The kids might have gone back to school, but as I look around at the parents who are left behind, I’m thinking it’s US who are having a case of the back-to-school blues.

Suddenly we are left without the daily child drama to occupy our every waking minute. Instead we are left alone with our thoughts. Oh, the horror. I sit here and think about all the things I have to do. All the things I should be doing. All the things that aren’t getting done. All the things I don’t want to do. Whoa… too much thinking. Without the kids around to blame for my inability to actually get anything done all summer, I have no excuses. I know you are all feeling it too.

As I’m reading blogs and checking facebook and scanning tweets, I am seeing the same thing over and over again. I’m not the only one. There are an army full of Moms who are trying to find their way again. Their way back to themselves once the house is quiet again. I think we’re all in a collective funk.

Here in Los Angeles, it’s still summer. With temperatures climbing over 100 this week it’s a little hard to get back in the swing of things. The kids still want to go swimming and play outdoors with their friends. I still want to sleep late and procrastinate. All summer long I told myself things would be easier once the kids went back to school. Well, they’re back. It’s not easier.

So now I’m left home alone. With my thoughts. Thoughts of painting the kids’ rooms, thoughts of working on my writing, thoughts of taking my blog up a notch or two, thoughts of cleaning out the garage, thoughts of cooking and baking and cleaning and exercising. You know, all the stuff that I didn’t do last winter break or over the summer. It’s time to DO.

My kids are in school and my excuses are gone. The blues, however, aren’t going away. Maybe by winter break I’ll start feeling like myself again. Maybe by then some things around here will actually get done.