So far, my daughter has missed a week of kindergarten, third grade and this fall she'll miss a week of fourth grade. My son missed a week of first grade and will miss a week of second. I'm at the school volunteering all the time, and when you see how little time they actually spend "on task" and how much time they spend waiting for other kids to do stuff or get to a certain place, or eat lunch or have recess, the instructional time AT the school is really not that much (at the elementary level). Sure, they're learning patience and following instructions and such, but our teachers have very nicely prepared my children's work for them to bring along.
We were leaving on a Sunday, so my third-grader literally sat down and knocked out a week's worth of work Friday afternoon. My first-grader did some at home and brought some along. They both got A's on their tests when they got home.
Since we live in reasonable driving distance from Orlando, I think the teachers have sort of resigned themselves to mid-school vacations.
I think you can emphasize the importance of education in your family, and your kids will realize that school isn't the only place they should be prepared to learn something. Use the family time as an opportunity to show how much YOU are still learning -- your trip can be a seminar to teach your family about "lifetime learning" (which is a big buzzword around here).
Take a deep breath and remember, even at school, you are the customer!
