Good-bye! I'm off for a week's vacation. Do you ever feel as if it's more work to take a holiday than it would be just to stay home in your usual routine? I'm in that stage right now, but I know I'll be happy once vacation starts.
As I'm getting ready to leave, I'm reminding myself of my Secrets of Adulthood, family vacation pack:
- Less is more.
- Start early if possible.
- When packing an item that might leak, put it in a plastic bag.
- Don't let anyone get too hungry. Especially me.
- Cheerfulness is contagious, and crabbiness is even more contagious.
- Wear sunscreen.
- Carry tissues.
- Remind kids to visit the bathroom-don't wait for the thought to occur to them.
- Never choose the buffet option.
- Get plenty of sleep.
- There's joy in routine, but an occasional disruption makes routine all the sweeter.
- Make it easy to do right, and hard to go wrong.
- Quit while we're ahead.
- Make each of my children helpless with laughter at least once each day.
- Doing a little work makes goofing off more fun.
- The things that go wrong often make the best memories.
- Leave plenty of room in the suitcase.
- As Eisenhower observed, "Plans are worthless, but planning is everything."
- The point is to have fun.
What am I overlooking? What are your Secrets of Adulthood for family vacations?
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