School Vacation Week

As school vacation week comes to an end, a quick reflection on some good family things to consider:

Charlotte's Web

The new film adaptation of E.B. White's classic book is actually a very entertaining movie. We went to the in-law's over the weekend and visited the small town old-time movie theater (I love the hometown theaters so much more than the megaplexes) and took in the matinee and the girls loved it. It does get a bit sad, but we all know Charlotte dies, so it's not a shocker. I had forgotten how sweet the story is and the real message of being a good friend. The famous voices and quick witted humor make it just as appealing and entertaining to the parents in the theater without being so adult that the kids don't appreciate it, too. And a surprisingly great new song from Sarah MacLachlan ends the flick, so stick around for the credits. Definitely pack the family into the van and check this one out.

Ice Skating

A bit of a family tradition now is to hit the ice rink during school vacation week. After arguing over why we couldn't wear fancy "twirly" skirts and tights, we wrangled jeans and turtlenecks on the girls and got there a little early to catch the zamboni cleaning the ice. As an aside, growing up a huge hockey fan and spending almost every home game at the Capital Center cheering for the Washington Capitals, I have always dreamed of getting behind the wheel of a zamboni. Since we don't have pro hockey here in Connecticut, I had forgotten about the zamboni fascination until the other day, so it was fun to have the reminder. Our feisty little Irish lassie in progress (aka younger daughter) wanted no help from anyone and kept trying to sneak away from the dasher boards without holding a hand, while our older daughter freaked out every time we tried to let go of her. But, like riding a bike, they both got the hang of it again and did well. We skated for about 30 minutes, taking two breaks along the way, before the girls had to go to the bathroom and then decided they were more interested in the snack bar. But it's always fun to lace up the skates and take a few spins around the ice.

Board Games

You'd think every night was family game night in the old McHousehold this week. We've played Sorry!, Feed the Kitty, Perfection, and Monopoly Jr. Princess Edition what seems like a million times. My youngest is a Sorry! champion -- winning almost every game somehow and has, at 4 years old, mastered the strategy of the Sorry! card and how to exact sweet revenge. We're terrified of what this means. I continue to never win any of the games, but I have fun trying anyway. We also tried the new Blokus Trigon and it's a blast -- a little bit harder to master than the original favorite, but still lots of fun. Unfortunately, I was not able to screw my neighbors in the tri-dimension. But there's always the next game.

Mom in progress and I are sad to see the school vacation week end -- and not just because we have to go back to work -- but we really enjoyed the time off with the girls and made the most of both unwinding and being together. The girls say they miss their friends and teachers, so they'll probably be glad to get back into the swing of things, but Mom in progress and I both will cherish the memory of 2006 holiday break.