I reach this point every August

This year a week earlier than the last.

The final day of summer. One last weekday hoorah in the sunshine without constraint or schedule. Schedules and I go together like an ice cube in hot chocolate. I may need one (and four others) to cool down all of life's abstract or unimportant, but the redundancy of it all breaks me down. One layer at a time.

For me, freedom equals no schedules. A little spontaneity and schedule-free summer sunshine is a slice of heaven. Reminds me of a song by the Monkeys:

I want to be free, 

like the bluebirds flying by me

Like the waves out on the blue sea...

Tomorrow it's back to routine. Wake up at this time, do hair, breakfast, brush teeth, figure out lunch, find lost homework, and send my children out the door with kisses and I love yous in a hurried frenzy. In a week I will equally enjoy new "free time" and be a stress ball ready to explode.

Schedules, a blessing and a curse.

There are few summers with children while they are little. Last day of summer reminds me they are growing, almost exponentially. Even sibling fights and refereeing I've become accustomed to loathing, make me sad in their departure for schedule and distraction. Couldn't we all be bluebirds... all the time?

I want to hold your hand. Walk along the sand.

Laughing in the sun, always having fun.

Doing all those things without any strings to tie me down. 

Crazy Faces