What I Will Do When The Boys Are Both in School

Both kids will be in elementary school this fall.

People have asked me what I will do with all this free time.

I will tell you.

There shall be elaborate dinner parties at my house at least once a month, including wine pairings.

Clutter will be annihilated by 5:30 p.m. every day so we can have a luxurious homemade evening meal as a family, occasionally candle-lit.

Lunches will be planned out a week in advance with accompanying grocery lists.

All meals will be planned.

Even take-out will be planned, so I can look forward to it and order the perfect quantity and variety of entrees to arrive after just enough time for the wine to breathe.

Homemade snacks after school. Every day. Warm out of the oven.

I will run 12 miles a week, bike 30 miles a week, swim 2 miles a week, and take several classes at the Equinox.

Greg and I will meet for lunch every Thursday. I will be wearing makeup and a cute sundress every single time. Even in January.

The kids will get dressed out of their closets, not out of the dryer.

Family members will get timely birthday cards and presents.

The refrigerator will be constantly stocked with fresh berries and other delightful produce, all thoughtfully used before it goes bad.

Friends will find my semi-regular foodie theme parties like “Amsterdammm cocktails” and “Dip-extravaganza” weird but oddly charming. They will attend.

My blog will become fresh and consistent and the comments section will explode.

I will call, email, or write to my grandparents every week.

I will publish regular guides to living more sustainably, including a laborious catalog of every place in town that you can buy food items in bulk.

My speaking to groups about food and the environment will help people make choices in line with their own values.

I will make all my beans from scratch.

And all my bread.

And nut cheeses.

And almond milk.

These will pair nicely with the herbs that I will grow on our deck and move indoors prior to the first frost.

I will hand Greg a vibrant, delicious, well-balanced smoothie on his way out the door every day.

I will track all the successful school lunches I make that the kids actually eat. With photographs. On my blog. Weekly.

I will clean out every closet in the home and then maintain order with regular closet check-ups on rainy days.

I will then relax and make my way through all the Pulitzer prize winning novels I haven’t read yet.

I may also build a sister peak to Mount Everest and train for a half-ironman, but I’d like to start realistically, so please don’t hold me to my reach goals.