Every February for the last few years, Rachel has had a week's vacation following President's day. We've taken the opportunity to go to the Lake Tahoe area, staying in the home of a very generous friend. Of course, Jared's preschool doesn't have the same week off, so he missed that week (four days) of school. We felt, however, that it's well worth it, given the life lessons he gets on the trip.

When the kids get older, we'll work with their teachers to bring their schoolwork with us so they don't fall behind. I'm sure they won't like the idea of homework while on vacation, but the alternative is to skip the vacation; I'm sure they'll choose to go, homework and all.

First, and perhaps most importantly, we don't go alone; Rachel's folks go with us. This is a wonderful opportunity for a meeting of the generations. The kids see them regularly, but this is like an intense master class with two very experienced, knowledgeable souls. That alone, is worth the trip. It's good for them too; they end up acting like kids themselves, hitting the slopes on the sleds along with Jared and Sara.

Of course, it's also a great chance to experience a different lifestyle and culture. San Francisco is an awesome place to live and grow up, but it is a big city. It's nice to spend time in a place where life moves at a little slower pace. It's interesting to see the differences in architecture, vehicle choice, and infrastructure that snowy winters cause. We certainly don't have "snow storage" areas in San Francisco; I'm not even sure what that is, truth be told. Still, it's good for the kids to come up with theories about what a snow storage area is for. They've also seen first hand why homes in the mountains have steep, slanted roofs.

Just as there is value in visiting museums to see great works of art, so too is there value in seeing the great beauty of nature. The shifting shapes of clouds passing over the mountains, the brilliance of the lake as the sun sets, the simple elegance of falling snow -- these are lessons for the soul as well as the mind. These are the sort of experiences that build well-rounded people.

If the touchy-feely stuff doesn't convince you, there are purely educational aspects of the trip too. Our kids learned about geography, looking at maps of the area and of California. They learned about chemistry, watching snow turn into water. They learned about weather that they wouldn't see at home and experienced the water cycle -- precipitation, evaporation, condensation, and so on -- for themselves. They saw the environment we're always talking about saving; it's difficult to convince kids to care for our planet if all they ever see are cultured parks and cement.

Don't forget the Phys Ed class -- going on hikes, climbing up the sled hill, even just running around in front of the house experiencing the joy of a snowfall is hard work and good exercise. It teaches the kids that exercise doesn't have to be boring drudgery -- an important lesson for lifelong health.

All in all, it's always a great trip full of life lessons.