Sweet Summertime: A Wisconsin Mom’s Summer Plans
Ah, summertime… Well, I hear that it’s summer, anyway! June 21st was the official start to the summer, and while the weather was finally lovely here in Milwaukee, that was also a Wednesday, so I was indoors teaching all day, and thus, did not get to enjoy much of it. Sigh. That’s one of the biggest things I miss about Scottsdale: the weather—even the summers! When the weather is glorious every single day, you never once try and hurry out the door so you don’t miss one second of the sunshine out of fear you won’t feel it for weeks to come. Here in Wisconsin (at least for me), when the sun shines and the temperature is above 75 degrees, I become a mad lizard lady, desperate for that heat!
As I enjoy the sun and 80-degree heat, here are some other good things we’ve had going on this summer:
Taking steps forward in my studies. This summer, I (smartly) listened to my parents, husband, and advisors and took zero classes. Zero! All I am enrolled in is my independent study which I’m using to further my studies into my dissertation topic. And man, have I been able to make leaps and bounds so far. I’m able to consistently meet with my advisor, meet with my student aides, spend time reading articles on previous research, and spend time reflecting on where I’m headed in my research. One of my goals is to have a completed Lit Review by the end of the summer; so far, I have over 100 citations—and it’s only June! Ya girl is feeling good.
Home renovations. Long story short, we purchased this home as a side-by-side duplex with the intent of turning it into a single-family home as soon as possible. Let’s just say… there were some road bumps; but at the end of the day, we were so lucky because it was nothing financial, nothing structural, and nothing city- or village-related. We are finally, FINALLY tearing down walls, ripping up floors, and installing new doors and windows! Starting next week, I will start posting before and after pictures of rooms as we finish them. I’m so excited to share!
Baer being Baer. This is his last summer being full-time in his current school, which both breaks my heart and makes me excited for him. He starts 4K in the fall! His school is about a 5–10-minute walk from our house, and he will be going there for half a day. He will go for after-school care at his current school. For us, this is a good way to transition him to kindergarten when he will only be at the one school. OR, if he hates his 4K school, we will take him back to the other school (which has kindergarten)! Let’s worry about that later. I am the Queen of Contingencies—I think it comes with being in Rehab!
All right, I’m signing off—time to go plan for class tomorrow! Hope you’re enjoying the sunshine wherever you are! And if you have any Mid-Century Modern Instagram accounts for me to follow for style ideas—shoot them my way!