Who Said Anything About Hookey?

BEST. DAY. EVER!!!!

According to some sources, hookey may be described as:

• Truancy, any intentional unauthorized absence from compulsory schooling

That is a LOT of big words to refer to a much needed day off.  One of my all-time favorite movies, that I can proudly say I know verbatim, is "Ferris Bueller's Day Off".  A modest tale of one high schoolers adventures with his best buddy and his favorite girl, while they explore Chicago's culture, museums and food scene.  Ok, they ditch school, they leave, they lie, they cheat, but they really don't go and do anything that any tourist wouldn't do while visiting the fair city of Chicago!  Isn't that a bit of a "life experience"?  Shouldn't we all have that kind of day?

Let me back up a second.  When my first two kids were born, I spent a great deal of time with them.  I took them to parks, to gym classes, Mommy and Me, etc, etc.  Unfortunately, if you are #3 in the birth order in my house, you don't even know that there are places where just you and Mommy go to play.  You get to hang out in the car seat while mommy runs from school to the store to home.  I have felt a little bit of guilt about all this, and a few years ago I took her on a Mommy-Daughter-Day to Disneyland.  She was barely 4 years old, but we had a great time.  

Since then, all the kids are school now full-time, and it is much harder to find a day to do something like this.  However, now we are in the midst of letting our Annual Passes from Disney expire.  We bought everyone's passes at different times of the year and our little one was going to be first on the chopping block with her pass.  That was enough for me to make plans to surprise her with one last Mommy-Daughter-Day at Disneyland.

When we woke up, I told her she was going to the dentist.  I don't know how much she knew, but eventually the middle child spilled the beans for her.  That was one excited little girl!  I arranged to have my parents pick up the older kids and off we went.  

No dentist for me!  Let's go to Disneyland!!

Dreary weather didn't stop us!

We arrived on a rainy day that was just before Spring Breaks were starting, so it was not crowded!  I had signed us up to a sneak preview for passholders of the new Fantasy Faire.  I am so glad she was able to be a part of it before her passes expired!  She got to meet the princesses, try all the new food and even see a special love show.

I made a point to make it a "yes" day for her.  Any ride, any food, whatever...it was up to her and she loved being in charge.  We made our way over to Disney's California Adventure and we hopped, skipped and jumped around Cars Land, A Bug's Life and whatever she could dream of.  I even let her pick one special souvenir.  She chose a beautiful scarf that featured The Little Mermaid.  It is actually quite beautiful  She wore it the rest of the day, to bed that night and wears it as much as she can.  She told me that everytime she wears it, she thinks of our perfect day together.

That smile was all day long!

It was such a special one on one time for both of us.  When we have more than one kid, it is really hard to try and find time to spend with just one of them.  My little girl has a such a great and outgoing personality, and she really let it shine during our day.  Without having to fight for attention, she relaxed and blossomed right in front of me.  

So yeah...we played "hookey", but it was in exchange for a life experience that I wouldn't trade for the world.

Sneaking a peak at the Fantasy Faire

My little princess

Yummy princess drink and twist

Skipping through the empty lines!

A Cub Scout No More

My son and I have been active members of the Cub Scouts since he was first able to join in 1st grade.  There is nothing cuter than a little 6 year old boy in uniform, saluting and trying to look very official.

In the captain's chair on the USS Midway, 2009

We love the Scouts.  I love the Scouts.  Everything from the uniforms, to the activities to the ceremonies.  It is a great way to teach your sons about everything from manners, to helping others, to learning to cook, to physical activity and teach the love of the outdoors and camping.  Ask any Scout their favorite part, and it is ALWAYS the camping!

I was a den leader in my son's old Pack.  A few years ago, we switched packs to the one based out of our Church.  We participate in so many activities through the Church, that it seemed a natural fit to bond with the families we were already getting to know.

It has been an amazing few years.  Scouts is like most things, you get out what you put in.  With that in mind, I became a Pack Committee member, helped to organize the monthly Pack meetings, organized the Pack's first campouts and was the lead to sign up and volunteer at the yearly Summer Day Camp week at our local Marine base.  Sounds like a lot, doesn't it?  Well, it was some effort - but I have to say - I loved doing it.  If you don't think hanging out at a Marine base with a bunch of awesome Marines while shooting arrows, firing BB guns and hanging with a bunch of enthusiastic boys is fun, you are crazy!  In fact, I always felt a bit guilty.  Here I was, spending the week with a bunch of really great kids, having fun and seeing them try new experiences, learn to rock climb and make friends and it was the parents who were thanking me for spending time with their kids!!  Parents, if your kids are in Scouting (or YMCA Indian Princesses or any other family based activity) - they are only kids ONCE!  Kids crave our love and attention and that needs to be nurtured.  My son, and all his Pack friends, always felt so proud when they had a parent there. For me, being there was not easy!  I have a job where I don't get paid if I don't work, but I never met a parent who regretted spending time with their kids. Just remember that the next time you want to say "No" when your kid asks to spend time with you.

Last month, my son finished his journey with Cub Scouts.  He worked hard with his amazing Den leader and his whole Den earned their Arrow of Light achievement.  The Arrow of Light is the highest honor you can earn with the Cub Scouts, and the boys were very proud of themselves.  Making it even more special was the fact that I had talked my husband into becoming the Cubmaster and he was able to be an even bigger part of that very special day too.

I'm looking forward to putting together an album of all the adventures we have had as a family with the Cub Scouts.  My two girls were able to participate in most Pack meetings, all the campouts and even the Day camps.  I'm sad to see such a special and important chapter ending, but so excited to see my son now as a Boy Scout.  His first Boy Scout campout is coming up, and unlike the ones in the past, this one will be without me or his siblings.  I imagine how much harder it would be for me right now if I hadn't spent the time and effort to organize our past family campouts with the Cub Scouts.  I truly cherish every memory we made together as a family in this journey.

He did it! Dom with his Arrow of Light plaque

Photo courtesy of As Cute As It Gets