Thank goodness Sloan is on Spring Break. I was concerned for her. As a pre-schooler who attends class three times per week and puts in grueling half days, you just hope she doesn’t get burned out. This week of R&R couldn’t come at a better time.

Excuse my sarcasm. I actually think it is cute she gets to take a Spring Break with the K-8 students at St. Mary. We are trying to frame her Spring Break, rather she really earned it or not, as an award and milestone in her school year. As she starts going to school full time next year and for the ensuing years after that, we do want her to enjoy and recharge during her Spring Breaks.

Over the weekend, I found myself thinking about what Spring Break was like for me when I was in elementary school. I remember a lot of wiffle ball, computer games, and Blockbuster videos. I also remember something that my mom would do. Throughout the course of the week, my mom would take each of us three kids out to lunch individually. We would get to choose the restaurant and have a nice one-on-one meal with mom. I can recall Taco Bell and Senor Froggy both being destinations of my choosing.

I work remotely most of the week and that held true yesterday. When noon came around, I asked Sloan “McDonald’s or Zips?” She was a little surprised. It’s not like we go on a bunch of one-on-one lunch dates in general. Furthermore, I seldom ever leave the house during my break when working from home. But I was channeling my inner-Mary Reser.

Sloan chose Zips and off we went to the Inland Northwest’s favorite burger fast food joint. We ordered for dine-in and I sat down with Sloan as she ate a cheeseburger, sipped root beer, and suffered a brain freeze as she tried to eat an ice cream cone so big it had to be placed in a fountain drink paper cup. Sloan enjoyed the unexpected treat and I savored the company of my 5-year-old. It isn’t very often that I get to break up my workday like that.

Sloan eating her cheeseburger at the Zip’s on Trent in the Spokane Valley.

I told Sloan that I was taking her out because it was her Spring Break, just like my mom would do for me. I hope to make this an annual tradition for Sloan and, eventually, Beau too. Don’t Blink.