Kidless and Fancy-free

I have been without my kidlets for 26 hours.

I have experienced much:  a leisurely shower, an uninterrupted conversation with my husband, dinner out, a fundraiser at the art gallery paired with chocolate gelato, several LRT rides (lovin' my July transit pass), sleeping in on a Sunday morning, perusing the paper while sipping coffee and nibbling cinnamon buns, a bike ride to campus to watch Spain defeat Netherlands for the World Cup championship (woot!), completion of my recent copies of Elle (bordeaux and tangerine are "THE" colours for fall) and Chatelaine (time to get rid of friends who make you feel like crap), some sushi for din din, followed by a relaxing B-A-T-H (these days only a biannual occurrence).

Is it true that one only appreciates free time when one has no free time?  I'm singing Joni Mitchell's tune:

Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got til it's gone.
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.

My current paradise is freedom and it has been returned to me for a few days.  It is sweeter than sweet.  I am savouring it now because my heart will soon be aching for my absent children.  It's come as an unexpected surprise, but they are my true paradise.