Spring Break

Millie writes:

Spring Break. The phrase conjures up "Animal House"-like pictures of beach parties, bikinis and young adults whooping and hollering. The reality, at least at our house, is very different (except for the whooping and hollering).

Oh sure, even in Oregon Spring has sprung. That is to say, the neighbor's camellias are plopping, soggy and brown, into our driveway; the frozen mud outside the chicken coop has turned to liquid mud; and the moss in the front lawn is beginning to bloom. Our hard-hearted meteorologist has predicted rain for every single day of Spring Break Week – just like last year, and the year before that.

Which means I've got a houseful of young adults with no school, no plans and no money. They're California Dreamin' in the worst way.

What's a Millie to do?

Well, first of all, this morning I'm letting them sleep in. Right now it's 1:30 PST and I haven't heard a peep yet, out of college kid or high-schooler either. When they do get up they're gonna be groggy, grouchy and hungry, hoping against hope for a luau complete with barbecued pig.

My plan is to leave them mostly to their own devices. The one thing a school kid needs more than anything else is some unstructured time – this is when you teach yourself that complicated beading pattern, or how to flex the muscles in your abdomen one at a time, or how to play “Thunder Struck” on spoons. I do like to have one or two backup ideas, though, just in case I need to add some sparkle to the day.

Today – if they get up before dinner time – I'm going to suggest they make a music video and post it on YouTube. Seriously, if it can make Rebecca Black famous, why not? Between digital cameras and desktop editing programs, each one of them has practically a recording studio in their bedroom – and one of them really does have a recording studio in his bedroom, so why not use it?

If you live in a college town, the school itself can be a great resource for Summer Break ideas even if you don't have a student there. Most colleges have art shows, athletic events, speakers and movies cheap or even free. Some of them even have community hours for their swimming pools and other facilities. City or county Recreation Departments will also have special diversions planned for your area; check out their websites or the entertainment section of your local paper.

More of my ideas for this week:

Hold an “Art-In,” where we set up all the easels and get creative drawing, painting, beading and sketching. We could even take a sketching “field trip” if the weather will cooperate for an hour.

Hit up the library and/or a used-book store, then come home and have a Read-a-Thon

Collaborate to make the Ultimate Dance Music Mix CD

Have the kids arrange a BYO picnic with their buddies and meet up for lunch at a local (covered) playground

Take the whole gang geocaching to see if we can add to our “Found List”

(If all else fails, maybe I can get them to clean their rooms.)