my vegetable garden – last year I was just too busy to plant one, but this year I have plans to add another raised bed and explore what else I can grow.  

• Canning – again, last year I was too busy to make jam in the Spring.  This year I’m going to can the crap out of some fruit and I want to see what I can do with my garden harvest.  Maybe homemade marinara sauce.  Maybe pickle some beans.  Who knows!  I’m excited by the prospect!

• Learn to make bread – I have a bread machine and I do love it.  But, I want to make bread from scratch.  I want to work my hands and muscles kneading the dough and appreciate the time it take to bring together a plethora of ingredients into something fresh and homemade.  

• Teach my daughter to cook – Amelia asked the other day if I would teach her how to cook.  I suddenly got so excited by the prospect and can’t wait until we tackle this project over the summer! I see muffins, cakes, soups, and stews in our future!

• Fill the freezer – we’ve put off buying an extra freezer since our old one broke a couple years ago.  It’s time to buy a new one.  And, I’m looking forward to filling it with meals and homemade goodies to carry us through the next holiday season so I have the chance to just enjoy the merriment of the holidays with my kids.  

• Organize my recipes – my mother has all her recipes color coded and organized in little binders.  Everything is easy to find and ready when needed.  I can’t wait until she comes down in May for my graduation and we can tackle this project together.  

• Take a sewing class – I got a sewing machine a while back and I’ve enjoyed the few projects I’ve had time to do.  But, I want to learn so much more.  I want to make clothes for Amelia’s American Girl doll.  I want to make the perfect apron.  I want to make a quilt out of scraps of the kids’ old baby clothes.  

• I want to explore the farmers market in the area and see what local goods are available to us.  Maybe it’s time to buy half a cow.  Maybe I can find local eggs to use since we are just a touch under and acre and cannot raise our own.  Maybe this will give the kids some great learning opportunities over the summer since we’ll be canning and cooking away the hot Georgia days.