Summer's close, Schedules, and Turning 30

I love summer, but I also love fall, so usually it's not so bad when summer comes to a close. But this year, I'm not quite ready for summer to go. It sped by so fast. I so enjoy the wealth of daylight in the summertime and I love squandering it all summer because there always seems to be more. But Saturday it was already getting dark as we drove home from errands, and suddenly I feel like I need to hoard the daylight hours before it's winter and we're daylight poor again.

Though it doesn't seem quite right for fall to start, I have one consolation this year: schedules! As I think back, this may have been one of my favorite things about college, planning my schedule. I'd pick up the fall class schedule from the rack in the book store, and I'd open it and pour through the possibilities. Watercolor or tap dance? Badminton or Gospel Doctrine? Literature of the American West or English Romanticism? Should I pack M/W and have a leisurely T/Th? Can I fit my classes all in by noon? I guess I love planning, "and thinking over a pleasure to come often [gives me] a subtler satisfaction than its realization." (From Age of Innocence. I know I'm a nerd.)

With some regret, I had figured this stage of life was over. But wait, hope remains. As I observed Kate in her ballet class I casually picked up a fall schedule, and felt a familiar thrill build up inside. Magical ballet or hippety hop? And what about the local rec schedule...gymnastics or soccer? cooking or rowing? The possibilities were back! For a few days I allowed myself peruse schedules for my kids from all sorts of studios and centers. For a few days, I dreamed! Of course eventually I had to face reality and budget our time and money. I think we will do little more than violin for Kate and preschool for Danny. But maybe next year...

And speaking of the close of summer, you could say the summer of my life is coming to a close... I TURN 30 TOMORROW, and my first child goes to kindergarten on Thursday. Both in one week. Sheesh. The next time any of you see me I think you'll find I've aged dramatically. For some reason, though I'm not too upset about turning 30. Forgive me, but this is an irresistible moment to insert an Anne quote:
"'I just feel tired of everything sensible and I'm going to let my imagination run riot for the summer... I want to have a real jolly time this summer, for maybe it's the last summer I'll be a little girl. Mrs. Lynde says that if I keep stretching out next year as I've done this I'll have to put on longer skirts...And when I put on longer skirts I shall feel that I have to live up to them and be very dignified. It won't even do to believe in fairies then, I'm afraid; so I'm going to believe in them with all my whole heart this summer. I think we're going to have a very gay vacation....' Anne had the golden summer of her life as far as freedom and frolic went. She walked, rowed, berried, and dreamed to her heart's content; and when September came she was bright-eyed and alert."