I always have great plans but very rarely find the time to actually carry them out. There’s just too much to do, isn’t there? It’s enough just trying to do my work, look after my kids, and keep the house from appearing on an episode of Hoarders. Life with small children is busy and chaotic, and, being an idiot, I have delayed me getting my life back by opting for a slightly bigger age gap between my kids. My friends with smaller age gaps are busy enjoying the freedom that comes with not having toddlers to care for, while I’m still firmly in the bum-wiping, toddler chasing, pasta sauce handprints stage of life.
I have Pinterest boards filled with craft activities I’ll never get around to, vegan cakes I’ll never find the time to bake and DIY projects I wouldn’t be able to attempt without the toddler swallowing at least one screw. And so, for now, I must embrace the fact that I can’t really do anything, that staying afloat is about all I can manage right now, safe in the knowledge that I will one day find the time to do things for myself again. Maybe.
On that note, here are five things I never get around to doing (even though I really want to do them):
1. Growing vegetables
When Ebony was a baby, Laurie grew some vegetables in planting bags in the garden of our old house. He grew the world’s tiniest carrots and a ridiculous number of courgettes so that 2012 will always taste of spiced courgette soup in my memory. We always said we would grow more the following year, but we haven’t yet found the time. We have a conservatory now, too, so we could probably grow tomatoes and cucumbers and all kinds of other foods that love warmer climates. We went to the garden centre last week and Laurie bought a couple of heavily discounted chili plants for the conservatory, but hopefully by next year we’ll be able to build some wooden planters and invest some time in growing vegetables (take a look at these growing guides for tips on how to grow your own vegetables).
2. Sorting the garden
Similarly, the garden is looking a little worse for wear this year. It’s just impossible to garden when you have a baby or toddler moving around. Our garden isn’t exactly child-friendly, I’m forever finding glass hidden amongst the flower beds. So we haven’t spent much time out there without me supervising Ember. When Ebony was about three, we would spend long days in the garden, her playing and me sorting out the weeds and making the garden pretty. I’m hoping that next year, when Ember may have finally cottoned onto what the word ‘no’ means, I’ll be able to do some gardening again.
3. Knitting
I am not very good at knitting, but I enjoy it nonetheless. I love sitting on the sofa on autumn evenings, a box set playing on the TV, while I knit. It keeps me busy and I get a great feeling of accomplishment when I finish something. I knitted a baby blanket when I was pregnant, well, two actually because I still hadn’t finished Ebony’s baby blanket by then. And, last year, I spent my evenings knitting winter hats to keep Ember’s tiny ears warm on cold winter days. I’m hoping to knit her a hat or two this year as well, though it’s difficult to find the time. I never know when Ember will wake up in the evenings so I’m always losing my place or forgetting where I’m up to.
4. Organising my photos
I have so many photos. So many. They’re all stored online but not in any useful way, it’s just an endless stream of uncategorised photos which, if I’m crazy, makes me feel stressed. I want folders, tagged photographs and neatly organised collections of images. I have thousands of photos so I know it would be a huge job, but I hope that one day I will find the time to do it. If you have any tips for organising digital photos, I’d love to hear them!
5. My tight drawer
I have a drawer filled with tights. Probably three pairs of them are the right size, free from ladders and in good condition. The rest are ripped or small or wearing away. Every time I need a pair of tights I have to rifle through the drawer, I end up trying on five pairs of tights before eventually finding some that fit, but I’m always in a rush so I never manage to throw out the useless pairs. And so the problem continues. One day, I will sort this out. If I did, I would probably save myself a lot of time and lateness if I would just throw out the damn tights.
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