Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Would you let your kids skip school for this?

I let my kids skip school yesterday afternoon. No one was sick. No one had an appointment. And no one was more excited to get out of school at 1pm then my 3 kids!

It’s been a crappy Spring around here . . . sunshine only out for small windows of time and then clouds roll in and we have rain for days and days. Everything is soggy all the time. We've given up hoping for Spring and hike in the rain, bike in the clouds and just cross our fingers that Summer sunshine will be here one day.

That day came yesterday . . . it was HOT! Topping out near 40 degrees with the humidex! The sun brought along a clear blue sky and no wind. We were NOT letting this day go by uncelebrated! The days following were going to be sunny but not nearly as HOT! So I wrote notes to the teachers and picked up my kids at their lunch break and took them home . . . . to swim.

Yup. Swim.

We had our first in ground pool put in last Fall, the pool opened on Halloween weekend. We swam on Halloween in the cold and then closed it for winter. We were first in line to open our pool in May. And we have swam again in the cold, in the clouds, the wind and even in the rain. I hadn’t gone in yet . . despite us heating the pool, the air is always cold and shivering is not my idea of fun in a pool.

So when the weather promised sunshine and high humidity, the pool party planning began.

My kids have each missed maybe 1 day of school for illness all year, their grades are awesome, they had no special activity or test that afternoon and for all their hard work all school year long they expect nor do they usually receive, and treats. This day was a treat. This day is what we’ve been waiting for since last September and this day was going to be enjoyed.

Yesterday we slowed down and we lived that day to its fullest. My kids will always remember the fun they had swimming with Mom & Dad on a school afternoon and how wonderful that sun felt and how warm that water was and how good those popsicles tasted.

I’m hoping I have taught my kids to embrace the good opportunities in life, that it's OK to take time out for something special, to have fun and to live in the moment. Life is too short, and yesterday was just too perfect.

Would you let your kids skip school for this?

12 comments:

  1. You are such a fun Mom! And yes I sure would!! Sometimes you just gotta let loose and have fun!!!

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  2. I loved the days my mom would wake me up and say, "Let's skip out and go for breakfast". I let my kids have a few personal days throughout the school year as well. :)

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  3. Absolutely I would...and HAVE! the weather here in Vancouver has been just as horrible, I just keep hoping and praying for Summer to come!

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  4. you bet I would! Everyone needs a mental health day... and can't think of a better way to spend the day then with family

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  5. Well, since you put it that way... heck yeah! That's one gorgeous pool. You need to make a good return on your investment, too. ;)

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  6. Yes....I would let them skip! Enjoy these fun moments...life is short, take advantage of these days with your kids! xox
    Heather

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  7. Love all the positive comments!! What a smart group of moms with some super lucky kids!! Enjoy each day!

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  8. YES! I would so do the same thing. Our weather has been soo crappy here in CA, it is June and summer is not even close weather-wise! We have a pool and the kids want to swim but its just too cold out. You go mom! They are only young once!

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  9. Absolutely.

    Though my daughter will probably be home-schooled, so she won't need to "miss" anything!

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  10. I just pulled mine out of school to spend three days at Great Wolf Lodge. Sometimes life is just meant to be lived.

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