Mental Health Days and Skipping School

When Isabella was a toddler my good friend, Carrie, and I were playing when her hubby called to say: call the school and get Spencer out of school - I am going to take him golfing today.  I remember thinking: That is so cool, a little scary, Can you do that,  I can't believe that the Dad wants to play with his son.  I remember thinking I am for sure going to do this with my kids someday.

And yet fast forward five to ten years and I have four kids in school.  And most have perfect attendance or near perfect attendance each year.  Not only that I am in an invisible competition to have my kids earn the Principal's Award each year.  One boy and girl student each year as chosen by the teacher that is both academically and characteristically stands out.  And we did win.  Lots of times, lots of years, amongst the kids.

But it isn't until they all start entering middle school and even high school that I realize that I have lost sight of my goals and instead been distracted by this silly accolade.  Increasingly I refocused and started letting the kids take mental health days.  They stay home, we cuddle, we play.  And so when Aunt Lacey told me she had an art show for her pottery and that a Plumbing Company has picked up her line of Custom Clay Sinks.

We went to support her and she had a fun activity for those attending.  Making their own clay squares and inked in scrapped in relief.  Even as I write this, I realize that life will steal time from you if you let it.  You will look back and wonder where the time went, if it was well spent.  I need to remember to take back my time and make of it what I will!