What I Did on Spring Break
Wednesday, Apr. 14, 2004, 9:54 p.m.

QUESTION: What about my Spring Break?

WHAT I LEARNED: One person's vacation is another person's extended chore list.

Ah, Spring Vacation. There�s nothing like it. Some people get to sleep late, and do fun things like watch hours of TV, linger over great movies on DVD day and night, and hang out with their friends way past normal lights-out time. Everyone gets to sleep in. Nobody has homework. There�s built in maid service and someone makes most of your meals. That�s the kid contingent.

There are other aspects of Spring Break too. During Spring Break many additional visitors appear on the doorstep. They want to play on the computer, cook in the kitchen, watch TV, IM everyone they know, and listen to music with your kid. There is more shopping to do because kids do need to eat after all. There is more cooking to do since lolling about on Spring Break means extra meals and snacks must be made because as any of us know � mom�s cooking is the best cooking. There is more cleaning and straightening to do because of the extra traffic and company and because the mom-I�m-trying-to-relax-over-spring-break kids need their rest for Heaven's sake. And by the way mom - do you have some cash for me. It is my vacation you know. That would describe the lot of the parent contingent.

So for some of us, Spring Break is big fun. And for others of us, Spring Break is not all it�s cracked up to be.

Is there anything that I get out of Spring Break, one might ask? Well, my wallet is emptier than normal � what with all the cash needed for spending money for trips to South Carolina for one kid and movies, concerts, and fast food expenses for the other. Still, it�s a small price to pay for not having to help anyone with homework for an entire week, for not having to drive anyone to school and pick them up again on the other side for 5 days straight, for not having to say � did you do your homework? � every hour on the hour, and for being the recipient of a really cool tee shirt and mom's taxi charm from my son upon his return from the shores of South Carolina.

Spring Break is almost over. I am going to the beach for 2 days with my daughter and my mom. It�s a generational trip and we�ll see how it goes. I have already been asked by my parents about the state of my car including age of vehicle, have been provided with hint by father regarding the proper place for my mother to sit � the front seat, and the proper way to drive over bridges that span bodies of water � don�t gawk. My car is old enough to be paid off, my mom was always going to sit in the front passenger seat since my daughter will want to snooze in the back like any self-respecting teenager, and being fearful of heights I can pretty much guarantee that I won�t be looking at the scenery when driving over any bridge on the planet.

Tomorrow morning we head off for 2 days of boardwalk food, cold spring weather, a little rain, and our very own affordable off-peak rate oceanfront room complete with cable TV, fridge, microwave, coffee maker, and the majesty of the ocean right at our doorstep.

I won�t be bringing my laptop with me. I�m officially on my Spring Break.

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