When I Grow Up

I am reading a magazine article about five women who radically changed their lives when their kids were old enough to go to school. One pursued a higher education, one became a skydiver. Three others did three other things, and it made me wonder. What about me? Will is going to start preschool in the Fall and even though it doesn't seem like it right now as Jack does his broken crawl around the playroom, he will follow behind soon. And then, they will both leave me for full day school. One part of me can't wait. Only in my dreams have I had 8 uninterrupted hours of productivity. But, what will I do with them?

I know I will volunteer at the school and be "that mom" for awhile. The one who is all PTOed and teacher's helper. I won't wear jumpers and be Perky Perkerton, so I will never be a momunist... but I will be all schoolie schoolie. But, what is going to take up my other 37.5 hours a week that the kids are gone?

I have always wanted to open a bakery, but I can't bake and I don't have that kind of time. I would like to work, but I don't want to be in charge, exceed the hours I feel like working, feel any stress at all, and bring any work home with me. I am pretty sure that isn't that tall of an order, is it? It does rule out any and all HR positions, so I think I am going to start over. But, from where?

Do you remember the game of Life, where all you had to do was roll the dice and you got kids, married and paintings from Uncle Richard that you sold for $100,000. Is there some real world version of that I can look into? I thought about doing something medical because I loved ER and think that I could really be a female Dr. Doug Ross (albeit far less attractive and definitely not as smart), but I am tough and would totally punch a dad for hitting his kid. Or, I thought about beauty school because I like to play with hair, but they work a lot of hours and I wouldn't want to cut it the way people wanted. I would want to cut it the way I thought it would look cutest, and therefore would have very few clients. I hate retail. I hate food service (unless its my own bakery called The Cupcakery where we would have cute cupcakes and coffee... all of which delicious and therefore not made by me).

Jack goes to school in four years and three months-ish, so that leaves me that long to figure out what I want to be when I grow up. I read Pioneer Woman and cattle rancher looks pretty good... and I would love to breed dogs, but I am pretty sure my homeowners association won't let me do either. Then again, this whole blogging thing could take off by then and I could spend my days sipping lattes and inspiring the world to not call their kids turds. Ahhhh.... the possibilities.