Forced Vacation: You will have fun, dammit!

I haven't blogged in a while. I was boring myself, let alone the five people who read this. But I've decided to force my 16 year old son and daughter to go on vacation with their parents and thought I'd briefly jot down the reasons why.

As my kids get older, they get more independent, which is a good thing. Really, it is. (If I keep telling myself that, eventually I'll believe it.) But I also feel increasingly out of touch with both of them.

My son has a job -- he's getting cash under the table from a recreational sports league -- but I have no idea how much. And yes, it is my business. I need to know so I can gage how much less I have to dole out for gas and other expenses. I think he recently had a girlfriend...but I'm not really sure if it was a real relationship or one conducted solely via text messaging. He leaves at 7 in the morning and comes home at 10 at night...and I know where he is all day, but how was his day? What did he do? Did he enjoy coaching the kids? Who shows promise? Who's being a little stinker? I just want to have a conversation with him that doesn't involve money, pizza or car repair.

My daughter is, depending on the day, sullen and secretive, or loving and effusive. It's a crap shoot when I'm going to get which girl on which day. I'd like one long block of time where maybe I can start to recognize the signs when she turns from Jeckell into Hyde.

So off we go to forced togetherness up North. We will float down innertubes on the Platte and climb the sand dunes and go see a move at the Cherry Bowl Drive-In. And I know, even though they will never admit it, that fun will be had.

No, you cannot bring a friend along.