In Defiance of Corsetted Time

We let it all hang out.

In protest of being controlled by schools and sports teams, by schedules and agendas… In celebration of the freedom we forget we have to reclaim our experience, our children and our lives…

We debuted ‘Spring Fling’ this past Monday.

Leo was the first to test-drive it. Finn will have his this coming Monday.

A day off from school with the ability to do anything they want. We began at the diner with chocolate chip pancakes and a chocolate milkshake. Breakfast of champions!

I am pretty sure chocolate-chip pancakes are the answer to… everything.

It was followed by a shopping spree at Sports Authority to use a big stack of gift cards. And then a guitar session wherein I listened to him teach himself Crazy Train and American Idiot by watching YouTube videos.

It was a joy to watch and listen to him play instead of practice.

Why is it so hard to remember that all the good stuff happens this way.

We had just enough of a plan to create excitement and anticipation but not so much it created anxiety.

We meandered through our agenda like tourists on our home turf.

It was fun.

We talked about people we trust and don’t, how awesome the upcoming summer is going to be and how incredibly proud I am of the boy he has become.

It was awesome. I was not in charge. I did not get in the way. We had fun with no big looming agenda at the end.

It turns out there ARE options!

The to do, to go, to have, to work, to practice, to prepare, to study, to worry, to plan, to complain, to strategize, to implement, to retool CAN be put on hold for an entire day. Maybe two. Maybe more.

It’s so funny how rebellious, decadent and nerve rackingly irresponsible it felt to initiate an authorized cut day. Not so much because we were breaking rules. I’m pretty comfortable with that.

I had anxiety about putting all MY tasks to the side.

But I did them ahead of time and consciously decided whatever was not done wasn’t going to get done because to ruin the carefree day with my stress would be crushing.

It was a mammoth success.

In fact, we are planning to implement Fall Fiesta where each boy gets a full day with dad all to himself. Winter Wonderland was thrown out as a possibility but I don’t want to get too carried away with this whole “fun” thing.

Time seems to be traveling lately in gusts of wind.

To turn the hourglass on its side… to steal back just a little– that’s the plan.