Taking Advantage of Vacation

Ever get really attached to a certain routine? I do. Namely the bedtime routine. I caught myself on this past vacation. It started with the sunset. I've seen it a million times...I've watched the sky turn that sherbet orange and fade to cotton candy pink and gradually turn shades of blue until the stars begin to show themselves.



But you know who hasn't? My daughters. They are usually in bed, on their way there, or out of range.



Vacation is wonderful. It's a chance to semi-relax (I say semi because, well, I have children), eat fun foods, sleep in (bwhaa-haa...just kidding) and enjoy company. And for my daughter, to her delight, a chance for me to sneak in after bedtime and get her up to watch a sunset.




Needless to say, she adored it.



I'm a stickler for bedtimes. But sometimes you need to go for it...why not?



So this next vacation (or stay-cation), look around and look through the eyes of your kids for a minute. My every-day-ordinary-sunset was an exciting and wonderfully special event for my daughter.



Take a minute to watch the clouds with them...

To teach them about new things, like binoculars...and how the current ripples and takes on a pinky-gray tint from the sunset's reflection. Don't forget to take time to enjoy the little moments, to belly laugh a few times, and to *gasp* keep the kids up a little past bedtime.

"To bring up a child in the way he should go, travel that way yourself once in a while." ---Josh Billings