A few minutes ago I had a text exchange about how stressful it can be to be photographed.  I get it.  I HATE having my photo taken!  My headshots were taken by my lovely, talented daughter, Zoe, all in about five minutes.  She did a great job as she had a very (like VERY) reluctant subject.  I rarely like how I look in a photograph and tend to be a little bit (ok, a LOT) self deprecating.  Thankfully,  until I gain the self esteem of Celeste Barber, I've got photoshop.  For fun I thought I'd share the little primping I gave myself before posting the photograph.  

the top five places to play hooky with my kids

The Urban Dictionary describes playing hooky as being 'absent from school without an excuse'. As a serial hooky player during my high school years, I always had an excuse.  Aside from my sanctioned absences as yearbook co-editor, I had myriad reasons for attending class as scarcely as possible.  The lineups at Canada's Wonderland were so much shorter on school days...

My kids hit the Mom jackpot.

This propensity to do something fun instead of school every now and then hasn't left me.  My kids hit the Mom jackpot.  Here are my five favourite things to do with my kids when we play hooky together:

  1. Legoland.  This is only first because my son and I were just there.  On a Tuesday.  He got to hang out with one of his best buddies who is homeschooled.  So, it was kind of like a school trip.  They built stuff (engineering), played with other kids (social studies), negotiated with us at the snack bar (health studies), and ran around like maniacs with practically the entire place to themselves (phys. ed).  I bought an annual pass on the way out but can guarantee we won't be clocking any weekend hours there. 
  2. Disney World. Two words: Off season.  Everything is pretty much half price in October and November.  We did end up spending a long weekend confined to our room during a hurricane one visit, but that room was just so well priced!
  3. The cottage.  We fly to our cottage, so adding on a day to a weekend visit just makes sense when going that far, right?
  4. A shoot. Spending time at a studio, watching my daughter be transformed into a model and then do her thing for a fashion or beauty photographer, is a fabulous way to spend a weekday together.
  5. Our family room.  Sometimes you need some extra time together to hang out and just be.  Depending on the kid we'll Netflix binge on The O.C. or Lego Ninjago.  
kissing a dolphin is so much sweeter when you're missing school &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;photo by Discovery Cove staff photographer

kissing a dolphin is so much sweeter when you're missing school                                photo by Discovery Cove staff photographer

My youngest will be in the double digits this summer, three will be in post secondary come September, and that almost-empty-nest feeling is looming.  I truly treasure the extra time that we spend together when my kids and I play hooky.  Of course, there's always the details to take care of when a kid's missed school so I'll write their school office a note the following morning saying that they "had an appointment".   What I don't write is, "with me". 

Do you play hooky with  your kids?  What are you favourite things to do together?