Spring Break

Time change. Yes, I get to deal with two schedule-breaking things at once. We got through the time change okay, except that the WGH missed his prediction by a half hour when McCartney woke up at 7:00 instead of the forecasted 7:30. Groan. It's six o'clock in your mind, dog, what are you doing up so blasted early?? Oh, right. The sun's up. Silly me.

As you've probably guessed by the title of this post, the kids are out of school this week. Oh, fun. Oh, joy. If we were normal people, we would have planned a nice family vacation to take during the break. We have done this in the past, when I worked full-time and desperately needed the time away. One year we took the kids to St. Louis - went to the zoo, the science museum, the Soldiers and Sailors monument, and the Arch. Ate to die for burgers at Max & Erma's, where the cute little waiter flirted with The Tall One (and she was only not-quite-15 then). Lucked into a first-round NIT basketball game between St. Louis University and Iowa (where our former schoolmate Steve Alford coaches). And I read four books in less than a week. Now that was a vacation. So, are we doing that again this year? Sadly, no. With my working part-time, I can't take off for days at a time. The WGH is working, and the girls have appointments at the dentist. Yeah, as parents, we've pretty much become a couple of fun-suckers. Ah, but wait until summer, kids. Just wait until summer.

Fortunately, my children are all of the age where they're fairly independent and self-sufficient. They don't need Mom to look after them - or entertain them - as a matter of fact, it's not cool to hang out with Mom when you're 16, did you know this? So I get to hide in the study, plugging away at the computer, doing my thing while they do theirs.

Don't get me wrong, I love spending time with my kids. That was one of my top 10 reasons for quitting my full-time job three years ago (I'd say it was somewhere around, maybe, #4 - should've been #1, I know, but that honor went to "I'M SO STRESSED I'M BECOMING HOMICIDAL!"). But this is their week to kick back, relax, and do nothing - which is what they think I do all day, anyway. And who am I to deprive them of the experience?

I will make a prediction as to this week's activities. The Tall One will watch movies and hang with her college buddies who are also on break, and with her Dad, who is off tomorrow (to take her and Little Bit to the dentist). The Boy will be in his room for all if not most of the week, playing the Final Fantasy XII game we got him for his birthday. And Little Bit will watch marathon TV - something different every day - and will make it, oh ... maybe two days before she decides she's bored.

The WGH thinks they're going to pull weeds in the front flower bed. Heh. Sigh. Yeah, they will, because if they don't, then I'm the one who'll never hear the end of it.

Weed pulling is on the agenda for Wednesday. Today I'm doing the business stuff again (oh, yeah, it's Monday) and will try to get a little writing done, and the kids are going to enjoy their first day of break.

We'll see how the week goes.

In the meantime, read a book. It's good for you.

=) JB