I might be in the minority when I say that I am sad Spring Break is over. We didn’t do anything extraordinary or travel someplace exciting, but each day of break the girls and I something fun. We tried a new restaurant with friends on Monday, visited the Crayola Experience on Tuesday, played at the mall playplace on Wednesday, played at the park on Thursday, and the girls went to the zoo with my parents on Friday. I would even go so far as to say that most of those things are pretty everyday for us, depending on the week. So why am I sad that break is over?

Honestly, I miss Kaelyn. She went back to Kindergarten today and is hopefully having all the fun telling her friends about her spring break adventures. I hope as she is swapping stories with her friends, her eyes twinkle and her face lights up the same way it did when we visited the Crayola Experience for the first time, or when I surprised the girls with lunch at Chick-fil-a. I hope as she is playing on the playground during school today, she is remembering how much fun she and another friend had swinging on the tire swing at the park last week. I hope the joy she experienced during her ordinary adventures is displayed loud and proud.

As a parent, it’s hard to not always have the opportunity to do the super fun things. Finances, time, and to do lists are very real roadblocks. Is there a part of me that wishes we could have traveled to a new place? Sure, but I also think it’s healthy for a child to be bored or to participate in normal day to day activities like running errands or meal planning. It teaches them the use their imagination, to be an active participant in their life, and to find the extraordinary in the ordinary. Am I disappointed in our spring break adventures- absolutely not! It was ah-mazing to not have to wake anyone up to do multiple school drop offs and pickups or to not have to remind my girls again and again to get ready for school and sometimes in a loud voice.

So today, while I am going through my ordinary day, I will miss the simplicity and joy of spring break. I will however, relish in the opportunity to find the extraordinary in the ordinary.