May and June hold the promise of forthcoming months of freedom, fun, and opportunity. School is out and summer break begins. July is the main event where summer activities hit their stride. The previous school year is a memory and the upcoming year is not yet a thought. August can be cruel. Summer is still alive but on its last leg, and the upcoming school year becomes a present threat. As a kid, there’s a countdown in your head as the weeks and days tick off the calendar. You want to soak up and make the most of each day while the apprehension of summer’s end looms larger. Turns out, this sentiment exists as an adult and parent as well.

While summer breaks evolved to include summer jobs, summer classes, and internships, they maintained a carefree aura to just exist without the worries of studying and tests or daily practices. Upon entering the daily nine-to-five grind, the death of summer breaks is mourned but eventually forgotten over time. Now, there is a week or two of open air to enjoy the kids’ freedom between the cessation of summer activities and the start of fall sports, the harbinger of a new school year.

Warm days and cool breezes accompany their sleeping in and lazy breakfasts. Moments of boredom are interrupted by calling friends and outdoor escapades. Their optimism for days of video games is intoxicating to the point it conjures memories of my days waking up to watch Sportscenter on repeat with a bowl of cereal before knocking out my chore list so I could play Ken Griffey Jr. Presents Major League Baseball or Starfox 64 carefree. Those were golden days of core memories.

While the kids can still be lazy, these latter August days now consist of filling calendars for busy weekends and stocking school supplies dictated by ridiculous lists. Every class must have a different color folder. Sticky notes must be a specific, rare dimension. We return to chauffeur duty, bringing one kid to a practice before heading to retrieve the other. Yet, enjoying their daily carefree attitudes grants welcome reprieves from the stressors a 40-year life can accumulate. These moments and the shared experiences grant a continued taste of summer break.