As we celebrate the last remnants of a Canada Day long weekend and how lucky we are to live in such a great part of a wonderful country, something begins to dawn on your brain.
It truly is Monday tomorrow but the kids won’t be going to school.
Now this may be a shock to those with kids in elementary school whose classes (or what passes for classes in the last week) just ended, but us parents of high schoolers have been getting used to the idea of our kids off for a very long time for over a week now.
I think I got four calls at work on the first day.
Son No. 2: “Joe and I want to go golfing.”
Dad: “That’s nice.”
Son No. 2: “Yeah, well Joe’s mom can pick us up if you can take us there.”
Dad: “That’s even nicer.”
Son No. 2: “So that’s a yes?”
Dad: “I guess so. Be ready in an hour and I’ll pick you up during my lunch hour.”
Son No. 2: “Cool. I’ll need money right?
Dad: “Naturally.”
A couple minutes later the phone rings again, I never should’ve given out my work number.
Son No. 1: “Um, dad, we want to go golfing….”
Dad: “Can’t you say hi dad or how’s your day going dad before you ask for something?”
Son No. 1: “Um, how’s your day going dad?
Dad: “Not that good actually I’ve got these two kids who…”
Son No. 1: “So I can get a ride from Kyle but I need some money so…..
Dad: “Right, well I’m coming home at lunch to take your brother to the golf course so I can bring you money but I’m keeping track so when you start working…..
Son No. 1: “You’re coming home? He’s going golfing too? He’s not golfing with us, or near us, which course is he going to?……
Dad: “Whatever. Are you guys in the same house? Are you even related? I’ll be home at noon and we’ll figure it out, maybe you guys could talk before I get home……”
There were a couple other calls but I’ll spare you the details.
But I have a plan on how to handle this summer vacation situation, well at least for the next two weeks.
I’m off too.
So I can take them golfing with me now. No phone calls necessary, well assuming they’re at home when I want to take them with me (and after we go to the dump and a few other chores that are still on the list from the last time I had holidays but didn’t quite get crossed off the list, which I think I mentioned previously was quite long and impressive).
I know, I know, I’ll still have to pay for it but at least I’ll be enjoying it too (and not working and resenting it) and we can do it together, and we’re doing less stuff together these days as they get older and a lot more into their friends and apparently a lot less into their parents (well, except when it comes to the money thing).
At this point we’re not even sure if we’re going camping together this year. How sad is that?
However, as we noticed last week as our kids stayed at friends’ places at least half of the time and it was pretty quiet around the homestead:
Husband: “What do we have in common again?”
Wife: “The kids.”
Husband: “Right. And before that?”
Wife: “Each other.”
Long pause.
Husband: “I know, let’s go for a drive that ends up with a Buster Bar? And we don’t have to buy the kids anything. Or even tell them about it.”
It was almost like a date.
Have a great summer and good luck.
Glenn Mitchell is the managing editor of The Morning Star
