27 July, 2008



One more week and I am officially on holiday. This year I am taking 3 whole weeks off. The husband and I were talking about it and we can't remember the last time I took 3 consecutive weeks off. Actually, I think that it was my honeymoon, which was in 1994. So it is definitely time to have a proper vacation. Especially since it is shaping up to be a very busy autumn.

This is also the wee man's last week in summer camp and he is off for the rest of the summer. So one night last week I was enjoying a glass of wine and before I knew it I was making a "to do" list for our vacation. I started thinking about when I was young. My mother didn't go to work, she stayed home with us, so in the summer my sister and I didn't go to summer camp, but I don't remember my mother making "to do" lists for us in the summer. Actually, I am quite certain that my mother would have scoffed at the insanity of a summer to do list.

She didn't worry about incorporating my sister and I into her daily routine. We went to bed in the evening and got up in the morning without a plan or need to accomplish anything. Our days were made up of laying in the grass looking at the shapes of the clouds and wondering where planes were possibly going. We rode our bicycles, caught frogs in the pond, climbed trees, played with our friends (who also did without to do lists), rode our ponies and played with the various other animals that we shared our house with. And I might add, all unsupervised.

There was no worry that we wouldn't get ahead in life or wouldn't get accepted to the International school because we didn't have a summer plan. We just got up in the morning and did whatever the day threw at us. As I remember it, I had a pretty damn good childhood and the summer days that I spent idly are amongst some of my best memories.

So back to the issue at hand. Do I throw out the summer vacation do to list? Then again, I will be returning to work at the end of my vacation, so if I don't accomplish what I need to do it won't get done. If I forget to do something, then it just gets pushed again. I guess we live in different times, times that require to do lists. Although, I'm sure that I could halve it and we wouldn't be any worse off. Then again there is that application to the International school.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Congratulations!! You still plan on driving lessons. Once you are motor vehicularly independent, you will be able to add so much more to that list, you'll have to start producing expandable wipe boards to your Etsy Store. Ha Ha Ha !! Don't forget to put LOTS OF FUN on the list (oh yah, how about some sex, drugs and rock & roll ??) Fill your boots, S!! Mo xx

Unknown said...

I knew my list was missing something!! Wish you were closer to enjoy it with me!

kim* said...

i like the first, zoo. ill go too!

Unknown said...

Kim,
The Granby Zoo is a beautiful zoo and loads of fun for kids. I highly recommend it!