Missing Firefight when you want a quick game?

When your limited for time and only got half hour and your son (he is only 8 but i have decided its ok for him to play halo)really enjoys having a blast with his old man on split screen.
Now i find there is no firefight boo! but great there is spartan ops but you cant play local split screen wtf!
Do you recon they will correct this obvious move to make everyone buy a gold membership or will they see the error of their ways and relent.
I dont need 2 golds in the house yet i dont let him play multiplayer yet but we play campaign coop and firefight.
I will be getting him his own xbox soon and we will be on the same lan in the house can you play ops over a lan?
Ace game though worth the wait.
Tommo.