PCSHW

How I've felt this week

I didn't have any on-campus finals this semester, so I was officially done as of last Friday.  That means I've had this whole past week with virtually no responsibilities.  It's been AMAZING.  Pre-child-stay-home-wifehood (PCSHW) is the life for me.  Here are all the things I've checked off my long-term to-do list:
1) Study for the GRE
Shanna is to analogies as Dwight Howard is to free-throws.  We both always miss them.  Needless to say, some serious studying is in my future in the next few weeks.  I'd like to take the GRE in the middle of January, and I've loved having this week to finally dive in to my study book.  If you'd like to have a conversation in which we use large pretentious words (potentially incorrectly) to help me study the vocab, hit me up.
2) Wrap Christmas Presents
Seriously, is there anything better than watching the Sing-Off, drinking hot chocolate, and wrapping Christmas presents?  Love it.
3) Fulfill Wifely Duties
This week I've actually cleaned our apartment (it seemed a little cruel to evict all those dust bunnies so close to Christmas, but what can you do?) and made dinners that require more than 30 seconds in the microwave.  I cleaned out my car, went grocery shopping multiple times, and paid bills. Just call me June Cleaver and buy me some heels and pearls.
4) Edit Wedding Album
Erik and I bought a flush-mount album with our wedding photography package.  It's been a work in progress for 4 months now.  The photographer emails me one draft of one page, I email back the edits.  He fixes it, but not quite the way I wanted, so I email him back.  There are twenty pages in this album, this is not an efficient system.  Going to sit down with the photographer and work out this album has been on my list for two months, I finally got it done tonight.  Hopefully we'll have this album done before I graduate.
5) Practice Harp
I go through phases where I practice a lot and phases where my harp sits in the spare bedroom and gathers dust.  Prior to the end of this semester, we were definitely in a dust phase.  This week I've had time to play through all of my Christmas carols and pull out some stuff I haven't played in a while. My upstairs and downstairs neighbors probably weren't thrilled, but I had fun.
6) Catch up on Reality TV
This one is kind of all encompassing.  I've had time this week to do all those things that I love doing that are actually wastes of time, like watching reality TV .  I've been in to What Not to Wear and Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team lately.  Of course, after I watch Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders I have to watch Biggest Loser to restore my healthy body image.  Also I love any show starring midgets, wedding dresses, or toddler beauty queens. I hope to someday find a show featuring all three. You can see how this becomes a time sucker.  This week I've also read all the back columns of my favorite advice column, spent some serious time with my kindle, and reacquainted myself with the bubble bath.

It has seriously been the best week.  I feel relaxed, on top of things, and excited for Christmas. I never want to go back to school or my regular work schedule again. Now I just need to find a way to convince Erik that PCSHW is a viable permanent solution for us.