The ULTIMATE "Check off" on my To Do list:

Yes, that's right. I finished my last final of my undergraduate career tonight. Pretty solidly, too. 92% isn't bad considering I didn't really care to study. Ahh. All of the presentations, group projects, massive papers, late night study sessions are done. It's a relief. And scary at the same time. I'm so glad I'm finishing now when I have other things, like Christmas & playing fun games with Sophie, to distract me.

Even though I am finished with my undergraduate college education, there are still things I would like to learn and study. Some courses I wanted to take but couldn't either because of work or class scheduling conflicts and other various goals. For now, this is my public list of things I'd like to do/learn/begin/ accomplish in the next 5 years:

• Study Chemistry. I have somehow managed to get through junior high, high school and many years at the university with never taking a single chem course. I am very curious. 
• Study Physiology. I was signed up for a Phys. class two winter semesters ago but had to drop it because it was going to be too much while designing a main stage show and directing my own senior project. 
• Study Anatomy. Same story as above. I actually got the books and had an assigned lab and I was SO excited. I've been told if you take an anatomy course, that is really all you should be focusing on. 
• Learn some real math. I hate learning for tests and being expected to learn at the same pace as others. I have family members who are exceptionally good at math and I would like to be able to do more than just hold my own in the practical math world. (It only skips two generations, right mom? There is still hope for Sophie?) 
• Help Sophie learn to read and LOVE reading. She already enjoys her books a lot. She gets stacks of books and brings them to me, sits on my lap and says "dis" (this) until I read them all to her.  I want to take her to museums, shows, concerts and dance classes. I want her to learn to love learning about everything. I still haven't quite figured out *how* my mom & dad did it, but I loved reading more than anything. And make-believe playing and exploring and being bossy (mom didn't teach that. I was born with that) and mess making (she didn't teach that, either) and pretty much just trying to learn how to do everything. I'd like Sophie and any others who may join us in the next 5 years to love learning, too. 
• Restudy everything I learned in my nutrition courses. Of all of the courses I took, those just might be the most practically useful in our home for a while. (Well, that combined with Microbiology.) 
• I want to get better at sewing. When I was in high school at The Academy, I sewed for at least two hours a day, 4 days a week on pretty major projects. I wasn't amazing, but I was good. I remember a lot but not doing it for a time can make you forget. 
• ...I'd also like to remember to send birthday cards etc. ON TIME. I won't really have an excuse now that I'm not running from class to class etc. 
• Have more fun.
• Design & decorate our master bedroom
• Paint the kitchen a lighter color (too dark in the evening & winter)
• Make a fabulous playroom -including the magic closet in the Harry Potter closet- in the basement
• All of the stuff I want and none of the stuff I don't. Gosh. (Aka- spend more time with my "brudders") 

I think that's a pretty solid list for now. To my friends still working on graduation: you'll get there! Just hurry up so we can have lots of fun together. ;)