Vacations are curious things. The expectations are high. Where we go, how long we go for, what can we afford and how do we make the next one even better than the last?

These are all questions we moms ask ourselves, sometimes not long into the school year.School can be stressful at all grade levels, not only for the students but also for the mothers who invest their energy in making sure little Johnny and Susie put ample effort into their studies and homework, which depending on the personalities of each child can either be a dream or a full-blown nightmare.Summer vacation time can often just loom on the horizon while we all muddle through the required 180 days of curricular instruction, but when it arrives, it is sometimes like a magical portal has opened to Wonderland.The cold air has turned warm, public pools have been opened, ice cream shops and miniature golf courses are buzzing with activity and calendars have been marked off for the glorious "week away."But what happens before and after that "week away?" What about the days and the weeks without school that our children are looking for activities to ward off the "I'm bored" syndrome?Amy Smith of Lehighton took time from volunteering at a local vacation Bible school to share some of the out-of-school activities she likes to do with her two children."We do like to go on a weeklong vacation every year with the kids. We like to alternate between the beach one year and somewhere totally different, the next," Smith said. "I love to go away and to be away from home, but after a week, even though it's a great time, it is always so good to get home."Last year she and her husband took their two children, Julie and Cole, on a 10-day trip to Mount Rushmore."It was a fantastic experience for all of us and we really enjoyed it, but by the last day we actually drove 30 hours straight, only with stops for food and gas, to get home."Living in a small town like Lehighton may seem unappealing to some, but to Smith and lots of moms like her, she finds much to do to ward off summer boredom."Throughout the summer, the kids and I love to head to Mauch Chunk Lake and to the environmental center. We enjoy walking the Weissport Canal and around Beltzville as well," Smith said."Julie and Cole also love to attend the summer reading programs at the Lehighton library and certainly their church's VBS program."Smith said there are some new places she was looking into that they had never been to, such as Bushkill Falls and Bangor Park, which is said to be the Stonehenge of America."It may not sound like much, but I believe it is the little things and even small experiences that our kids will remember and appreciate the most."Smith's children have different feelings when it comes to being away for vacation."Julie loves to spend time away from home. She loves the preparing and the traveling and getting to see new places and new things. Cole, on the other hand, would rather do things closer to home. Although he loves new experiences as well, he would rather come home every night."Regardless, Smith enjoys being able to spend time with them whatever they choose to do.Smith's reflection on vacation time was put best when she said, "I think that being away or really anywhere with them is the best because it's just us - our family - no outside expectations or strict schedule. We get to be together as a family."It's easy to get caught up in the "Where are we going for our summer vacation?" And although that week or so away from our daily lives at home can be a memorable experience, it's important to try to make the days before and after our time "away" equally as special for our kids.It is truly the family moments together that our children will take with them for the rest of their lives, and hopefully share with their families someday.