Christmas Vacation |
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Over the christmas vacation I was home with both of my children. We had a very nice time together and enjoyed this opportunity to escape our regular, hectic routine and be together as a family.
My husband took the kids outside one sunny afternoon. They built a great snow fort together. They made it by rolling large snowballs and arranging them in a circle. Then they stacked more snowballs upon the first layer created a wall all the way around. The kids had a blast and burned off lots of energy and my husband got to feel like a kid again.
We would have liked to go away on holidays over the christmas vacation, however this plan is on hold for the time being. We did get a chance to spend extra time with friends and family and that was a lot of fun as well.
Another day during the christmas vacation, a friend of the family invited the children on a hike through the woods. We packed up a lunch and bundled the kids up nice and warm and then they were off! Our friend had built a sort of structure to serve as a shelter. It consisted of a six foot bench, with a partial roof, but this was plenty of room for the kids to sit and eat their lunch before heading home from their hike.
We went for dinner at another couple's home. They cooked a huge dinner and we crowded around the table to enjoy the food and their company. Then we ended up in their son's bedroom, tearing wallpaper off his bedroom walls, as they are in the middle of renovations. This was an unexpected activity, but was a lot of fun, even if it's not your typical christmas vacation endeavor. After working away on his room, we all headed outside. Our friends built a huge bonfire and we gathered around, drinking hot chocolate.
My sister came to stay for a week during the christmas vacation as well. She brought along her chihuahua puppy. Our kids were busy with that little dog from morning until night. As a special surprise, my other sister surprised us with tickets for the Gwen Stefani concert. It was a nice way to spend an evening with our visiting sister and a great surprise for all of us.
When the christmas vacation finally ended, the kids were not too eager to go back to school. However, as parents we were pretty tired out and happy to see them off to school until the next vacation comes along some time in March.
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When Christmas comes each year, many people like to sneak in some vacation time. This might be the easiest time of the year to get off, though that will depend on where you work and how long you have been at your job. Christmas vacation is usually spent with family, though some people like to skip the family on occasion and take a break from everything and everyone for some time to de-stress. No matter what you plan to do for your Christmas vacation, make sure you plan early so you can save some money, and to make sure you get a flight.
If you want to go home to see your family for Christmas vacation, talk to your boss as early as you can. Some places are very busy in the early weeks of December, but then have a slow down the week after Christmas. If this is the case with your job you my have no problems getting off. However, there are some places that don’t slow down, and if you want to take a Christmas vacation, you had better start planning and asking for time off as early as possible.
Remember that flights around Christmas are always full, and they are always booked early. If you try to book a flight on Dec fifth for your Christmas vacation, you will either find that you cannot get a flight, or if you do get one, you are going to pay full price and then some. Airlines know many people like to take flights for Christmas vacation, and they know they can charge full price and still fill up the planes. Book as early as possible to ensure you get a seat at a decent price.
When it comes to planning a Christmas vacation away from home, make sure you also book early, and also make your reservations early. Some places fill up fast, though you may not realize it. If you are thinking of getting away for some skiing or snowboarding for your Christmas vacation, remember that many others have the same idea. If you don’t act early, you may not be able to get a reservation at your favorite resort. Just remember to make sure your reservations are confirmed, and arrive and leave on odd days of the week if you can. This might ensure you get a room when they may not otherwise have anything available.
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It just wouldn’t be an official holiday season without multiple viewings of the movie National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. We generally pull our DVD out around mid October, when the weather starts to get dreary and those first thoughts of Christmas enter our minds. By the end of January we have viewed Christmas Vacation a good five times and are quoting the entire movie each viewing. If you have never seen the movie, you truly are missing out on one of the absolute best movies representing a true family holiday, and not one that is all sugar coated and touchy feely. Of course there are some of those moments, but Christmas Vacation is a comedy relief during what can be one of the most stressful times of the year.
Christmas Vacation is written by John Hughes and stars the legendary Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo. Of course the lead actors are fabulous, but Christmas Vacation is truly an ensemble that is a force to be reckoned with. From a young Juliette Lewis portraying the surly teenage daughter to Doris Roberts portraying the mother in law that just can’t bite her tongue and drinks a little too much to the fantastic Randy Quaid portraying the long lost cousin that just doesn’t quite fit in with the rest of the family driving in and unloading his rusty old RV in the pristine suburban community. If any of the supporting cast was not included, Christmas Vacation would be a completely different movie.
There are countless quotable scenes during the movie, and many of them are simple exaggerations of things we have each encountered in our own lives. The movie is completely relatable, which is one of the reasons it feels like inviting an old friend over when you watch it. Clark (Chevy Chase) hates his job and his boss, but sucks up endlessly to receive recognition only to be shafted on his Christmas bonus. Juliette Lewis (Audrey) laments at the fact that she has to sleep with her brother while her grandparents visit. Mae Questel (Aunt Bethany) is the old relative that isn’t quite all there and wraps up her cat as a Christmas present and sings the National Anthem instead of saying grace.
If you haven’t seen Christmas Vacation, get it now. Once you rent it, I guarantee that it will be purchased within the next few days and made a permanent part of your video collection and holiday season.
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